Paris Cruise Day 1 and 2

 We're boarded.  We're in a terrific room with a "French Balcony."  Never heard of such a thing. Turns out we have a sliding glass door and a bar across it to keep from falling overboard!  No deck, just a door that opens and a bar to keep us in the room.  Shades of Lori's bedroom before we removed the slider (with a six-foot drop and NO bar to keep her in) and replaced it with a HUGE garden window.  

We embarked, had dinner with new friends and a darling waitress (Laura -- trill your R, please) from Romania.  She cracked us up and got reprimanded several times from the boss for pulling her mask down.  We took several pictures with her and our wine steward -- who happily filled up my wine glass whenever I wasn't looking.  The sneak!  I happily complied and continually drained it; he snuck up behind me and filled it up again.  Love that guy!

Today dawned bright and beautiful in Les Andelys, a tiny village of 500 with two spectacular churches!  The first built in the 1200's and is used mostly as a wedding venue (pictures to follow in the FB comment section).  The second, they call their Notre Dame.  A bit smaller than the one in Paris, but sweet nonetheless, with a magnificent Rose Window.  Our group didn't get to go there but I got the inside pictures from another passenger.  Our group walked from the bus stop to the ruins of Chateau Gaillard (built in the 1100's by Richard the Lionheart).  The other group took the bus up and then returned to the village by bus, so they got to see the 2nd church.  

We hiked in the drizzle to the ruins.  There was a heard of sheep on the hillside.  The Normans believe in biodiversity and clean fields (organic).  They don't mow down the grasses, they bring in sheep instead.  The sheep keep the fields mowed as the Normans move their fences on a daily basis.  No fertilizer, no pesticides, just sheep.  

The castle was built in two separate parts, divided by a dry moat.  The smaller of the two was built in a circular shape with one wall as a defense.  The larger of the two was built in a triangular shape with a double wall protecting the keep.  I had a difficult time imagining how it was then, but our guide, Marie, was a wealth of information.  Sadly, my memory is short, and the statistics she rattled off moved on before I could reduce them here.  Oh well.

Marie described a typical banquet where the table was in a U shape.  The king sat in the only chair at the top of the U.  His guests would sit on benches beside him and down each leg, the further away from the King, the lower their status.  The King and his closest guests would receive meat rich in flavor and roasted for hours.  The lower guests would receive their meat heavily spiced (cooked?).  Fun fact:  the benches were called "ban" in French which is where the word banquet originated.  

After the ruins we hiked DOWN to the village where we had 30 minutes to poke around and/or shop and return to the ship.  If it's a river cruise, do we call it a boat?  I'll probably use both interchangeably.  

Back to the boat it's time for lunch.  I rarely eat more than one meal a day.  I can tell that I'm on the road to gaining 10 pounds with these three meals a day thing.  Tomorrow morning may be just toast and some fruit.  Already feeling bloated.  

On our way to Le Havre.  More tomorrow.

Paris 2022 Days 1-3

Arrived!  Left early Sunday morning to meet Sharon at PHX.  Checked into American (bound for Detroit) and grabbed some breakfast.  Our flight was boarding but we had to stop to get a new People magazine and water for the trip.  The line was incredibly slow but finally got through and dashed across the aisle as the door to the plane was just closing.  "WAIT!"  

"Oh," said the gate agent, "You must be the two Sharon's."  Looks like we have been dubbed.

Stewardess on the plane greeted us as we exclaimed, "We're here!  The two Sharon's have arrived, we can take off now."  Wait, someone is in my seat.  Turns out she didn't care for her isle seat and wanted my window.  I smiled wanly and waited for her to move.  She did.  I took "her seat".  What she didn't know was that I can't sleep on a plane, I need to fly it to our destination, and I can't do that from "not my seat."  She moved and I got us to Detroit without incident.  

