I’ve had a very busy month.  We’ve been cleaning up and clearing out the home we’ve been living in for 27 years.  That means old tools, piles of wood (not firewood), vintage dishes, papers, books, and lots of items we didn’t know we had or where they came from.

And we’ve been visiting the new house from time to time actually cleaning old grime, learning to use the new utilities (well and septic), and thinking about improvements and the order in which they should be made.

In addition to the planned list I:

• completed #24 of my 101 in 1001 list which is “get rid of 5 big items”.   I still have more items but 5 have been rehomed.
  

  I decorated this file cabinet in 2013 and sold it this month.

• took care of Sug’s pup while she was on mission in Guatemala.
• moved our vintage front door knocker from The Glade to the Bay House. (My friends have told me I need a better name for the new place.) 
• ordered a book suggested to me by my tai chi instructor.  Unfortunately when I move I’ll be relegated to the Zoom version of the class — not the same as being there in person.
• read a play sent me by a young director — Love West of Dupont Circle — unfortunately I won’t get to see the actual production.
  

  A young director’s first production.

  The director sent me photos of the performance.  So special.

• thanked my tap dancing teacher for offering the class.
  

  These 50-year-old shoes have served me well.

  It’s the highlight of my week.

• visited my favorite art at the Baltimore Museum of Art and saw some new pieces that are destined to become memorable.
  

  Loved this heretofore unseen piece:  The Sorrowing Soul Between Doubt and Faith by Elihu Vedder.

Here’s what I actually did that was on my monthly list:

1. Celebrated the 4th of July.
   

   Fireworks from across the bay.

   We watched fireworks in various small towns on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay about 6 miles across the water.  Our house is on the eastern shore so we could see multiple displays taking place simultaneously.

2. Worked on Greek trip plans: hotels, places to see, things to do, where and what to eat.
   

   Our plan is to drive for 5 days counterclockwise from Athens and return to Athens.

   I have made refundable reservations at hotels and guesthouses for our self-directed tour of the Peloponnese.  Next I need to purchase timed tickets to various museums and archeological sites.  These are NOT refundable so I’ll hold off for a while longer. As for where and what to eat — I’m pretty sure the food in Greece will be delish — I’ll be researching and taking recommendations.

3.  Hosted a book club.  A group of us read The Alchemist and discussed it for 3 weeks on Tuesday nights.  My main takeaway is that I (and each of us) was created for a purpose to accomplish with love and enthusiasm — Personal Legend — which we should never give up achieving.
4. Moved some things to the Bay House.
   

   We brought an espresso maker and a microwave to get us through our first week.

   I took clothes, linens, dishes, small furniture, cleaning supplies, etc.  I borrowed a lawn mower and weed whacker from my son (the landscaper) until we could bring our own machines.

5.  Cleaned bathrooms at Bay House and set them up with shower curtains and bath linens so we could bathe since we get very grimy with all the cleaning, both inside and outside, that we’re doing.
   

   All 3 bathrooms needed shower curtains which I had to buy new since most of our showers at The Glade are glass enclosed.

6. Cleared out basement at The Glade.  Lots of paint cans, large and small tools, drop cloths, tile, old insulation, etc., etc.
   

   Over a dozen paint cans emptied and drying out so they can be set out with the trash.

   This was a huge job considering how small the actual space is.

7. Shredded old documents and papers.  Clearing up old papers, deciding which to keep and which to destroy is an ongoing challenge.
   

   A full bag and a full bin of paper.

   The fun part is that I get to revisit old trips and notes before the physical remnants are gone forever. It seems just as I get the area cleared a new pile develops.

8.  Attended a few  lots of concerts.
   

   Loved Carey Ziegler’s band at Lurman Woods on a beautiful Sunday evening — Bunky (playing guitar behind the conga drums) was my favorite performer.

   In addition we saw BellCurve, Deanna Bogart Band, Magical Mystery Girls at our local outdoor theatre and the Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band — plenty of summer fun.

