Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Friday, May 9, 2014

Any Thing But Boring :)



Dear Sisters,

Life at our new place is anything but boring. 




I had mentioned that we needed to find
 a goat to rent, LOL.




We have a section of our acre that is uneven
 and over grown in grass.




So, the other day we were pulling in the driveway

with a load from Home Depot,

when Steve said, “Oh my gosh!” 


I looked up and there were two goats 
on leashes tethered out in our tall grass. 

Word got out about what I had said and there they were,

we had no idea, from where. 

Until a neighbor came over 
and said that he would bring a movable pen
 and more goats the next day. 

Now we have met a new neighbor 
and his heard of fun loving goats.


Aren’t they the cutest things?




Then this arrived . . . 



I ordered it about two and a half weeks ago.

It is going to be my new studio.

I am excited beyond words.




It means more work, insulation, walling, and flooring,

But it is going to be amazing.

I am so excited!!!




In the bungalow we are working on the bathroom.
Here we are putting in new walls behind the tub, and waiting on a plumber.
Home Depot looked at us and shook their heads.
They had no plumbing parts to fit anything we had.
Sometimes Vintage is not a good thing, LOL.

So, it's time to call in a professional :) 


Once it is finished we can move in 
and slowly work on the many other projects that need doing.



No one said, it would be easy :)

The truth is we love this place more and more every day.

We even have neighbors bringing us homemade cookies and rubarb pie :)
That's what I call a good neighbor, LOL.

Have a wonderful week 
and
Keep Smiling.

Your blogging sister,
Connie :)

73 comments:

  1. You sure are up to your neck in "busy" have missed your blogs but can see you are not wasting a minute. Those goats sure look like fun and they'll cut your grass for free??? Wow....your new studio is going to be grand, looks like lots of room to roam. Enjoy your new life!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Louise, the goats are so cute and they are so friendly. Not only do they cut the grass but they fertilize it too, LOL

      Delete
  2. I didn't even know you moved!!!! How exciting :))))) Love you new studio and the goats! You are blessed with good neighbors. Congratulations to you and Steve :))))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kelly, well we are half moved. We have our stove and refrigerator at one house and our beds at the other. Hopefully it won't be much longer until we are completely moved in :)

      Delete
  3. Wow! Things are really looking UP! We used to have goat neighbors. Aren't they the cutest things? Can't wait to see your STUDIO!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't wait either, but there are so many jobs that need to be done. I really miss having time to sew and just to create something fun :)

      Delete
  4. Your arrival of the goats really made me laugh. What a wonderful way to get your grass cut. Your new studio looks wonderful. At this rate you'll be in very soon.
    Oh we've been there with needing old parts and they're impossible to get. Hope your all plumbed in soon and can get moved in. Have a lovely weekend.
    Ali xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ali, it has been a pain in the neck trying to work with old plumbing, but hopefully the plumber can convert some of this for us :)

      Delete
  5. Oh my goodness, Connie, how exciting! Lots of photos please as you progress with the bungalow AND THE STUDIO!!!!!!! How great is that!!! Oh and what a lovely story about the goats! That is just so brilliant. Looking forward to hearing how things go. Lynnexxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Lynne, it is always a pleasure to hear from you. The goats are adorable, our little dog Butchy plays kissy-face with them through the fence :) The more I'm around them the more I want one of my own. Problem with that is that you have to have someone care for them when you go away on camping weekends. Some campgrounds don't even allow dogs . . . let alone goats, LOL.

