Sunday morning coffee post

Thanks to everyone for all the kind words we have received about Miss Jack. She was more than a pet to us, she was a huge part of our daily lives. Thursday was very sad, but we are feeling better now and glad she is not suffering, glad for the short time we had with her since she had such a fun and sweet personality.

PH says we must reconsider our pet scenario. Meaning, we can't ever just have one pet again, because when it dies, then you have none. So, expect a menagerie someday!

It may sound strange since we've only been here 2 months, but I'm looking forward to leaving the mountain house someday. Not the mountains, just this house in particular. Living here is an excellent lesson in what we don't want. A house without a foundation or basement means SKUNKS LIVE UNDER THE HOUSE no matter what my landlord says. ("We've never seen/smelled a skunk in the last 15 years!")
The house is big, i.e. bigger than anything we've ever lived in before, so I find it hard to keep clean and warm, though perhaps if I weren't working a day job I could find the time.
The deck is huge, lovely, and uncovered! Who would do that in an environment where it rains at least 8 months a year?!? I long for a covered porch so I can better enjoy the view and fresh air without getting wet! We have a patio umbrella, but it's not waterproof...do you know how difficult it is to find a waterproof patio umbrella? It is impossible! I have been looking ever since we moved to Oregon! I will have to try restaurant supply, maybe...I know I always see them at restaurants...
And since there is no covered porch, you would think there would be a mudroom. Nope. One door opens right into our living room and the other goes right into the kitchen. I have to clean the kitchen floor every single day because in spite of the rug by the door there is still mud and pine needles everywhere. This is less visible in the living room as I suspect the carpet is hiding the yuck. There is no convenient place to stop and take off your shoes by either door. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Yes, the people who built this house are from L.A.
The land is on a forest-covered mountain, so it is not set up for gardening or farm animals - another reason we won't be staying forever.

The good news is that in living here we have seen so many rural properties for sale right here in our beautiful neighborhood. I mean just on the way to the grocery store there are currently about 10 properties for sale, and this trend continues pretty much everywhere I go in this area. It is very exciting for us, and I hope with the real estate economy the way it is that this supply will keep up through the next couple of years when perhaps we will be able to enter the market.

Today we end Daylight Savings Time and even though PH was overjoyed that he got up an hour early, he's still going to be late for work (as usual). ha

People often ask me how I am feeling. I feel fine in that I am not throwing up. However, I also feel like I have the flu at least 50% of the time in that I have an indescribable lack of energy, dry mouth, hunger combined with lack of appetite, and general aches and pains all over. All I can say is that I don't feel like "me" and it's very frustrating as I feel like I will never be me ever again. I hope that is an exaggeration but I have no way of knowing. I am starting a prenatal exercise program today and if I do not fall asleep in the middle of it we will see if that improves anything.

This impacts the wedding planning, which I'm basically doing by myself due to PH's work schedule. Thank goodness it is nearly done since it is about a month away. I am feeling some focus today, so I'm going to try to finish up the wedding budget and hope we have enough money left over to actually get to TX and back. We still have not booked any hotel rooms and I know I need to hurry up and do that before our hotel of choice is sold out.

Coffee's out, time to do chores and budgeting now.