9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: EXPLORE.
10.  Write a goal list for August, 2024.

Jo

Our new house on the Chesapeake Bay is quite a departure for Charlie and me.

We have only ever lived in traditional style houses — 1-1/2 story bungalows or farmhouses.  When I was a child I lived in a stone rancher and a Baltimore row house (sometimes called a townhouse) but never anything like this.

As we walk clockwise around the post and beam building we are stepping over the septic tank and drain field under the lawn.

The eastern corner profile shows just how structurally interesting the house is — kitchen on the ground floor with master bedroom above.  On the outside I’d like to add some more colorful landscaping after the house is painted.

The house is built over a crawl space that has been recently dried out and refreshed with a moisture barrier.  We live in a flood plain so all the houses are raised above a traditional foundation.  (Some we had looked at were 15 steps up to the front door from ground level.)

Rounding the corner to the back of the house is a deck that runs the width of the building and extends all the way to the water. (More on that in a later post.) Since every room (except the bathrooms and laundry room) has a bay view, the back of the house has 2 stories of windows and sliding doors.  Each bedroom has its own deck.

The western corner has both downstairs and upstairs bedrooms. All bedrooms have access to a private deck and a view of the Chesapeake Bay.

We haven’t yet figured out how everything works.  We think the white hose feeds a water spigot down the dock but we haven’t been able to get it running.  And the electric meter reminds me that the electric panel in the garage needs to be labeled better than it is.

Mostly everything in the house runs on electric except the hot water.  My ultimate plan is to remodel the kitchen to include a propane stove in place of the electric one.  We’ve been using a propane stove at The Glade for 27 years and have found it perfectly adequate.

That’s the full tour.  Lots to do:  painting, planting, pondering.

Lots to learn.  Stay tuned for the inside tour and the dock.

Jo

We hadn’t been to the new house for over a week because our schedules are so busy.

Finally I had one free day so I packed up my car and headed across the Bay Bridge with the thought of adding a few decorative items and handling a few chores.  It has been so hot here in Maryland (over 100 humid degrees) that it’s difficult to conjure any outside activities.

I had packed the “LOVE” bistro set from the conservatory into my car.

It is now set up in the master bedroom so I can have morning coffee while looking out at the water.  It needs a paint job but first I have to decide whether to change the color or not.

Then I hung a sweet little brass door knocker on the master bedroom door.  My mother had given me this decades ago and now there’s a place for it.

Today’s final task in the bedroom was to hang my stained glass panel (another gift from mother) in a window.  I had planned to hang it downstairs but none of the windows were the right size for this project.

The upside is that I can see it from the bed.  After I ponder it for a while I might raise it in the opening which will be easy since it’s hung on short lengths of chain.

Another simple project was to add a water filter to the kitchen faucet.  Our water here on the bay is well water.  Even back in the city where we have very good municipal water we drink filtered water from the refrigerator.  The fridge here does not have a water dispenser.  (When we redo the kitchen that will be a priority.)

The most difficult part of the operation was unscrewing the old aerator which I did with the help of a rubber glove and a pair of slip joint pliers.  Using an adapter that came with the PUR filter I easily screwed the fixture onto the tap and, voila, filtered water.

I started replacing the lighting fixtures in the back bedroom — 2 giant cheesy fluorescent lights. They were heavy and a little difficult to remove alone.

I got one totally down and the other I decided to leave until I had help.

Anyway when I went to hang one of the new fixtures I found that the thumb screws that hold on the glass had been left out of the package.  Grrrr! (I have notified the online lighting store and am waiting for a response.)

So I put this project on hold for a couple of reasons:

• there was no bracket in the ceiling so I need to decide exactly how to manage that.
• the ceiling had not been finished under the giant fixture so I would need to brush on some SamSeal urethane to merge the wood tones.

Even though the yard didn’t look too bad I decided to mow the front yard and part of the back yard.  The back yard changes from regular grass to a fine dune grass.

