TO MY WONDERFUL WIFE ON OUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY

TO MY ADORABLE WIFE PATTY

July 25, 2019 marks our 60^th Wedding Anniversary.

Since July 25, 1959 we have seen this country grow from 177,830,000 people in 49 States to over 329,200,000 in 50 States. Together, we have contributed three wonderful children to the population, who in turn have added seven more.

We have managed to survive twelve presidents and more congressmen and governors than I care to count. We have lived through four wars, three of which we were personally involved in.

During these past 60 years we have lived in 37 apartments, trailers, condos and houses in 10 states, 26 municipalities and 27 ZIP codes, all of which you turned into beautiful, loving homes. We have also had at least 19 different cars, some good and some not so good,  but are now down to one.

Yes, there have been ups and downs and good times and not-so-good times, but we prevailed. During this time, my love for you has grown and grown. I love you now more than ever and will until the end of time.

Patty, My Honey, you are a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and my best friend. May we have many, many more anniversaries together.

Love Always,

Your Honey

Perfecting the Perfect Forever Home

Hi 



 It's hard for us to realize that we  have been here, in our Forever Home,  for a YEAR!!!!!
  July 16, 2018  we moved into a turnkey,  perfect home.!

All our furnishings and accessories had a place.   No need to change a thing, Right?

NOT EXACTLY!

  It just  took a few weeks  for me to start "seeing" changes I could make,---- with MC's help.

The first change I wanted to make was in the Sunroom.   It didn't have a " purpose". 
I just couldn't think of how to make it useful!

Then,  in October, our daughter held  a great  party for  MC's 80th  Birthday.   Our son, Steve and his family, gave  MC a jigsaw puzzle of the Old City of Danville, Virginia.     The only problem was we
didn't have anywhere to work on it!  WOW,  the Epiphany hit me.    The Sunroom would make a wonderful Dining Room with a custom table, made by MC.  We could do puzzles on it, and also enjoy dinner parties .     Of course,  the table needed a chandelier,  and so the changes began!!!

Meanwhile,  MC was on Cloud 9.   When we moved to Florida, he gave the kids all his woodworking tools.   With  the gift cards he received ,  he had a good excuse to start replacing  them . Within a few weeks,   MC's beautiful,  custom table,  and a new chandelier created a Dining Room!

Our Dining Room has become the most popular room in the house!   That unused Sunroom now hosts numerous dinner parties and Canasta evenings with friends.  And the chances are that you will  find a jigsaw  puzzle in the works.

The Dining Room was only the beginning.   Since  November,  MC has built cornices, which  changed the  window treatments in the Kitchen,  Great Room and  the Dining Room.  In addition , we purchased two new rugs for the Great Room to compliment the awesome accent blue wall.

 MC's BEST work, however,  is the wall unit he built in  the Dining Room!

I can't leave out the return of the kitchen knobs!   I am so glad we saved them.

As busy as MC has been over these past months,   he has been able to carve five new little MC's.















Not bad for one year in the  "perfect home"!   Can only imagine what is to come.............

Patty

Not A Game Of Musical Chairs

No, this is a game of Musical Chandeliers!

Something about our Sputnik chandelier, over the breakfast table in the Great Room, was bothering me .   It didn't seem right!   I guessed it was too small.   There is a formula for such things and our Sputnik didn't make the cut!   The "rule" to go by is simple.   You add the length and width of your room, divide by two,  and presto you arrive at the correct diameter for your chandelier.   I FAILED to do this when we ordered it!! 

Our Sputnik was 10 inches too small!!! 

I immediately went on line to see what I could find.  Wow, our Sputnik had a big sister!   Our original one was 18 inches and there she was, one at 28 inches!!!  Perfect.  Fit the formula to a T.

With MC's blessing we ordered the big sister.  MC is so good at this.  He was able to get it with a couple of discounts.   Always love saving $$$

It arrived in 2 days.   And that was with free shipping!   We decided to start the installation yesterday.

