February In and Around Tessadora Manor

This winter Rock totally remodelled and customized my laundry room for me. It is just awesome. I have new cabinets all over the place with shelves all over the place......he also painted the entire room and I got my purple wall. All kitty paraphernalia, litter box and food is hidden in the corner under the counter, which I love. This was a room with nothing much in it but makeshift places to set stuff. My husband has become the best cabinet maker and is just doing such great things to this, my Tessadora Manor.....love it. Another room done with few left to go. Way to go Rock.



Drop down counter to the left with a double cabinet going over to the sink


Cabinet under the sink and kitty corner (all cat stuff out of the way, yey!)


New sink with counter tops all the way around


This unit Rock built is going to be installed on the wall above it


New mirror above sink and new cabinet


This wall will have a double cabinet built by my master carpenter and installed over the washer and drier!!

NEWS FLASH:

Wow. The first week of February was a marathon week, but I am happy to report that in the end it all worked out wonderfully. November is the month of the big family reunion in Israel. We leave the 11th for Amsterdam and the kids leave the 12th. Rock and I will have a day and night alone in my favorite city of the world and one to which he has not been. All the kids arrive next day...we will watch Amya quite a bit while they enjoy the city. Neither Brian nor Danielle has ever been. Only Dionne and I have been, twice!! On the 15th, we all, on the same plane, leave for Tel Aviv even though we arrive there at the "unGodly" hour of 2:15 a.m. The kids return to the US of A on November 28 and Rock and I decided to stay on for a week, leaving TelAviv on December 8th and home to Keller on December 9th. Believe me, this took days of coordination, surfing and phone time, coordinating award miles tickets, purchasing miles shortages, transferring miles and purchasing two full cost tickets on two different airlines!! But I "got er done!" to quote my hubby. Way to go Tess. We are all very excited.

February was such a Spring like month this year, we have been able to take many sunny day walks to the mailbox and back. I love the pictures of our "slice of paradise!"

We also took a sunny Superbowl Sunday drive to Omak. You will see the blue sky and the new rest stop in Nespelem, which makes me so happy. I don't have to wait till Omak now!!

January 2010 in and around Home in the Valley and new Laundry Room

Love it, counters, cabinets, drop down counter

Dear Co-Owners of, Co-Inhabitants in, and Co-Hosts for Tessadora Manor, magically situated atop a picturesque hill dramatically reached via beautiful Rocky Lane ..... what a treat to be able to try to see into such an imaginative mind. And what a treat to be able to get excited about your opportunities to build onto that vision. We have decided there is true genius involved in the CREATION of that house. There are rooms that have angles and ideas that exist nowhere else on the planet -- and never have.

Walking up to the house with its special external appearance, enhanced by the laced window curtains, is a perfect vision we will never forget. And, during our discussions on the way home, when we put ourselves in your places as you ventured through your new house for the first time -- well, it must have been like opening up a treasure trove and slipping inside. We both know we've "seen" this house before -- probably in a children's book; we loved it there but love it even more in the "flesh".

We enjoyed the day with you very much. We thought the dinner was really special. Thanks for the introduction. Our whole time there was just plain fun! Oh. And. We think we've figured out the pit. If indeed that room was a planned sauna (and we agree with you on that note) the purpose of the "pit" was to contain cold water for plunging into prior to leaving the sauna. This would replace the practice of the crazy Finns when they dive into a lake, or roll in the snow after heating up in their saunas. Maybe we're right, or maybe we're just full of Towels, Buckets and Shit! (A joke between our dear friends and us)..

Thanks for the great day. Each time we think about you guys in that house, we smile.

Looking forward to our next get together, whenever/wherever,

Don and Marge"

I always think about this letter from our friends......

I know that someday we will leave here. That day is coming up for sure as I really want to be closer to my family and friends we left behind in Renton, however, I am not ready (neither is Rock) yet to leave this "God's country", the peace and serenity that goes with it, and neither are the kids ready to have "no retreat" to go to.....

Therefore, for who knows how long, we will continue to live in the valley, on the side of a hill, with mountains all around and a river running through it!

As you can see, this winter was so warm, there hasn't been much snow so far, we have been able to take walks and have just enjoyed this warm winter weather. We have snow shoes waiting for us but haven't been able to use them yet. I am not complaining, that is for sure. Notice how little snow, if any, there is, just ice chunks in the river.

January 2010 Visit to Renton

By the way, when you see Amya with her finger in her nose, it was our private little joke....when I asked her what she was doing she said "cheese boogers!" Is she funny or what!! Note the spoon held in her mouth....Dionne did the exact same thing at the same age. A friend of Dionne's once said "you have successfully managed to clone yourself!" For sure.

Cooking for Grandma Tesh

My new Barter Faire (Hippie Fes) Coat from Grandma Tesh

Hmmm, so this January was so unusually warm with an unusual amount of “no snow”, I was able to drive myself to visit the kids leaving Rock at home to resume work on the remodel of the laundry room. Dionne and I shopped for party stuff for Amya’s second birthday, walked her to the park and attended her Little Gymnastics class and swimming. I saw a movie with Danielle and spent time with her. We walked the dogs several times which is always good exercise. The three of us girls also spent time together at Danielle’s drinking wine and enjoying her home cooked meal as always. Danielle and I went to a movie too. I did have implant surgery the day after I arrived, but it went well and I enjoyed recovering with the kids!! I babysat Amya several times and that is always a joy. She is just so amazing and entertaining. I am loving having both my girls in Renton now. After ten wonderful days I returned home. If only all winters could be like this one so far…