I joined the Secret Post Club, which is like a Secret Santa exchange every month, and I just got my first package. (I was going to post a link but they’ve closed it to new members for right now so I must have been lucky to get in.)
Mine came from Betty in the UK.

aprilsecret

Perfect, huh?
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I recently made a list of things I want. We can cross off numbers 1 and 2. I ordered a new stove and dishwasher. The stove was delivered last week. It has a flat top with all working burners and it has a timer. Mission accomplished. The dishwasher was delivered last week too but it was the wrong one so the (hopefully) right one will be coming this week.

When I told the SO that I made a list of stuff to do or get he said that he wanted to make a list too. The front entryway and hall here haven’t been redone. He wanted that done. He’s been thinking about it for a while. He shows me pictures in This Old House magazine of what he likes. That magazine is like porn for people in elderly houses. It shows the wonderful outcomes who could have if you were willing to spend more than the purchase price of your house in renovations.

Before:

foyerbefore

hallwindowbefore

hallbefore

(Doesn’t that last picture look like something ominous is lurking behind the door?)

I don’t care what else happens as long as we get rid of that awful border that is put up semi-randomly along the ceiling. The guy is coming today to start patching up cracks and tearing off the border. I heard the SO tell him on the phone last night that the only problem was that I hadn’t picked a color yet. That would be because I hadn’t heard that picking a color was assigned to me before that moment. I’m thinking a light warm yellow because that was in several magazine pictures that he liked. He asked for something calm because most of the rooms here are bold colors. It has to tie it together. This space borders rooms that are brown, blue, green, and pink.

Then a miracle occurred. I have been lobbying for a room redesign in the family room since before I moved in. Right now the only seating is a three person couch. The other space where there could be seating is taken up by a treadmill. I don’t mind that in theory but sometimes the SO, Z, Freckles, Riley, and I all want to watch a movie on a three seat couch. Z is so squirmy that she’s always elbowing you in the ribs. We need more seating.

That declaration got an absolute no. The treadmill wasn’t moving. Less tolerant people might have pointed out that the treadmill doesn’t actually get used that much since he has a gym membership and I run outside. But last night he proposed moving the treadmill downstairs and saving up to get a sectional sofa. Good plan.