It's About Time for a Tim Update

Remember Tim? The rather overwhelming remodeling project we have going on here at Woodhaven? The one we started in March? The one that we left the country for two months to escape?

Yeah, he’s still here. But he’s starting to pack his bags to finally leave. YAHOO!!!

Ugh. And that was with a dust barrier.

I haven’t posted much about Tim because, well, we weren’t here. And blessedly, there wasn’t much to write about.

While we were frolicking about, Randy very kindly sent us progress photos, and Mel texted a few updates. Largely, we went on the “no news is good news” theory and correctly assumed that our implicitly trusted contractors were handling any minor questions that arose.

Tim (and Randy) in late May right before
we left for the 33-day cruise.

I spent a few panicked weeks from afar after the walls were painted. The warm yellow and soothing blue that we so carefully chose suddenly looked BOLD and BRIGHT in the photos. I kept telling myself to trust the process and our decisions. To trust the extensive time I had spent with the "La Luna Amarilla" and "Vast Sky" paint chips placed in so many locations in different lighting at different times of the day.

It's crazy how different the color is even in
different parts of the room. Regardless, it's
a lot of yellow. Or, rather, La Luna Amarilla.

At times the blue is even bluer.
But this was bluer than I expected. 

The very late night we returned to Woodhaven, I tried to sneak a peek at the yellow to calm my nerves. But our back door wouldn’t open. I was too tired to sleuth (it was an over-achieving floor trim piece that has since been replaced), so I waited until the next morning to look. I sort of freaked out. The yellow and blue were indeed bolder and brighter than the little one-inch swatches had promised. I cringed.

Even more yellow. And you can see a VERY
blue wall of our breakfast nook poking around the 
corner. Also note the first 4 panels of the cabinetry
compared to the second 4 panels. We call this
foreshadowing.

I told myself again to trust the process and our decisions. And thankfully, as the swirly quartz countertops arrived and black appliances were installed and the next round of protective floor covering was pulled up, the colors – and my nerves – calmed. I now love the yellow and blue, even though we still have another week or two to go before I see all the decisions come together.

It’s been hard being home the past few weeks. Our wisdom to leave for 2 months was confirmed quickly, as we had multiple contractors flowing in and out, a driveway filled with construction trucks, so much noise and dust, and the need to deftly bounce from decision to task to conundrum. By Day 2 of Re-Entry, we were pretty fried and longing to be back on a cruise ship. Jet lag didn't help.

Countertop installers. I think the 
electrician was also there that day.

On Day 6 of Re-Entry, we got new carpeting in our master closet. We had quite a bit of surplus from the recarpeting of our dining room, so it seemed genius to replace the 22-year-old stuff in our closet “for free.” Genius until we realized we had to completely empty the closet to avoid covering all our clothes, shoes, and accessories in carpet dust. Fabulous.

Still jet-lagged and trying to quickly regroup to fly to Southern California for a family situation on Day 5 of Re-Entry, we interrupted laundry and breathing to relocate our closet to the only surfaces we have access to: our bedroom. We stayed in a hotel for two nights until we put the newly carpeted closet back together. It looks fantastic! And it is so delightfully squishy! So as the frantic Closet Relocation memories fade, I can say that the effort was totally worth it. Especially since we will not have to do it again for another 20 years. 

Not shown: the source of me finally
conceding I perhaps have a lot of shoes.

I’m profoundly relieved to say that Tim has behaved quite well throughout this adventure. The biggest surprises have come from the cabinet maker, and all since we have returned from our travels.

One wood panel was stained incorrectly and had to be removed, remade, and reinstalled. I felt sorry for the uninstaller, as that panel was never supposed to budge. 

When we were texted the photo, we hoped it was
just a cell phone lighting thing. Nope. Not only was
the stain different, the finish was different, too.
We're all mystified how it got as far as being
installed without anyone noticing.

