Wedding open house

So I will spoil you with 2 posts in 1 day!  This afternoon, we went to Fritz's son, Matthew and Armela's open house.  They had it at a really cute park down in Rock Creek Canyon park.  There were great pavilions, a creek, big trees, and lots of parking.  They had a really cute set up with twinkle lights, tables with great centerpieces, and an open bar set up.  Armela's family made a huge spread of delicious Bosnian food.  Bosnian food reminded me much of Greek food with stuffed grape leaves, lamb, stuffed pitas, baklava, etc.  Great music, great drinks, great company. The most fun part was hanging out with Fritz and his family. I met his sister Karla and her husband Terry.  We took a few photos I thought I would share.

Matt and Fritz

Us and Fritz's sisters - Karla, Fritz, Me, Laurie

Karla, Me, Betty (Fritz's Mom)

Fritz and Me

We had a great time.  The bouquet I made was perfect.  I made it with 2 things of flowers from Costco.  She had peacock feathers for her theme so I got some at Michaels and Fritz had some too.  I watched You Tube on how to wrap the stems with ribbon for holding.  It worked out great and I was even asked which florist I got it from!  Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of it!  I should make a video on how to do it and make millions!  It was fun to play with flowers again for fun.

Tomorrow, after breakfast with Betty, I am headed back to reality in Salt Lake.  We are hoping to get together again very soon for another visit.

Another visit to Buhl

The last 2 weeks, while the house is busy on the market, I've been coming to Buhl to hang out with Fritz.  It really is a great escape of my regular hectic world.  In Buhl, the air is clean, the people are nice, and life is simplier.  Not to mention, Fritz is just a sweetheart to me.  So I will tell about my visits with photos so you can see maybe what the draw is and what brings me 250 miles.

When I turn down the road at the end of the long drive, I drive down a long road of corn. 
There are cute farm houses every few fields but it is mostly corn. 
Remember the farm sprinklers that are huge and go in circles? 
Yeah, I'm very familiar with those now.  I also know about sprinkler bubblers!!
(They clean dirt from the sprinkler lines)

Fritz and his kids treated me to a tour of the farm.  We took the 4 wheelers down to the creek.  The creek is very important to the family and they all have very fond memories of times on the creek.  The fields were quite wet so we had a tough time through some ditches.  We got stuck in one and had to be wenched out with the other 4 wheeler.  While that happened, the cows all stopped and stared at us.

This is the creek.  Matthew (Fritz's son, and his wife Armela).  We were having fun.



We drove past Fritz's fields down the irrigation ditches to get to the creek.

Fritz was having fun although you can't tell by his serious look on his face.
 I can tell he loves his land and getting out there.

 

Gizmo is learning to be calm while I am here working alone.  He misses Fritz when
he is gone and likes to lay in his chair.  He is a sweet dog although he is huge. 
Pretty good for a blind and deaf dog.

This is a sunrise I caught last weekend.  I had to head home super early
for an open house.  The smoke from the fires were thick and made for a spectacular sunrise.

Fritz's front yard.  You can't really see his big elm tree on the left. 
There is a squirrel that lives there.  I can't help but think about evenings
with a good cocktail relaxing on the lawn.  But I am often drawn to the back to watch the sunset instead.

Yesterday I heard this really loud engine noise.  I could tell it was a plane that was flying really low.  Strange.  So I waited and heard it again and again and again.  I finally went out to see what was going on.  This yellow bi-plane kept flying over the corn field next door.  Just one sniff and I figured out it was crop dusting the field.  I don't mean to be a sissy but I wasn't very excited to smell that chemical.  When I talked to Fritz, he said most people just stay inside when they dust.  Probably a good idea.  And not something I've ever seen!

Today we are going to an open house for his son, Matt and daughter in law, Armela.  They actually got married in March in a small courthouse wedding but today they are going to celebrate!  We are going to a park for a big party.  Maybe about 50 people.  Armela's family is from Bosnia and I hear they still have much of the culture and heritage of home.  I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and enjoying some Bosnian food.  Armela said her Mom has been cooking like crazy.  Fritz supplied the alcohol.  I am making a bouquet for her.  Should be fun!

And here we go....

The time is finally here where my house goes on the market!  I've flat worked my butt off getting ready.  Cleaning and touching up until I was exhausted.  The good news is I am practically sorted and ready to downsize so moving will be easier.  I thought you might want to see the listing.  These photos make the house look great.

No I don't have a place to go  yet.  I really planned to financially downsize but I find condos are much more expensive then I expected.  I really hope the right thing comes along at the right time.  Help me by putting good juju vibes in the universe for me!

http://www.spotlighthometours.com/tours/tour.php?&tourid=76435&reloaded=true

Now I get to relax for a bit while I show the house and wait for those millions of offers.  I think I will nap...a lot!  Well and make the bed every morning, wipe down the bathroom, vacuum, do the dishes, and clean the cat box every morning.  Haha.  Seems like a piece of cake after what I've been doing each day.

