1 month and 7 days later...

I am still drowning in a dusty, deconstructed, slowly being put back together house. Things are progressing but not fast enough for my level of impatience! All the asbestos piping was removed, the old boilers taken out, old radiators and piping removed, walls have been torn down, floor jackhammered (yes, jackhammered) up; but we've also put in a new bathroom floor, a new shower downstairs, new electrical...all over and still more to do, new toilet, sink, washer plumbing, new subfloor in the pantry and fresh insulation in the bathroom walls. Still on deck: new windows, replacing walls, hooking up washer and dryer (finally), brand new heating system to be installed (currently in the works) linoleum in bathroom and laundry room, finish work and then it's on to my bedroom! Yeah, that list is mainly the kitchen, new full bath and laundry room! It is no longer a project it is truly a renovation of an old house! I would be truly lost and overwhelmed though if it weren't for the help and friendship of the Beaulieu family. They have really made this process much more bearable.

The girls have been lucky to hang out in TN these last 3 weeks and not deal with all the mess and constant flow of work crews. They are happily enjoying central AC, a pool and all day tech access! We did manage to get them enrolled in a couple online classes through Outschool.com and they are doing some review math lessons on IXL but mostly they are enjoying the new phones we gave them. We held off longer than most but it has come to the point where they are spending enough time away from us and on their own that we felt it was time they had a reliable way to contact us.

Steve and I had a wonderful anniversary celebration in Boston. It was so nice to get away and just spend time together. My visit to TN over his birthday weekend was equally nice and now I am counting down the long 4 weeks until he comes home for and extended weekend over Labor Day.

I hope you are all enjoying these last vestiges of summer!

Karie helping me take down the ugly brick facing

Icky insulation under the window

New plumbing!!!

Pretty new shower in what used to be a laundry-1/2 bath

Kevin and Wyatt ripping up the brick hearth

making one of my glass projects

Cutest little red menace

He does this and I forgive all his transgressions

Best napping buddy

Sherman found a perfect hiding spot

Holy mess, Batman...

I have never been accused of being a neat freak (except by my kids, and that speaks to their lack of neatness not my uber neatness!) but there is nothing relaxing about living in a house that is being torn up and worked on in every single room. Trying to make food on a tiny sliver of the only counter that you were able to clean, cook in a toaster oven on the floor cause the outlets are being worked on in the kitchen, having to move my bed from room to room so painting can be done or the electrician can install new overhead lighting or switches or outlets...I'm exhausted! However, it is exciting to see the slow but steady progress. Two rooms are completely painted with new overhead lighting, wiring that is up to code and switches rather than dimmers. Both rooms are painted in the same colors as the Ashlee Dr. house so it makes me happy to see those colors again. There have been setbacks but also some pleasant surprises as well, all in all it's a pretty typical home renovation project. Walls will need to be re-sheetrocked in some rooms and the floors need work. The important stuff is getting done, plumbing repairs, electrical and wall/ceiling repairs and then we can tackle the other projects like fencing, windows, and adding a shower to the 1/2 bath downstairs. The first week Caitie and I were here she spent most of every day down at the library so it was just me and the workers getting stuff done, now I have both girls home as well as the dogs and cats...making things a little more challenging. Luckily I can crate the dogs upstairs away from the work being done and the cats can be locked in there too, not ideal but it's the safest option.

The week in Maine was gorgeous weather! We missed the scorching temps here and even though it was nearly as hot there, it was by the ocean so, not so bad! The water was really nice and refreshing. Caitie spent two whole days in the water on her boogie board or swimming in the waves or snorkeling. When Steve came we all played in the waves, well, Steve held my hand while I got hammered and nearly drowned by the waves but it was still fun. We had a lovely night for fireworks in York Village and the display was really great. We had originally planned to have Steve go up to Bar Harbor to pick up Rylie and then bring her back to York but it turns out she had an opportunity to be involved in a photo shoot with a National Geographic photographer for some photos for his portfolio and for AIO (her camp) to use for promotional materials so we decided to all drive up on Friday, pick her up and then spend the night in Bar Harbor so she could participate on Saturday morning. It was nice to spend a little more time in BH, it's a beautiful place.

We picked up the dogs and cats on Sunday and were pleasantly surprised to hear how great they all did and how much the staff loves them, ALL of them! Even crazy Sadie and grumpy Sherman got glowing reviews. Although, Sadie may be bouncy and loud but she is definitely a sweet dog, so I'm not that surprised that they loved her. They are all adjusting to the new house and all the new sounds, smells and activity. Jojen is actually more stressed than Sadie but I am giving them all Rescue Remedy and trying to establish some normal routines to help. I'm hopeful by August the house is in much more livable shape (all our belongings come this Sunday, YIKES). I'll just keep breathing and looking forward to when Steve comes back and we get to spend a couple days in Boston for our anniversary!