We try to keep it short near the deck access but I discovered much of this area has been taken over by mud crabs.  I didn’t want to disturb their habitat so I just stopped mowing.  I bet you’ve never heard that excuse before!

I cooled off for awhile in the air conditioning.  Aaaah.  (This is the first house I’ve ever owned that has central air.) Then I headed back across the bridge to The Glade but not before stopping at my favorite restaurant for a chicken taco and flan.

Frankly if I could make this kind of progress on a daily basis I would be satisfied.

Jo

I was eager to get started making our new house more like us.

I’m not one to get all new things — I like my old stuff.

Charlie’s the cleaner; I’m the set designer decorator.

The very first thing I did in the new space was to set up a coffee station. We did not bring our espresso machine yet as we’re still using it at the old house but I have multiple coffee options.

Next I hung shower curtains and towels in all bathrooms.  The Glade has only one shower curtain.  The other showers are glass enclosed which is ultimately the plan for the Bay House bathrooms.  Until that time shower curtains with plastic liners are the order of the day.

I was going to leave our key board (not musical keyboard) at the old house but decided to move it since I had actually made it.  I found the perfect unobtrusive spot.

The color palette for this house will be sky, water, sand and a touch of dune grass.  But I made one decision that will govern the entire house.

Instead of my beloved brushed nickel that I have used all over The Glade in fittings and finishes, I am going to use brass at the Bay House since it has a nautical history and character.  I’ll try not to get carried away.

Jo

Last week after searching for 6 months I closed on a property on the Chesapeake Bay where ultimately Charlie and I plan to move.

We have  lived in what is essentially a clearing in the woods for 27 years and now we are moving to a house on the water.

The house is a totally different style from my other houses in a addition to being much newer.  I have always lived in a Cape Cod (1926) or farmhouse style home (1946), the new one is a post and beam style from 1990.

The kitchen and bathrooms all need upgrades since the property has been used as a vacation rental for the past dozen years.

The main attraction is the view which can be seen from private balconies on all 4 bedrooms.  It is spectacular.

The other issue that I’ll ultimately be working through is the color palette: stark white, dark brown, and tan.  I intend to slowly change to the colors of the sea, sand, and sky with a little injection of dune grass.

As we work on new projects I’ll be sure to blog about the details.  I have lots of ideas to pull this house into the 21st century and make it a home.

Jo

At the very end of June we closed on a house on the Chesapeake Bay where Charlie and I plan to live for the rest of our lives.

I have always wanted an unencumbered view of the water from my house and now I have it.  After 27 years of living in a clearing in the woods we now live in a house on the bay.

Like every home I’ve ever lived in this one needs some work.  I’ll highlight those projects as we tackle them.

For now I plan to:

1. Celebrate the 4th of July.  I’m hoping we can look across the bay and see a fireworks display.
   

   Love fireworks!

2. Work on Greek trip plans: hotels, places to see, things to do, where and what to eat.
   

   We must see the Acropolis in Athens.

3.  Host a book club.
   

   In The Alchemist Santiago goes on an exotic journey to find his personal legend. 

4. Move some things to the Bay House.  We’ll need clothes, bed and bath linens, and an espresso maker at the very least.
5.  Clean bathrooms at Bay House.
   

   The bathrooms are fairly basic compared to the ones we designed at The Glade.

   They haven’t been used for a couple of years.

6.  Clear out basement at The Glade.
   

   Everything has to go!

7.   Shred old documents and papers.
   

   I always have a pile of papers to shred; I plan to focus on outdated items as well.

8.  Attend a concert.
9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: EXPLORE.
10.  Write a goal list for August, 2024.

Even in the summer I continue to attend tap dancing class (once a week) and tai chi (twice a week).  Other than those scheduled items my classes and responsibilities are on hiatus until fall.

Charlie and I are working to get The Glade in shape for sale within the next year.  However since we still live here we’re enjoying our beautiful wooded surroundings.

In addition to my actual plans for the month I:

• donated clothes to a local free clothing event — about 20 items — and did not bring anything home with me.
  