After reading many FB posts about Paris Travels, especially about "lost" luggage and how the Apple air tag saved the day on many occasions, I purchased one for this trip and tucked it inside my luggage.  It has been a hoot tracking my suitcase to ensure it made it on the plane and then to the claim area.

Touchdown Detroit.  Took seemingly forever to get the shuttle to our hotel, but it eventually arrived.  We settled into the Wingate (much like a Hampton Inn), dinner in the hotel cafe, bed, sleep, wake fitfully and rise to a new day.  We actually booked two nights at the Wingate because we weren't leaving for the airport until 6pm and didn't want to "hang out" from noon until our flight at 9pm.  So, we eventually called a cab to take us into Detroit for lunch at Joe Muer Seafood.  Wow was it amazing!  Already posted a pic of the Chilean sea bass stuffed with crab and lobster.  It was wonderful!  The restaurant is located right on the river our view was simply wonderful.  The service from the hostesses through the water person and wait staff was top notch.  And the food, ohh la la!

Across the river was Windsor, Ottawa.  Yes, that close.  We took a chocolate lava cake in a to go container and our waiter actually wrote on the top: 1.5 minutes in the microwave and gave us "high end" plastic utensils to eat it which we did just before leaving the hotel.  Yes, it was delicious!

Left the hotel around 6 (to give us 3 hours to get through all the necessary international steps).  We were through and at our gate in 30 minutes.  Plenty of time to shop, buy another People magazine (a travel requirement), oh and a hoodie that says Detroit (never been there) at a greatly reduced price (I have always loved a bargain) and so to the waiting area and plug in our phones to recharge.  

And then the announcement:  The incoming flight to take us to Paris has been rerouted to Chicago due to weather in Detroit.  We're delayed two hours; new departure time is midnight.  Oh great.  It's international language in the waiting area, children of all ages bouncing around, excited to be going home, clearly hyped up on sugar or carbs and running up and down the people mover.  Parents tired from their "vacation" and just sitting as their darlings race about.  With all the news about child kidnapping I sat there worried sick that one of them would be grabbed while the parents backs were turned, but thankfully I was not called upon to defend these adorable kiddos who were just having fun.

In the fullness of time we were called to board the plane.  Seats were fine but we were in the first row in Premium which means we did not have a row in front of us to stow our stuff, it had to go into the overhead.  Oh well, we managed.  Dinner was served and eventually Sharon curled up and went to sleep.

Shon cannot sleep on a plane -- it is my duty to support the pilot and be his/her virtual assistant.  So I am relegated to watch one movie after another while I sent supportive thoughts to the cockpit.  This I did for the 8 hours of our flight which is why the plane did not go down over the Atlantic and we landed safely in Paris.  Lori, you're welcome.

Lori, my daughter, has forbade me to drown in the ocean.  She wants ("only needs") a 1/4 cup of my ashes to have a blue diamond made and she WANTS that gem when I die.  I am committed to staying alive over the water.  

We landed and proceeded through customs.  I have NEVER been through the passport control process as fast as we did.  Less than 7 minutes to walk the maze and present my passport.  Easy peasy.

Luggage conveyer was at the furthest conveyer belt.  Took a bit, but that PURPLE suitcase eventually surfaced.  It was fun to watch its progress given that I had purchased an Apple Air Tag before leaving.  

Sharon had decided that we should just take a taxi instead of reserving a private transfer.  YES!  The cost was about parity from our last visit, CDG to our hotel in Picpus was 53 euros, a bargain!

Got to the hotel and a new lady was behind the desk.  While she is delightful, we were so hoping Rashid would be here.  (He will be when he gets back from vacation on Sep 11th).  Looking forward to that homecoming.  Our hotel (Lux) has new owners (as of January) and many changes are in the works.  

We slept and ate and slept some more.  Turns out we're not as young as we used to be and time change is a challenge.

This morning we got up to an alarm and met our group in the Montmartre for a food and wine walking tour.  Our guide, Julie, was wonderful!  She took us through the Montmartre wanting to convince us that this area was the best and reason she chose to live here.  

