"Always Kiss Me Goodnight . . ."

Two Weeks Notice

After almost 6 months on the road, all of our worldly possession's, other than the massive pile I collected while traveling, were delivered onto the front porch of our newly acquired bungalow, by three fairly comical moving men, somewhere around the middle of February 2011.

Where do you start when there are hundreds of boxes piled in every direction, you still have multiple items requiring a trailer hitch to move, and a bathroom that would feel right at home somewhere between Yeehaw Junction and Holopaw, it does come to mind you just might have too much of the good stuff?

Life was supposed to get much simpler.

We are making progress, the box pile has disappeared from the front porch, the bathroom has been gutted down to a working loo only, the appliances have arrived from Sears, the kitchen's been painted in Behr Teatime, and we are still loving this old house.

There is Internet access, cell service, cable TV, and music in the house and studio, and I am still thrilled I am married to a geek, and not a plumber, although the later would come in handy on some days. We have started the process with Amerigas to bring in propane for cooking as well as on-demand hot water, we will need an electrician and a plumber, and almost another month, before things are operational in that department.

The Sebastian exposed pipe shower system in oil rubbed bronze arrived this week from Signature Hardware, as well as the fabric in Charlotte/walnut from Joann's Fabric for the bathroom shower curtain, that will hang from our newly constructed ceiling mounted copper rods. The plumber from Wm. F. McDonough Plumbing in Port Charlotte will be here this week for the pedestal sink install and a consult on the shower plumbing as well as the plumbing connections for the Noritz Tankless unit.

We acquired two garage sale light fixture's this weekend, one for the Studio, and the other will be installed in the kitchen later in the week. A 4x8 foot chalk board, a find at the Burnt Store Presbyterian Youth fund raiser, hangs above the Studio's work bench and a design for the covered blacksmith's forge are coming to fruition.

A site for the new chicken coop has been spotted under the Live Oak, and our new Silkies have been ordered from Murray McMurray Hatchery for a delivery the beginning of May. The potted herbs, I planted several months ago are producing purple Thai basil, oregano, cilantro and mint. Today we planted pineapple and Cavannah's Dwarf Banana along the driveway. We are still looking for a site for the Brown Turkey Fig, we bought from the Farmers Market in downtown Punta Gorda. . .

Who knows what the next two weeks will bring.

The Affair

We have purchased The Cleveland Avenue Bungalow, a 1927 Arts & Crafts gem in Punta Gorda, Florida. As my time in this wonderful old house grows closer, my anticipation is almost too much to contain, just ask anyone whom has asked me about the house.

When we left The Old Starkey House, I wondered if I would ever fall in love with another old structure, with it creaks, little quirks and the rich history that well within it's walls. I wondered could I love other old majestic live oaks draped in Spanish moss, great mass of ferns, and the abundant calamundruns? Could I train the jasmine covered arch, re-create the chicken coop or the Virginia creeper that covered the fences?

Over the last couple of months, we have immersed ourselves in all that is Punta Gorda, the long history of abundant fishing and wildlife, the cattle lands, and it's prize winning pineries. Eagles, osprey, otter, manatee and gators all roam the waters. The night Heron, among my favorite, fish from the water's edge. The flora, tropical and diverse, still early in the year the Florida Flame vine burns from every trellis, pole and fence post.

The natives are laid back and friendly, a resiliency, I believed enhanced by the likes of Charlie, and other great storms of the past. If you speak of recent times, it is post Charlie. The old timers rarely speak of Charlie, only how things have changed through the years.

We drive past the house almost daily, in any other community, we would be stalking, but most laugh and welcome us to the community.

I do believe this is the beginning of a long and wonderful love affair . . .