Sad Days, Boating, Eatting Out, & New Construction

                                                         August 29, 2016

Six days after mom left, Joe, Mindy (our neighbor), and Mallery and I took another boat ride. It was a first boat ride for Mindy with us and last boat ride for Mallery. I tried to enjoy the ride with our neighbor, but was sad because I was preparing in my mind what I needed to do.

Mallery really went down hill fast, after mom left. She had been diagnosed with gallbladder problems shortly after. We treated her with 4 different medicines from the veterinary, but nothing seemed to help. Neither her or I was sleeping during the night. Either she was waking me up, or I was waking her up when I got up to use the bathroom. The prednisone she had been on for a month helped her feel much better than, but now the side effects were creating more problems. (Like most medicines do). On August 30, I called the veterinary and told him, we both ( Mallery or I) couldn't do it anymore. Late that afternoon, we all went to the vet to say good- bye.

The next day construction on the garage started. The garage door was removed and a new wall was put in. While construction was going on, I spent the next weeks in mourning writing 8 blogpost memorials for my Mallery. We all cope differently, for me, the blogs helped me get though the loss of my dear friend. Here is the first of the 8 blogs I wrote at  http://diane-j-m.blogspot.com/2016/09/mallerys-years-traveling-usa.html At the bottom of each post you can continue by clicking newer post if you want to see the ones that followed the post in the link above.

Fall was here and Joe wanted to spend the last of our lake time doing longer boat trips. We never could spend more than an hour with Mallery on the boat, because she had enough of it in an hour, so we had to head back to land. Mindy, our neighbor was spending a week at her summer home so we invited her to come along again this day.

We took a boat ride to Oyster Cove and the town of Charlevoix, both of which we had never been to by water. Lake Charlevoix is a very large lake, and it can take hours to see all the shoreline. The lake waters can change quickly from calm to very rough, so you want to keep an eye open on the weather and wind speeds especially when you have a smaller boat. Luckily on this day we had calm waters.

It was nice to be able to spend more time on the water, but I would trade it back for my Mallery in a minute if I could. In some ways it was hard to enjoy these new freedoms. The burdens of a sick pet was gone, but to feel happy was like you were happy she was gone.

Just a picture of a spider web on our deck.

I hate spiders, though I know they are good because they eat all the bugs in your yard. I just wish they would live somewhere else, instead of on my deck. I knocked the webs down in the morning, only to find them back up the next morning. Joe likes to spray all around our foundation of the house, but I figure if it kills spiders, its killing us too. I tried an essential oil mixture that is recommend to deter spiders, but it didn't seem to bother them. When they start coming into the house, then I give in, and let Joe do his thing. Spiders seem to like living on lakes too. I give them credit for being such hard and tenacious workers producing such pretty web.

On the weekend, Mindy's husband Larry came up from down state. We all went boating again. The weather was hot enough that we had to jump into the water to cool off. (September 5) Mindy is a year older than me and Larry is 70. You would never know he is that old. He is still working by choice. We are blessed to have such great and fun neighbors.

Because we hadn't been able to eat out much, due to me not  wanting to leave Mallery at home much, Joe wanted to try some restaurants in town. We went to the Boyne River Inn. The restaurant sits on the Boyne River, and on a nice day, you can sit on the patio and listen to the river go by. It was cold and rainy by dinner time, so we had to eat inside. (Sept 7)

I got a Ruben Sandwich, and

Joe got a meatloaf dinner. Both were really good.

Here we were out on a walk on the Boyne City Marina. Both of us were dreaming!

Just have to take a picture once in a while of the beautiful salads Joe makes for us for lunch. Just love the added edible flowers the farmers market adds to our salad mix.

Another beautiful day on the water (Sept 11). This day it was just Joe and I. I remember this boat ride being a sad day for me missing Mallery. During the days after Mallery's passing, I had been woken up during the night  several time.  Once by her whimpering. As I awoke, I told her in my mind, Mallery, you are gone. The next night she woke me with a yap! Again, "Mallery you are not here anymore" A few nights later, she shook, making the sound I always heard of her collar, when she shook. I did get up one night, hoping she was there. (I know to you all this sounds crazy, but I had been praying for her to be healed and then healed/ resurrected, another reason it took me so long to put her to sleep and to bury her. I strongly believe in miracles and the power of God to do anything, and yes even resurrections. Matthew 19:26, "with God ALL things are possible"). Another night it was a bark, then another night it was a snort. Every night she woke me with one of her many ways of communicating to me. Was she saying good bye in the Spirit to me, or was my mind expecting to hear her any moment out of conditioning, since she had been waking me up for over a year with all her issues. Or was she there and my believing, but unbelief, took away my miracle. I don't know! I do know that every night it was a different sound and never again the same sound. It sounded like she was really in our bedroom and real, but she wasn't. I was caught between believing a miracle, and trying to letting go. When God doesn't answers prays, it's either our unbelief or he has a better plan!

