I’ve finally finished the fence project (well, last weekend actually, but I just got around to posting about it). The final piece gave me a little trouble, despite my waiting until all the other pieces were in place before constructing it. So I will surely have to correct it before I can feel like it’s really finished, but it will contain dogs well enough, so it is finished in purpose. Other projects are on the brink of beginning- large, daunting, and possibly nightmarish projects such as laying a brick patio and finishing the basement. Right now I’m on a quest for old brick that will be similar to those that our house is built from. As soon as I do, I will begin the patio project.

We made the short drive down to Raleigh last week to spend the holiday with the extended Yaddow clan, and we have much to be thankful for. We had a wonderful bounty of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, such that I could barely finish one plate and still maintain room for dessert. So goes the usual Thanksgiving tale.

It remains difficult to decide where and how we will be spending the holidays, as we have family that we would like to see on both coasts of the US and some in between, and eventually we hope to host a holiday gathering of our very own. Nevertheless, we enjoyed seeing everyone and participating in the great meal preparation. We managed to avoid watching football and instead ventured out to see some friends. The dogs enjoyed all the extra attention, despite the mild trauma of being poked and prodded by toddlers. It was somewhat exhausting, but it was a great time all around. Thank you all for your love and hospitality, and thanks to Ken for snapping this great family photo!

We were on our way to the art museum yesterday when we accidentally bought a couch. We’ve been talking about our plans for refinishing the basement for a while, and things have been moving in that direction. Part of the plan included getting a sectional sofa. So we were driving by a furniture store that is going out of business and we stopped in to have a look. Four floors and two dozen couches later we decided on the first one we looked at, and the salesperson made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. So now we have a large sectional sofa in the garage, waiting for the basement to be finished so we can move it in there. Our planning may need some improvement, but we do love a good bargain- and a good sofa. At least we got the last two.

We took our first hike of the Fall a couple weeks ago which turned out to be more than we bargained for- it was about 8 miles and I think it was uphill both ways. Anyway, we made it somehow. We brought the dogs who didn’t seem to get tired at all until we got home. The destination is called McAfee Knob. It offered a pretty impressive view, and it only made us hobble around with stiff, sore muscles for about 3 days. Katy was reluctant to come at all, and I’m pretty sure the experience has put her off of hiking for the rest of her life. At least she can say that her last hike was such an impressive one all around. Well done, Katy! Next time we’ll take the elevator.

Another length of fence now stands two feet taller between the canines and the outside world. The 25 feet I finished yesterday, plus the roughly 40 feet that I’d already completed, puts me just under the half-way mark.

We’ve now had visits from every East Coast family member to our new home. Last weekend Ken, Leigh, Ellen and Joshua came up for a Saturday afternoon visit, and we had a great time. There were some tired eyes in the group- Joshua had hardly slept the night before, so neither did anyone else- but everyone managed to stay awake. We took the (grand?) tour of the house and they listened patiently as I explained all my home improvement plans. Then we sat around a bit and did some catching up. It was a crisp, windy fall day, so we took a walk up to the village and had some pizza. We wrapped things up mid-afternoon and they headed back home where, hopefully, they got some rest!

Thank you, Hayeses, for making the trip up to see us and inspect our new place. We’re glad to have you so close that we can enjoy visits like these, and we hope you’ll come back and feel welcome. We look forward to seeing you all again very soon!

No, the title is not a metaphor about overcoming obstacles or improving communication. I actually tore down some basement walls. I had a crowbar and a little help from my friend. As you can see from the pictures, they were not much to look at- they were cluttered with the remains of some wallpaper from a bygone era, they were water-damaged and rotten, and they were crowding the space besides. So I tore them down.

Of course, demolition is much easier than what comes next, namely prepping everything, sealing and painting the walls and finishing the floor. But it’s progress. And it was fun.

Since our dogs are more adept than most, I’ve been planning a fence topper to deter even their most enthusiastic attempts. Meet the two-foot fence addition. The neighbors will think we’re some kind of privacy freaks.

I anticipate another three or four Saturdays of work, and a couple more trips to Lowe’s. And several more sets of before-and-after pics. I do love some before-and-after pics. Much to Katy’s chagrin, while I’ve been working on the fence I’ve been thinking ahead to tearing all the walls out of the basement. Sometimes I just hold the crowbar in anticipation. Is there something wrong with me? I imagine this happens to lots of people when they own their first home. I’m sure it’s perfectly normal.

I hope Katy enjoyed her birthday as much as I did. We kicked it off by sipping coffee on Katy’s new glider, and once the morning wound down we headed over to the Indian buffet for some curry indulgence. I spent part of the afternoon throwing together what turned out to be a little too much food for even the heartiest appetites present. Some of our fine Roanoke friends provided the merriment and we had a handful of surprise guests shipped in from Asheville to round out the crowd.

Our dine-and-drink gave way to a quick game of bowling, at which I beat everyone by at least 30 points. No big deal.

We closed down the CI, then Spike’s, then a few of us robust-types made a late run to Texas Tavern for a little something to remind us the next day why we don’t eat that stuff on the regular. I woke up feeling like a grenade went off in my stomach, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

Just a quick note of gratitude to all of those who made Katy’s humble birthday gathering a success. We are very pleased to have such fun and generous friends and we will try to not take that for granted. Those who made the long trip for a short visit from Asheville, thanks and come back anytime. If anyone has a decent picture or two please forward them along- mine are clearly sub-par. Finally, to Katy- I hope to celebrate alongside you for lots of future birthdays and I love you very much. Even more than Zoom, King of the Stars. Happy Birthday.

It has begun. We put out the invite and they took the bait!  As visits save us from having to go out of town again they have been rewarded with food, hospitality and general appreciation. We have enjoyed all of our visits and visitors without exception.  We had a great visit from the Amoozegars (sans their mighty overlords Zeus and Thor) which included much food, drink and entertainment. We also enjoyed a short but satisfying visit from the Yaddow parental units which was again accompanied by great food and entertainment, and even a few lap visits by our 40 pound canines that don’t realize they’re not lap dogs (or don’t care). Molly came up today with Grayson and Hadley, and we had a nice early afternoon cup of coffee and trip to the playground across the street. Hadley was a delight- quiet and smiley and alert. Grayson was a whirlwind of activity which included running with orange juice, watching a Barney video, playing the banjo and riding on uncle Tim’s shoulders. A swing and a slide were also involved.

If you are reading this (which is painfully optimistic, I know) and you haven’t visited, you should. We aim to please, and we can tailor our hospitality to your needs. Hiking, museum trips, gluten-free meals, whatever your heart’s desire. However, we can only accept cash- please, no out of state checks. Call now for reservations.