PART TWO!!

Good Morning Dear Family and Friends, here is the "Rest" of the Story!

The book cases MC ordered came,  and he was able to put them together in no time.  They were a breeze compared to what he has tackled!

They were perfect and just what we needed for a few of our treasures, MC's Little People and some of our books.  We are totally unpacked!  We moved in a week ago last Friday and we are settled!  Record time.  We are still amazed that everything has a place!

The other half of our 700 sq ft!!!

The shell plate we bought on our trip to Cape Cod two summers ago is perfect here at 

SHELL POINT

MC'S LITTLE PEOPLE 

I'm sure MC will be adding to his collection  

MC'S NEW DESK 

He loves his view!!!

We are now looking forward to all that Shell Point has to offer us and the new phase of our lives.

Patty

 

HOME #38

September 1959

Our "FIRST APARTMENT"

We started out in an apartment in an old beautiful home in Blacksburg, Virginia.  MC was starting his Senior Year at Virginia Tech.   I  think it probably had 700 sq.ft......and now after 37 homes later, we have come full circle to our new apartment.....which ironically has 700 sq.ft.!

MC and I moved into our unit in Shell Point over the weekend.  Finally, after living with 30+ boxes in an  apartment since November, we were able to unpack.  I was amazed that we found a place for everything.  In fact, we actually have extra space.

It has been a challenge to go from 2200 sq ft. in our last house to our new home with 700 sq.ft.   I really didn't think it would be possible.   Then  I figured it out... The SECRET....Give Away 4/5 Of One's Possessions To Family And Friends!

We realized that we could live without "things"!!

  We don't have a sofa, not even one!   We had two and we also kept only  half the number of our chairs!

But, the biggest change to my "decor"? .......The Chandelier Queen doesn't have any chandeliers!   NONE

This Post will be of our Great Room and Kitchen......Our home is  OPEN CONCEPT !!!
MC ordered book cases to house his MC Little People.  When they arrive they will go in our bedroom.   I will share that room when they are in and the room looks finished.

So Dear Friends....here goes.....  HALF OF THE 700 SQ.FT.

 

El Tigre 

Place of Honor!

 

 OUR VIEW

We wish to thank all our new friends at the Shell Point Welcome Center.   Jan, Cathi, Inga, Skyler and Jill...

Everyone at the Welcome Center 

They have been so, so helpful and made our move as smooth as glass.

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO...COMING SOON

Patty

GREAT AFTERNOON WITH KRISTY

MC and I had a wonderful time at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival this afternoon in Ft Myers.  My dear friend,  Kristy Woodson Harvey,  was one of the featured speakers!  When I found out she was going to be there we knew we couldn't miss the opportunity to see her again!
As a bonus we got to meet her two special "Wills"!!!!

At 2:00 she was on stage reading a passage from Dear Carolina.  Then there was an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.  Yes I did ask one!  I asked  if she worked from the ending of the story back to the beginning.....Kristy explained that it has worked both ways.  Sometimes she starts the story with the ending in her head and then at other times, the characters just take on a life of their own as she writes!

Kristy's next book, Lies and Other Acts of Love, will be released next month.  I'm hoping when they go on tour, they will come back our way!!!

Talking with her before the presentation, Kristy revealed that she's working on book 3!!!  I don't know how she does it all!

It was a great day and a wonderful break in our preparing for our move...  signing the papers on Monday afternoon.   Monday we will have the car  packed with  our first, of numerous trips,  to carry what we can  from the apartment.  The movers will do the heavy work next Friday.

The next time you hear from me I will be showing you how MC and I preformed the miracle of going from 2200 sq ft to 700 sq ft!!!!

Till then
Patty

IT'S NOW OFFICIAL

Well we did it!!!   We have been  officially accepted into Shell Point.  We had our physicals, put down our 10% and have chosen our feature options!!!  They have already started to renovate our unit. We could actually be in by the end of March, if not before......

Last week we were offered an apartment and within  half an hour we toured the property and said "Yes, Yes!  We love it"!   Everything went like clock work from that moment.  The staff are so friendly and professional.  They have been fantastic in helping us with all our questions and concerns.  Thank you all.  You are outstanding!!!!

The day after we were offered an apartment we were in the selection room with Cathi, who has been a  tremendous help  and is so knowledgeable.  We put together all our new flooring, counter tops, back splash, paint color, fabulous Kirsch shades and drapes,  and faucets.  I was amazed that so many of the items are standard.  The upgrades were not nearly as expensive as other builders we have worked with in the last couple of years.  As an example, Granite, is STANDARD!    So what does Patty do? She upgrades to Corian!!!!  (Happy, Paul?)   We have had granite in our last three homes, have paid dearly,  and decided to go with Corian, which was a slight upgrade.  We  decided we wanted to try something different and chose  a lovely Corian,

Our location is ideal.  Our Great Room faces a green space with two HUGE Banyon trees!  Our front faces a picturesque garden court yard.  The buildings we are in are in an area considered  the "Garden Apartments".  They remind me of motel buildings that were build in the 60's.  We are very close to a coffee shop, the activity center,  the woodworking complex (MC is overjoyed), pottery arts room, a fantastic restaurant and a lovely spa/hair salon....... all within steps from our home.   The property consists of over 800 acres with many different styles of housing, from the Garden Apartments to High Rises. They have a gym, tennis, golf and all the sports Senior complexes offer.  They also have just completed a new section with gorgeous 3000+ sq. ft. custom homes!!!!!  Next Fall they are opening a beautiful Club House which will add two more restaurants to the four that are already on the property.  And did I mention the 18 hole professional golf course..