      Delete
  6. Connie, I love those goats your neighbor has lent to you! I can just hear them bleating and smell their smell. When I was a child we had a couple of goats once. My mom tried to show me how to milk the female but I couldn't get the hang of it. But I remember them well! Looks like your grass will be cropped in no time. I love your studio and can't wait to see how that comes together for you. Your joy in your new home is catching. It's always such a positive experience visiting your blog. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Sweet Sara, you are so kind. I have really missed blogging, but i've been putting in 8, 10 and sometimes 12 hour days, at the new place. When I get back home at night, I'm so tired that I shower, eat and sleep. Then I do it all over again, the next day :)

      Delete
  7. Wow! It sounds like a wonderful place to live....great neighbors, beautiful property, a bungalow that you're putting lots of love into. I'm so happy for you! Those goats are adorable and look very happy to help you out with the tall grass. How exciting about your new studio too! Wow! Wow! Wow! Good luck with the plumbing! I'm looking forward to many more before and after photos. :-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has been a major job, but it is going to be the perfect place to retire and enjoy all the pleasures of having space in the country. It is really in the best of both worlds as far as location, because we have a country life that is only a mile from town :) I'm looking so forward to growing a garden and learning to can.

      Delete
  8. I can't wait to see how you fix up your new studio, so exciting! And the baby goat is very cute! Have you ever looked into a goat's eyes? Their pupils are rectangles!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Ginny, thanks for visiting. I do hope that you are mending well from your surgeries and that you are enjoying the results. I just discovered the thing about their eyes . . . they are quite unique :)

      Delete
  9. They are so very cute....thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Billie, and thanks for stopping by, it is always great to have you visit :)

      Delete
  10. What fun to see goats working in your yard! Such great neighbours. Love the new shed/studio. It's going to be great. Will you have heat in it for the winter?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lorrie, Yes, our winters are pretty cold and they are the best time to spend in the studio. When there is no yard work to do, there is much more time for creative pleasures :) The goats are wonderful and the little ones are so adorable, it's fun to watch them run, because they hop around like little bunnies :)

      Delete
  11. Wow, all those should make short work of it! The little goats are so cute.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Goats and homemake rubarb pie! It don't get better than that, enjoy!
    Have a great day.
    Always, Queenie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are absolutely right, we have been blessed with lovely neighbors :)

      Delete
  13. Hi Connie, I'm just catching up after being in Western Australia. Those goats are SO cute. I grew up with them on the farm and love their personalities. Your studio is going to be wonderful, all that space. Your renovations are coming along to and I'm looking forward to seeing the journey.
    Anne xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Anne, thanks for the visit, I love company :) I have to say, that when the goats leave, I am going to miss them. It is so much fun being outside working and having them come to the fence and visit with me as I work :)

      Delete
  14. Hi Connie, how exciting to have your own studio, just for you, and to be able to decorate and organise it from scratch will be fantastic!! You have some wonderful neighbours, your goats on loan are gorgeous, such sweet little faces. Have a wonderful weekend xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Tania, I am overwhelmed with feeling abundantly blessed. This new place came with a huge amount of work, but I am loving every minute of it :)

      Delete
  15. Replies
    1. Hi Nancy, it is grand . . . what an amazing blessing :)

      Delete
  16. Connie...those sweet little goats are adorable!! What a wonderful neighbor you have. Oh my...your new studio will be awesome!!
    hugs,
    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Connie, I am very excited about the studio and truly hope that we can get it ready to move my stuff into as soon as possible . . . we are getting down to a place where I want to get our home on the market. It has great outdoor space and I know that it will sell better in the summer when the flowers are in bloom:)

      Delete
  17. Hi Connie, What a neighborhood welcoming!!.....goats and all! They are tooooo sweet! I can hear the excitement in your words but like "us" some things aren't easy......(hubby and I feel overwhelmed some days, but go on....) I pray everything continues to run as smooth as possible (we can do things in Christ who strengthens us) We will have A bathroom complete in 1 week....yeah!! I'm soooo happy for your own personal studio, it's gonna be fabulous! Blessings~~~Roxie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Roxie, I love hearing from you. We are both in the same boat, so to speak. It's a lot of work, but the rewards are abundant. I am felling so blessed and with each project I feel more in love with our new home :) We have lived in our current home for over thirty years and we thought that we might have feelings of regret when we moved, but it is not happening at all. We can not wait to be moved into the new place. By the way, that has been one of my favorite verses since I was a teenager and read Norman Vincent Peale's book, based on that verse.