Enjoy some pics!

Our little cottage in York

Low Tide on Long Sands Beach

 High Tide

 Exhausted!

 Tide pool discoveries

 Dinner before the fireworks

Waiting for the fireworks!

Rylie and her friends at AIO

Saying goodbye to daddy

New stove that won't require a chunk of drywall be carved out!

My favorite color from Ashlee Dr., Mosaic Glass, in my new living room!

Freshly painted pantry (it used to be mauve!)

New front door lamp!

New front porch light!

Enjoy your day, tomorrow is never promised!

Crazy and I are besties right now ( I secretly hate crazy though, shhhh)

It is mind boggling the things that can happen and the way your life can turn upside down in just a few hours! We packed up Ashlee Dr. over two very stressful days. Things got packed that shouldn't have and still other things were nearly forgotten or entirely forgotten. Thanks to great friends that let us squeeze some of our stuff in their garage and food in their fridge and freezer it was a little less challenging than it could have been. We loaded up the hotel room the evening of the 19th with luggage and stuff and the guinea pigs, left the dogs and cats in an empty house for a night and then picked them up on the 20th to be dropped off at the boarding facility before heading to the first closing of the day. I was not wanting to like the new owners of our home, but it was pretty impossible not to. She was sweet and so very excited about moving in. It was bittersweet, but a great home should be able to make many families happy over it's lifetime, so I accepted that it was their turn. It was a beautiful day so, in between closings, Steve and I got lunch and walked around a little. We closed on the new house and made some trips to empty my van as well as his truck. Thursday was a blur of emptying cars, doing laundry, greeting the painter and dealing with the girls going to and coming from school. Friday was bittersweet too as Steve headed back to TN with the guinea pigs and my beloved bed and couch :-( I picked the girls up from school, dropped Caitie at her home away from home for the next 5 days, picked up my mom, who had driven up, and she, Rylie and I got on the road heading to Maine. We stopped part way in Portland and went to the Eastern Promenade to walk around on the beach and enjoy the nice weather. We did some shopping in Portland and then crashed in the hotel. We finished the drive to Bar Harbor on Saturday. It was a fun trip and we got there in time to walk across the Bar Island sand bridge. We got dinner at Geddy's and then ice cream that we had to eat in the car cause it was getting chilly and much windier. Sunday was camp drop off day, I dragged it out as long as I could but Rylie was chomping at the bit to get there. She was super hyped up to see her friends and find that they were in the same dorm room. She pretty much ditched my mom and I as soon as all the necessities of getting her settled were finished. So mom and I had the rest of the day to peruse the shops in Bar Harbor, lots of retail therapy! I got some really cute decorative things for the new house. Monday, on our way out to Portland, mom and I decided to get a park pass and drive through Acadia. It was a bit overcast and cool but still a beautiful day. We visited Thunder hole and some of the scenic pull offs along the road. We got to Portland and it was warmer and sunnier so we decided to visit the Portland Head Light in Fort Williams park. It is a beautiful 90 acre park with really neat old military barracks and bunkers as well as the Lighthouse you can walk right to. A little more shopping and dinner in Portland and we went back to crash in the hotel. Tuesday was a day of driving back to Peterborough. The new house is definitely a project but is coming along well. The wallpaper is nearly removed and the electrician has begun the process of bringing the house up to code and adding outlets and switches where needed. Caitie and I spent the night here last night and I maybe got 2 hours sleep. I was cold and then my back got sore and I lie awake listening to the traffic sounds. It'll take some getting used to and since the house is in such disarray right now it'll be challenging to sleep for some time but it's all good (plus Caitie and I head to York ME on Saturday so there is that! LOL) I picked up our mattresses from the storage facility today so I am hoping for a much better night sleep tonight, keep your fingers crossed for me!

Enjoy some photos!

Saying goodbye to the pigs, for a few months at least...

Portland: Found this written in the sand, thought it would be cute to frame and hang in the bathroom! LOL

Sneak attack photos!

Bar Harbor: crossing the sand bridge

Made her wait while mom and I ate before we dropped her off!

Acadia Park

Clearly neither one of us knows where to look for selfie's LOL

 Thunder Hole: I could have sat here forever listening to the waves

Portland: Fort Williams Park

Goddard Mansion

Military bunkers

Tide poolin'

Her first ever cairn

See what I did!! (rod, curtain and new shower head!)