I am  attaching pictures of our choices.  I hope you get some idea of what we chose from the pictures.  I will also add Shell Point's web site so you can go on  and see it all!!!

We really are excited about our new phase of our lives........

This is our front entry. So cool...Looks just like 1950!!!!  Very Quaint.  

Our home is  on the ground  floor #1144

 The two Banyon Trees that are in our "back yard"!!!

Our home is the fourth screened porch from the left.    

Paint color is the second one from the left.

The back splash will consist of glass tiles in different shades of gray,

The Corian is the sample square on top of the back splash samples.  

Our flooring is the gray 5 1/2" sample that has the Corian sample sitting on it.

All cabinets are white.

Below is the link to the website to Shell Point.  Take a look.  It will help put together all the different choices available and the scope of the property.

 http://www.shellpoint.org/index.php

Enjoy......
Love 
Patty

LIES AND OTHER ACTS OF LOVE--- A Book Review

My dear, dear friend, Kristy Woodson Harvey,  who is the author of Dear Carolina, has her second book, Lies and Other Acts of Love being released on April 5th.  I was so honored when she asked me to  review the book and sent me an advanced copy.

Dear Carolina was a love story of family.  It was so enthralling and heartwarming.  I couldn't wait to read her new book, Lies and Other Acts of Love.

I was immediately taken in by the first paragraph!   I couldn't put it down!  I read it at every opportunity I had and read the last word last night  at 1:00am.   

To say that Lies can strengthen love was never something I could imagine.  Lies can be what holds a family together.  I have learned a lesson, a huge lesson in life.  This book has given me a new  outlook on life, one I will cherish and try to live by.

Thank you Kristy for opening my eyes to so many new ways to see life.

My hope is that EVERY Book Club  and every individual  reads this story of TRUE LOVE.  I promise their lives will never be the same again.

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY "LITTLE" CHRISTMAS

MC and I wish you the Merriest Christmas ever!
Now that we have downsized we are really having a "Merry Little Christmas"!
This was our tree last year.....Wow....

AND THIS YEAR!!!

OUR TREE THIS YEAR!

IT'S A TABLE CRYSTAL TREE THAT BELONGED TO MY GRANDMOTHER!

PERFECT FOR OUR "TREE" THIS YEAR.

MC AND I WISH YOU A VERY MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS.

PATTY

THIS YOU CAN'T BELIEVE!

Early this afternoon we "noticed" it appeared that our toilet had overflowed!!!  Ha Ha no such luck.  It ended up, a few minutes later,  with water everywhere.  After an immediate reaction from our apartment management, we had plumbers, construction engineers and you name, in  and out of our apartment.  The problem was a main sewer line being clogged in our entire building.  Other apartments were compromised as well as ours.  To sum up a very "entertaining" afternoon!!!

We were lucky.  A few of our neighbors ended up with sewage in their tubs!  All our water was clean, thank goodness!.  Regardless the entire place was sprayed with a biological substance.  All these fans and the humidifier will remain until Saturday.  Tomorrow it will be determined if the floor can be refinished or replaced.
All this from a clogged sewer pipe 100 feet down!
MC and I have so much respect and thanks to the management of our apartment for the quick and thorough response.
An additional insult was that we lost our new TV in the process.  The vibrations from a wet-vac caused the TV to fall forward,  crushing  the screen.  
"THE JOYS OF LIVING IN PARADISE"

So in the spirit of it all we went out for dinner and a couple of drinks!  We will have my brother and sister in law for dinner on Sunday and it will all be behind us.

Enjoy
Patty

#1 OF OUR NEXT ADVENTURE

 Our furniture finally arrived after a 10 day delay!  Not fun.
 Thank goodness my Brother's friends, George and Sue, allowed us to stay in their home in Pelican Preserve.     It's a gorgeous home and we were so comfortable living like a King and Queen.

Back to our reality.  Our 800 sq ft apartment.

I took pictures so everyone could see what we had to work with.  We are moving from 2200 sq. ft. down to 800 sq ft.!  Purge, yes we did.  Gave our kids and friends at least 2/3 of our things.  Can you believe we still have all of this left!!

We unpacked only the boxes we had to.  Had to make the apartment livable!  Most of our "pretties" are still boxed up along with  our large art and mirrors.

As soon as the movers left we went to work.  We did a lot that afternoon/evening until we were completely exhausted and then finished up the next day.

This is how it looks now and will until we pack it all up again and move to our home in Shell Point.

 MC's Office

Don't you love the "room divider" MC built for my office space!

Our new 48" x 29" dining table and 4 chairs that cost $199!!

That's a granite top....well maybe faux granite!

 Our walk-in closet and storage room

Love the Art walls with the "Fragile" pieces.  They are treasures.

I am sure we will be purging more when we go down another 96 sq.ft. to 704 sq.ft. at Shell Point.  Can not live without that "4" feet!

Do you think we can do it????  Will have to wait and see.......

Patty