M.I.A.

I've been missing in action for the last three weeks because of this.

I've packed around 60 boxes and Tex probably 5. Awaiting the moving van right now. There are more boxes in the house. I had the moving company pack up the kitchen yesterday. No way I was going to do that. Nellie has run out of steam.

After 15 years, we are leaving our home on Canterbury Lane.

We haven't been out to the ranch since the last post. I've insisted on waiting until they got the whole thing framed and we could "go up the stairs" to the second floor. I didn't want to see Tex climb up to the top like Spider Man again!

Nervous Nellie

THE WIDOW MAKER

We were at the ranch this week to check out the framing and everything was going swimmingly. We decided to eliminate the tiny powder room window by the front door. It's distracting, off center ('cause it's above the john) and would take away from the front door. We've ordered that already and it's a beauty! We also decided not to HAVE a roof because we can't afford a retractable roof. Isn't the sky unbelievable?


Tex in his garage. The garage out there is bigger than our garage here. Go figure.

You are looking at a kitchen wall, plumbing for the island, corner pantry and in the front right is where another pantry will be under the stairs.

Now you are looking at a roaring fire and the TV on the far family room wall. The doorway goes into a hall where you get to the master bedroom, powder room and office.

This is when things went sour. Phil the Phoreman had expressed some concern about the height of the vault and not being able to see out the upper windows from the center of the upper hall railing. So, Tex decided he was going to measure the height of the peak and figure out for himself just how much space we were talking about for beams, flooring, etc. Any sane person would have called the architect and had him give you the details. Oh, no, not my Tex.

He got up on the first level of the scaffolding and my heart stopped. "TEX..YOU..ARE..NOT..GOING..UP..THERE," I hollered. He did what he always does when I open my mouth. He ignored me. Then he started inching over and I knew he was going to go up there. My stomach hit the ground. I can't get on the higher rungs of a ladder and when I see somebody at those heights I freak.

I was seriously getting sick at this point.

I missed taking a picture of his progress because I was urping my fish.

I am pleading with him to get down. PLEEEEAAASSEE COME DOWN. He seems to be adding up figures in his head and still ignoring me.

Whew!! Just a few more minutes and he'll be down.

I took my first breath in a long while thinking it's going to be OK and then he got down on that beam just below where he is squatting and stepped on that beam going over to the cross beams you see at the right. You should have heard me ranting and crying and screaming, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW??" He assured me he was holding onto something the whole time and was fine.

Does it look like he's holding onto anything here????????

I am now naming our humble abode "The Widow Maker" because he could have killed himself. A dead body sprawled on the concrete floor would greatly distract from the beautiful view.

I have every reason to call myself........

Nervous Nellie

FOOD, FUN, FIREWORKS

This looks like a nice peaceful place, doesn't it? This is the office of our Darling Dependable Builder, David.

Out back was quite another scene. Our DDD hosted one heck of a 4th of July bash. There was food, fireworks and a band. I have never been so up close and personal at a fireworks display. We were sitting 50 yards from the launch site. It was like a grand finale display for over 30 minutes. My neck is sore from looking straight up.

This is Darling Dependable David taking the stage just before the fireworks. (His arm is in a sling...injured it dirt bike racing.) He introduced the gal standing next to him. She's a Blackhawk helicopter pilot deployed to Afghanistan. We sang patriotic songs and got all choked up.

What a night.......what a country!

Nervous Nellie

ON A WING AND A PRAYER

Tomorrow morning they are going to pour the concrete. This is out of my hands now.



You are looking at the plumbing for the kitchen island and the laundry room.

Phil the Phoreman and Bill the Architect

This is a King Ranch Foundation of Belief Cross made of four nails, copper wire and stones. I have had three crosses since last summer. One to put in the foundation, one to hang in the house near the one placed in the ground and one to give to the builder. It is hard to believe this is actually happening. It used to be a dream.

If you can't read the prayer, these are the words.

Our Heavenly Father, we ask your blessing on all those whose hands will build this house, everyone who will walk through its doors and those who will dwell within its walls.

We pray that every going out be in the company of the Holy Spirit. May every coming home be a welcome into the heart of Christ.

May the Father of all life be the foundation in the lives of those who live in this home.

The prayer will be placed in the foundation in the middle of the kitchen/living/dining area.

In the morning at dawn, this will become a part of our home.

Nervous Nellie

AM I NUTS?

Think what you want, but please don't post your answer!


What a whirlwind week. We sold our house, approved the placement of the new house, leased an apartment for the next 6 months....AND....today I purchased the very first items for the ranch house. If anybody can tell me what this is, you will win an all-inclusive package for a 7-day stay at Edgecliff Casa. We will pick you up at DFW.

Those of you who don't guess correctly have to stay for 14 days. That would mean suffering through an extra week with Nervous Nellie so you might want to do some research on this!

Couldn't resist the comforter set that was on sale. They almost gave it away. I can picture it with dark, heavy, bedroom furniture in one of the upstairs guest rooms. I can't believe I'm buying things for the new house already. Am I nuts?

In his sermon today, the pastor urged us to jump off the cliff. I turned to Tex and said, "Has he been reading my blog? He wants me to jump?" The message was to dream your dreams and God would be there to help you through. Don't be afraid of the future, embrace it. Jump off the cliff and God will catch you. It was his "farewell" sermon before going to another church. From now on I will try to look forward without so much trepidation. Thanks, Jason!

"See," I said to Tex as they rang up our purchases, "I'm confidently embracing the future." He just rolled his eyes.

Nervous Nellie

P.S. Remember to enter the contest. Answer in next post.

SOLD!

Our house sold to the first person who looked at it the first day it went on the market. We close July 21. Now we go apartment hunting 'cause we can't live here yet.

Tex couldn't wait until Phil the Phoreman left so he could hop on this backhoe and play!

Yesterday, the day after we signed the contract for the sale of the house, we galloped out to the ranch to approve where the house is staked out on the pad. We're rock'n and roll'n now. I should be calming down at this point with the house being sold and that behind me. So, can you tell me why I got up at 3:30 this morning because I couldn't sleep?

Nervous Nellie

MELTDOWN

My neurosis has reached critical mass. I can't deal with this. The "for sale" sign goes in the yard tomorrow and today my bathroom looks like this.

Last week my Super Savvy realtor, Stevie, suggested we might want to take off the wallpaper in the master bath. She said that was the only negative in the house. Super Savvy Stevie said the house would sell but might sell faster with the wallpaper gone. The walls have been textured and primed and are being painted as I type.

Yeah, I guess I haven't kept up with the times. Being current in my decorating has ceased to be forefront in my priorities over the last several years. When I was younger and "up on everything" I can remember going into older people's homes and thinking to myself, "Good gawd, why don't they replace the green shag with a berber?" Now I'm on the other end and I know why.......old people could give a rip what other people think! IT IS LIBERATING! But, alas, not so good for resale. We did put in new appliances recently. That was my only attempt at updating.

Tex and I are nipping at each other like two rat terriers. (Latest episode was over him wanting to keep something and me insisting we donate it to a thrift shop run by a children's home in Keller. If I went into the particulars, you would agree that I was soooooo right!) I don't like this feeling, bickering and antsy. I'm a complete wreck. Don't get near me......I'm rabid and I bite!

This blog is saving me thousands of $$$ in therapy sessions.

Nervous Nellie