Family Time During Remodeling Chaos

Tornado Art (2006-2019)

Nothing stays the same.  Sometimes changes are well planned and are close to what was expected.  Sometimes changes happen suddenly and we survive and adapt.  Mostly we move forward as changes are inevitable.  The remodeling we did this year was disruptive but we came out better than expected although for a short time it felt and looked like a tornado came through!  I have wrote about remodeling the lower level, kitchen, dining, hallway, and living rooms in recent blogs.  This is about surviving the time during the remodeling of three bedrooms which included all the flooring upstairs which were already detailed.  I have some awesome surviving skills which begins with the story of this Tornado Art that I had framed and kept basically to myself until now.  Here's the story:

May 2003 I bicycled 250 miles of the Katy Trail alone, fully packed, staying at B&B's along the way from Clinton to St. Louis with return by Amtrak and additional biking. It was during these 7 days/6 nights that a series of destructive tornadoes took out the City of Stockton and Pierce City not far from my home in Hermitage. The storms and countless tornadoes moved NE across the state. I stayed ahead of them moving in the same direction. Couldn't go home or stay where I was; just kept moving as planned alone on the trail 30-50 miles/day catching up on what was happening behind me each evening at a B&B from the news. I stopped counting trees fallen across the trail that I had to go over or around with a fully packed bike at 20 when I crossed the Missouri River past Booneville. I have no doubt that there were at least 20 more! Kept going and rained on only once for a couple hours; the storms were that close! After the adventure, I thought to get a tornado tattoo on my leg as a reminder of my experience and searched the internet for photos. I found this print and had a customized frame made instead of getting a tattoo. It was hung in my weekday townhouse in Jeff City while I worked as manager of the State Tax Commission. It was to remind me daily of my strength and endurance as I worked and lived among some powerful politics and people. I held my ground and moved in a positive direction that never compromised my ideals and purpose. It reminded me that Nature is stronger than anything man can create and can destroy it in a flash. When I had made all the changes I wanted to policies and procedures in my department and had all I wanted of Jeff City, I moved back to Hermitage full time and hung the tornado in my home office...just for me. Now I'm ready to let go of it and set it free again. It is a good time now that we are remodeling the room.  Hope it finds a good home where its beauty, strength, and quality is appreciated just like me.  I decided to donate it to a local not-for-profit art gallery in Bolivar where it was part of a silent auction the weekend I had a huge carport sale on Labor Day weekend.  Time to re-value our space and the most important part of it is and always will be FAMILY!  

On Memorial Weekend, we were just days away from the chaos which would include living in the space as we remodel them.  Before the floors and kitchen were complete remodeling was postponed to make comfortable room for my brother and son to visit from out of state.  It was the next few months until Labor Day Weekend that we enjoyed the love and strength we got from spending time with family that saw us through successfully.  It began with my Iowa brother's yearly visit which always included ice cream!

Beti & Eddie at Andy's in Osage Beach

The Annual Watercolor Exhibit at Springfield's Art Museum with Keith is a yearly favorite especially on opening night with food and drinks included as we meet the artists!

Bass Pro Hemingway's Restaurant in Springfield is a great family tradition for seafood dinner.   

Beti & Jake at The Outlet below the Pomme de Terre Dam Hermitage

Beti & Sarah in front of Joe's Crab Shack Branson

Beti on the Katy Trail

Granddaughter Kayleen with Bubbles in Branson

Gardening with My Granddaughter in Branson

My Branson Girls at The Landing Fountain

Itty Bitty City in Springfield is the Party Place for this Minnie Mouse 2nd Birthday 

Carport Sale on Labor Day Weekend is the Grand Finale...for NOW!

By this weekend, we were back to normal!  We were fully using our kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway, stairway to the lower level, and back in our newly remodeled, beautiful bedroom after basically living on the lower level with all this stuff!  There's more room in the new office and the extra bedroom is now my yoga room and will soon have a daybed for my granddaughter to stay overnight.  

We then took another break to enjoy activities around us and to travel to Hot Springs, Arkansas for our yearly trip.  Time to rest and relax and gain new strength for the next projects starting with a new deck and siding that has already begun at this writing.  Next year I plan to complete the interior remodeling of two bathrooms.  Now is the time to plan.