Settling In

It's been 25 days now and we're getting settled in comfortably.

The new house's front yard has really taken off and is lush and green. NOT like the back yard that faces south where there is either corn or quack grass. They sort of look the same. I pray it's corn but I fear it's quack grass.

O'Well, pick your battles. The plan was to see WHAT came in and then go from there. We have seeded twice and both times 90% of the seed has washed away from huge thunderstorms that very night.

The downspouts are evil when it comes to newly sewn grass seed.

Before I get to the INSIDE of the house let me talk about the landscaping that we are planning and have ordered.

The back left of the house on the golf course are three Basswood trees and our neighbors have a couple ash trees. The Basswoods are flowering and have a wonderful aroma and millions of red admiral butterflies.

What we plan to do is put in a clump of River Birch. This will give us a little shade but not totally block the view like a Maple would do.

On the right side of the backyard where the sun will really heat up the house in summer we're putting in an Autumn Blaze maple.

This will give us a ton of shade in a few years (grow 3 feet a year) and spectacular color in the fall.

In the winter it will have no leaves and let the warming light through.

In the front yard we are planning on having an Donald Wyman Crabapple tree. It will not be smak dab in the middle but off to the left side a little so we can still see out of the "quite rooms" window.

The next project is planting Palace Purple Coralbells and So Sweet Hosta's between the sidewalk and garage. It's in shade most of the time and will add a little "something.

OK - we're skipping in front of the front porch until fall (also called regrouping our financial solvency).

However beside the garage where the air conditioner, air outtakes and outdoor faucet is all bunched together we have a plan.

First of all there will be a Burning Bush (Euonymus Tures) in the front. Then three Carefree Wonder Rose Shrubs. Then on the end to give a darker background a Summer Ninebark (no photo available).

Thats the outside - pray for us!

But - what of the inside. Well, we're a little more eclectic and have to work with what we already had. No going out and buying new stuff and starting new like the landscaping.

The living room (also called the Great Room because it is attached to the kitchen I guess) turned out great. It's a little smaller then the previous house but with 17 foot ceilings it seems bigger. I know my sub woofer is not quite so awesome in THIS room.

The kitchen is right off the living room and while we were a littel worried about the two being so close (fear of the unknown) it has worked out great!

Standing in the kitchen if you turn south you will see the sun room/breakfast nook that walked out to the porch. This had a surprise moment the third night in the house when a previously unknown sprinkler from the golf course went off and started blasting the house at 2:00 in the morning. We had water on the floor up to the close chairs you see in the photo.

We have not informed the golf course just yet because we can a free watering every few nights and all we have to to is close the window. When the grass comes in totally we will speak to the golf course.

The Master bedroom is nothing to get real excited about. It's the only room with blue carpeting. The rest of the house all blends together but we wanted something different in one room - BINGO! The room has a vaulted ceiling. Most of the house as 9 foot ceilings as the default with the kitchen, sunroom and living room having reaching to 17 feet at times.

The Master bedroom is 9 foot but goes up another foot for the ceiling fan.

There are two other rooms. The Quite room in the front of the house. It's just a peaceful little room where the animals go when things get to hectic and for some reason it's just a nice calming room. They my study which I will not show. It's also called the clutter room or the computer room.

It's very secret with secret things in it that the government will not allow me to show the public because of National Security considerations.

SO!

That is where we stand at the moment.

All is well. I'll have more when plants and trees arrive.

Rod and DJ - cheers!