The Montmartre was originally a "village" outside of Paris, separated by a stone wall.  This urban area was known for its vineyards and windmills.  While Paris has been updated, streets widened, buildings modernized (typically by Haussman) the lower part of the Montmartre remains mostly as it was, except the streets have been paved/cobbled -- but recently, no more than 100 years ago (I chuckled).  As we moved closer to Sacre-Coeur the buildings looked more modern.  Yes, they are quite new and sell for roughly 2000 euros per square meter.  Apartments (very small ones) sell for roughly 450,000 euros.  Shaking my head.  Our tour ended at the base of Sacre-Coeur and we were beat, so we headed back.  The sweets were VERY sweet, the choux were amazing, the cheeses were VERY good, the macrons were lovely.  What a fun trip!

Back to homebase, quick nap, then onto dinner at the local Vietnam restaurant.  Now Sharon is snoring and I'm slaving away at the keyboard wondering when that creepo will shut this down.  Wow, sucks to be boring me.

Tomorrow we board the boat.  "Ship" feels overly grand.  Our boat will hold 144 passengers (unless some decline to sail due to personal issues).  More (may) be revealed. 

Hugs to all!

Sharon and Shon

Pari 2022 Disclaimer

 I will not be able to post pictures inside my blog this trip.  Some internet creepo has hijacked my PC and Surface Pro (that I travel with).  Such a bummer.  I suspect that I will get off all internet activity in the near future.  

Seriously I'm a boring person.  I shop on Amazon, purchase and download embroidery designs, and send/receive emails.  Well this creepo jacked into my email account (I suspect from my FB account) and sent me a threatening email.  He wanted me to send $400 into his bitcoin account.  Several times in this missive he insisted "trust me, trust me" do this and I'll eliminate my Trojan Horse and leave you forever.  However if you do not, I have been tracking your internet usage and know that you frequently visit porn sites.  I have tracked your usage and have access to your camera and have downloaded film of you masturbating as you watch porn."

I almost believed him (for lack of an accurate pronoun I'm calling this creepo a him) until the part about watching porn.  Never been a fan and have no earthly idea how to access such a site even if I was a fan.  I do have a camera on my new PC but have NEVER taken the lense cover off, so I knew that was BS.  

Anyway, he has hijacked my email, while I frequently change the password (and Gary just installed a VPN) I fear it is too late.  So there will be no pictures.  At this point I don't even know if this first blog will even post.  We're about to find out.

If this posts, I'll continue working on Days 1-3; if not, I'll just post a few pictures through FB.  

Why oh why do really smart, clearly skilled people turn to the dark side?  I don't know but I do seriously wish horrid karma on them.

This jerk is a real pain.  I might have caved into his demand ... but he added the crap about porn.  And that wasn't happening.

The Kindness of Friends

When I last blogged, I described "The Kindness of Strangers" about the theft of my purse and wallet and the amazing strangers who lifted me up along the way.  I must tell you that the outpouring of love and kindness continues to amaze me and provides hope for the future.  And then, my friends.  They have emerged from the woodwork!

I did battle with my insurance company (USAA) and, not surprisingly, the insurance company won (they have weasel words not included in the policy document but buried in their website).  Okay, I could have pursued it, but it wouldn't have turn out well and I was an emotional wreck by that time.  I just wanted it to be over.  So, I accepted their offer and tried to put it all behind me.

Here's a surprise!  Gary's college fraternity buddy is a diamond broker!  Who knew?  Not me.  Gary contacted "Diamond John" who kindly offered us a "family and friends" big discount on whatever I wanted.  

There was no possible way I was going to allow USAA gemologists or jewelers to "reproduce" my grandmother's ring from a photograph.  I knew that I would never be satisfied and would forever resent them for the attempt.  Gawd, I loved that ring.  But I knew that I would have to move on.

