I'm back!

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NoisyPorkchop
Posts: 183
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: In the middle of the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

I'm back!

Post by NoisyPorkchop »

Hello everyone,

Sorry about the absence over the last several months, but I have been extraordinarily busy. Last I mentioned, my FIL had passed away, we were dealing with the estate, family issues and some medical issues of our own. On top of it, we needed to remodel the main house my FIL lived in as it was in dire need of some TLC so I have been swamped with everything. But, always, my mind kept nagging at me "You gotta get back on the forums, get back to the forums!" LOL, so my life is shifting to a "new normal" and has slowed down enough to where I can get back into some of my routine, one of which was posting on the forums :)

The whole estate situation went rather quickly with my FIL as he didn't really have a whole lot to begin with. Mostly taking care of his final medical bills, family didn't really want much of his personal belongings, just mostly pictures and small sentimental items, so most of it got donated to Goodwill. After that DH pretty much divvied up the remaining cash among his six siblings and they go just over five thousand dollars each. They have all done well in life and it was weird to see how "Meh" their attitude was about the money. I know my FIL scrimped and saved so he could leave something to his kids. I often wonder if my FIL could have known that his kids didn't really give a hoot about the cash if he would have done things differently, maybe spent more on himself or done a few more fun things later in his life. My husband doesn't think so and that he would have saved just the same.

The house remodel was pretty extensive. I had been saving for several years to do the remodel so the cash had been set aside for this purpose. We repainted every single room and brightened the house with new color and window blinds. We tore up the bad kitchen floor and had a company come in and put new vinyl flooring and recover the countertops with new laminate. New light fixtures in every room. The biggest expense was refinishing the old worn oak hardwood floors, but they turned out beautiful and the whole house was dragged out of its dull, drab, outdated state and it feels almost like a brand new home. But, boy, it sure was a tiring time working on it during every spare moment we had. When we moved out of the little attached apartment we had been living in for years I cleaned it up and my youngest DSD moved into it. She had moved out of the cramped apartment back last November while we were all living in it, and was going to go live with her Mom after she divorced and got a place of her own. It was ok for the first four months or so then DSD's Mom hooked up with a total loser of a man who moved in and everything went downhill. Bickering and fighting broke out and it became stressful and DSD was trying to save money to get her own place with her own boyfriend when we were able to move out of the one bedroom apartment and get moved into the main house so she could move into the apartment. We told her that rent is $500 a month and that includes the water/sewer/garbage and the continued hookup to the satellite dish we had. She is responsible for her own electric bill and her own personal food and whatnot. We told her she starts paying rent come September as we wanted to give her a chance to save some money (hopefully so, anyway).

So...hubby and I are simply adjusting to our new normal in life. I actually have a dining room and huge living room and a spare bedroom to use as a little home office/guest bedroom. I am adjusting to a REAL kitchen I can cook in, instead of the tiny galley kitchen I had used. We decided we had a little spare money to order a new living room couch and loveseat set and they will be here in about 10 days or so. I am just down to now doing a handful of small things around here like getting the home office the way I want it and a few decor items I am wanting. But, mostly just settling in. The last year of my life has been a whirlwind (and sometimes felt like a tornado, lol) with losing both in-laws within 11 months of each other, DH's sinus surgeries (he still complains), the estate and the remodel, working full time, etc. The very last item to take care of is September 1st the family is driving out to the mountains and having a private scatter ceremony for both my in-laws ashes as their final request was to be cremated and scattered on a mountaintop. So, the mountain my BIL picked happens to be clear at the other end of the state :shock: but that is a place my FIL loved to go camp and fish at back in his more active years so that is where we will set them free.

I have been spending money out of my savings that was specifically set aside for this remodel, but it is time to start to reign in that spending. I had saved for so long that it was actually hard, at first, to spend the money, lol! I still have a little left, but I am getting back to my frugal ways, menu planning, still keeping up on my budget, mindful of my driving habits, etc., and cutting back on being a spendypants. Glad to be back on the forums too! Well, I have to get moving, get ready for the day and get dinner cooked for hubby as I work 11:30 to 8 pm today. Take care everyone!
floridacatlover
Posts: 8056
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: I'm back!

Post by floridacatlover »

Welcome back, Porkchop! I’ve thought about you and knew you were working on your DFIL’s home, now your home. 100% credit to you.

The ceremony on the mountaintop will be nice. Perfect that it is a place that your DFIL loved to camp and fish. It will be sad for your DH but hopefully peaceful, too.
gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Re: I'm back!

Post by gaylejackson2 »

Good to have you back.

Your “new” home sounds lovely.
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Jackielou
Posts: 13423
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:51 pm

Re: I'm back!

Post by Jackielou »

Nice to see a post from you once again. Welcome back.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
ChristmasTrees
Posts: 3982
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 12:53 am

Re: I'm back!

Post by ChristmasTrees »

Well YOU have been busy! Nice to see you back.
Scattering the ashes in a place that was special to your DFIL is perfect.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: I'm back!

Post by Dgflorida »

Welcome back
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