Currently 11/17/2020: It's The Small Things

 

It took a good while longer than I thought, but I am finally finished buying all of the accessories for our four bathrooms remodel. The final tile selections took a couple of visits back and forth to the tile store, but it was actually a fairly painless process. Picking out the various mirrors though? Ooof! Not a quick process whatsoever. I have made something like 10 returns, but the good news is that I am finally finished.

I have just one last set of mirror returns to make - two 32" round mirrors for the upstairs 'kids' bathroom, as we call it, because it is the only bathroom with a bathtub. Turns out that two 30" mirrors will work better, and a very good thing as it turns out, because when I subsequently researched 30" round mirrors on line, the little beauty below popped up, and I absolutely loooove how it's silver waves compliment the white waves of the tile we are using in that room. My hope is that the two will work together to evoke a feeling of the ocean, without it feeling obvious.

Otherwise this bathroom will have crisp white cabinets and light silver quartz countertops. The cabinets for the two upstairs bathrooms start going in today, and I am so excited. The last six days have been about demolition and then setting up the framework for the incoming elements, so this is the first day that the pretty will start going in, and that will continue for the next three weeks, after which the upstairs will be completed, and the downstairs bathroom remodeling will commence.

Otherwise, Currently I Am . . . 

Relieved  With no thoughts of entertaining here over the holidays due to COVID, plus our ongoing remodeling, plus that we are celebrating Christmas at my oldest daughter's via her new apartment's spacious and ocean viewing outdoor patio, there will be no Christmas tree or decorations this year. 

Next year for sure, but this year I'm happy to take a hard pass on it all.

See you in 2021 Christmas tree!

Wondering  At what point we will feel comfortable returning to long distance pleasure travel. Even when the vaccine arrives, it appears that it may not be a one-and-done due to the likelihood that the COVID virus will mutate similar to the manner in which the flu virus does. And if that is the case, are we really going to be willing to return to cruising or to tour group traveling given the possibility of either activity being impacted by someone getting COVID enroute? The thought of having to navigate foreign regulations and/or quarantining far from home are giving me pause, so my thoughts at the moment are to focus on independent travel, and only to those places I wouldn't mind getting held up for a bit if a resurgence of the virus causes travel disruptions.

At this point then my list of places to travel outside of the USA would be Canada, Germany (where my youngest daughter and granddaughters will be living starting in 2021), and the new-to-us countries of Scotland and Iceland. Also the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, all three which we visited briefly by cruise ship but want to return to again and travel through more slowly and extensively on our own.

The famous Nyhavn Canal in Copenhagen, Denmark.
I took this photo during our 25th Anniversary cruise through Scandinavia in 2007.

Concerned  About my apparent growing sensitivity to heat. Increasingly I am experiencing electrolyte depletion during long distance hikes whenever the temperatures rise above 80 degrees. I do always carry electrolyte replacement tablets and gels, and they almost always get me back online, physically, but still, it's both annoying and disconcerting to have my body communicate in very real terms that it's getting older. Hrumpf!

Thankful  For the beautiful sunsets of fall, which we are able to enjoy right from out very own backyard.

And also for these wonderful people, my husband and my oldest daughter, who along with her significant other, keep on encouraging me to live my best life.

Both of the above photos are from a 35 mile bicycle ride we all did this past weekend. It was a picture-perfect sunny 70 degrees, our entire route was alongside the ocean, and our post-ride meal, which is where we were when I took these photos, was both delicious and well earned. 

Loving  That our granddaughter is continuing to FaceTime us each night in order to read to us. Just recently she's begun to get more expressive in her reading as words begin to come to her more easily, and her mind can then focus on the actions of what is happening. So wonderful!

And also that we are having a series of lovely days in the 70's, which is the absolutely perfect temperature to 1) leave our windows and doors open, and 2) work in the yard, or even better, sit in one of our lounge chairs and look out at this view:

I am thankful every single day, truly, both for these views, and that the prior owners choose to cover up this view with vegetation, thus allowing us to come in and purchase a home we very likely would not have been able to afford otherwise. In this part of Orange County, homes with ocean views are both coveted and expensive, and we never thought having one would be an option when we began house hunting here. So, thank you prior owners!

That's it for me this week. What's happening currently where you are?