In order to put it up we had to move  Baby Sister .    No problem, I found the perfect location.   The foyer.   And....you guessed it......there was already one in the Foyer......that had to be moved to accommodate  Baby Sister.    We have a  hall to the guest bedroom and bath that had a "Boob Light" fixture.  That's the name I have christened every builders standard ceiling light.   It looks like a boob!!!    So the fixture in the Foyer could easily replace the Boob fixture!!!!

MC's day was planned. 

We started around 10 am  and I guess it was almost 4 in the afternoon when it was all done.

We started .   The itinerary went like this

Take down Baby Sister
Put up Big Sister.    This was going to be a little more time consuming than one would expect.
The design has an orb with spokes that screw in.   It had 130 spokes that had to be laboriously screwed in.  !!!!!

When Big Sister was done, we tested to make sure she worked!!  She's so, so bright.  There are 12 lights,    Probably will need a dimmer

We moved on to the Foyer.    Took down the existing Foyer fixture and MC installed Baby Sister.
Oh she's perfect there.   Just the right size.

 

On to Guest hall.   MC removed "Boob light" and we installed the original Foyer fixture!

DONE!

What was going through my silly mind most of the afternoon had nothing to do with the light fixtures.    I was way on to my next Epiphany.

I thought it would be great to switch our large clock, which was over the hope chest with our  black framed hall mirror which  was over the console in the dining area.  The mirror would reflect the entire space and the clock was a better proportion over the console.

So......at the proper moment, I mentioned this to MC.   He was so exhausted I figured he thought one more chore wouldn't make that much difference!

Fantastic, 
The day was a huge success.

MC was in bed at 9:00 and slept 12 hours!

Patty

They're BaaaacK!

Yes, I dug up my collection of cabinet knobs!
   
It all started when we lived in Norfolk .    After we moved into our condo, I had one of the craziest "Epiphanies" ever.   The knobs on the cabinets were boring.   I thought I wanted a knob  with personality.   I went to a cabinet custom shop thinking this will be a breeze.    Little did I know that there were so, so many to choose from AND they were EXPENSIVE!   Rejected, I was walking out when a table with many knobs caught my eye.   They were all different and best of all, they were  only 25 cents each.   That's when the Epiphany hit!   I would get enough different ones to blend into the originals,  alternating them.    Boy, was I a happy camper!  MC thought I had lost my mind, although he did agree to install them.   I had certainly added personality to the kitchen!  The reactions of neighbors and friends were fantastic!  They thought I was a little nuts, but overall they liked the idea.    When we put the condo on the market we removed all the different knobs , put them in a plastic bag,  and put back all the original ones.

A few years later,  we moved into our home on Satilla Court in Sun City Peachtree,  Griffin, Ga.     I ran across that bag and figured, "I'm going to repeat my old Epiphany".   Only problem, I didn't have nearly enough!   Again, MC and I  tracked down a custom cabinet shop and headed out.....We  asked if they had any knobs on sale and to our surprise, Bubba, a man sitting at a desk, said he had a box of odd knobs from custom jobs and he was getting ready to toss them!  Then he added........"Take all you want they are FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I was on Cloud 9.    We put them up and my new kitchen had PERSONALTY!

Of course when we put the house on the market we put back all the originals and bagged up all the Personality knobs!

I remembered the knobs a few weeks ago.   The ones we had in our new Forever Home were lovely, but the wrong color.   They were polished nickle and most of my decor is gold.   MC found the bag and we pulled out all the gold ones.   We had a small problem.......The original owner had installed 3 inch pulls on the cabinet doors.  Knobs were only on the drawers.   Figured, no problem, we would go see Bubba!!!   But, Bubba was no longer there and the new owner didn't have any pulls the size we needed.   

MC to the rescue!!!!   He said he could spray paint the pulls gold.   Oh he's a  genius!
It worked!   Now all the drawers are different gold knobs and the pulls are not different, but gold.
SUCCESS!

   My Personality Knobs have survived and are back!!
Patty
 

Updates to Our Forever Home

It's June 9th and MC and I have updates to show you all the improvements we have made in our Forever Home!!!

In the past 2 months, area rugs  and window treatments have changed!!

The blinds on the large windows have been removed and now white sheers with cornice boards adorn them.  Love !!! 