We also discovered a section of the toe kick under the wall oven was strangely stripey. That fix is still in the works, along with some missing hardware and a few other decorative pieces. I was starting to lose faith in the cabinet folks, but Randy assured me they are very good and are making fewer mistakes than average on a kitchen remodel. Yikes!! I clearly have high expectations, which I thought were just normal expectations. Sigh.

The best guess is the stain wasn't dry when the
board was put on a rack.

In MUCH better news, there have been significant signs in the past couple of days that we are nearing the finish line. YAHOOOOOO!!!!

Melissa (BLESS HER!) started the “post-construction deep clean” today. She will be back tomorrow. And probably a third day. So. Much. Dust.

We got the green light to schedule Yury to come next week to move back all the heavy furniture he Jenga-ed into our living room back on March 26. Almost exactly 4 months of using our living room as a storage unit.

Our Amazon account has been re-awakened with deliveries arriving soon of curtains and chair pads and placemats. I will get to nest and decorate soon!

And today our bedroom door to the rest of the house was unsealed! We are free to move about the cabin!! We don’t have to traipse through the backyard to leave the house, go upstairs, do laundry, answer the front door, or get a snack out of the garage fridge! The freedom is heady!!! I can retire my extra house key and flashlight!! The exclamation points are not an exaggeration! This is a GLORIOUS DAY!

I never appreciated how awesome
this door is when it is open.

With any luck, we will have Woodhaven largely back together by the time my beloved Fair starts on August 7 (FAIR!!). I’m already having chats with my eager, goal-oriented self about the importance of balancing what my heart wants with what my body can do. Prayers needed and appreciated!

The painters are coming tomorrow to deal with all
the little blue tape markers.

Here’s the Story – Part 2

Back in February 2020, right before the world got super duper weird, Rob gave me one of the best gifts EVER. He drove me to North Hollywood to see the Brady Bunch house.

I won’t go into detail – my February 6, 2020 blog about that visit can fill you in. Suffice it to say, I am a HUGE Brady Bunch fan. HUGE. Enormous. Big Time Brady Fan Girl right here.

Back in 2020, the best a superfan could do was drive up to the house and gaze at it from across the street. There was a security guard positioned in the driveway preventing any lingering, and absolutely no approaching the front door. But that was good enough, since visiting the interior was completely incomprehensible.  

Fast-forward to September 2023. HGTV decided it had gotten all the ratings it could from totally renovating the house’s interior to match the studio sets the series had been filmed on. The network put the iconic house on the market and a fellow Brady Bunch Superfan named Tina snatched it up for a groovy $3.2 million. Reportedly Tina’s husband, the former CEO of HBO, had only one question for her: “Have you lost your mind?” Apparently he thought his Gen X wife wanted to live in the house.

Oh, to be so lucky!

So what did Tina actually want to do with the house? Well, first she got it designated as a Historical-Cultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles. Then she decided to share it with fellow Brady Superfans.

The Bradys' house is the first property in
Los Angeles to get this protection
as a filming location outside of a studio lot.
The designation protects the outside AND
the inside. How groovy is that?!

WHAT?!?

Yes, you can buy tickets – with proceeds going to Tina’s favorite animal shelter – for a one-hour visit inside the totally furnished Brady Bunch house!! Truly! Yes, I pretty much bounced off the couch chanting, "Take my money!" when I learned this.

When I first read about this opportunity, I thought for sure it was only for fancy people. Connected people. Industry people. Not for a 58-year-old woman whose only Hollywood connection is once posing for a photo with Ted Danson and an alpaca.

Back in 2011 when we were all
much younger.

Because I have the most amazing and supportive husband EVER, today I was a passenger princess as Rob drove across the trafficky Los Angeles metro to make my dreams come true.

Yes, we spent an hour INSIDE the Brady Bunch House today! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!

I was just a few yards ahead of Rob out of 
unbridled excitement to GET INSIDE!!

