Life can be tough...but you have to be tougher.

So it has been a long time....I have been a bit busy. My new mantra after the last 18 months is:

My home has changed drastically this year. More posts coming...

So here is why I have been absent. Life has been throwing stuff at me! Here is the master list!

•     It all started when my uncle died unexpectedly. Sunday, January 15, 2017 he dies and was gone too soon. Heartbreaking.

•      In March my car was totaled by 4-inch hailstones while visiting mom. My parent's home was also damaged in the storm.

•      In April I had a biopsy for a growth on my head. 

•      In May I found out it was late stage cancer on my head.

•      In June my family was in a car accident on the way to get my cancer surgery. 

•     I was injured in the accident and Dad's car was totaled. Months of therapy for my neck and back. Thankfully Mom and Dad were okay.

•     In July I had the surgery to remove almost 30% of my scalp. 38 stitches in my head for three weeks. A real headache. Most of my hair was shaved off. My time with hats begins.

•      In August I had a biopsy for a growth in the corner of my eye. Found out it is stage one cancer.

         Start treatment in September for the cancer in my eye. Oral Chemo for 2 weeks. My hair did not thin much.  So that was good since it was growing out from the surgery.

•      In December 2017, I continued treatment for the cancer in the corner of my eye. I finish up the therapy for the car accident. 

•     January 2018, I have two kidney stones removed after three weeks of terrible pain. I had a run to the ER in the middle of the night alone. Driving was not a good idea. Next time I will call 9-1-1. 

•      February, I find out my cancer in my eye is in remission. I finished treatments. Yippee! Replace the main electrical box and some wiring to the home. Security cameras installed! 

•      Three days later my home floods in a freak rainstorm. 13 inches of rain in 9 hours. Thousands of $$$$ worth of damage.

•      In March I find out my home insurance will not cover the flood damage. I call 19 contractors, meet with 4 of them, and only 1 comes through. None of the others even gave me bids.

•      April 2018 my house woes continue...but a lot gets done. My contractor is a great guy and really cares!  

•      In May I have another biopsy and it is not cancer this time, but a new spot on my cheek is stage one. We treat and watch for new growth, like it is a weed or something...But this time it is no biggie.

•      May, my doctor confirms that I may have a thyroid issue or tumor. I undergo tests which are inconclusive. No evidence or explanation for my blood tests and MRI results. Still getting tests done. A follow up with a specialist to come. 

•   June new contractor finishes up the bathroom.

•   July new closet organization installed! I am in the happy zone.

•      August, torn muscle from T1 Vertebra when I fell out of bed! What? I know! Ouch.

•   NOW...still finishing up the final things in the area of the home that was damaged in the flood.

So now you know why my blog has been silent. Things continue to improve. I have tons of photos of the house and all I have done.

More to come...At least things are looking up and I am dancing in the rain now!

I have a poltergeist! ..or an electrical problem.

Don't replace your electrical panel until you have read this! You could save thousands!

Over the course of the last year I have had all of the following:

• Flickering Lights
• Circuit breakers tripping
• Plugs hot or not working
• Lights dimming
• No power to the house for 30 min or so
• Light bulbs blowing out, even LEDs
• Dimmer switches blowing out
• Ballasts for fixtures blowing out
• My dishwasher and frig blew a fuse often
• Weird sounds coming from my ceiling fans
• Surges where all the lights in half the house would brighten
• Lights that would pop and rattle

It got to where this was happening all the time. Even lights that were off when I left in the morning would be on when I came home. I started to think I had a ghost. Yes, I watch too much Syfy channel!

Over the course of the year I had three electricians to the house and all blamed my electrical panel. The panel is Federal Electric and apparently not a favorite with electricians. But, my home inspector, just last August, said it was fine and might need replacement eventually. But, he assured me no fire hazard to worry about.

The estimates for replacement of the electrical panel were anywhere from $2,300 to $11,000. Yep. I did not add extra zeros, that was 11K on an electrical panel and bringing it up to code. Ouch. There goes the MBA fund!

My heart sank. And I started buying fire extinguishers thinking my house would burn down. Been there, done that. I lived through an apartment fire in 1996. Really scary stuff. And ever since I have a phobia of house fires.

Then the whole block went out, except my house. Guess what? The big green box for the line is in my backyard. Three guys from the electric company were in my yard all morning. Some digging around the box, and eureka! Power restored to the block.

That's when my electrical problem got worse. It got to Hollywood poltergeist levels! I thought Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion and my house were related!

Power to different sections of the house would go out and never trip a circuit. Then without warning the electricity to half the house would be back. No indication to why. Sometimes in the middle of the night things would turn back on and wake me up. In fact, it was often worse at night and on hot days.

Enter the hero of the story, DAD. He said, "Have you called the electric company?" Now why didn't I think of that? 