MC has been busy making three cornices .   Two in the Dining Room and one in the Living Area.
I was able to remove the blinds on these windows and am so happy!!!!!

Our black and white circle  rug that we had in the Dining Room "died" and we replaced it with two rugs .    We put the living room rug in the dining room and replaced it with a new rug with blues in the living room and a matching circular rug for under our "breakfast" table.

MC carved a new MC......Showing his other new "hobby",  jigsaw puzzles!

We have finally eliminated the horrendous chore of cleaning the large blinds!!!!  Oh how I hated that!

Our "Dining Room"  actually has three functions.
Dining
Card playing
Doing Jigsaw puzzles

My "mind" is going at fast speed.   Check back soon and see what I have been cooking up!

Enjoy
Patty

the Southern Side of Paradise

the Southern Side of Paradise 
 The third book of a trilogy by Kristy Woodson Harvey. 

Prior to this trilogy,  Kristy had two best selling  books, Dear Carolina  and  Lies and Other Acts of Love,  establishing herself as a  top writer of Southern fiction.

 The first of the trilogy, Slightly South of Simple,  has you immediately falling  in love with  Ansley Murphy and her daughters, Caroline, Sloane and Emerson.  The reader is transported to   Peachtree Bluff,  a small Georgia seaside town.   The characters become real and the reader feels like they are actually in their lives with them.  I couldn't wait for the  the second  book,  The Secret to Southern Charm,  

The third and final book of the trilogy, the Southern Side of Paradise was well worth the wait.  Kristy doesn't disappoint her readers.   The  story of the Murphy Women, as they are referred to,  develop and grow.   Their "story" comes together perfectly.  I was a little sad when I read the last sentence, but I was comforted by the knowledge that the Murphy Women were happy and knew they could handle anything that cane their way.   Nothing is left to one's imagination.  It was a beautiful saga and I am so happy I had the fortune to read it.

MC's BEST Accomplishment To Date!!!

I can't believe what MC is capable of.
Our new Dining Room has a 15 foot wall.   I had an Epiphany .....Build one of his famous wall units.
For the last 2 weeks he has been as busy as a bee.   He came in from the garage a few days ago and started jumping up and down, saying how happy he is to have his workshop  (AKA Garage) once more. 
He has plans to construct lots of projects.   And...he's thinking all the time of tools he has to have!

This afternoon he put the finishing touches on the wall unit. 
It's great!

It's perfect.   

All our treasures are now on display!

One more surprise that's in the works should be finished in a week

Stay tuned.

Patty

You Won't Believe What MC Has Been Up To

Hi,

It was a busy month for MC.

Not only did he build a cornice for our kitchen windows.

   

Of course, MC needed a NEW tool!

Now he could construct!

Wow we now have a fabulous cornice!

While this was in progress he would take breaks carving a new MC figure.

MC and I have a couple of new "activities".   One is playing cards with friends.

With this in mind, MC now had inspiration for what the new MC figure would be doing.

His new MC is now in his collection.

Just look !  He's trying to decide which card to discard.

Got It!!!

Stay tuned for the future episodes of MC's adventures.   He has a few great ideas he's working on!

Enjoy,

Patty

One More Thing!

Our Dining Room needed something.   At first I wasn't sure just what, and then the Epiphany hit me.
It was too "cold".   It needed to be warmed up.

 The windows.  They had to be softened. Budget restraints  drove the search.  To make it doable both windows had to stay under $100.

I went on line and found the perfect solution,  at a fantastic price. 
White sheers less than $8 a pair.!!!    They are 95 inches by 108 inches  (two panels)   Each window needed 4 pairs.   Total  under $64,  and no shipping charges.

All the natural light pours in and it's airy and soft.  Privacy a bonus.


TOTAL
Sheers.....................&.89 @8     $63.12
Rods ......................8.99  @2     $17.92
Tie Backs................3.99 @2     $7.98
Labor...................................      FREE😊
GRAND TOTAL................$89.08

Mission accomplished and $10.92 under budget!

Enjoy...

Patty

EPIPHANY CONTINUED........

What does a dining table need?

A CHANDELIER !

