This doc series is about the WORLD'S national parks. I had no idea there were so many of them, and they are amazing! (Plus, the documentary is narrated by Barack Obama!) :o)

So...no deal breakers with the house? There do seem to be a few daunting things, like that spooky behemoth in the basement. (And possibly the sewer issue?) But gosh, what a cute house. As for the cabinets, I like them as they are (because I'm a lover of wood). They add a nice contrast to all the neutral white and gray, I think. If they're there for a long while, I can imagine teenage grandson loving that attic bedroom! Wow, that owner! And that sign! LMAO!! And YAY for your bathroom! Is it totally done? You can move back in? Woohoo! Sounds like a very pleasant and interesting day!

The kids' house looked like it had been updated quite a lot (when I peeked online). But they didn't upgrade the plumbing and electrical? Yikes. OK...so that cookie doesn't look particularly appealing! LOL! I'm so very happy you got your tile and that things are finally progressing. It shouldn't be long now! Your ordeal is almost over.

Oh, LOOK at that earnest little adorable face and chocolate eyes! He looks so much like his mama! (Especially in this pic). $800 for a toilet. Sure does sound like a nice one, though. Hmm. Will you have the opportunity to see the inside of the house on Friday? (I assume so!) That will be so exciting!! And I also hope the inspections go just fine.

This weather has TRULY been insane. We missed any snowflakes, but had plenty of wind and hail. Helen in Sandy, OR got 6" of snow yesterday! Raining here now, but it's down into the 30s. Hmm. I just love the house! What a gem! And I'm so glad you are now in the company of big bear hugs!

It was!! EXTREMELY disorienting. We both got Moderna (which is what we've had before).

The peony style tulips have their own special beauty, but I agree they don't really scream "TULIP!" Oh, poor John getting caught up in that horrible traffic jam on I-90. I kept hearing/reading about it and all the spin-outs and I thought, "Good thing I'm not stuck in it, or anybody I know." Gah! Very glad he came through it unscathed. I agree with Luftmentsch about those "good old days." And that term "illegitimate" makes my skin crawl.

YAY!!! Kitchen is DONE! What a relief it must be, and joy/contentment to have it back to normal! The Little Guy looks like he has a great sense of humor. What a cutie!

I love that tulip photo! Truly magical. That sandbar at the bottom of the canyon intrigues me, but I imagine there is no sane way to get to it unless you are Spider Man.

That IS lucky you were able to have the doors/windows open with the odor! There have been so many godawful weather days lately—so you definitely lucked out on that. I learned yesterday (4/9) that you can see "The Traveler" on the tallest peak of the Olympics when the snow starts to melt. It looks like an old man with a hat and a robe and a walking stick. Shadows, snow-melt, and probably angle make it quite noticeable! I'd never heard about it before, but apparently it's a "thing!"

So glad you finally got access to your coffee maker! Jeesh! And thankful your ceiling is closed in at last!

God, I feel your angst with this horrific remodel/repair. It is so seldom that contractors do an exceptional, timely job these days. When they do (and our long-awaited driveway contractor was superb!) it is shocking.

I wonder if a dumping of top soil might help with your planting areas? Maybe sprinkle with Preet to help prevent weeds (and maybe moss?) I also thought those colorful flags were tulips at first glance! Lol We loved Unforgotten!

I am very curious about your "good news" that you can't (yet?) share! I think I can guess! Love your tulips! They're a no-go here because of the deer.

Little Dude is rocking Martin Short's "Ed Grimley!" https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9f/d3/95/9fd39510631cd64305969c750e80efa2.jpg Ugh, I ache for you. So. Very. Frustrating.

Texas has zero appeal to me for many, many reasons. I can safely (and happily) say that I will never set foot there in my lifetime. I do like road trips, though, and it's been a very long time since we've been on one. I always thought it would be cool to fly to New England in October, rent a car, and leisurely drive throughout those states to take in the Fall colors. Then hop a plane back home. I'm so glad today was a day of progress! The tile looks perfect! And yes, splashes of color with accessories would be stunning!

Don't you just HATE it when workers are LATE?! You can't rely on people's word. And here we are, all week long, waiting for the propane company to deliver propane to our big ass tank (several power outages have resulted in our generator using up a fair amount) and they can't even tell us WHAT DAY THEY WILL BE DELIVERING. Jeeze. Poor Mari. Poor you. Roadrunners crack me up.

Well, gulp about the kids not getting that house, but that (ancient?) wiring sounds pretty scary. The bidding wars involved with buying homes these days sounds very discouraging. Lots of jaw clenching for the next couple of weeks for your repair work. Oh ugh, I feel for you. I sure hope it sails along smoothly and quickly.