Red House Ramblings

It's been 3 weeks since we moved into the Red House and we're a bit more settled than a week ago.

I'm not trying to drift toward the fridge, left of the sink, like it was back in Allegan but catching myself in time to make the correction.  Muscle memory takes a while to change.

Like the light switches.  They're all toggle switches here and there are a lot of them which has taken a while to get straight in my head.  Which one does what; still working on a few.  However, I find myself for some strange reason trying to "flick" the bedroom light on.  We didn't even have wall switches in our bedroom in Allegan.

Speaking of Allegan.  I went back to get my hair cut earlier this week.  I haven't considered, even for a moment, of looking for someone else to cut my hair here - Michelle is the best.
I wasn't sure how I would feel driving into town, and of course, I passed my old house.
I will always miss Allegan and all the wonderful years we spent there.  I will always miss that old blue house but I feel very settled with it being in the hands of a caring couple.
And - it's only 22 miles away!

I don't watch the morning news anymore.  I think it's partly because we can actually see the sunrise here and we couldn't in Allegan because of the trees.  It's also because the news was making me crazy so I'm better off without it.  Bonus - wonderful morning views of the sun.

I'm back working as a freelance interpreter.  Between going to FL right after Christmas last year and Covid-19, I haven't worked since early December.  I've also narrowed down the area I'm willing to work in to Holland exclusively so working and living in the same town has been great.

Walking to the central mail drop area instead of receiving letters at our house has been an experience I haven't had since college. Remember those little boxes you opened hoping to see something in there?  Waving your hand around inside to make sure you didn't miss anything? Great way to meet people in the community and stretch my legs a bit too.

Petey and I still have moments when we feel like we're on vacation.  Like when we go to FL.  We enjoy the heck out of ourselves and then it's "time to go home."  

Last night we went downtown to have a bite and it had the hustle and bustle feel of a vacation spot.  You could tell most of the people there were on vacay because the adults had their kids with them!
We were like "isn't it cool that we live here and our house is just 3 miles away?

So, we're not in FL packing to go home and we're not on a weekend getaway, we're in Holland, MI in the Red House.

Life is good.

It's Been Two Weeks Already

Wow, it's been two weeks since we moved into the Red House!
It's amazing how fast time flies when you're trying to figure out which light switch lets you see what's happening at the sink and which one leads the way to the washing machine.

We still have a few tiny things that need to be taken care of but the big stuff is DONE!

Petey and I love starting our mornings out on the front porch with coffee listening to the train.

We really enjoy walking the 'hood after dinner and chatting up the neighbors and petting their dogs.

We're digging the hell out of the two sinks in the master (my niece, Stef, told me we're supposed to call it the "primary") bathroom and the BIG shower.  It has a bench in it, y'all.

And don't get me started on the optional use of the SECOND bathroom. We've at least stopped giggling at how tickled we are.

This decision to move wasn't an easy one but we both feel very comfortable - knowing it was right for us.

What's in a name

Names are important.  It's a huge part of who we are - how we're identified.

Petey is 100% Sicilian.  All four of his grandparents came from Sicily.  

Probably when his paternal grandfather came through Ellis Island, whoever was manning the desk that day pronounced his last name as Alta . . . more.  The melodious ring was gone and I suppose he didn't feel comfortable schooling this "American" on the correct pronunciation of his name.

And so it goes.

Until now.  I always told Peter that if we ever moved out of Allegan we were going to reclaim our name.  Give it the old Sicilian swing.
We've been (ok, maybe just me) practicing the last few years when we spend a few chilly months in Florida and it felt right.

I realize we haven't moved very far away (only 22 miles) but in the new digs in the new home town our name is pronounced 

                                       Alta more a (long A)   

First Night in the Red House

The move yesterday couldn't have gone smoother.
Thank you, Two Men and a Truck.  Actually, there were 3 guys and they flew like greased lightning.  
They finished with 15 minutes to spare on the low end of the estimate.  Yea!

Petey and I worked like crazy but not too crazy getting things put away.  There is still a lot of tweaking but we slept in a bed with sheets on it so I'll call that good.

We had lunch at our dining table and a wonderful dinner provided by our friend, Paula.

After dinner I decided to give the dishwasher a whirl.  I haven't used one since the early 70s.  Things have changed.

Luckily I was Facetiming with my sister, Lisa, when we realized that the "pod" I put into that new fancy machine was meant for the washer!!! The one that cleans your clothes - not your dishes.

The dang things look exactly alike.

Fortunately, I saw my error quickly and we didn't end up with a floor full of suds.

This was after trying out the gas oven and the new microwave.
There's a big learning curve ahead of me.

We slept comfortably and woke up to an early morning coffee on the front porch.

We're very happy in The Red House.