July 8, 2013 Greetings My Friend, This girl is about as happy as she can get. The porch/carport on the side of the house is done….and I’m in love with my quiet outdoor space. No dogs can visit since it is out of their reach. The cats come and go in quiet peace. The porch is on the high side so I see the trees, the forest all around. I see butterflies flit by and am in awe. I hear Junior hammering and on occasion he comes up the ladder and visits with me. Once in a while a car will drive by and our dogs think it is their duty to chase after the car. Peace surrounds my soul. I listen and then I listen some more. I feel the sun’s warmth and reveal in it. My thoughts run a mile a minute and I am in heaven. I can see me spending more and more time out here. No dogs to drag stuff onto the porch no dogs wanting to be petted and petted and then petted again. I love the cats wandering around, then they lie down and soak up the sun. I am living the dream that has tried to take stake through the years. I love the warm weather, the sounds of hammering, cats walking around quietly and birds singing their song to each other. The only bad thing is that the sun is so bright that I can’t see my computer screen…..so I am now indoors. I will be back outside in a bit. Junior has got my chair and will put it together in the next little while. Now I sit on temporary chairs. We will begin eating outside as well and again we won’t have furry friends helping us when we’d rather not. The umbrella kind of keeps the sun at bay but I can’t see the computer screen……but I sit and soak up the quiet peace. I go inside and put the sheets in the dryer and come back out to sit. I also can see me doing house work from the porch. I come in do some and then head back. My life is already plotting out my time on the porch and I am very excited. I love our wrap around porch but find it a pain at the same time. The dogs want me to love on them, they potty on the porch and frankly their piles aren’t pleasant to look at and smell. There is trash because the kids find stuff, bring it up and chew to their hearts content. This porch is mine all mine and no dog can visit unless I invite them. The cats have a hole to come and go as they please out to the porch and the cats are a quiet bit of love. As we settle more into our new life this girl falls deeper in love with her new home. I love the country quiet we live in. I love the trees that are on every side. I love seeing butterflies flit by and listening to birds talk in their sing song way. I love the summer warmth of the sun with and umbrella blocking out the bright sunshine. No one wants to come visit…..that is fine. I have this peace and it is awesome. I take a walk during the day and enjoy the beautiful scenes that are everywhere. I can’t do what I once did and frankly that is ok too. I have a beautiful quiet place to soak up life in. I do what I can when I can and sit when I can’t do and well life could not be sweeter. The more I sit out here the less I think on the old way of life. Gone is my fear of that man. Gone is the sadness that my kids don’t call. I sit here and love God and His majestic creation. Junior pops up on the ladder for a brief visit and I fall deeply in love with this man who made this dream come true. Underneath the porch is another carport. Junior hopes to set up his workshop instead of having it where the kids next door can see. I like that idea too. Then the porch area and the carport will be filled with less stuff and that makes me real happy. I can see us getting a fire pit to burn a few logs in. I can see me truly hanging out outside at night. I have strange fears about being outside after dark and this takes that fear away. Last night I missed turning the TV on to watch Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and came in to watch the news and then my night time TV programs and yup life is sweet. I like popping in to do a bit of housework and heading back outside. I do believe a new layer of cleaning and keeping house is about to take shape. I believe a new layer of keeping order is taking shape and I will not be embarrassed if someone stops by because the messiness of life will be under control for the most part. I won’t be fussy clean. Junior does not like it. Once more I know we are where we need to be in retirement. It is about as peaceful as it gets out here for Junior and I. I have a new writing spot and a third desk type area to write in. I love it. I can change my moods and write and I love it. I bought a pin wheel a couple of pretty porch decorations. Yup I am a girl and the first thing I want to do is decorate and I’ve done that. It isn’t a lot but it is a bit of color and personality and I love it. We continue to settle into this home. We fall in love over and over with this home. Once more I know for a fact that we are where God wants us to be and life is so sweet. May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you. Love Janet