Remodeling Lower Level - Completed (well, almost)

Here is what the Lower Level looks like in March 2012; eight months after we first began to remodel in August 2011.  There are still things left to do, but it is now livable and is in use.  You may notice that the decorating is minimal at this point but is an ongoing project as we grow into our new space and make it personal.  Feel free to make any suggestions as we are open to new ideas!

We begin with the decent to the Lower Level from the main floor.  The stairway had a light fixture originally placed on the left wall and was limited on the area spotlighted.  With the new fixture mounted on a rail on the ceiling, the whole stairwell is now lit.  It is easy to change the light bulb by using a pole to hook onto the light fixture and draw it forward to the top of the stairs, then return it to the middle position.

 A new light fixture on the stairway

We have also replaced an old-fashion ceramic light fixture in the dining room on the main floor.  The door to the lower floor in shown on the right.

The beautiful colored glass dome is hung on a chain that allows lowering to clean and change bulbs.  This new light produces a warm glow unlike the harsh bright lights from the old fixture. 

The carpet on the stairway is the original carpet and needs replaced.  This will be done when the main floor is remodeled so it will match the main floor carpeted hallway.  The recessed bookcase on the stairway used to contain books.  Since we now have more than enough bookcases now, this area can be used for decorative items or artwork.  The wood paneled door on the left side under the stairway is a large wooden bin on wheels used for storage (blankets mostly).  The freezer is on the right.  Could use some art on this wall.

Stairway viewed from hallway

This next photo shows the newly created hallway with bookcases as divider walls forming the new bedroom on the right.  The bookcases are used for food storage, gardening books, and other household needs.

Hallway between stairway and food storage; door on left goes to unfinished side

Notice below the unfinished back of the bedroom's armour next to the food storage bookcase.  On top to the left is a case of cork tiles that we were going to use to cover this unsightly area.  We decided not to use the cork tiles because we discovered after we got them home that the adhesive backing was not sufficient to provide confidence they would stay mounted.  We will return them this week and find some wood paneling instead.  This wood paneling will also be use in a couple other areas where the back of furniture is showing in the bedroom.  Artwork of some kind and a mirror can then be added.

Food storage as viewed from stairway

Bedroom area viewed from stairway; curtains open 

There is no overhead light fixture in the bedroom.  This was done purposely because the bedroom can remain dark even when the other overhead lights in the whole room are on.  The bedroom is lit with 3 small lamps now.  May add a pole lamp if this is not sufficient.  Opening the curtains on two sides provides much light when privacy is not an issue.

Photo album storage as viewed from stairway and hallway

The Entertainment Center is a work in progress.  Currently we have a new LG 26" TV and a new Wii.  Keith has decided to build back a sound system with vintage equipment similar to what we had in the 1970's.  It will likely be moved upstairs when completed leaving room for artwork.  My Hobby Center was recently the area where about 30 storage containers were setting.  My most recently completed project was to go through each container and reduce items for storage.  I have emptied about half of the containers and will be donating items to the Salvation Army this week.  This process was a lot of work mixed with a lot of memories with decisions made on what to keep and what can go.  These containers were in a storage unit off the property while we completed the floors and painting.  The remaining containers are now located on new shelves built in the unfinished side.

Entertainment Center on left; Elizabeth's Hobby Center on right 

Entertainment Center viewed from stairs; curtains closed

Entertainment Center viewed from stairs; curtains open

This side of the Living Area Keith will set up for his Art Center with a bookcase for his supplies and art books.  He still has some unpacking to do to be set up.  On the right is the water distiller which we have recently decided to sell on Craig's List soon.  It has served us well but we have a new filter-based system on the way that will use less energy.  The shelving will stay and be used as needed.
I'm sure Keith will have the walls decorated as he wants for his area.

Keith's Art Center; water distiller and food dehydrator on right

Keith's Art Center on right; bedroom behind curtains 

This is an area that will need some additional work soon.  There are 3 storage containers of fly-fishing and fly-tying equipment that I would like to unpack and put up in a nice cabinet mounted on the wall along with some useful shelving.  Also some storage space is needed for sewing projects and anything else I grow into.  Right now, it is fishing time.  So I'm sure this project will be postponed awhile longer; maybe next winter.  All work and no play...

 

Elizabeth's Fly-Tying and Sewing/Hobby Center

We do have an immediate need for a comfortable place to sit and enjoy the Entertainment Center.  I hope to have a sofa purchased by early summer along with an area rug.  Maybe even some supporting chairs and tables as needed for comfort.  Notice the unfinished back of the bookcase next to the containers.  This is one of the areas that need some paneling.  I have to figure out what to with that space where the containers are in the photo.  The sofa will set in front of the center wall which makes an unused area that will be behind the sofa in front of the back of the bookcase.  Maybe a pole lamp if I can figure out the wiring situation?

Sofa will replace empty containers and face Entertainment Center 

Living Area view of Bedroom; curtains open

The Bedroom area needs some decorating.  Not sure what yet, but I will know when I see it.

