Here I Am!

This is the view from our deck

We are finally here....left Texas and our beloved deer (a fellow who lived down our street called me, and asked if I had moved). "David,wasn't the big moving van in the driveway a clue"? I asked.
"Didn't notice that, but did notice the twenty deer, rambling around our yard, asking if I'd seen Jessica" ...I started to cry.
"I fed them Cheetos," he said, cheerily.  "And water," he added.
I informed him Cheetos were tasty, but not for deer.

We live up on the Cumberland Plateau (75 miles from Knoxville), on a lake, in a home we inherited in a resort with 8 lakes and 11 golf courses (or is that 8 golf courses and 11 lakes?  It is truly beautiful, and it finally stopped raining...going from dust and deerpoop in one's back yard to mildew and a lake is an adjustment.

This is our new home..sort of looks like the "Black hole of Calcutta" right now...The front door is chinese red..and the house is cedar..I didn't take this photo (the realtor did-the house was on the market for three years...wonder why it didn't sell?)....Lots of painting, landscaping, interior design/rehab)  The people who rented it for a year burned holes in the carpet in the lower level (there's a wood-burning stove), changed the door hardward brass to cheapstuff, along with chiseling the door frame, and left the house filthy..gah!

First thing I did was buy a bird feeder...meet our "bird" "Stretch"..she's terrified of the rocking (a squirrel afraid of heights)...but, she's adapting, as well.  We also have cardinals..!!

This is our lovely???kitchen...I hate wallcovering (well, at least, THIS wallcovering), and borders, and soffets, and dirty, white tile, but the cabinets are a nice cherry, and there's hope.  My late brother-in-law installed the wallcovering right on the drywall, so the going is slow removing it.  My 90-year-old mother in law was helping us pick at it one day, and said, "I'll be an old woman by the time this stuff is removed"..(love her).  My guy has most of it off (thank you Swiss Army Knife Guy)...and we have the paint ready...I'm going to do a back splash. (lots of plans as soon as we sell (long story) our Texas home...thought it was sold, but they lost their financing..hope is still in the air)

This is the view from our lower-level walk-out .We have a "work room", and a large room with a large, wood-burning stove, on a large "Crab Orchard stone platform and back wall" My husband gets the tiny office off mine..Hey, it's all he needs.

This is the "Sunroom", which I've made into the dining/sun room...painted it...put in our furniture, but I do not like the dark wood trim throughout, (can't change it out)..too much work...
So, I am off to eat my breakfast, while gazing out at the lake and my birds.
Hope springs eternal.