He went on to explain that there are two 110 lines that go into the house and when one of them has a lose connection somewhere the heat created can cause the connection to break with expansion of the wires. He also said it didn't sound like my panel would contribute to the surges. Sometimes the surges were so strong that my ceiling fans would spin and moan like a ghost and the lights would pop.

I called the electric company and they came out right away. We had a few laughs on the phone when I explained that the lights were right out of a horror film and that I needed to get a priest out to banish my poltergeist. But that it might be good if they checked the lines to my home and the big green box in my yard the guys had dug around when the power went out.

I have to say that Oncor was great. They came out checked it, looks like they fixed it too. I have not had a single flicker. Not a single dimming of lights or surge overnight. Let's hope they fixed  it for good.

Moral of the story. Before you spend thousands of dollars getting your electrical panel fixed, have the electric provider in your area check the line to the house. Funny thing, not one of the electricians who came to the house suggested doing that. Makes me a bit mad. Glad I had Dad.

Lights back on! Working good for 24 hours!

Taking the UGLY out of a worn out rent house

I purchased a home that had been a rental for 7 years. It was known to the neighbors as the smoke house or dirty dog house. The previous owner did many things right, but some things just plain wrong.

What is with the paint color? Can we say PLAIN?

First the trees had to go. They were too close to the house to get reasonable home insurance. They were poorly planted, very weak and dying. 

It took two days for the guys to take them out. They hauled off all the branches in two trucks! Then the stumps had to be ground down. Total tree removal was $700.

Then I added some container plants!

These wonderful stands I already had that were purchased years ago in Canton, TX at their First Monday Trade Days. I do not know how much they were. The plants were hanging plants from a local home improvement store I purchased for $15 each. I removed the plastic hangers from the pots and just dropped them into the terra cotta pots that came with the stands. Easy removal later and they drain well.











I just love pot feet! I got these terracotta pot feet in the section of my local home improvement store near the garden supplies. I really had to hunt for them and the associate at the store had no idea what I was talking about. They are used to raise pots off the ground to drain and dress up even a simple potted plant. They come in sets of three and cost about $6. Look near the drainage dishes for the planters. That is where I found them.  

The red flower is from the dollar store. I have found so many cute things like it there. When they fade or break I just toss them. At just a dollar I can switch them whenever.

Sweet potato vine and Petunia in purple were all I planted in these. I plan to switch that out soon for more heat resistant plants when the heat arrives in late July. They are in a concrete urn a friend was nice enough to give me.

The walk up is better with some grass starting to fill in the dirt. I only used water and some liquid fertilizer.

The concrete planter to the right is from the same generous friend who gave me the urns. In it I planted two Carolina Jasmine plants. They will have yellow flowers on them eventually I am told. Right now they add much needed interest to the garage wall.





Now in the heat of the summer I plan to stop on the outside for the most part and focus on the inside for the remaining hot summer months.

Packing with nowhere to go....

I don't know where I am going yet. That's right, I am about to be homeless. The closing on my home is scheduled several weeks from now.

I will be looking for a home this weekend, but available homes in my area are slim. My real estate agent is wonderful and I believe there is a home out there for me.

I read recently that the single worst thing people do when they are moving is underestimate how long it will take them to pack all their belongings.

Another website said allow 1 day per room in your house. But, what constitutes a room? I have a 2 bedroom home. Is that two days? Probably not.

I am counting all areas as rooms to be safe. The patio, shed, kitchen, laundry, downstairs bath, dining, living, guest bedroom, master bath and master bedroom. That is 10 days! I better get cracking.

All this and I am not sure when or where I am moving. That is really the stressful part.

I might have to have a packing party and invite all my friends. Mmmm. Maybe BBQ?

Just 5 Weeks! House is clean and done.

You are not going to believe this. The house is done.  Well, sort of.

But, look at this...

Yes, that is floor. There was beautiful carpet under all the piles! 

We even found the patio under all the leaves!

I had a call from the contractor I hired to finish all the projects I had going. He kept running a few days late...kept saying he would be back tomorrow and then didn't show. He kept tweaking things and wouldn't stop till it was just so. My dad also took on some of the work. I touched up paint and packed...and packed....and packed.....

The contractor did perfect work and it finally is the home I had wished for the last 8 years. 

In the process of the last 5 weeks I have:

• Filled 2 - 10 X 10 storage units with furniture and stuff. 
• Taken about 6 car loads of items to the Good Will
• We lost count at 40 bags of trash. Most of it stuff just not worth donating
• Had a contractor finish all the house projects (fix, upgrade and repair) $$$$$
• Worn myself out and am now limping from pain in the right knee

Mom and Dad helped every step of the way. They showed up each day I had off work and chipped in. Filled bin after bin of stuff to sort. I sorted out about 12 big plastic bins, but there are many more in storage now. 

In the second (purple) bedroom my dad a solid two days and my contractor a day to get cleared. The stuff in that room filled one of my storage units to 60% capacity. Too many boxes for one person to own.