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am obsessed with chandeliers.   I go out of my way to find spaces to hang them.

The craziest being a  crystal chandelier in a very small  toilet closet.    I titled it The Crown for the Throne.

I realized that we already had the PERFECT fixture.   The one we installed over our small round table in the Great Room.   

I also realized that by doing this, it created a new problem.   We would have to replace it.  

In order to "sell" this entire idea to MC, I had to find a chandelier that cost no more than a pair of shoes.  I started searching on my "go to" lighting sites.  After two days, and looking at 2000 fixtures, I found one.  It would look just right over our table and was the trendy Sputnik design.

I presented the Plan to MC and he went for it!!!   

The new chandelier arrived two days ago.   So to work we went.

MC called on our trusted friend, Alan, for a needed ladder.

Yesterday MC took down a ceiling fan, our existing light over our table in the Great room, installed that light over our new table, and installed our new Sputnik fixture over the small table.  He was one busy guy.

The Result

OLD CHANDELIER OVER NEW TABLE

SPUTNIK

See you at next Epiphany

Patty

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MC and I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas

We send our wishes from OUR NEW TABLE that MC finished yesterday!

I love, love the table!  It's exactly what I pictured in my Epiphany. 

I have always loved this time of year.  Maybe Santa had something to do with that.
We have spent every Christmas together since 1955.   We were so lucky that  MC managed to be home for Christmas  all the years he was  in the Air Force.   I don't know how he did that, but I love him so for that.

Enjoy and make sure you leave out the cookies for Santa

Patty

MY EPIPHANY COMING TO LIFE

Two  weeks ago MC began the process of fulfilling my latest Epiphany.

The Epiphany:

Create a Dining/Game Room in the existing Sun Room.



 We have been enjoying jigsaw puzzles lately and needed  a table large enough to work on.   In addition, the table would transform the room into a Dining Room when needed!

MC was up to the challenge !!!! so it was a GO.


We went to his favorite "Toy Store"
 First things first,  get the right cart!

  On to the lumber aisles to get just the right pieces for the legs and sides.

Once those pieces were selected, we found the perfect  MDF board to be the table's top.

It had to be cut down to the correct size, primarily so we could get it in the car to take home.
The size of our trunk determined the size of the table!

The check out aisle, have to pay for this!
Next  the car's trunk.   We were on a roll.

(Those of you with sharp eyes recognize the checkout is at Home Depot, not Lowes.  Everything was bought at Lowe's except for the MDF because the big saws at both our nearby Lowe's were out of order).

In no time we were home and unloading all our treasures into the garage

MC had to cut the legs and sides and then proceeded to assemble the table in no time.........

We have arrived at the slow period.....The Sanding.   MC attacks this process like a candidate would approach a Doctorate Degree.  Never quite finished.  Always more to do or sand!!!!!

Finally he said he was satisfied!

One more step to do......Paint.........


Hopefully, weather permitting, painting will go fast and MC can reveal his masterpiece soon, VERY soon...........................

Patty

What's New With MC

MC has been extremely busy since we moved back to Georgia.
He has put together an IKEA display case and a gas grill that came in 15+ pieces
  He now has his GARAGE  again  !!!!
 When we moved to Florida we gave all his tools to the kids.   For his 80th birthday in October  everyone gave him gift certificates so he could replace them!!!  The first thing he built was a work bench. 
Since we moved he has  painstakingly rough cut his carvings by hand..   He missed his band saw and it was the first tool he bought.
He just  finished his latest MC Little Man.    He now has Little MCs  as a Freshman and a Senior at Virginia Tech, and several covering his Air Force years.

 Freshman and Senior Cadets At Virginia Tech 1956 & 1960

 USAF 2nd Lt  James Connally AFB, Waco, Texas--1961

USAF 1st Lt McChord AFB, Tacoma, Washington--1963

 USAF Captain, McChord AFB, Tacoma,Washington  1970

USAF Major. Osan Air Base Korea, 1973

USAF Major, Oakland Army Base, California 1976

BUT WAIT-----
 My Epiphanies are back!
MC has started drawing up the plans.  Stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy
Patty