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Because we don’t have enough money flowing out right now..

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I have a 2014 Subaru Forester named Ethel.

We bought her in 2013 and due to always taking my husband’s car when we go somewhere together, she has been driven a paltry, gentle 77,000 miles. Always garaged, Ethel is still pretty and nowhere near worn out. But my husband has been after me for two years now to buy a new car while we can still get some decent money for Ethel. We’ve been spending an utter fortune on home renovations so I kept putting him off… but this week?

I caved to the pressure and we went car shopping. Being loyal to Subaru and wanting another Forester, we found a new 2024 fully loaded Touring.

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My husband fell in love with the two tone leather interior.

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But for me, it had two strikes against it.

#1 – It’s a 2024 and the 2025’s are already here.

#2 – It’s black. The same color as my last two vehicles. I’ve driven black for 22 years.

I’m seriously over black.

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This is a 2025.

Totally redesigned and chock full of goodies. Truly, there’s so much high tech on these cars it will take me a year to learn how to run it.

Problem? This was a Limited trim and to get the two tone interior you have to upgrade to Touring.

So we dealer hopped for three solid days. To every dealer in Maine. ( Don’t be impressed, we’re not a big city dealership state .. there are only 7. )

We even went across the border to New Hampshire. Nothing. Apparently the Touring Foresters are selling out before they even hit the lot.

We only found one…

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But they wouldn’t let us test drive it because someone had already claimed it with a deposit.

If I want one, I’m going to have to order it and wait a couple of months.

Of course, there was always this one….

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A 1968.

The first Subaru in America.

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High tech it was not.

🤣

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So much thinking…

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Work has resumed on the front porch replacement and there’s a whole lotta thinking goin’ on.

( If you read that while humming Jerry Lee Lewis, you’re my people)

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As I mentioned before, my husband is not a contractor. Not a builder by any means.

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He’s never worked with composite decking before… and if you think it’s as simple as laying wooden deck boards you’d be wrong.

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Our old deck had small wooden boards running vertically, from lawn to house. That’s what the frame was set up for. So of course my husband decided to run the new ones horizontally because it means less cutting and measuring.

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And while he added a few more supports, he didn’t make them 16” on center like you’re supposed to. More on this mistake later…

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And since he changed the plan, he now has to picture frame the boards which means mitered corners.

This has never been his strong suit and just one of the reasons why I wanted to wait for a professional to tackle this project.

🥴

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News you can’t use.

28 Comments

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Still here.

Still useless.

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Proof positive people will buy anything.

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Yeah, it’s always the last place you look.

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Because we all need another one of those.

🥴

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Yikes.

For once I’m glad my plumbing is female.

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Because we keep voting for them, that’s why.

But seriously, the creature can live without its head for 30 days. You have to admit, that’s impressive.

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The one where His Lordship examines the progress.

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Lord Dudley Mountcatten is not happy with the constant remodeling noise, but his curiosity gene is strong enough to warrant a quick exploration of the project when my husband takes a break.

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Checking out the missing siding.

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Walking balance beam.

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Attacking a clamp.

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And looking in the window he usually looks out are all on the menu.

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As is using the new pea gravel for a litter box.

Though we probably won’t share that part with my husband.

😉

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It’s almost as bad as moving.

30 Comments

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The horrible old carpet was gone, the lush new carpet was laid… and then it was time for the (not so) fun part.

Putting everything that we’d moved out back in.

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It’s no wonder people rarely change their flooring.

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It really is like moving.

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And I don’t know anyone who enjoys that.

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My husband and a friend moved all the major pieces.

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Slowly, carefully… and thankfully without mishap.

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And once our bed was put back together..

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And the doors reattached, I got busy with everything else.

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Now that’s more like it.

😊

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What’s blooming?

6 Comments

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Let’s take a walk around the garden, shall we….

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Candy cane dianthus.

Almost good enough to eat.

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A tri color pot of begonias on the kitchen porch.

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A red astilbe, clashing with the barn red barn.

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Pink astible out back.

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I love the blooms on these flowers. They’re delightfully weird.

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I can’t remember what kind of daisies these are, but they’re doing well and no one is eating them… so I really don’t care.

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Purple bee balm.

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A fabulous magenta shade.

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Something purple.

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Something red.

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And something wonderful the woodchucks nibbled down to a nub shortly after I took the picture.

😩

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My tootsies are tickled, even if my wallet isn’t.

24 Comments

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Weeee!

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Bye bye flat and awful industrial grade dusty rose horror the previous owners laid….

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Welcome soft, plush, hella expensive but worth it Karastan Instinctive Flair Renoir Bisque.

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Seriously, until you walk on this barefoot you can’t begin to know what I’m talking about. It’s smooth and silky and sheer perfection.

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The installers were here for 6 hours, working nonstop… and they did a really nice job.

So nice, my husband took them out to the man cave/Barn Mahal for a cold beer.

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And then proceeded to show them all his treasures.

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They were a captive audience.

🤣

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Let’s play.

31 Comments

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It’s only a minute out of your busy day…

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That’s easy.

If I die tomorrow? I don’t want a big funeral, a church service or family and friends crying over my passing.

Scatter my ashes someplace I loved, raise a glass and say, “She made me laugh.”

There isn’t nearly enough of that these days.

How about you?

What should we say after you’re gone….

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