About a week after I settled with USAA, I contacted Diamond John.  I had been wearing various earrings (none matching and all bugging me).  We discussed what I needed in order to return my ears to their "normal" bling mode.  He sent me choices of settings, colors, diamond options, backings, etc.  Seriously, I was miserable.  

John and I agreed on sizes, shapes, settings, backings and such.  Very shortly they were acquired (by him), set by his team and shipped to me and at price I could easily afford given my insurance payment.  My ears sparkle once again.  What's fun is that my friends who notice (most do), have commented quickly and forcefully that once again I look like I'm in balance and happy.  I am, I love bling!

So, I'm feeling like I'm back (sort of) when I get a text from a friend in California.  Actually, Tammy is a former colleague.  We were never what I would have considered "friends", but she was the local bank branch manager, President of my Rotary Club, and someone I respected in town.  She handled the surprise sale of her bank to another with such professionalism and aplomb that I knew she was a better person than I.  We are small town/Facebook "friends".  

About a bit more than a week ago I get a text from Tammy.  She saw this for sale in a post and remembered I always wore my grandmother's ring and knew about the theft.  She asked if this was it.

Like I said, Tammy and I were small town banking colleagues, met at professional functions and were polite.  Did she have to reach out?  No, she did not.  But she did.  When she sent this picture I broke out in ugly sobs.  No, this was not my ring, but a friend had reached out in an attempt to help.  It took me by such surprise (and gratitude) that I experienced an explosive meltdown.  

I've been gone from SoHum for four years.  But small towns remember.  I'm in regular contact with my "tribe" (you know who you are) and various good friends and people I love/respect and others through Facebook (I also continue to make regular donations to the local Hospice and Redheaded Blackbelt because I sincerely believe in these two groups).  There is nothing like living in a small town and (finally) breaking through (it took many years).  I have lived in MANY towns over my 70 years, big and small, military and civilian.  Nothing compares to SoHum.  It took forever to be accepted, but wow, it was so worth it!

Thank you, Tammy, for reaching out in an attempt to help, remembering my frightening experience, and offering your assistance.  I can't tell you how much that meant to me, continues to mean to me, and reminds me of how much I loved living in your small community.  

I continue to hope that those perps find their own karma and that it is dreadful.  I'm sad for the loss of my mother's wedding set (she firmly believed that a woman received her jewelry from her mother or her husband which is why I got her wedding set, nice to be the only girl child), I grieve the loss of Mumu's ring (my grandmother who hated to be called Grandmother so we shortened her name (Mary) to Mumu).  

But my ears sparkle again.  Thank you, Gary, for reaching out to your buddy, Diamond John.  Thank you, Diamond John, for some lovely bling!

The Kindness of Strangers

I went back to California last week to visit our Garberville home and return the security deposit to our renters.  What a wonderful visit!  I stayed with my good friend, Carolyn; got to breakfast each day with my daughter, Lori; and hang with dear friends for lunch and dinner.  A truly great visit!  Oh, and our renters treated the house as if it was theirs, their care for our home was evident.  

After three great days, I was on my way back home to Arizona.  Like the responsible person I am, I stopped at a gas station just a few blocks from the rental return to fill the tank.  I grabbed my credit card and opened the gas door.  Yes, the driver's door was open, yes, my purse was on the passenger seat.  I was standing less than 2 feet away from the door and pumped 2 1/2 gallons ... what is that ... 90 seconds, maybe.

In that time, someone tucked in behind me, reached into the car and took my wallet (laying on the console) and purse.  How is it the hairs on the back of my neck didn't stand up?  Well, as I have had time to reflect, I realized that he (for the lack of an accurate pronoun I'm calling this despicable person a "he") has MAD SKILLS!  I turned around to put my credit card (which I had tucked into my bra) back in my wallet when I realized that my wallet was gone ... and so was my purse.  My phone was still plugged into the car and my carryon bag was sitting on the passenger seat.  No purse (yes, I checked the back seat just to be certain), no wallet.  