  A pile of perfectly good clothes that I determined I would never wear again.

  Win Win!

• completed #47 (throw away or donate 30 things and don’t replace them)  on my 101 in 1001 list.  It happened after the yard sale.
• had our septic tank pumped out. Ewww.
• bought a new mailbox.
  

  Our assigned mailbox sits on a rail with a bunch of others in no particular order. Ours had no number and no flag so I bought a cheap new one.

My plans for this month were to:

1.   Work on excursions for Turkey/Greece trip in the fall.  I have scheduled all excursions on our Viking cruise except for a Turkish bath in Istanbul.  The Viking offering was sold out so I made reservations for Charlie and me at a Turkish bath while we’re in Istanbul later this year.
   

   The building we’ll be looking for to have a Turkish bath in Istanbul.

2.  Repair doll house.
   

   The broken pieces have been glued.

   Our dollhouse is actually a castle which I repaired without a total rehab since it’s going to a new family who might want to change it from a knight castle to a princess palace.

   

   Ready for transport to a new home.

3.  Read a book.  I read Helen Mirren’s autobiography In the Frame.  Lots of great photos and stories if you’re a fan.
4.  Have a yard sale. We put up hundreds of items for sale, made a few bucks, and still have lots to get rid of.
   

   Glad that’s over!

5.  Get together with friends.
   

   The weather was perfect.

   Most of the guest list had other plans for our late afternoon Pranzo Toscana — Tuscan lunch — but we had a nice time and Charlie and I made our announcement about moving to a new house on the Chesapeake Bay.

6.  Work on the laundry room floor.  I dabbed polyurethane on the bright spots made from sanding down nail heads.
   

   Top is the before and bottom is after treating with Sam Seal urethane.

   Not perfect but much improved.

7.  Attend a concert.  We saw The Jets: The Music of Sir Elton John at Lurman Woodland Theatre.  Fabulous show. I also went to a special concert in a local park for veterans.
   

   Even with a couple of unexpected rain delays we had a great time.

8.  See a play. Charlie and I saw a local production of Guys and Dolls — always a fun show. Then I saw some typical summer outdoor theatre fare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
   

   Midsummer Night is magical.

9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: MINIMIZE.  I took this word very seriously all month and convinced Charlie to get on board also.
10.  Write a goal list for July, 2024.

When we went off the grid for a week we were assigned a very sweet cabin/hut — the largest of the dune shacks at Cape Cod National Seashore.

Truth be told it was our first choice of shack (Ray’s) and one of the weeks we had asked for in our lottery application.

The Peaked Hill Trust truck dropped us off on Saturday afternoon and would pick us up the same time a week later.  We had packed everything we thought we needed for a week’s stay:  bed linens, towels, food, clothing, bug spray, binoculars, books, rain gear, power banks (to charge phones), cell phones, flashlights, French press, and firewood (not longer than 14″).

The shack itself had an outdoor porch, an enclosed indoor porch (with a double bed), a back room (also with a double bed), and a kitchen.

Just off the porch was a solar heated shower (with no enclosure).

Outside and up the hill was a composting outhouse into which we threw some popped popcorn after use. (The popcorn and instructions how to pop it were provided in the kitchen. I made about 5 or 6 batches throughout the week.)  Since there were only the 2 of us — Charlie and Jo — we had plenty of room and sufficient privacy.

We used the back room to store our clothing and slept on the enclosed porch which also had a table where we ate and a wood stove to keep us warm on chilly mornings.

The kitchen had counter space  and a 2-burner propane stove for us to prepare meals.

Among other things we made coffee in the French press every morning and a variety of breakfast foods including oatmeal, eggs, ham and cheese quesadillas.

We cooked all of our meals — pasta, stewed tomatoes, grilled sandwiches, etc. — on the propane stove using pots, pans, and utensils provided by the shack.  There is also a supply of dishes and silverware.  We brought dish towels and the shack provided 2 rolls of paper towels, dish soap, and sanitizer as well as cleaning supplies.