When I knocked on the front door as instructed, it slowly opened to reveal a friendly woman in a blue maid’s dress welcoming us inside. We were asked to take off our shoes, wear provided socks and booties, and not touch anything or sit on the furniture. “Treat it as a museum.” We could, however, take photos with abandon and wander on our own.

The door knobs are PERFECT!
It felt surreal just standing there.

Fortunately, all of this information had been provided ahead of time via email. Because once I was inside The Bradys’ house, my listening ears turned off. Instead, I heard the voices of my adopted TV family speaking a mishmash of dialogue from 117 memorized episodes. I spent the next hour walking around with an enormous smile, wide eyes, and a couple of times, tears.

OH. MY. GOSH!!!!!!!!!

I was not expecting to feel so emotional in The Bradys’ house.

I gasped at the sight of The Staircase. I smiled at the couch in Mike’s den where Jan sat and lamented, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” I stared at the groovy 1960s rectangular art at the foot of the staircase, realizing how it is instantly identifiable by any fan. It was all absolutely perfect.

I wanted to touch EVERYTHING!

There it is!! Every Brady fan knows
that paneling!

The tears came when I entered the Brady girls’ bedroom upstairs. I stood in the middle of the room, taking in the three pink bedspreads, the giraffe stuffed animal in the corner, Kitty Karry-All on Cindy’s bed. It was so familiar, so comfortable, so nostalgic. Suddenly, it struck me.

“Oh my gosh. I grew up in this bedroom.”

This was after the tears. And please ignore
the fashion booties.

And that was it. That was the emotion. The Brady House was home. My home. I grew up there. I watched multiple episodes every day after school for years. When I told my mother-in-law a few days ago that we were going to see the inside of the Brady Bunch house, she asked if there would be a tour guide. My reply? “I don’t need one!”

It was fascinating to me which rooms I felt the most drawn to. The girls’ bedroom was the strongest. The kitchen, too. And Mike and Carol’s bedroom. And the dining room table. And the couch in the living room.

I hate to cook and yet, I totally
wanted to hang out in this kitchen.

The screen behind us really got me. I have
no idea why. But wow, it was important
to me to see it.

Sadly, the best photo I have of the
dining room table. It was hard to balance
being present, being in awe, and being 
a photographer.

I wasn’t as emotionally drawn to Greg’s attic bedroom or the family room or the boys’ bedroom or the backyard. I have no idea why.

It took me about 30 minutes to take my first lap. I then sat on a step in the entryway and tried to be fully present in one of the most surreal moments of my life. It sort of worked.

I still can't believe I was there.

On my second lap, I tried to notice all the little Easter Eggs that were scattered around the house, each a reference to a well-known storyline.

The architectural drawings of Beebe Gallini’s powder puff-shaped factory. Marcia’s drawing of George Washington that was mistaken for Mrs. Denton. The box of Safe Detergent in the laundry room. The egg on the pylon at the front of Mike’s convertible. The stack of letters to “Dear Libby.” The book about Jesse James that got Bobby in trouble. The typewritten gossip column written by Peter. The silver anniversary platter. Alice’s white sneakers. Jan’s wig.

Mike's drafting table in his den!
The powder puff is on the left, the
plans on the right are HGTV's plans
for renovating the original structure.

Marcia drew George Washington.
Then Paula found it and added the unflattering
note about Mrs. Denton. Marcia was in 
BIG trouble when the teacher found it.
Luckily, Paula fessed up and all was well
within 24 minutes.

The letters each of the kids and Alice
wrote to an advice columnist.

Alice's Keds!

The recreation of the Bradys’ house was astounding. The attention to detail was incredible. I kept forgetting the series was not actually filmed in the house. It was so real, so perfect, so complete. I was even more incredulous when I was told that there was only one original item in the entire house; everything else had been tracked down through antique stores and online searches to replicate what had appeared on the show. The Love of Brady runs deep.

The red sleeping bag is the only 
original item. It was in the episode
where Marcia has a slumber party.

