Farmhouse Remodel Dream

View shows the front door and the windows into the
kitchen which is the area to the right of the door.

For lack of anything else on television tonight, I find myself watching the new Dallas. Have you watched it?


I love the scenery/location where they shoot the scenes that take place at "South Fork." It makes me think about the renovation I hope to someday do to the old house on the ranch.


The old house was built by my grandfather and is where my father, aunt and uncle grew up. It sits at the bottom of a slope, below the house my dad built in 1985, where my sister now lives with my brother-in-law and niece. It also sits next to the original homestead house where my cousin lives with his wife and daughter. Then tucked in the back between the old house and original farmhouse is a little one-bedroom cabin that was built for my great-grandparents to use when they visited the farm.


I hope to someday renovate this old house. It is debatable if the house can/should be salvaged as it is or if it should just be leveled and something else put in its place. I would like to salvage the existing house and do as green a remodel as possible. This post is the first of many about my fantasy of remodeling the house.


FYI, I played with my pictures at a site called PicMonkey, that is how I added the effects and watermark/copyright. Check it out after you finish this post.


A few weeks ago I went down and did a room by room measurement so I could accurately imagine a new floor plan using www.floorplanner.com, a really fun website if you like doing floor plans.


This is the original floor plan as the house looks now:

Original floor plan as the house is now.

Then I re-configured it on the website to turn it into a floor plan that I like much, much better.

My dream floor plan.

More posts to come as I show you my vision and dream. It just takes time and money!

Through the Eyes of a Child

On Sunday my mom, dad and I started the long process of cleaning out the barn as my niece wants to have a 4-H animal next year. As expected, my niece eventually wandered down and joined the work. Our main project was sorting through the collection of wood that had formed in one end. 


We paraded the wood past my father so he could determine if it goes in the Keep, Donate or Toss pile. Eva came across a piece of Formica and dad told her "that's Formica. It can go in the toss pile." She came back into the barn and asked me "who is Mica?"


I laughed and took her back over to dad so he could explain. Of course I then joked that Mica was the name of the man who lived in the burn pile down the canyon and all of the wood we were tossing is "For Mica." 


She made me think about how kids hear words that adults speak and have their own idea of what they mean.


Until I personally went to New York City, I always thought that Wall Street was just a single building, basically the Stock Exchange. Imagine my surprise when I was standing next to that famous Bull on the actual street that is Wall Street.


I also thought that Broadway was a single theater in NYC where all of the great shows were performed. One theater where all of those great shows were performed- that would be one busy venue. I was stunned to find several theaters all located along a street named Broadway.


My Aunt (my father's sister) told me that once, as a younger girl, her mother asked if she needed to go to the restroom. My aunt was tired and thought that a restroom was a place to take a nap so she answered "yes". When she walked in and found a room of bathroom stalls she burst out in tears.


So what words did you mistake as a kid? Or what words have your children thought had other meanings? Share your story in the comments below.

Do I know you?

One of the hardest things about moving back to my hometown after being gone for 20 years is that I have lost my knowledge of who is who. I spend a lot of time asking my sister or my mother "who is that?" I see a lot of people that I think I know, or look familiar but I cannot place them or put a name with the face. 


The other day I was in Pendleton with my sister and niece at the Ooh La La salon, they were getting their hair done. It is owned and operated by a gal who grew up in Ione as well. Anyway as my sister and niece were finishing up, there were two gals sitting on the couch, waiting for their appointment. I glanced over and thought one of them looked familiar—this happens to me a lot.


My sister and niece were in the back of the salon so I couldn't ask if they knew the person I think I recognize. The one I was curious about got up and sat in the chair to have her hair done and started discussing styles and such with the hairdresser. At this point I am standing by the door, basically staring at the gal in the chair. I am watching her with the following dialog in my head:


"She looks a lot like (gal from Heppner who graduated the same year as me).
It's been 20 years, this gal doesn't look as old as me."
"Boy she sure talks like her and has her face. Maybe it's just a fluke that she looks like this gal."
"Should I ask her if she is (person's name)? How stupid would I look if I asked and she wasn't her."
"I'm just standing here staring at her, she probably thinks I'm crazy. I should not be just staring at her like this."


