As we get settled in to our new home in Texas, one thing has become abundantly clear. The house is considerably smaller than the California house. To this end, I have begun a few projects to rectify the problem of lack of storage. One, was to build a shelf unit for the bedroom closet It is a small, walk in with two clothes poles on either side. The new shelf adds room for shoes and extra clothes. It really cleaned up the clutter. Next was the laundry room. I started a linen closet/laundry hamper/refrigerator unit yesterday. I still have the face frames and doors to build but the main shelf carcass is up and installed. The fridge will go in the center, of course. The lower left will be a pull out hamper and the rest will serve as linen storage. This is a spare refrigerator, not the main one that's in the kitchen now. It seem odd that two people would want, or need, two refrigerators but we filled ours to capacity many times. I tend to over cook, so we always have tons of leftovers. Also, the ice maker cannot keep up with us during the summer, so two ice makers and the extra freezer to keep lots of ice stored

Howdy Y'all

, A bit over a year ago, we helped our oldest grand daughter move to Waco Texas. We were taken by the whole area, the people and the entire Texas experience. Last month, we made a return trip to visit and "look around" at some houses. We ended up buying a home in Valley Mills, population 1202, about 20 miles outside of Waco. It is located in the country among cattle ranches and other agrarian activities. We have 5.25 acres, a bit more than twice what we have here in SoCal. The house is smaller with two bedrooms and one bath. It is plenty to satisfy our needs. There is a good sized bonus room, which will be Wifey's new sewing room, so we will still have an extra bedroom, for an occasional guest. There is a good sized steel shop building for all of my tomfoolery as well as three large carports and a number of smaller storage buildings for stashing all of my treasures (junk). The previous owner is a fencing contractor, so the property is very nicely fenced and cross fenced for animals, etc. I think we will like it here. Actually, we have little choice. Once you leave California, there is little chance of returning due to crazy prices, taxes and so on. Texas will be a good place to live out the time that I have remaining.

"A" New Beginning

I cut a deal, the other day, on this Model A Ford. It is, pretty much, what I was looking for, a sedan or a rumble seat coupe. I sorta wanted a 28 or 29 since they have a more antique look than the 30 and 31s, but this will suit me, just fine. The price was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I think it's a lot of car for the money. I have not seen it, yet, but I don't think it will disappoint. The owner and the guy who recommended it both seem to be straight shooters. No money has exchanged hands yet, so I can still walk away.