Philippe the crepe maker

Over the weekend, Fritz and Philip were talking about food and it came around to crepes.  Philip is a great crepe maker so he offered to make crepes for us for breakfast on Saturday.  Fritz likes whiskey and blueberries so Philip found a recipe for blueberry whiskey crepe sauce and made that.  We also put cream cheese, bananas, strawberries, and raspberries in them.  It was like a crepe smorgasbord.  And Philip did a great job.  It was so delicious!  What a treat!!




Chef Philip in the house!

 

 

So good!

I think this is going to become a tradition for us when Philip is home from college!!

Beautiful day for a balloon fest!

Over the weekend, there was a balloon festival in Sandy which is about 20 minutes from home.  I mentioned it to Fritz and he definitely wanted to come go with me.  They were scheduled to launch both Friday and Saturday morning.  So we all got up at 5:00 on Friday to head out.  Unfortunately, it was very windy.  We ventured forward anyway and found a spot to observe but it wasn't long before they decided it wasn't safe.  So we tried again Saturday (minus Philip who was not interested in another early morning) and hit gold.  Fritz and I got settled in as they were unrolling the balloons on the field.  Before we knew it, they were starting to fill them.  There is something about that sound of the hot air that excites me.  I really did feel like a little kid excited to see them go.

Check out Kennecott as the sun came up!!

First one to blow up

Many more followed

It wasn't long before many balloons were in the air.  And they were close!  It almost felt like you could reach out and touch them.  And still the sound of the hot air and flames into the balloons is so fun!  I admit I got excited and took a ton of photos.  Humor me a minute while I share some with you.

Fritz loves hot air balloons as much as me.  We were pretty impressed with ourselves being able to do it together.  Fritz had a great idea that we will become hot air balloon chasers.  That might be pretty fun!

It's busy in this house!

I've been very busy getting the house ready to put on the market.  Two big things that have to happen (besides cleaning out the closets and getting rid of all my years of junk) is a new roof and new concrete.  This weekend, I got the roof done.  Today, the concrete started.  Here is how it went.

Friday, the roofers were scheduled to deliver supplies and the dumpster.  And indeed they did.  But then they stuck around and before I knew it, they were cleaning shingles off the roof.  They were working on a house in Park City and they had rain so they came down the canyon and worked on mine instead.  Before I knew it, the front of the house was stripped down to the plywood.  New plywood was put on and the sheeting was in place.  During the process, there was a huge pile of shingles round the house but we went to dinner and came back and it was all tidied up...and it was raining like crazy!  In the morning, they started very early and worked the entire day.  They finished stripping the roof and then turned around and roofed it.  And they roofed all day until they were done.  These are some of the hardest working guys I've seen.  I'm not sure what time they finished because we went out to dinner but I was totally impressed with the job they did.  I also replaced the rain gutters and they didn't quite finish those but they will be back to finish them this week.

The tear off mess.  I love the shingle in the shrub.

Making progress.

Monday morning, at 7:00 sharp, they came to pick up the dumpster from my driveway.  I had less than 10 minutes to pull my car in and load it with all the donation stuff I had stashed in the garage.  But it wasn't long and in came the trailer from the concrete guys.  They wasted no time digging out the old concrete and getting ready for new concrete.  At 9:00, the owner came and told me it was going very smooth so they will be bringing in the concrete on Tuesday (tomorrow).  This is great and super fast!  Which is perfect because I am doing the back driveway and the front walkway so I am basically stuck in the house until I can walk on the concrete.  They said that is 24 hours to walk on it but a week before I can drive on it.  So my beautiful new car is parked on the street for awhile, while this is all getting done.

Digging out the front walk.  These guys did it all by hand
with a sledge hammer and a lifter.  Very hard workers.

The driveway torn apart!  It is going to look so nice once done!

I'm taking advantage of the time I am stuck inside to continue to work on getting the house ready to go on the market.  I have done a great job cleaning up but I have more to do and need to do other touch up work around the house.  I need to keep that whip cracking on myself because they are scheduled to do photographs on Friday and we are planning to hit the market on Monday.  According to the realtors, I should have an offer within a week!

This frantic pace is pretty....well...frantic.  But I am making progress and it is working out so far.

Oh the places you will go....The Philip edition

Today was the official day that Philip leaves for college at ASU.  I can't believe it is finally here.  All these years of planning and scheming and now...BAM...it is time to go.  In true fashion, Philip saved all the work for this weekend.  I can't blame him, there is lots going on and he isn't one to push it.  Saturday, we spend a good part of the day going through his closet and drawers and sorting and packing up things.  He also brought all his clothes over from his Dad's to store in one location at my house.  So we went through those on Sunday, washed what needed it, and finished packing what he planned to take to ASU.

Cleaning out the 'stuff'

I won't lie.  It was hard for me.  I cried a few times.  I know we will always be close and I know he will come home for visits and keep in touch.  But this is the end of an era.  An era that will never be the same.  As a Mom, your goal is to really raise your child to be a grown up and go out on their own to make their world what they dream (not my dreams, his dreams).  However, as the time comes, I find myself remembering all the past 18 years and how sweet things have been (and not so sweet) and really feel the time passed with a blink of an eye.  Yes when we were fighting about homework, or missed curfew, I felt like time was passing at a snails pace but looking back, it was quick.  Way too quick for this single Mom of one.