It then turned and looked out the window so I would be a little less crazy.


Thankfully my sister came back. She says to me, as if she could read my mind, "do you recognize the gal in the chair? That's (gal I was thinking of's) younger sister."


"Oh!" I said. "I was standing her staring at her, thinking it looked like (gal from Heppner) but just figured it couldn't be. Glad to know I'm not crazy. She sure looks a lot like (older sister)."


I didn't talk to the gal. Not sure she or her older sister would necessarily remember me. But if you find yourself being watched by someone from across the room, it could be me, wondering if I know you.

Helping a stranger in a small town

I found this letter in the local, weekly newspaper. It epitomizes what I love about a small town.

Kindness to Strangers

Dear Editor and People of Heppner,

On Sunday, May 20, 2012, we were traveling through your beautiful area of the country on our return trip to South Dakota. One of our car tires blew out about 10 miles outside of Heppner, we were feeling stranded with no idea how we were going to get a new tire on a Sunday We were standing outside the car assessing our situation, Betty Jo Colvin and her daughters stopped to ask if we needed help. The girls so kindly made room in their car for me, and Betty Jo took me into Heppner while my husband waited with the car.

Since it was a Sunday, Betty Jo took me to her house, offered me coffee and tried to contact someone to help us. The individuals she called were at church, so Betty Jo took me to the sheriff's office, and some calls were made to assist us. Betty Jo took me back to our car with some water to drink and nutrition bars to eat while we waited. About 15 minutes, Matt Baker from Lew Schwab Tire Center arrived, put on our spare tire, and we followed him back to Heppner, where he opened the business and changed our tire.

Our very heartfelt thanks go to all who helped us on a Sunday when we are sure they all had better ways to spend their time. Their kindness and friendliness meant so much to us and reflect very positively on them and the community of Heppner.

~The Bezpaletz, Pierre, SD

Have you ever had someone go out of their way to help you? Comment below.

Ch-ch-Changes

As far as parents go, mine are rather modern. They both have laptops, kindles and android phones. However, with their daughter in the house, they are learning so many new things! 


My father fell in love with my Keurig. In fact they bought one today for their RV so they have one when they travel. My mom discovered she can use her cell phone to make her grocery list and re-use the list over and over instead of having to keep re-writing it. 


They are very interested in anything I cook or buy and ask me any question with belief I will naturally know the answer. It can be flattering, amusing and a bit bewildering. 


I am trying to go more gluten free and seek out items at the store that are such. I have inspired my parents to do the same so they come home with many of the same groceries and sometimes new ones. If I cook something it will elicit questions like "what smells so good?" and "what are you making?" I am not used to having an audience when I cook, it's a bit tough to take and I find myself avoiding cooking.


I think my mom is most excited to have me available to answer her technology questions. I have given her a Facebook tutorial and taught her how to customize her smart phone.


I have been slowly introducing items into my mother's kitchen. She is adapting to the changes I am causing. 


Since I am working from home, my dad kindly gave up his big desk and space in his office. He has adapted to his new, smaller desk and space. 


I am adapting to having an audience, less time by myself (until my parents start traveling again next month) and sharing well....everything about my life. 

Small-town Summer Fun

My niece is hanging out today so I decided to put her to work as my guest blogger. Here is her Top 10 favorite things that make a small-town Summer fun!

10. Shopping for School Supplies
9.   Having a fun babysitter
8.   Sleep overs with friends
7.   Riding in the Fourth of July parade on the fire truck with dad
6.   Swimming
5.   The Fourth of July festivities in town
4.   Riding the Sea-Do on the Columbia River
3.   Going on vacation to Wallowa Lake with
      Grandma and Grandpa
2.   Running a Lemonade stand with friends in town
and
1. Going to the Columbia River, being pulled behind the boat on a tube, knee boarding and splashing in the water!