The wall with windows in. Now the garage will become Joe's man cave soon.

The gutters are remove and rot and mold are found. The rot and mold removed and new boards are put up.

House wrap started to go on.

The backside and the south side of the house done and now yellow. What do you think? In the shade it is really yellow. In the sun, it is a light yellow.

Sorry so many boat ride views. I get captivated with the beauty of calm waters and clouds. It was a bit cloudy and cool, but so peaceful on this day (Sept 17).

During September we held 2 "Happy Hours" on our deck with many new neighbors we met during this summer.

There were 4 new couples we met, with all of them being, 1 to 10 years our age, It is really nice to have friends while we are up North. All of them are from down state Michigan. Two couples live in Boyne City year round, and the other  two couples come up to their homes for summer weeks or weekends I didn't count Mindy and Larry as we have know them for 2 1/2 years now. All in all we have 5 new sets of friends.

To celebrate my 62 birthday we went to Cafe Santa in Boyne City. I went to the same place last year as it is a great choice.

God blessed me with a rainbow for my birthday. (Sept 19)

It was even a full one, but it wouldn't fit in my picture from my angle.

We always like to sit in the 3 season porch, because of the lake views, and it is much quieter.

On your birthday, you get your meal 1/2 price. I always get the most expensive meal, Filet Mignon. I also get a free desert. Joe is always frustrated because his birthday is in January and we are already south then. He would love to come on his birthday to get this expensive meal for 1/2 price. I tell him he just has to stay a winter in Boyne City. 1/2 price expensive meal vs no snow = no snow for Joe!

I forgot to show our construction that was done last winter to the kitchen and dining room. I guess with all the summer guest and Mallery being so sick, plus me not sleeping due to Mallery and my own health issues I just forgot. Above is a picture of the Synder's kitchen and dining room with their furniture. I took this picture during a tour before buying the house. 

This is a picture of our place after we purchased it, but before the construction.

Here is our dining room and kitchen after construction. All new ceiling, cabinets, lights, wall, crown molding, ceiling fans, floors and windows.

Again, previous owners home with cabinets above peninsula.

We didn't replace the cabinets above the peninsula. Yes I have less cabinet space, but we love the open look more.

To save some money, we kept the white stove, dishwasher and refrigerator. I would have loved all new stainless steel appliances, but the project was way to much as it was, and when they die, we can replace them then. We are very practical when it comes to some things.

Looking out from the soon to be refinished pantry/laundry room into the kitchen. Joe and I are going to try to redo this room on our own to save some money. This room has the old paneling half way up and wall paper on the top half like the dining room had. It will be our this summer project.

Here is a before picture when we were still living in our dining room and sleeping in our living room, due to the bathrooms construction, in the Spring of 2015. You can see my dear sweet Mallery by our lounger chairs in  the dining room.

The counter tops are quartz, which we really love.

Another picture of the dining room when the Snyders still owned this house. I put this picture in because I wanted to show the before picture of no windows on the wall next to the slider that we added in the after project.

Before construction, the south wall had a set of 3 windows, which we replaced with 3 larger windows that now goes into the corner of the wall. Next picture will show both walls with new windows.

The new sliding door has mini blinds encased between the window panes which is really nice.

Here again is the Snyder's home showing the 3 old windows and the door going to the mudroom/1/2 bath/old garage. When we get home the mudroom, 1/2 bath, and and Joe's cozy man cave should be refinished.

This picture shows how the windows go corner to corner better. Some might like the warmth of the Synder's old home, but I have wanted a white kitchen now for 15 years. We were going for a more fresh, clean, updated Cottage look. Now we have a Cottage/Cabin Home instead of a 70's/ Cabin Home. (Our home is an old cabin and the kitchen, dining room, our bedroom and master bath was attached to the cabin by the previous owners in the 70's). I love the new look and am extremely happy with the way it turned out.