      Delete
  18. This is so wonderful! I just started following your blog and I was never so positive that this would be an adventure for all!! Goats (and yes, cute, cute, cute!! ( and a studio!) Happy!!!

    XO,
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jane, it is great to hear from you and thank you for your positive feedback. Yes, this is certainly a new adventure for us :)

      Delete
  19. The goats are just perfect (will you be able to get some milk from them for milk, yoghurt and cheese?). When they have done cutting down your weeds can I borrow them for my allotment? When you have found your forever home (as I have done) there is a certain peace that descends over you. No matter what crap I get during the day at work, the moment I step aboard my barge I feel serene and calm. Have a lovely weekend xxx ps I am very envious of your studio xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When the grass is gone the goats will go back to their home, but they will leave me some great fertilizer for gardening, LOL. We are feeling so happy about making the decision to purchase this mini farm and I know that we will live out our days very contented here :) The studio is going to be amazing, I am feeling very blessed.

      Delete
  20. Congratulations on your moving into your new home. Oh to have a studio like yours! The goats look so cute! Best wishes, Pj x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your good wishes. We are very excited about this new place and looking so forward to the day we finally get homed in :)

      Delete
  21. Oh how fun to have the goats! My brother's neighbor has a herd of goats and every time my mother visits, she goes over and coos to them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Goats are so sweet. When I walk over to the fence they all come running over to say good morning :)

      Delete
  22. Aren't goats the cutest animals! Your own herd! Lucky you and what wonderful neighbors. You must show us lots of photos of the new home and studio. I'll have to catch up when we return from our trip to Italy. We're packing and getting excited.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Going to Italy, how wonderful is that :) I am so happy for you. I'm afraid that they are not our herd, they are just on loan to clear out our tall grass :)

      Delete
  23. How fun having all those goats there. Very cool on the new studio. That sounds pretty exciting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ann, it really hasn't hit home yet, but when it is finished inside and I start moving in my arts, crafts and sewing . . . I know that it will be amazing :)

      Delete
  24. Goats are a hoot! Love the photos! Glad you are settling in! AND...I'm jealous of your new studio...WOW!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anita, it's going to be a whole new way of life, so many different things and ways of life are happening all at once :) It's quite an adventure.

      Delete
  25. Connie, is there no stopping you!! I am so jealous of your studio, and I can imagine the wonderful things you will be creating in there. As for the goats, I am speechless! Could you send some to us, we have some blackberries that we need to get rid of and I believe they would love them. Have fun with your new venture, I never seem to be able to keep up with you! You can't beat friendly country neighbours. Enjoy ~ from your Aussie blogging sister Jane.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jane, I love your new profile photo, very creative :) It is funny because I have been looking in the seed catalogs wanting to buy some blackberries, they are my favorite berry and now I have the move to grow some. Why do you want to get rid of yours?

      Delete
  26. I loved my goats, when I still had the farm. Remodeling old places can be a challenge, but so rewarding. Love the studio !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Meggie, it certainly is a challenge, but I know that we are going to love it :)

      Delete
  27. Your goats are so cute.. and I love your new studio

    ReplyDelete
  28. The kind neighbour with the goats was thoughtful, and your new studio is going to be awesome!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Judith,
      there is so much to do, just to get moved, but it will be a very happy day when we are all moved in and can put our home of thirty years on the market :)

      Delete
  29. Congratulations on your new home, your new studio is going to be awesome, I cannot even imagine having that much space. You will enjoy.
    Wishing you all the best. Maureen xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Maureen, and thank you so much. We are excited about the new place and hopefully will be in it by the first of June :)

      Delete
  30. Oh my goodness, I love all those adorable goats! How nice that your neighbors did that for you. And you're going to have your very own LARGE studio?! That is so awesome. I'm so happy for you. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Melanie, thank you for your kind wishes; I know that my studio is going to be wonderful. The goats were so much fun. They went home yesterday afternoon. . . it was amazing how fast they ate the grass. It was so high that you couldn't see the baby goats when they first came and now it is ready to clean up and rototill. I'm planning on planting corn and pumpkins back there.