To make things even more dramatic, we are packing his room for my move.  The next time he is home, I will be in a new place.  So it was sorting and getting rid of long lost things.  Scaling back on the "stuff" and what I need to be sure I have space for while hanging onto the things that mean so much to both of us from his younger years.

The "remaining reminders"

We also spent a lot of time this weekend talking about how proud I was of him and how bright his future is and he really can make a huge step and right of passage taking off for college.  In true Philip fashion, he also thanked me for being a great Mom and helping him stay focused on his goals to study engineering out of state.  We really had to go against the grain of the Utah educational system to accomplish that goal.  But we did it!  I'm incredibly proud of him.  Perseverance paid off.

Our last farewell.  Be safe my Philip.

Ryan took Philip to Arizona.  Many of the things Philip will need, they will pick up once they get there.  My contribution was bedding and clothes.  Philip asked that I make his college dorm bed just the way I make it at home with high thread count sheets, fluffy pillows, a cool comforter, and a soft blanket.  Piece of cake.  They will spend the week working in Arizona.  Then Philip moves in on Thursday and takes off for a Freshman "getting to know you" course on Friday - Sunday.  Class starts on the 20th.  I can't wait to hear all about it.

For you Philip, as you venture off into your next adventure.....

....and don't forget your Mom has your back.

Book of Mormon - The play

Several months ago, we received an offer to purchase tickets way in advance for the "Book of Mormon" play.  I wanted to go so bad, I barely caught my breath before I ordered them.  And last week, it was finally here and opened.  I had forgot I got tickets to opening night.  It was at the Capital Theater which as been remodeled and expanded since I was last there.  We settled in not sure what to expect.

Now this play hit Broadway in New York several years ago to rave reviews.  I never thought it a million years it would come to Utah because basically, it makes fun of the 50% of Utahns that believe.  But alas it did and we experienced it for the very first time.  The theater was packed to the gills.  Tickets were sold out months ago and there was a line outside of people hoping to get in.  From the moment the show started to the very very end, we were enthralled and shocked by some of the satirical comedy about Mormons...and particularly missionaries.  Philip and I kept looking at each other and laughing so much I thought my cheeks would freeze.  Jokes about gays, and not paying attention to bad things, and young men dealing with growing up, and Africa.  Africa of all things.  But simply hilarious and certainly worth an evening out.  I would go again in a heartbeat because I simply couldn't catch it all on first pass.  Certainly a fun thing to do with my boy!

Big changes are coming!

You may or may not have heard but I have decided it is the right time to sell the house.  One day I opened my drapes and was shocked to see the cute neighbors with a for sale sign out front.  I wasn't terribly shocked because they put one out last year but quickly took it down.  But much to my surprise, they asked for a large amount of money for their house...and got it in 4 days!  Richard to the east of me is getting his house on the market too.  There have been a few other houses that have sold on the street in the last 6 months.

So one day I woke up with a huge sense of relief as I sat up in bed and decided the time is right!  There are a few things I need to do before I can list it.  One is a roof.  The other is the concrete on the driveway and the front walk that is completely corroded.  So I got to work getting bids and getting that scheduled.  The roof is coming next weekend and the concrete right after that.  Then I have to turn inside and start cleaning my crap out.  The bottom line is a house with tidy closets and projects done sell quicker and for more money then a house that comes with a built in honey do list.  So I set to cleaning one closet or cabinet a day.  But this weekend, Mom came into town and offered her help so we dove into the basement.

Keep in mind, I don't go to the basement much and when I do, I don't usually do anything in the closets.  In fact, they've all been packed to the gills since I remodeled the basement years ago.  As we dug stuff out, it felt like opening a time capsule from 10 years ago.  It is like everything was put on hold for 10 years.  Paperwork from when my name was Patience.  Photos from Philip as a baby (hand prints and letters too).  And old "dancing day" clothes, keepsakes, garbage.  Lots of garbage.  I went through it with wreckless abandon. 

My plan is to move to a condo.  One that is flat without steps.  And it will be smaller.  As much as 1/3 of the space I currently have.  Hopefully I can afford a condo that is only 1/2 smaller.  But that means basically 1/2 the house has to go.  And I treated my sorting with that in mind.  Going through and keeping what is really important to me but giving myself permission to get rid of the stuff that isn't the most important.  The results are truly amazing.  I am pretty proud of myself.

I thought I would take a few before and after photos.  At this point, I need to pause until after garbage day on Tuesday because it is full to the brim and both mine and Mom's car are full of stuff for charity.  We will take it tomorrow.  Here are a few photos of the grand task at hand.



Closet in the TV room downstairs (don't judge me)

The closet in the TV room downstairs after. 
What a huge improvement.

The furnace room after.  I didn't dare take a before.
But you couldn't walk in the room at all.

This is the charity pile - minus the kitty.

 Next for the clean up is to come back upstairs to finish cleaning closets and cabinets.  I have an all cash buyer interested in previewing my house next week.  If they like it, and they put in a good offer, we won't even have to do a marketing plan.  Regardless, I think it will sell fast and we will be out of here soon.