Then I realized that I had been robbed.  

Checked in with the person at the gas station, no he didn't have access to the cameras, but he would contact his manager (who eventually arrived and no, they would not release the images to me, but would to the police).  Okay.  

The keys to the car were in my purse.  We weren't going anywhere now.  First phone call was to Alamo to report that I couldn't return the car to the rental place, I was stuck at the gas station, in front of the pump.  I couldn't even get out of the way.  Alamo said they would send a tow truck and a link to order an Uber to get me to the airport; please stay with the car until you have to leave for the airport.  Okay.

Next call was to 911 to file a police report.  She couldn't have been less interested and said that I should get to a PC and file the report online.  Okay.

Then I called my credit union to cancel my cards.  The third-party clerk was a challenge, but I thought she understood that I needed both cards closed and replaced.  Ten days later my replacement Visa arrived, but now, still no debit card.  Okay, calling the CU directly and speak to people I know.  Turns out the moron failed to tell me I had to call the CU directly to have the debit card reissued.  Kelly to the rescue, my new card is on its way!  

I'm between phone calls when I hear a quick ""beep".  I look into the rearview mirror.  An enormous truck is waiting for me to move.  Okay, deep breath.  I approach the truck and the guy rolls his window down.  "I'm so very sorry, my purse was just stolen along with the keys to my rental and I'm stuck, I can't move my car."  

The first words out of his mouth, "Do you need money?  Are you going to be okay?  Do you feel safe?  Is there ANYTHING I can do to help you?"  

Mind you, I'm still in shock and reacting slowly.  "I'm fine," I tell him, "I just can't move my car."  

"Would you like me to push you out of the way?"  

I reply, "No, it's a rental."

He nods and moves to a different pump.  He checked back with me just before leaving to assure himself that I be okay.  

Some version of this scenario is repeated multiple times, whether male or female including the FedEx guy.  Surrounded by sympathetic and generous strangers.  I would revel in the warmth of kindness much later, at the moment I had my head down, one foot in front of the other, dealing with the current situation.

Eventually, I received a text that the tow truck was on its way.  I could wait no longer and touched the link to the Uber.  He was there in two minutes.  On the way to the airport I apologized to him saying I couldn't even give him a tip as my purse and wallet were just stolen.  His English was passable and he understood and wanted me to have this cold bottle of water.  Another kind soul.

Somewhere during that drive I realized what else was in my purse.  My grandmother's diamond ring, my mother's wedding set with a two carrot diamond center stone, all my diamond earrings (six), my father's wedding band, Gary's wedding band, and my onyx and diamond pendant that my board gave me upon my retirement.  This is my grandmother's ring from the appraisal I recently had done.  Deep breath.  Okay, we made it to the airport.

And then I realized what else I didn't have ... my drivers license.  Deep breath.

I approach the kiosk print out my luggage tag & boarding pass and approach the Luggage Lady.  

"I'm very sorry but my purse and wallet were just stolen, and I don't have a driver's license."  I say to her just beginning to choke up.

Her eyes widen in horror, and she jumps over the luggage scale to give me a hug.  Seriously?  She gave a very good hug.  And she says to me, do NOT worry, technically you don't HAVE to have a drivers license to fly, but TSA is going to put you through additional screening.  Okay,

I make my way to TSA.  Naturally, I got a new guy who went to find a supervisor.  Supervisor looked  at my boarding and told me I had to return to Luggage Lady to change my flight to a later one.  The necessary steps dealing with no license would cause me to miss my flight.  What could I say?  Okay.

I returned to Luggage Lady.  Her eyes widened and she said, "Why are you back here?"  

"TSA man said I had to change my flight, that the process would take too long."  I respond, holding back a tear.

"You come with me," she said, hopping over the luggage scale again.  "You, too!" she says to the trainee who promptly hopped and joined us as we marched back to TSA.  

I point to the guy and she does the finger waggle and mouths "come here".