Fathers Day Road Trippin'

My father seems like a private, taciturn man. However, if you get to know him, you will come to know is that he is funny.

I had bought some zucchini bread at the farmer's market and put it out on the kitchen counter with a note that said "zucchini bread to share." The next day a package of seaweed snack appeared next to my zucchini bread with a note that said "seaweed to share."

When I was younger we were driving past a cemetery and my dad asked "do you know how many dead people are in there?" I, of course, had to ask "how many?" To which the answer was "all of them."






One of his newest ways to be funny is to take photos from places he and mom visit and then add funny captions to them. This is one from their trip a few weeks ago when they were trying out their new travel trailer.







He also likes to share old photos and stories of the family farm. This is one he emailed just this week. It is of my dad, his sister and brother and their cousins.

Today in honor of father's day I treated both mom and dad to lunch and then we took a long two-hour drive around the area outside of Ione. It was a really nice day.

What did you do for Father's Day?

Perspective: Rural Life. City Life.

I am always interested in who is reading my blog and what they think of it.

Today my rural life ramblings inspired a blog post from a new friend I made during my move across the country, her name is Anne and she lives in Arizona. Her blog post talks about perspective; how she considered Stratford, CT, (her home town and the town I just moved back from) a small town. Turns out she is very wrong. :)

So this blog post is in response to hers. A little more food for thought for Anne and my other big city friends.
Here is a link to Anne's blog post, to give you some reference:
http://mcauleyfreelancewriting.com/perspectives-turns-out-my-small-town-is-heidis-big-city/

A few comparison stats about Oregon and Connecticut:
Connecticut is 5,544 square miles in size with a 2010 census population of 3,574,097 which is 738.1 persons per square mile.

Oregon is 98,386 square miles in size with a 2010 census population of 3,831,074 which is 39.9 persons per square mile.

Distance from Ione to those big city conveniences-
To a movie theater, fast food and Starbucks: 40+ miles
To a mall: 75+ miles (in Washington State)
To a major airport (not the small one that is closer): 174 miles

My observations of some key differences between city living and county life:
City life traffic jam: Too many cars on the road all going in the same direction at the same time, typically occurs weekday mornings and evenings.

Country life traffic jam: A farmer moving a piece of machinery from one field to another that slows you down for a brief period of time until you come to a stretch of road where you can pass or the farmer pulls over, typically happens in the spring and summer.

City mentality: Distance is measured by time it takes you to get there, usually given in a range as the amount of time depending on traffic. For example a commute to work that is 23 miles in distance will be described as taking 30-45 minutes depending on traffic.

Country mentality: Distance is measured by miles. "It's 40 miles away." Time is typically not given as it generally takes as many minutes as there are miles, or less, depending on how fast a driver you are.

City mentality: What's in it for me? (there are many people who are the exception to this thinking)

Country mentality: How can I help? (exceptions here as well)

So yes, it is all in the perspective. After living in the city for 14 years, it became harder and harder for me to accept the "city mentality" when I knew there was another perspective out there. There was a time in my life when the city was right for me, but that has passed. While the conveniences of city life are extremely nice to have, I am finding that the country life perspectives outweigh the conveniences that I miss... at least for now. ;)

Also check out Anne's other blog: http://beyondthewetnose.wordpress.com/

Beware the Board Tween!

Stock image,
not my actual niece

There is a cold going around my family. It started with my sister, then got my brother-in-law and today it hit my dad and my niece. It is also my niece's first day of summer vacation. Great way to start it off right? She was home all day, while my mom watched her.