Rob and I were the last to leave. We found out that Tina allows a maximum of 8 people to come inside the house each day from 12:30-1:30pm. There were just two other couples walking around with us, equally mesmerized and lost in memories. We all looked about the same age, all giddy and appreciative. We were mostly quiet, with whispered, “OH, WOW!” and “Come look at this!” One woman softly laughed and asked, “Why are we so quiet?”

I smiled at her and answered, “Reverence.”

My 8-year-old and my 58-year-old
brains are both utterly flabbergasted
by this photo!!!

Pilgrims in Spain

It feels like just yesterday – or a month ago – that we were in Spain. Turns out both are true. What a wonderfully weird season of life this is. I have never traveled this much. So far so good! My body is chatty but I’ve been working hard to keep it happy.

Yesterday we docked in a beautiful city called La Coruña, located on the northwestern tip of Spain. It is in the Galicia (pronounced locally as “gal-EETH-ee-ah”) region which is noted for lots of rain. I was sort of looking forward to some cool dampness – I am NOT made for hot humidity. But, well, the sun shone upon us and it was a warm but lovely day.

Arriving in La Coruña with the Tower of Hercules.
It is the oldest Roman lighthouse still standing.
It dates back to at least the 1st Century.
Mind sufficiently blown.

La Coruña is nicknamed the Glass City because
of all of the windows. The natural light helps
during the many many rainy days. This was 
not one of them.

Our excursion was to the town of Santiago de Compostela, about an hour’s bus ride away. The two notable things about this lovely medieval city that is now the capital of Galicia are its cathedral and the square in front of it.

Us in front of the massive Cathedral
of Santiago de Compostela

The square from a tower in the cathedral

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is a gorgeous work of Romanesque (inside) and Baroque (outside) architecture. Made of granite, the cathedral is largely regarded as the burial site of the Apostle James. 

The uncertainty stems from undercurrents of skepticism as to how James’ body was found. The story involves a monk who kept seeing the night’s stars point to a specific location. As they Biblically do. This sighting was nine centuries after James had been beheaded in Palestine, with his remains soon returned to the area of Spain he had evangelized in after Jesus’ crucifixion. 

After a search revealed a Roman-style tomb in the area the stars pointed to, a Bishop proclaimed the discovery a true story. Apostle James’ remains that were found in the tomb are now in a silver crypt under the Cathedral. We got to see the crypt but were not allowed to take photos.

It was very ornate and very pretty.

Photo probably not allowed. Oops.
This is the line to go downstairs to
see Apostle James' crypt. LOTS of
gold in the cathedral.

The other reason Santiago de Compostela is famous is that it is the finish line for the Camino de Santiago.

The Camino de Santiago – or “The Way of St. James” – is an internationally known set of ancient trails that is walked (or biked) by hikers known as pilgrims. These sturdy folks walk anywhere from 50 to over 600 miles to reach the celebratory end in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. 

The tradition of walking “The Way of St. James” began shortly after the discovery of his remains. Walking the trail is typically considered a pilgrimage and can be a very spiritual, reflective experience. If I had a reliable body, I would absolutely walk the Camino de Santiago. Based on the few people I know who have done it, it sounds like a life-defining experience.

I actually had no idea there was more than one trail. I thought the Camino de Santiago was one route, like the Pacific Coast Trail or the Appalachian Trail. Instead, there are numerous trails depending on where you start. These starting points are often in other countries – this can be a LONG walk. The most popular trails are the French Way (Camino Francés – about 500 miles) and the Portuguese Way (Camino Portugués – about 400 miles).

This is Charlotte from Arizona.
She had just finished yet another
trail on the Camino de Santiago.
Charlotte is very impressive.

I asked Charlotte if she walked each
trail in its entirety in one shot, or if
she breaks up the trails over different
trips. "I do them all at once. I'm retired."
I said, "We're retired, too, but we came 
on a tour bus!" I felt like I was talking
to royalty. Piglet was honored to meet her.