 Bedroom view of Living Area; curtains open

Bedroom

 Bedroom area view of other side of food storage; curtains open

The Bedroom closet is mostly full right now with work files I an required to keep for 5 years.  Some of the boxes can be burned next year or two.  In the meantime, a hanging pole will be mounted and at least half of the closet can be used for clothes hanging.  

Bedroom closet and work file storage

The Bathroom had wallpaper replaced and all walls repainted.  It had a nautical theme previously.  Keith picked out this design and I like it too.  There is more work to be done including deep cleaning the tile grout and re-sealing, varnishing the wood cabinet, replacing some baseboard, and caulking the newly placed waterproof board in the shower stall ceiling area.  Not sure how to decorate yet.  Maybe new rugs and some simple designed art on the walls.

Bathroom - Toille wallpaper

Bathroom tiles

Bathroom shower; waterproofing ceiling area

The storage wall in the unfinished area is nearly complete.  I had purchased the Rubbermaid wire shelves and rails that make for a very strong system.  We have one more level of shelves to place but need 8 additional brackets.  We had used the 8 brackets to re-enforce the shelves where we felt they needed it so came up short.  We have some very heavy containers!  We will fill all the space.  I know I will be able to reduce a few more containers when I go through the Christmas stuff later in the year.  There are also some more toys that can go at that time too.  I know I will be able to expand when the kids retrieve their containers that have stuff from their childhood; another 8 containers!  Right now it is no problem to keep for them.

Unfinished side; storage shelves

Finally, a project that was once a large part of the unfinished area and much missed now will soon be re-instated...the wine making area!  I purchased a small freezer recently that will be converted to a wine cooler.  When the kids left home over 10 years ago, we had converted our too large freezer for wine making and bought a freezer that was the right size for two people.  The too large freezer was removed after it quit in 2006.  We will be ready to get back into wine making again soon!

Unfinished side; wine making area

Chuck, A Good Man

I pray that I may live to fish,

Until my dying day.

And when it comes to my last cast,

I then most humbly pray:

When in the Lord's great landing net,

And peacefully asleep,

That in His mercy I be judged,

Big enough to keep.

On February 20, 2012, Chuck passed away in his home at age 65.  He was the father of my son-in-law so I had only known Chuck since the October 2006 wedding of my daughter, Sarah and his son, Brian.  I knew Chuck had some health issues and some challenges in his health management.  We all thought he would be around many more years though.

I liked Chuck.  He had a great smile and made me feel comfortable around him.  I loved that he loved fly-fishing and growing plants.  We had that in common in addition to our love for Brian and Sarah.  My husband, Keith, and Chuck were getting to know each other better through Skype in recent months.  That began Thanksgiving Day 2011 when Chuck, Brian, and Sarah were in our home for dinner.  Our son, Jacob, joined us through Skype and it was fun and exciting for all to use this technology.  I believe Chuck got set up on his own computer that evening so he could expand his family and social contacts.  It was a very good Thanksgiving Day!

There was talk and tentative plans made for Chuck to join Keith and I fishing the following Spring.  I wish that I had the chance to fish with Chuck.  I had heard so many stories from Brian and wanted to add some new ones.  I am thinking that this Spring when I catch my first trout, I will  dedicate it to Chuck and release it.  I think I may do that once every year in his memory.  I will smile and think of Chuck, a good man, now in the Lord's great landing net.  Peace be with you.

Chuck with sons, Brian (left) and Troy (right)

Financial Planning - Reality Check

So now I'm into my 4th month of retirement.  The first month was a little scary because everything looked good on paper but I had to wait and see the process unfold before I could feel secure that the big change was actually real.  Because my retirement date was December 1, 2011, I knew taxes would take a big bite out of my income received because I chose to have my backdrop payment in addition to my pre-retirement income in the same year.  2012 will be much better.

As I suspected, there was not enough taxes withheld and I had a larger than expected tax bill for 2011.  There was no state tax taken out so I knew that would have to be paid also.  I am currently in the process of having my calculations checked by a professional accountant to be sure I am only paying what I owe and no more.  After my large tax bill is paid, I will rest easier.  There are still a few unsettled issues concerning a balance of security between my husband's income and my new income but I'm sure we will have things worked out in the near future.  I believe we have a gap in life insurance coverage and are in process of shopping for a good affordable policy.

I don't have any problem managing my bills and am able to save some money into an emergency fund each month.  I paid a couple years ahead for my Health Savings Account so that's not a worry.  My monthly health insurance premium is much higher than when I was working but I understand it is much less than the average retiree.  An added benefit I am seeing is an improvement in my health since I retired which means less medicine because of less stress from job-related traveling, eating out and politics!  I have also had more time for exercise and meal planning which has already made a significant difference by lowering my weight and blood sugars. 

I have been able to put some more money into the lower floor remodeling.  I have purchased six bookcases and a wall of Rubbermaid wire shelving for storage.  The only items left to purchase over the next few months are some additional cabinets for my hobby area, another area rug, and a sofa.  A few unexpected expenses have come up which included a new water filter system to replace the old distiller and some body work done on my new car from hitting a turkey. Time to slow down on the spending, get caught up, and then continue to move forward with home improvements later in the year.  I think there will be more fishing and gardening with less shopping in the next quarter!