There was no running water except for a spigotted container above the sink which we had to refill with water fetched from the well down the hill.  Any warm water for cooking or washing was heated in a kettle on the propane stove.

The one item in the kitchen for which we were truly grateful was the refrigerator/freezer.

Electricity for the fridge was provided by 4 solar panels between the cabin and the outhouse.  We were warned not to use the panels for anything but the refrigerator except that we could charge our phones on sunny days of which we had 6 out of 7.  Between the power banks and the solar outlet we were able to keep our phones well charged which was highly recommended by the rule book.

The sun came up just after 5 a.m. when the temperature was in the low 60s.  Charlie got up at first light and put the kettle on for coffee then set to lighting the wood stove.

We came to cherish the heat it provided while we experienced the stunning sunrises.  We also used the wood stove to keep a kettle of water and our cups of coffee warm.

Gallon jugs were available to haul water up from the well pump which was recently installed about 2 years ago.

Before that residents apparently had to trudge water twice as far. Whew!

I’m happy to say Charlie was in charge of our water supply.

We had a grand week and didn’t run out of supplies until the very last day — we had rightly figured food and firewood and clean clothes.

The truck picked us up and took us back to our car with much less than we had when we arrived the week prior.

The bonus is I have checked off #68 and #83 on my 101 tasks in 1001 days list.

Jo

Back in January of 2019 I reported that I entered our names in a lottery for a dune shack on Cape Cod National Seashore near Provincetown, Massachusetts.

I have entered the lottery every year since then hoping that Charlie and I could spend a week essentially off the grid (#83 on my 101 in 1001 list) before we became too old to manage such a thing.  Again this year we did not win the lottery.

However, we were awarded (finally) a short notice shack for the week that includes Memorial Day.  We had 4 days to get ready.

On Friday in tons of traffic we drove from Maryland to Massachusetts and stayed overnight in a cute cabin in Sandwich, Mass. Breakfast was included the next morning.

Then we headed another hour and a half to the end of Cape Cod where we met our volunteer caretaker near Provincetown.

Charlie loaded our supplies into the Peaked Hill Trust truck and our caretaker and his associate drove us across the dunes to the Ray Wells Shack.

We unloaded and were given instructions on using the well pump, the outhouse, and the solar powered fridge. (More on all that in future post.)

We were delighted with our digs.  We had to hike everywhere we wanted to go since no private vehicles are allowed on the dunes.

We hiked to the ocean to see the seals.

We hiked into P-town to get coffee and a lobster roll.

We walked along the beach which had been partially closed to protect the piping plovers’ nesting area.

We watched the sunsets.

And sunrises.

We saw multiple rainbows.

Middle of the night outhouse calls allowed us to see the most beautiful stars.

We had a marvelous week in the dunes on Cape Cod.  What a privilege to care for a Dune Shack for our week off the grid.

Jo

Even in the summer I continue to attend tap dancing class (once a week) and tai chi (twice a week).  Other than those scheduled items my classes and responsibilities are on hiatus until fall.

Charlie and I are working to get The Glade in shape for sale within the next year.  However since we still live here we’re enjoying our beautiful wooded surroundings.

My plans for this month are to:

1.   Work on excursions for Turkey/Greece trip in the fall.
   

   We must see the Acropolis in Athens.

2.  Repair doll house.
   

   The castle dollhouse needs major repair and spruce up.

3.  Read a book.
4.  Have a yard sale.
   

   Everyday I think of new things to let go of.

5.  Get together with friends.
   

   If the weather cooperates we’ll party outside in the yard.

6.  Work on the laundry room floor.
   

   The floor in the laundry room needs some cosmetic help.

7.  Attend a concert.
   

   Our local outdoor stage has a great list of concerts from which to choose.

8.  See a play.
   

   We have tickets to a local production of Guys and Dolls.

9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: MINIMIZE.
10.  Write a goal list for July, 2024.

Jo