
Home developments that did occur over vacation were those of my own doing, as I trekked around town trying to finalize decisions. At Elements, Danny created a 3-D schematic of my kitchen, complete with a desk/mail-sorting area,
dining room buffet, and an island that accommodates a 5-burner down-draft cooktop, a built-in bookcase for my library of Rachael Ray (thanks, Mom!), but alas, no space for a prep sink (sorry, Paula). I chose a simple maple shaker-style cabinet with bar handles, and while I’m sure there are reasons why I should/should not consider this/that/another option, my ulcer and I are not currently accepting commentary.

I expected the visit to the roofing place would be intolerably tedious and boring, but thanks to Tami S. at Mt. Baker Roofing, it was entirely painless. “I want black composite,” I told Tami. “Great,” she said. You can choose between Blah Blah 1 and Blah Blah 2.” “I’ll take Blah Blah 2,” I said. The end.
Also during vacation, I had to revisit the 40-pound lighting catalogues that include, among other options, a collection of fixtures by Mary-Late and Ashley Olsen and an overwhelming number of chandeliers, sconces, and flushmounts with ornate flowery enhancements (pictured is an item from the “Floradora” collection that is 38 inches w

More than anything this break, I felt a bit like Noah. I spent a lot of time building a figurative ark-in-my-heart for an assortment of animals in need of care. I had two house-sitting jobs, one caring for Annie, a delightful feline who led me daily to the cabinet where her food was stored, rolling around as I filled her dish from a recycled yogurt container labeled “gold nuggets.” Just up the street, I looked after a rabbit with 24 names [note to self: do NOT spill bunny urine on one’s clothing ever, ever again], and I took care of my own dog for most of vacation, a responsibility that included an overnight visit to the doggy hospital for a urinary tract infection (a bargain at $1060!). Dr. Ed Sullivan (really! That’s his name!) is as compassionate, intelligent a vet as a dog-mom could hope for. Also, Dr. Ed, enjoy that next trip to Hawaii.
In the continuing saga of my relationship with Amy’s family of animals, I also spent time at Dr. E

As my house grows, so does my animal family.