Cleaning the kitchen while she eats dinner.

Wall paper stripping progress

Cleaning the floor for the beds to be set up

me at 4:30 this morning after lying in bed for 3 hours trying to fall asleep

Lunch  today with my favorite 12 year old!

Enjoy the day, tomorrow is never promised 

I say goodbye and you say hello (slightly altered, my apologies Paul McCartney)

Goodbyes suck...more often than not. I would be more than thrilled to say goodbye to plenty of things, Asthma, headaches, and #45, but I am not terribly excited about this upcoming goodbye. 41 Ashlee Dr. has been a tumultuous home filled with ridiculous challenges and wonderful memories. I hate that there is no easy way to get in this house that does not involve either a steep hill or a flight of stairs...but that's pretty much my biggest complaint! Yeah, we have a tiny master bathroom and very limited closet space, but those are really silly, first world problems. This house really is pretty great. The property has been nothing short of relaxing, calming, and wondrous the entire time we've lived here. I may be romanticizing things a bit but so what, it's my prerogative! Sitting on the deck and hearing nothing but birds has soothed me countless times. Watching wildlife right outside my window has filled me with awe Every. Single. Time! No matter how many times I see a deer or turkey in the yard, it is still exciting and beautiful. So I will miss this home and I wanted to give the new owners an idea about the wonderful place they will soon be calling home, so I wrote them a letter. I'm not sure if I will leave it for them but it was important for me to at least put it down on paper.

To the new owners of 41 Ashlee,

First, welcome to your new home! I wanted to give you a little run down of all the intricacies about this house and its' property that we have discovered over the years.

It is a warm, inviting and cozy house. By warm I mean in the general sense, not always the literal! The floors get pretty chilly in the kitchen in the winter, so wear some fuzzy sock or slippers!

The kitchen is pretty darn near perfect in size and layout and really has more storage than I ever needed. Many wonderful conversations happened around that kitchen island, I hope you experience that as well.

The great room over the garage is my favorite place in the house. In winter it is warm (literally, this time...hello, wood stove!) and can lead to some epic winter naps. In the summer you can get a lovely cross breeze and beautiful views off the deck. It's large enough for a giant kid sleepover and the best part is when the door is shut the sound is almost totally deadened!

The deck is the most relaxing place of the house. Birds would flock to the feeders I put out; juncos, chickadees, blue jays, downy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, redheaded woodpeckers, nuthatches, tufted titmice, and more. If you are quiet and still enough they will even land on the feeder with you sitting right there! The squirrels like the feeders too but if I threw seed into the grass they would tend to leave the feeders alone. Beware though, the area bear(s) have absolutely no issue opening the fence gate and sauntering on the deck to devour any seed left out (seriously this just happened the other night) So be sure to take the feeders in every night if you feed throughout the year.

That swingset has been used by birds as a place to nest more than a play place for our children but it too has seen its' fair share of daring acts of acrobatics! I hope your girls enjoy it thoroughly!

The driveway and circle at the end of the road is the perfect place for kids to ride their bikes while staying close to home when they are young. The wonderful thing about this neighborhood is it's so quiet you can hear your children playing at the circle from the house and they can hear you call to them! Speaking of the circle, it is a wonderful place to look for frog eggs, tadpoles and frogs! The trail on the right side of the circle goes all the way back to Cavender road which is Greenfield and a lovely place to walk and explore, even in winter!

The woods behind the house has many treasures as well, you can find animal scat, places of rest and all manner of garter snakes, toads, and newts. It's also an excellent place to put up game cameras. Those woods are a hot travel zone for all kinds of creatures...we've even had a moose go through! You will hear Bard owls, coyotes, fox, bobcats and fishers, regularly. It can be eerie at night but so incredible too. The neighborhood bats have been our favorite thing to look for every spring, we keep hoping that the population will increase to help with mosquito control. They are fun to watch too.

At certain times in the spring and summer you will look up and see hundreds (well maybe not hundreds but a LOT) of dragonflies swooping around and eating bugs. It's really neat to lie back in a chair and watch them zip around.

Walking this neighborhood is magical, every time! There are wonderful, friendly people and most everyone has a dog! It's 2.1 miles from your new home to the horse farm on Burke rd. and back. The sunset over the house at the end of Burke is beautiful and the sunrise over Monadnock at the horse farm is too!

So, you see, you are not just getting a house today, you are getting a whole new life, full of adventure and beauty and I hope you find as much happiness here as we have. It truly is an exceptional home.

All my best,
Erica Marshall