He reluctantly approached and Luggage Lady said, "What is this about?  She will make her flight with tine to spare if you would just do your job promptly!"  He sure didn't like her attitude, but complied.

A few minutes later a tiny little woman with a clip board approached.  I told her my story, she advised me that she would be contacting Homeland Security; they would ask her a question which she would then ask me.  I was to respond to her, and she would relay the answer to them.  She gave them the info I had written on her form and then the odd questions began.  I couldn't remember my home phone number, but they accepted my cell.  I knew my parents' names but choked when they asked for the name of a public building or landmark near my home.  Then I remembered that I used to pick up my neighbor's child occasionally from a nearby school.  "Mile High Jr High" I responded.

And that was that.  She wanted to know if I had a spare pair of shoes in my carry on bag to which I responded in the affirmative.  "Please take them out" as they will also be tested.  Okay

I was wanded, my bag was wanded, my shoes were checked for who knows what and I was off to my gate.  The B list was boarding so I politely asked a lady if I could jump in front of her as I was in the A list.  She asked me why I was late and I gave her a brief outline.  She followed me down the ramp peppering me with questions and yet more sympathy.  I was grateful to the steward who confirmed that I could use the toilet as the plane was being loaded.  Pfew!  I was desperate to use the facility and to have a moment to myself.  An uneventful flight followed by finding the shuttle to Prescott.  My phone was almost dead, I was exhausted; oh yes, and Gary was home with a pain level of 10 with sciatica so I was looking to order an Uber when I arrived.  

Turns out our good neighbor, Jan, had picked up Gary's Rx and offered to pick me up at the Shuttle.  An enormous hug from a friend awaited me!  The tears were seconds away.  And she said, "Thank heavens you had your Mobile ID!  Otherwise you'd never have gotten on the plane!"

Arizona has this awesome app for your phone.  You just photograph your driver's license (front and back) and upload it.  You got it!  I had forgotten all about it!  Yes, I had it on my phone, of course I did! 

Finally, she dropped me at my home.  Gary had a stiff drink waiting and a big, warm hug.  

What did I learn from this experience?  There are bad people in this world.  More importantly, there are kind people who will do whatever they can to be of assistance, even if it's just the ability to jump over a luggage scale to offer a much appreciated hug.  

What did I lose?  Emotional attachment to things.  Things that I loved and treasured.  Things that I was proud to wear.  Things that I had planned to pass on to a beloved daughter.  What did I not lose?  My life, my health, my hope for the future.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely do wish unimaginable karma on whoever took my things.  But I have to go into my future with a healthy attitude.  

I've had two weeks to process my shock, horror, loss, pain and stress.  I choose to look forward to peace, knowing that someone will rot from their rotten deeds.  I don't want to be that someone.

I hold onto the joys of this trip, hugs from dear friends, meals with my tribe, time with my daughter, knowledge that my California home is in good hands with a great realtor and friends to look into it from time to time.  I hope to see it again, SOON, when the new owners require a walk through!

A reminder to everyone, photograph the contents of your wallet.  You never know when you will need some of that information and it would so much easier if you had photographic evidence!

 

Close Enough, a few small things left but I'm calling it done!

 

November 2020 Before

It really looks nice, but was not functional.  And that wet bar/peninsula made me crazy walking around it during parties.  It was simply in the way.  I knew something had to be done when I was considering getting out a BIG hammer.  Yes, I've done that before.

February 2021 After

Island is twice as long, lower "L" has been removed, pantry has been moved to the other side of the microwave, next to the window.  Wet bar has been replaced with a movable tea cart.

November 2020 Before

I've never been a fan of dark granite, so hard to see messes.  Also not a fan of having to display "stuff" on top of the cupboards.  The cooktop was ENORMOUS but only had four burners in addition to a grill and a griddle (I never used either).  New cooktop has five burners and is simply wonderful.

