Bathroom Remodel

The week my BIL died, we had water damage to our downstairs bathroom.

Our basement flooded sometime after. 

Last year, a tree fell on our house. 

All of these events brought projects. 

However, the past year after the tree has felt like a nonstop project to me. Now we are onto upgrades and improvements, instead of recovery efforts. 

Today I helped the mister with our master bath again. We've already done painting and new mirrors/light fixtures. Today was floor day. 

He's going to have to find a man friend to install the toilet at the end of this. He gets incredibly impatient with my weak body and mind. ;)

Today was fun!

Wet saw. Serious business. 

Do work, guuurl!

Not too shabby so far.

:)

Sometimes I Agree to the Journey

...because I love to feel the Homecoming.

My husband taught me the art of traveling well. Not the act of moving from place to place; I'd done that on my own many times, in various modes...but the skill of mastering logistics- with the outcome of a more-appreciated venture- that I owe to him.
I pack lighter.
I tend toward local venues instead of chain places I'd feel more familiar in.
I walk around new ground and engage with the old man with the handlebar mustache.
I take photos of the wall in the restaurant.
Some things my husband will never break me of...Like unpacking all my stuff into drawers and onto hangers.
But I have new concepts even for that. I only unpack if the stay is for more than one night. ;)

Old hat

Don't Let Us Get Sick
(Warren Zevon)

Don't let us get sick
Don't let us get old
Don't let us get stupid, all right?
Just make us be brave
And make us play nice
And let us be together tonight

The sky was on fire
When I walked to the mill
To take up the slack in the line
I thought of my friends
And the troubles they've had
To keep me from thinking of mine

Don't let us get sick
Don't let us get old
Don't let us get stupid, all right?
Just make us be brave
And make us play nice
And let us be together tonight

The moon has a face
And it smiles on the lake
And causes the ripples in Time
I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine

Survivor

I live every day as a survivor, not a victim. This is important. If you have no idea what I mean, that's a great big win for me.
I don't have much desire to be identified by my dark days.

Must-Haves

In celeb interviews, the subject is often asked what makeup must-haves they won't leave home without. I'm no celebrity, but last night I was running behind schedule and had to throw some items in my tiny purse to "make up" at work when I had a minute. It literally took 1.5 minutes. No one even knew I was gone. Turns out I'm not comfortable without: Cover Girl Simply Powder Foundation #505, Cover Girl Line Exact liquid eyeliner in brown #610, Revlon ColorStay lipgloss Eternal Blossom #535, and Almay intense i-color mascara in Black Flash #031.
I'm truly unsure if anyone could detect a difference from when I arrived to after I disappeared for a minute. But I felt better about conquering the world (and an ER full of Service Challenges).
I have a superstition about my lipstick at work. I'm convinced that if I have it on things will run smoothly, even if busy...but if I have naked lips everything will fall apart!
What are your makeup must haves? Do you have makeup superstitions?

The Library

I love the library! I like the smell, the feel of books in my hands, the eclectic and diverse population of consumers, EVERYthing!
The library makes me feel inspired and motivated. The atmosphere shivers and tingles with an electric excitement to GO, DO, BE while trying to maintain the calm and quiet, dignified exterior required of you within those walls. The library has secrets. It is not boring.
I've been a friend of the library from a very young age. I was the kid of a librarian, spending hours of childhood between the stacks during business hours and beyond- the times after close were the best, a whole library all to myself! And my mom was not just a librarian, she was a Reference Librarian in the days before Google...the times when an expert was needed to assist you in finding the right resources to get that paper done, when you could pick up the old landline and call the reference desk with a question and they would find the answer and recommend other books on the topic. Reference Fairies were better than Google, I submit.
The modern library has done well integrating today's technology and embracing it. My local library has developed an excellent app to help us reinvest in using her. It's easy to download ebooks, place a hold on a book right from your mobile phone and have it delivered to any branch you'd like, or renew your checkouts right from your iPad. It really is incredible.
And it makes me love the old gal, one of my longest pals, even more.

My town

Friday is errand day with A if I stay up after my work night instead of sleeping the day and evening away.
One recent Friday was tattoo removal session day. We got to wear giant goggles to protect us from the laser beams. I got to see A grimace in pain. Unpleasant.
Next, we enjoyed lunch downtown from the gourmet hotdog food truck- Bravas.

From there we walked past the Courthouse and down to the tobacconist so A could enjoy a fine cigar while we waited for the repairs to be completed on our Jeep. (I have stuck with the e-cig and am doing well.) It's an interesting spot to sit a while and see the downtown clientele.

Fort Wayne really is a great city. You just have to work a little to find the sorts of activities you want to tap into.

All love,
Bean