How often do you get an opportunity to help a Tad-Pole?
Many of you who have been on With the Barretts adventures are aware of my connection with Amphibian Stage Productions – a fantastic, cutting-edge, often mind blowing professional theater located in the Near Southside neighborhood of Fort Worth.
If you’re a member, you know that Amphibian’s shows are not to be missed. (If you’re not a member, click the link, above, and rectify that deficiency.) You may or may not know about the wonderful community outreach work that the ‘Phibs do – including the Tad-Poles. Well, it’s time you learned, and this is your opportunity to help a Tad-Pole!
Venice gets a lot of bad press these days, primarily because of the crowds. I can’t say that it’s completely unjustified. Around St. Mark’s and the Rialto Bridge, the throngs of people can be maddening, especially when there is a cruise ship (or two or three) bobbing at anchor nearby.
But St. Mark’s and Rialto Bridge, as spectacular as they are, are by no means all that Venice has to offer. Some would even say that they’re not even the best that Venice has to offer. Count me in this latter group.
Venice is a captivating, confusing, utterly beautiful city. We are having a wonderful time, even though the weather has been a bit uneven (that’s Debra atop the bridge in the photo, above, with her lovely head encased in a hood against a light rain).
Silly Selfie – Grand Canal
This is a teaser post. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to doing a complete post – or series of posts – on Venice but I wanted to give you just a taste. To let you know that you’re on our minds.
It is a big, wonderful world out there and we hope that you’ll make every effort to experience as much of it as possible.
So, until we have time to sit and visit and look at LOTS of pictures, I hope you enjoy these few glimpses of a truly lovely Venice Adventure.
Guest post by Debra showing off the changes to the tiniest bath at Hildring House – with lovely photos by the lovely Amber Shumake.
As promised, Debra is here with one of a couple of posts that she’ll do about the conclusion of the Hildring House Adventure – the re-do of the little bitty bath in Debra’s Domain. I’ll be throwing in some before shots for context – they’re easy to distinguish from Amber’s lovely after shots. As usual, when I just can’t resist chiming in, I’ll do so in italics.
We may have a new contender for the title of the tiniest bath at an upcoming project, but now, let’s just enjoy the lovely photographs from my wildly talented friend Amber Shumake.
The light fixture (@hudson valley) looks so great in here! I’m happy with the all-brass decision, but it’s always sad to leave the “finds” behind- gotta keep that warehouse full of things for future projects so I can move on peacefully 😊.
Part 2 of the amazing Hildring House transformation in before and after pictures.
Sorry that it has taken me so long to get around to continuing the before & after shots of the Hildring House transformation. Things have been pretty busy, what with Valentine’s Day and getting ready to move.
Front Oblique View of Hildring House
That’s right. Hildring House soon will have new owners and Debra and I will be off to a new remodeling adventure. For now, though, let’s keep looking at the changes that took place at Hildring House. Once again, unless otherwise noted, all of the “after” pictures are by the wonderful Trey Freeze.
Let’s start back in the dining/living/kitchen area.
Before.
See how isolated the kitchen was? And not just because of the wall. The dramatic change in flooring material segregated the spaces. The pass-through, while a pretty convenient idea, did nothing to help the flow.
After
Removing the wall, installing the bar/island, getting rid of the fluorescent light box, recessing the kitchen lighting and carrying the same, wonderful oil-rubbed wood flooring throughout all of the area – and painting everything white – made it miles more open, welcoming, and accommodating.
A guest post from Michael Longsdon at elderfreedom.net about downsizing for seniors.
Dan here. We’re going to take a brief break from the transformation at Hildring House to explore downsizing.
Michael Longsdon of elderfreedom.net reached out wanting to share some information on downsizing for seniors on With the Barretts. I thought this was a timely subject (and not just because I’m knocking on the door of Social Security and Medicare, myself). This month’s issue of Debra’s real estate newsletter – Harmonious Home Adventures – is devoted to downsizing.
Folks downsize for all sorts of reasons and aging is a major one, for sure. So, our thanks to Michael and elderfreedom.net for taking the time and recognizing that adventures take many forms. Here is Michael’s article:
The Best Advice for Seniors Wanting a Successful Downsize for Their Golden Years
Are you considering transitioning into a smaller home for your golden years? Moving into a house which will be less costly and easier to maintain can be tempting, but sometimes, the process of downsizing is daunting. Here is some important advice for finding the right home and making a successful transition.