At lunch time I got a text from my mom. This is how the conversation went:

Mom: Do u want to go on a walk when u are done with work?
Me: Sure. In town? Or out here?
Mom: In town.
Me: Ok
Mom: Eva is going to ride her bike.
Me: Is she feeling better? Dad feels like crap.
Mom: She's feeling a lot better.
           Text me when u are done with work.
Me: Ok

I went about the rest of my day and when I was done with work, I sent mom a text letting her know I was done so we could go into town for a walk.

Then my phone rang.

It was my mom calling. She was calling to let me know there was a change of plans.

Oh, and to tell me that it was not her who was texting me earlier. It was my niece.
The entire conversation! She had apparently taken my mom's phone to call me and instead decided to text me, pretending to be my mom.

Looking at the exchange now, I should have noticed the use of "u" instead of "you" but other than that, my niece did a really good job of sounding just like my mom. I think the line about me texting her when I get off work was what impressed me the most. That a 9 year old thinks about that sort of detail is surprising. But then again, my niece is one of the most composed and observant kids I know.

Socializing in a small town

I am five weeks into small town life and find myself missing my big city social activities. When I first moved to Connecticut I had to make friends and meet new people all on my own, as I knew no one. I started by making friends with some co-workers, then got involved with some volunteer activities and eventually had a great circle of friends. I could call any of them up to meet for coffee, a drink, a movie, dinner, whatever.

This time around I know people but most of them are married with children who keep them busy. I am lucky though. I have a fantastic sister who gets what I am going through. I imagine she went through the same thing a little when she moved back. Having her support and friendship is priceless.

In the city I could go on meetup.com and find fun new events where I could meet people. No one here is utilizing those types of sites. Many places are just discovering Facebook to keep people informed.

The real social activities here are typically community related, sporting events being the biggest of them all. When I first arrived, I was at a baseball game nearly every day. Once the fall comes there will be plenty of volleyball and football games to keep me busy and social. But through the summer I have to seek out alternatives to sports.

Last weekend I went to the neighboring town of Heppner (15 miles away, population approx. 1,400) and checked out Celebrate Heppner. I ran into several people that I knew. My niece, who came with me, saw even more people that she knew. I swear that 9 year old knows everyone in the 30 mile radius! This week I have a Bunco fundraiser, I'm really looking forward to that! A new restaurant opened in town and is doing a Ladies Night every other Thursday, so I have that on my calendar for next week. The last week of the month has some pre-Fourth of July events and following that is the Fourth of July which is the big event in town each year.

Somehow I find making new friends and meeting new people in a small town environment so much harder than it was when I didn't know a single person. I miss the social media savvy city but I am really enjoying the small crowds and lack of traffic. Life moves slower here and I can get into that. I have my East Coast job to give me my fast-pace fix each day.

Remembering those important days

I will be the first to admit that I am not good at remembering birthdays and other dates of importance. Because I am not good at remembering other people's important dates, I never feel bad if they do not remember mine. In fact I do not allow Facebook to notify anyone on the date of my own birthday because I may not always post on other people's timeline when it is theirs.

I also struggle to take note of when Mother's Day and Father's Day are each year. When I lived on the East Coast I was always mailing my cards out late to my parents. And since I was so far away, all that holiday took from me was dropping a card in the mail and then remembering to call on the specific day. However, now that I am back with my family a card and a phone call doesn't exactly cut it.

The one specific date I am guaranteed to forget each and every year is my parents anniversary.

On Sunday my parents were planning to go into town for lunch, which was unusual for them. I made myself a sandwich and gather together my stuff to run out to go through some stuff at the ranch. My father comes in and invites me to lunch with them, his treat. I was surprised. I thanked him but I had already eaten. He then proceeds to inform me that it is their 45th Wedding Anniversary. The voice in my head went "ooh crap!" I'm standing there, dressed to go get dirty and not at all prepared to go into public. I fumble and apologize. "I suddenly feel like I should go," I told him, really not sure what to do. He said it was really okay, it wasn't my day to remember.