Pilgrims who walk the trail have a special passport (called a Credencial) that is stamped along the way. It also gains pilgrims entry to special trail hostels. Trail-finishers also get to register their accomplishment in the Pilgrims’ Office and receive an official certificate of completion (a Compostela). And finally, they earn the bragging rights to display a seashell on their backpack as a sign of accomplishment and club membership.

A completed Credencial. The owner said
there was no amount of money he'd sell it for.

Photo stolen off the interwebs since
I neglected to get a photo myself.

The logistics of walking the Camino
are fascinating! You can arrange to have
your luggage transported to each stop
so all you need to carry is what you need
for that day. Each night is spent at a 
hostel. Walking is typically completed 
each day by noon to get out of the heat.
So there's much socializing and resting
between walking days. It sounds like
a blast, honestly!

Not the only journaling I saw.

The seashell is the symbol of the trail. Blue signs with yellow lettering are posted along all the trails – in multiple countries –  to minimize anyone getting lost. And at the center of the square in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (the square is called the Praza do Obradoiro) is a small shell engraved in the granite floor, commemorating the final stop of the Camino de Santiago.

Typical road sign pointing the way.

We saw this in Portugal on our trip
last month!

Piglet at the finish line! He also provides a good
reference point for size. And confusion for other
tourists who wanted their own photos.

As you might guess, seashell-themed anything and everything is THE souvenir of Santiago de Compostela. Accordingly, I am sporting my new shell earrings today, and our new fridge when Tim is completed (getting there and going well by all accounts!) will have a commemorative magnet.

It this had been on a t-shirt, I probably would
have purchased it.

I am quite happy with these!
I love jewelry from vacations -
I can wear a memory without
making a big deal about it.

I love that there is a ponytail option!

Our day trip to Spain was so enjoyable. I fell in love with Spain again, with a non-seafoody lunch reminding me that Spain is FANTATISIC if I stay away from the fancypants “gastronomic” food.

Chicken paella, a nice Rose, fresh 
bread, and the best salad I've had in 
at least 2 months. They had 3 plates
of salad for our table of 10. None of the
8 Aussies were interested in the salad, so
I unapologetically ate one plate all by 
myself. No scurvy for me!

As much as I enjoyed the scenic ride through the Spanish countryside, the tour inside the cathedral, and the chicken-featured lunch, what really seeped into my soul was the pilgrims.

As we approached Santiago de Compostela, we saw a parade of hikers walking with “finish line” energy. The excitement and anticipation leapt off the sidewalk and sat next to me on the air-conditioned bus.

There were lots of adolescents in the parade.
You need to walk a minimum of the last
100km (about 62 miles) in order
to earn bragging rights. So there might be
a lot of school/youth groups that do a 
shorter pilgrimage.

When we got to the Praza do Obradoiro with the seashell finish line, our guide pointed out the pilgrims’ entry archway. It wasn’t hard to find, as joyous backpackers streamed through to the accompaniment of a bagpiper.

It almost felt like the finish line for
The Amazing Race. SO MUCH JOY!

I stood in the square and watched the celebration. People arrived with arms victoriously raised. People arrived with cheers. People arrived with skips and trots. People arrived with hugs. People arrived with tears.

I could have spent hours in the square, quietly witnessing goals met, accomplishments proclaimed, lives changed. It was moving and inspiring and deep.

Rob and I clapped and cheered for a few groups, who seemed surprised but touched to be celebrated by strangers. If I lived nearby, I would be a regular fixture in the Praza do Obradoiro, loudly acknowledging and recognizing the realization of dreams.

I wanted to respect people's privacy so
I tried not to take photos. But I saw 
many moments like this.

And a note to my niece Erilyn: if you decide to walk it, Rob and I will be there at the finish line to celebrate with you. Seriously.

We trekked The Restaurant Street.
Sadly no certificates for that.

Next stop: Le Havre/Normandy, France!