Now I Remember...

When I was a little girl, my sister and I used to play a game on long car rides (in those days "long" was from Oshkosh to Pickett), by seeing how many cars we could spot with licenses from states other than Wisconsin.  Generally, on a good ride, we might spot one or two.  I was reminded of that game today as Rick and I drove down Main Street in Dunedin.  In a few short blocks, I saw cars from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, and the ever-present Ontario, Canada.  I really wonder, if a true census were taken, how many winter residents of Dunedin really are native-born Floridians.  Not more than 50%, I would guess.

Of course, all of us people from the North have come here for the same reason: to escape the cold and the snow.  Today, in Wisconsin, we know that schools were closed state-wide as anywhere from 4 - 12" of snow fell from the sky.  In Green Bay, schools were closed in anticipation of 8" or more.  Would I have wanted to awake to that today?  No, not really.  Today dawned clear and sunny in Dunedin with the promise of 80 degree temperatures.  By this afternoon, the temp was 83, Rick and I changed into shorts, and we sat in the backyard enjoying the sunshine and the wonderful warm breeze. We were able to take a wonderful walk this evening after dinner as has become our habit. A picture-perfect day.  Now I remember why we bought Gladys and are working so hard to make her a strong, beautiful, welcoming home for the winter.

In an effort to improve Gladys, Rick transferred the dead blot and door handles from the old louvered kitchen door to the new door in the laundry room.  We added insulation around the door, so we know that the new door will be 10 times more energy efficient than the old door. Then he tackled the job of removing the old kitchen door, which was surprisingly heavy, and removing the framing around the door.  We thought that removing the old framing would be a difficult chore, but in reality, it came out in large pieces.

The results are evident in the attached pictures.

The view from the laundry room back into
the kitchen.  The pocket door slides into
this opening.

The old door is gone, and the original block wall
is exposed in the opening. We'll add drywall
to finish this space that leads into the
laundry room.

In the evening, we will still be able to close
off the kitchen from the laundry with the
pocket door.

We know that by enclosing the laundry facilities, we have greatly increased the value of the house.  More importantly, we have provided a climate-controlled, clean, inviting place to complete a necessary chore.  Each day, Gladys feels more like home, and that feeling also reminds me why we came to Florida.