I went on with my own plans but raced over to my sister's house to tell her what a schmuck I am. She, of course, manages to remember every year. She very wisely writes it on her calendar every year. Needless to say I am remembering from now on and should probably start planning their 50th now, so I don't forget.

Rural living doesn't mean you can't have good internet

I would have to say that the biggest challenge I have faced during my moving back to the country is finding quality, high-speed internet. Since I kept my job with my East Coast company, having fairly fast internet is paramount in getting my work done and being connected to an office on the other side of the country.

Prior to moving I had done a lot of research on the options in the country. I had researched WiMax (nothing in my area), compared satellite service providers (not the greatest speed) and contacted the local fiber optic company (all tapped out on lines). My parents had switched from satellite to using their cell phone's as a wifi hot spot, but I couldn't image that would provide the connection service I need.

At first I started with satellite, however that had too many problems that slowed down my productivity and was not compatible with the VPN I use for work. Knowing that nothing had changed with the fiber optic company, I was not sure what I was going to do. I posted my problems on Facebook and had some people suggest looking into a wifi hotspot. I ended up in Hermiston, a quick 40 minute drive, with the purpose to look into improved cell phone service and to get more information about a hotspot with my current provider. However when I went into my provider's store and explained the situation, they were honest enough to tell me I would be better off switching cell phone carriers as all of the towers in my area were owned by the other company.

So now I have a new cell phone carrier with better service and a little wifi hotspot that has been the best so far. It works with my VPN and is a fairly good speed for what I do. I have had a few hiccups with the 3G speed, but the carrier company is going 4G at the end of the year so I am hopeful that things will only improve. I have had several people in the area ask me about it. It seems that people are wanting something faster than the satellite option. I think my favorite part is that it is so small (smaller than my smart phone) and I can take it anywhere. Which in essence means I can work anywhere!

So if you feel like you are stuck with a poor, slow country internet connection. Remember that technologies are advancing everyday. If it's been a while since you researched alternatives, maybe now is the time to look into your new options!

Unless you get mail delivered, your address does not exist

After I first moved back to rural Oregon I went through the process of changing my address with all of my accounts. The only one that gave me problems is my Bank of America account. They require a physical address for my main identity even though I cannot get mail at my physical address.

Now for those who have never lived in rural America, not everyone gets mail delivered to their house. In my area you have to have a PO Box in order to receive mail. There are a few rural route mail deliveries, my sister for example gets mail at her house on Mon., Wed., and Fri.; all other days she has to go to pick her mail up at the post office. My sister, while only three miles down the road, is technically in Lexington who offer the rural route mail deliver. My parents house, where I now live, is in Ione where no one gets mail delivered to their home, even if you live within the town limits.

It is this little fact that has cause me a problem. After going online two weeks ago and changing my BofA address to what I know to be my physical address, I went online yesterday to see that it still has not changed. After doing an online chat with a helpful BofA agent, I am told that the address was not changed because USPS does not recognize the physical address I provided as a legitimate one.

The city slicker in me said "Uh whaaat?"

Fortunately the benefit of a small town is that I am on a first name basis with the town postmaster. I called Darcy and presented her with my dilemma. She informed me that if mail is not delivered to a physical address then USPS does not recognize it as a legitimate address. Gee, how nice to have such power! Darcy then offered to find out what other options I have. A short half hour later and the postmaster called back with the solutions. She said she just had to file some papers for me and in a quick four weeks (!) my problem would be solved and USPS will add my physical address to their master database.

In the world of rural life, four weeks is fast. Trust me. I am really happy to live in a town where people find the answer and take care of it!!

I am excited to venture into the world of blogging. I recently moved back to my very small home town in rural Oregon after spending 14 years in Connecticut. The differences in living in a city on the East Coast and living on a farm in Oregon can be rather amusing. I hope you enjoy my observations, ramblings and frustrations with my transition back to rural living.