Each morning I look at the house and wonder how this could happen? It took a lot of money, sweat, blood, ice packs, Advil, broken nails, and headaches to get there. I still have two storage units to deal with. So the party isn't over yet. 

Oh, I almost forgot....

All this to get the house on the market and sell it. Today is the first day on the market and we have multiple showings! All that work and someone else will get to enjoy my perfect house...sad really.

Now to be sure the NEXT house doesn't get disorganized like this one did. No more stairs for me with my bad knees! I will be measuring closets and dining rooms.

Most of the stuff I own will not be going on to the next house this time....can we say GARAGE SALE?

So Happy!!!

New Year, New Start Weekend

I work best with a deadline, don't you? On Wednesday I have a contractor coming over to give me an estimate on some work around the house. I have one weekend to get it in shape enough.

Plus, I am tackling getting it in gear and since the house has gotten really bad in the last month due to several factors, I just cannot stand it anymore!

On my breaks this weekend I will post my progress. Let's get started with some cleaning weekend necessities.

First take your pain medication. This might hurt a bit.

And put on some shoes! If your situation is anything like mine you might stub a toe and end up down for the count. Plus, why mess up your toe nails? 

 

Open the windows so it is bright and sunny if you can. Plus, you can see better and not miss anything hiding in the shadows...I think some of my stuff might be a bit scary. 

Turn on any lights that might help where you are working. This one is under my kitchen vent hood. Hey, whatever works!

I am taking on the sort. Here is my system. Each major area of the house gets a bin. I set up a trash can nearby, along with a clothes hamper. I don't really like the keep, donate, trash system all the organizers seem to be in love with. That isn't what I need first. I need to see the floor.

All supplies are from the dollar store. I have markers and sticky notes to use on them. I also start with an energy drink and pop in some good music for working. 

Now for the sort! 

Oh, you might want to see the before picture, right? These stairs are really cluttered! Glad I am taking them on first! 

Step One to clear the sorting area: Take out the trash collected. I set up a big 39 gal bag near the center of the downstairs. I don't have a lot of room where I am working. I need to keep things compact.

Step Two: Take the receipts that need to be shredded and medicine bottles (marker up the labels really well!) and trash them. Trash can put you at risk of ID Theft, so be wary of what you are throwing out. 

Next step: I go around the house and empty the bins in the rooms where the contents belong. 

Now the stairs are done and clean! Whew. 

Now on to the next bite size chunk of junk! 

Over a year since I started this journey and I am sad to say that despite a few times the house got better, for the most part it stayed bad. Sorry to disappoint. MY HOUSE IS STILL BAD.

The knee injury in January and 9 months physical therapy didn't help much. Not to mention the nasal surgery in May. With the follow up appointments to remove more.  I feel great and can exercise again. No more sinusitis. But, it hampered anything outside of that. And I was not able to lift anything for awhile Then I cut my finger in July. That took about 6 weeks. And is still healing.

However, my biggest issue is my workload and terrible hours I have been working are taking their toll. When I say bad we are talking 60 - 70 hours a week. I even pulled some close to all-nighters. Can we say I am way too old for this?

I took a road trip with my mom in June that was very memorable. We went to spend a week with my 91 year old grandma. That was really special. I did a lot of laughing. I paid dearly for that at work. You do not want to know.

I also took a long weekend to see my cousin, his wife (cousin in-law?) her parent's, my aunt and uncle in the Austin area. It was too short. I killed myself again with a 50+ hour week I pulled before and another after just to not work the weekend. Ridiculous.

Now church events start back up, Toastmaster contest season has started and I am pooped out. Worn out seems to be my norm and not sleeping much. Stress. You guessed it -WORK. I am trying to find time to just be still and pray. Even that feels ackward sometimes because I am moving and going and doing so much.

It seems my life has other plans for me right now. But I am looking at seeing if I can find a way to like my house. I am realizing that I never moved in. I have boxes I never unpacked sitting in almost the same place the movers put them in 2006.

I felt like I settled for this house because I couldn't afford anything else. I had lost out on several bidding wars for other homes. I had to compete with people displaced by Hurricane Katrina and I was feeling like I needed to get anything after months of looking.

I have hated the look of the kitchen and the carpeting from day one. But, that money went to a new AC and I almost have that paid off now. But, hating it has kept it messy. It is almost like I don't care because I hate it. Then I hate it more cause it is messy.

This weekend I took the weekend off (I know, I know) and took a 3 hour nap today. I did do some laundry and got to the grocery though. I am so sick and tired of eating out.

My goal is to put this project back on the calendar. I want to make some slight improvements that might help me like my kitchen and floors a bit more. Heck, seeing the counters and floors again will be an improvement. It will take some doing, I spent a whole year doing other stuff and have run out of excuses.

Pray that I get this done and livable. Pray for a better work situation! Making change is hard - but worth it!

Christine