Enjoying a lazy day after our second move in a year!

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015 / Laura Lee Carter / 2 Comments

We finally have a day when we feel we can relax a bit, after moving in here last Wednesday. We are beat, and that includes Rasta on Mike’s lap!

There is still stuff stacked everywhere, but we are making progress, and also discovering some cool stuff we haven’t seen in over a year!

We are finding it strange that we have hundreds of sunflowers growing right around our new home, while they are not nearly as common in this area. We’ve decided to take it as a sign of favor from the great spirit… why not?

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A New Week in a Spectacular New Home In The Southern Colorado Foothills!

August 3, 2015November 3, 2016 / Laura Lee Carter / 12 Comments

So relieved to have our final move behind us!

All I feel is gratitude for the many ways my life has changed since I decided to make love my highest priority back in 2004. I see now that if I hadn’t decided to find a way to believe in love again back then, none of my other goals could have been achieved.

First there was my fortuitous meeting with Mike in early 2005, which led to having the courage, time and energy to begin a new writing career. My books followed as Mike and I’s relationship grew.

Then, when the time seemed exactly right, we decided to move out of the city forever and found this lovely valley to build in with 180 degree views of the Spanish Peaks and the Sangre de Cristos. But if Mike had not had the vision and the proper skills to create this home, it would have never been built.

The peace and quiet, the chilly air in the morning as the sun comes up, this is heaven or close enough for me.

How did I end up here, feeling so fortunate?

It’s a long story, one I can now share with you!

An undeniable peace…

July 31, 2015August 1, 2015 / Laura Lee Carter / 3 Comments

Our mountain retreat is a DREAM COME TRUE. We’re both completely exhausted, and yet quite pleased with the result of our two years of change, stress and labor…

The view from our bed through the sliding door:

You just have to love those resilient sunflowers!

I see some serious cloud-watching in our future…

My MOST stressful year is almost over!

July 25, 2015July 25, 2015 / Laura Lee Carter / 3 Comments

Surprise, surprise I found our builder out there this morning BEFORE 8 AM! I guess he just figured out we are moving in, in a few days! Time to get the stove in…

I was VERY DISAPPOINTED to find out my entire counter will not be finished until after we move in. And guess what? He won’t get paid until that’s finished either…

I have been trying not to totally stress over these final days, but I would say it’s not working… I am having daily meltdowns lately.

Poor Mike, perhaps this wasn’t the year to get off my estrogen patch. 🙂

At least Kristy helped me get my fancy bath back splash done this week! I planned the whole bath around the colors in that tin lavender sign, and I’m really happy with the results! This photo doesn’t show the colors exactly how they look.

And on another positive note, the native sunflowers are numerous this July. Check out the view out of our front door.

This is the view back towards the front door. I have to remind myself daily that all of this stress will pass, and then we will be set for some SERIOUS rest and relaxation!

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I FINALLY HOOKED UP WITH KRISTY!

July 23, 2015July 23, 2015 / Laura Lee Carter / 4 Comments

I finally met the person I wish I had met a year ago, just this morning! She seems to know everybody in the area and can get things done easily and cheaply.

I told her we needed some help getting my backsplashes finished FAST and she hooked me up! Mike said he couldn’t find anyone to do our gutters and BLAM, she knew of 3 possibilities.

This woman should work for HGTV!

Of course the builder is not thrilled, but then I am frustrated to the point of steam coming out of my ears at his slow, easy-going style. He does not seem to care that we’re moving in NEXT WEEK! THIS has no meaning to him.

Here is the present state of my kitchen, the counters are done and the sink is working, but that’s about it. We do have electric and plumbing done with inspections coming soon, but I cannot get our builder to even come out to the house before ten or eleven each day. He just does not care.

Here’s my bath vanity waiting for my fancy purple and green backsplash. Kristy found a young man for me who can get started on it possibly TODAY!

I’m so anxious to get things done so I can start cleaning up all of the sawdust, etc. and make it feel more like a home instead of a construction site.

Somehow it didn’t occur to me until now that builders don’t leave you a sparkling clean new home when they leave. Well duh! 😦

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Into the home stretch we go!

July 17, 2015July 19, 2015 / Laura Lee Carter / 5 Comments

You are probably wondering what’s happening up at our new custom home in the foothills west of here…

Right now the electrician is almost finished, and the pine trim is going in around all of the rooms and windows. Mike is busy installing the small stuff like the closet systems, phone and network boxes, etc.

The counters in the kitchen and bath should be done on Monday, with the final plumbing visit on Tuesday and Wednesday. We still need our sinks, faucets, toilets and water heater to start working, and then it’s time to finish up all of the county inspections and MOVE IN!

Words cannot adequately describe what a long and difficult process this has been for both of us. Really only one word describes the step-by-step process of collecting just the right workers at just the right time to complete such a large and complex project. STRESS! Then you add in the phenomenal price of bringing all those experts to this rural area! YIKES!

Another major problem with taking on such a difficult project is we have had all the stress with no real reward for over a year now. We are still left sitting in our dumpy 100-year-old rental in Walsenburg no matter how nice our new home becomes.

Now, the rewards are within reach.

When the county inspector says: “YOU MAY MOVE IN NOW!”

Hang on, it all changes!