      Delete
  31. Hi Connie,

    Oh, I LOVE goats! They eat everything though, even horses tails (or so I'm told). How fun to drive up and see goats in your yard and not know where they came from. Did you think you had new pets? And holy moly, your new studio is so great! I can't wait to see what you do with it and the house.

    Sounds like you are moving into a great neighborhood with wonderful people. That makes such a big difference!

    Thank you for visiting me. Sorry it's taken me a while to return the visit.

    Hugs,
    Kay

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kay, it is always a pleasure to hear from you. The goats were a hoot, so cute and friendly, little puppies :) We are working hard and it is feeling more like home everyday. What a blessing! Thank you for visiting and for your supportive comments :)

      Delete
  32. Connie, it is so great to hear from you! I know you are soooo busy, just take tons of pictures so when everything is done you can update us. Love the goats, what a great idea and neighbor! Your studio is beyond perfect, I know there is a lot to do to finish it, but some jobs are fun and I think you studio will be one of them! Can't wait till you are in your new home...I love, love, following renovations!

    Carol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carol, you are so sweet. I know what you mean about following along on the home renovations of our blogging sisters. I love seeing all of the before and afters and the creative touches that people do to their homes. I have also been enjoying seeing you grow from a shabby chic booth owner into an antique and flea-market guru. I am always amazed by your posts! You are so creative, but now we are seeing that you are quite the business manager and public relations expert. Wow, you blow my mind! I wish you the very best on your new venue :)

      Delete
  33. Ohmigoodness! What a terrific neighbor! I love the goats. I can't wait to see your studio as you work on finishing the interior. Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sally, thanks for stopping by to visit. I am excited and busy, too. There is so much to do before we can get everything moved over from our old house. Therefore; i've got to find time to start on the inside of the studio, but poor Steve is so busy at work that he is having a time getting any time off. I have been going over everyday and working 8 to 12 hours and he joins me after work. I can not wait to be settle in :) At the moment we are cooking and doing laundry at the new place and sleeping at the old place, LOL. It can get a bit confusing :)

      Delete
  34. Oh my goodness a whole great big studio of your own? That's going to be amazing Connie, no wonder you are excited! Can't wait to see what it all looks like once you arrange all your "stuff" in it!
    And the goats! So cute and doing a great job no doubt. It sounds like you are settling in well with your new neighbours, and can't wait to be there full time once the basics are all in place.
    Enjoy!
    Gill xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are looking very forward to having everything moved :) Thanks so much for your sweet wishes.

      Delete
  35. Awesome! Love that someone loaned you some goats. They will certainly do the trick, and make fast work of getting rid of those weeds.
    I am so excited for you to have a new studio. You will have it decorated darling in no time.

    I can relate to the old plumbing. Hang in there.
    Maybe you will be able to find a few good people that have the experience to help you with your older house.
    There is a plumber and electrician in our area that know old house, and are excellent to work with. They are not too quick to want to scrap the old, and put in all new.

    Sounds like you have great neighbors, and a fun new neighborhood.

    Smile :)
    Kerin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have been meeting several of our new neighbors and even went to a play last Friday night, in a neighboring town about 25 miles away, and one of the actors was a neighbor that we had just met that day. He never said anything about being in the play, so we were quite surprised :)

      Delete
  36. OK, I absolutely love that a neighbor brought goats over. That's a truly neighborly thing to do!! Better than a plate of cookies any day - right?

    ReplyDelete