February 2021 After

I wanted to replace the window with a garden window but contractor talked me out of it.  Hardwood has been replaced with vinyl planks of different sizes and shades.  See the garage at the end of the counter?  It hides my food sucker, a recipe box, and wine opener.  Cupboards go all the way to the ceiling ... storage!

Best Sink Ever!

Made of crushed quartz this sink is amazing.  Every giant pan or sheet pan sits flat.  The wired shelf extends to 2/3 of the sink on that small edge.  I love this sink!  The small hole on the right is for the InstaHot which will, in the fullness of time, get installed (I'm holding back $10,000 from the final bill until it's in).

10' by 4.5'  Isn't it awesome!

I also had the granite people cut me a piece for a pastry board which sits on the end.  I just love it!

November 2020 Before

The peninsula/wet bar and the world's smallest pantry.  There was a small hutch on the other side.

February 2021 After

New hutch.  It was TRILLING to unpack my crystal, china and sterling that I hadn't seen in three years.  Anxious to hold a party!  

The pantry

Pull out drawers everywhere.  Loving the new pantry, microwave is no longer at knee level, under cabinet lighting throughout.  

Small hutch on living room side

Sorry for the mess, I was packing when I decided I needed to take this picture.

Hutch is gone!

We moved my grandmothers secretary to this spot.  With the peninsula gone it completely opened up the space and we were able to move the sofa back three feet which solved the problems of feeling claustrophobic.

Many thank yous go out to our friends for feeding us, encouraging us, sharing our joys and annoyances.  This journey has been fun and frustrating, rewarding and outrageously expensive and I simply love it.  Hope to be able to entertain you in the very near future!

Kitchen Remodel, Weeks 7 and 8

 

Mikey is exhausted from supervising the workers.

He clearly approves the new sink.  I like it too!

ALL of my large pans and baking sheets fit in this sink.  Only problem: the InstaHot appliance doesn't turn.  Not enough clearance for the faucet handle to go straight back, plumber turned the spigot so that the handle went to the right but the faucet then refused to turn counterclockwise.  It has to be returned and another purchased, the plumbing supply house doesn't want to accept it due to COVID.  Discussions continue.  The lady who writes the checks (that would be me) is refusing to complete payment to the plumber.  Discussions continue.

Mikey verifying that the doors are acceptable.  Several were returned as they were the wrong size.  Discussions continue.

The new spice rack.  All spice bottles had to be labeled on the top.  Only took an hour.  Now I have to alphabetize them.  The blue tape on the island granite are spaces that need to be polished to smooth.

Loving the backsplash, waiting on the electrician and painter.  Trash compactor needs a piece of wood to cover the upper opening.  Handles have now been attached.  

Sent this picture to the contractor.  Different door styles on the pantry ... not acceptable.  Wood guy calls me to explain:  Door people (evidently, different from wood people) will not warrant any door from warping if over 49 inches.  Upper doors are exactly 49 inches, lower doors are 50 1/4 inches!  I said, "I don't care, put three hinges on them but they WILL match and I don't want the support bar in the middle, it's too busy."  Doors have been reordered.

Flooring guy is finished.  Last of the carpeting has been sent to the dump.  We are now carpeting free.  I'll need some rugs to soften the space, but I need to live in it for a bit more.  I sure do like it!

The hutch is almost finished, missing two doors.  Here are the boxes labeled "Future Hutch" with things I haven't seen in over three years!  Such a joy to handle my special plates, stemware and sterling again.  And the best part ... my neighbor is moving (that's NOT special at all) and needed more boxes, so they didn't go to the dump!

First thing I did was make a batch of Stollen.  With a double oven I could proof all of the loaves at once.  Oh, happy me!  

We're in the home stretch.  And my FB memory popped up yesterday with a picture of my California kitchen in its home stretch 10 years ago!  

So much has happened in that time span.  Here's wishing you all a very happy Holiday season,  Please be healthy and stay safe.  I sure miss our daughter and sons and grands and families.   Let's usher 2020 out and open wide for a better 2021!