Renovations are Essentially Finished

(Please scroll down for the Saturday Wordzzle Challenge.)

Well, as most of you know, what began as request for help putting in a ramp for my front entrance turned into a multiple miracle - new entrance with ramp, new bathroom with walk-in shower and new floor and fixtures and a glorious new kitchen. Side miracles along the way included a newer and larger refrigerator courtesy of my friends. All that's left to do is move the washing machine into the kitchen and maybe a thingy to add a small lip to the shower. The hook-ups are all ready for the washing machine and I guess it just has to be moved and hooked in. I'm not too thrilled with the back steps but they are apparently cemented in, so I guess I'll live with them as they are. All in all, this is a pretty huge and glorious gift and a miracle of grand proportions. I've posted some views of the kitchen. It's SOOO wonderful to have so much storage space. As you can see it's already looking messy, but I've put a fair amount of stuff away. New sink is all shiny and pretty and easier to reach. It's so magical to be able to reach my upper cabinets and put dishes and things in them. How cool is that? Anyway, here are a bunch of photos and at the end, I made a bunch of before and after photos of the various phases. Couldn't get a good photo of the back steps - which were relocated to the side with a hand rail - and lost enthusiasm for looking for a before photo.

Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures.

The cabinets are beautiful and the drawers slide like silk

where the washing machine and imaginary dryer will go

This is across from the sink and refrig and will hold my
microwave. The shelves underneath pull out. I LOVE
them! And the counter tops are exquisite too....
you'd never know they're laminate.

It's just so beautiful!
And I'm so happy with my linoleum both
here and in the bathroom. Makes me
smile every time I look at it.

So much storage! And reachable! I need an extension
chord to plug the coffee pot and blender in, but that's ok.
Angel is not happy that she can't get onto the counter
tops and that she was not allowed to assist with the work.

~~~~~~~BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS~~~~~~~


This was taken before the bench was built in.
The bench is a wonderful gift too and the UPS and
garbage guy are both grateful for the little gate.
The constructioncrews were pretty happy too.

I think this is my favorite change. The old sink was so high and
so ugly and the counter tops were too high for me to reach.
And it was really ugly and the drawers were rusted so it was
an ordeal to open them. Now it's beautiful, reachable
and.... well, just awesomely fine.

I am so grateful for all of this. Grateful to Delaware Opportunities - especially Jeff Powell and Wayne Jones for responding to a relatively small request (which I felt hesitant to make) and providing me with these life-changing wonders.

I'm grateful to the people at the Powell Company, who were kind and worked hard and did a beautiful job. I'm grateful for Sean at VEP Kitchens (I wish he had a website) who designed the kitchen and helped me pick out the knobs and the wood and the counter tops and paint, for Tom who did the plumbing and electric work. The guys from the Powell Company were kind enough to do a couple of little thing like fix the front light that weren't really in their job description. That was very kind of them... I can't say enough good things about that company and highly recommend them to anyone in this area who is looking for someone to do home improvements for them.

I'm grateful to my friends and my therapist who gave me moral support and assured me that it was ok for me to be this lucky.... and I'm grateful to all of you blog friends who have also supported me and have taken as much joy in this journey as I have.

I'm grateful to Dennis Puffett, who gave me the gift of a blessing/healing on my house, not long before all of this manifested for me. I can't help but think he helped my little house draw all this goodness to herself. Anyone looking for healing, check out Dennis' website. He is kind, incredibly gifted and he works for the love of doing it.

I'm grateful that my niece Diana, who helped me get my house and who will inherit it when I kick the bucket, slip off this mortal coil, ascend to the realms... whatever... is going to get to see her in a few weeks in all her new glory. Most especially I'm grateful that I'm going to see her, but I'm really glad she gets to see the new improved house as well as the old, not-so-improved aunt.

And of course I'm grateful to All that Is/God/The Universe for life and for the gift of making this life easier.... and for giving my sweet, sturdy little house all these lovely improvements.

In sum, I'm exhausted, happy, grateful and all I have left to say is...

YIPPEEEEE!!!!!