A large portion of my backdrop money was not taxed and was instead transferred into my deferred compensation account already established that contained my investment savings.  This larger amount has shown a significant increase in January and February which I watch carefully.  I am learning more about my investment portfolio each week and have confidence that it is the best place for my money. The management company provides many tools for my use. Here are some sites that are provided for me:

http://www.modeferredcomp.org/
https://www.mosers.org/en.aspx

I think this first year of retirement income will be a good learning experience.  Now that all the backdrop money is put in the appropriate place, the investments are working for my future and I have only my actual monthly pension to live on, I can finally have a Reality Check of financial security.  It will only be as good as I make it.   I am fortunate to be part of a large public group with plenty of tools and resources to help me in my Financial Planning. 

The Joy of Real Estate Appraisal

After a couple of months adjusting to retirement as a General Certified Appraiser that worked 27 years exclusively for the State of Missouri, I am taking some time to reflect on my position in the rest of the appraisal world.  The first 25 years were fun and interesting and allowed me to grow in my skills.  There were many positive aspects along with many changes in the real estate industry since the 1980's; too many to address in one blog.  For the most part, I enjoyed the freedom to work on my own, have a home office that allowed me to put my family first, travel, and really get to know the people and properties in 25 counties in SW Missouri.  Most rewarding was the confidence I developed in my appraisal skills as I grew in experience and education.  I had the credentials of a bonafide commercial appraiser.  The financial and other benefits working as a state employee exclusively are good and addressed in other areas of my blog.

The past couple years were negative experiences for the most part.  I was surprised to find that letting go of the bureaucratic policies and procedures of the current client would be so easy...it was like opening a window and breathing fresh air!  As Manager for the Ratio Section (4/06-10/07), I felt a similar exhilaration as I changed and created policies and procedures that had been established the previous 27 years from the only former manager, Jim Follina.  What I did during that relatively short time completely changed what had been excepted before and it was extremely rewarding to be allowed to make all the changes I set out to do; or at least draw attention to areas that needed changes.  We become transparent.  I identified the areas of strength and of weakness and put policies and procedures in place to improve.  I left the Ratio Section better than I found it.  But my heart was in being a field appraiser and I was fortunate to be allowed to return to what I enjoyed the most and with a substantial raise in pay.  It was more fun to be responsible for my own work than to enforce the new policies and procedures for a couple dozen staff appraisers.  I worked about four years in the field as a Commercial Appraiser after I was Ratio Manager.  I retired December 1, 2011; about three years after I became eligible to retire.

After returning to field appraising, the first two years were directly influenced by the policies and procedures I had put into place as manager.  It was wonderful with a deep satisfaction in producing the kind of appraisals of which I was proud, that served the public with the truth, and were transparent produced in ways that explained the path to value followed by the appraiser.  I felt I could do this work forever!  The replacement manager accepted my work.  My appraisals were not challenged by any assessor.  My intuition, based on experience, was valued in my skills to develop market value.  Intuition is an important aspect of appraisal when market value does not follow text book criteria due to a lack of sales in rural areas or any area with limited or no market activity.  My skills are unique as is my experience valuing properties that have limited or no market value.  Most of the properties I have appraised fit this description as an ad valorem tax appraiser.  The validation of this unique skill comes with the retrospective nature in which properties are appraised for the client all in compliance with accepted standards (USPAP).

The last two years were directly influenced by the policies and procedures put into place by the replacement manager, Shawn Ordway.  Although adequately experienced in his local family appraisal business (mostly residential-type appraisals) and serving the public as an elected official as Cole County Assessor (one uncompleted term), he also volunteered for the state appraisal board and served as chairman a couple years.  He finally became a General Certified Appraiser in the year after I left the manager position.  I had high hopes that he would continue the policies and procedures I had put into place and produce the Ratio Study Reports in a timely manor which is the main purpose of this section of the State Tax Commission as the oversight agency for the state in monitoring assessment offices.  The Ratio Reports were not completed until 9/2011.  Too many changes were implemented in the 2009-2010 Ratio Cycle.  These changes have muddied the otherwise clear waters I left as manager. 

There are too many areas to address in this blog but, specifically, the areas of concern were in sale validation and local multiplier tests.  I was not comfortable using the replacement manager's tools in my appraisals and felt that they weaken, rather than strengthened, my appraisals.  These inadequate tools and other policies and procedures took the "fun" out of appraising for me.  Of course, I invited discussion of these methods and tools required by the replacement manager but soon realized that any "open door policy" was for appearance only and to watch your ass when you turn your back so as to not have that door hit you.   Anytime I referenced my experience and intuition as part of my path to value (only used when no other defensible market value was possible), it felt like a witch-hunt and I was "burned-at-the-stake" for speaking of it instead of obediently applying tools that are not relevant.  Appraising to serve the public has become appraising to serve the lawyers.  I refused to "make" the so-called tools mentioned look like they are producing a reliable conclusion in my appraisals.  I believe it to be misleading. I clearly stated when there was limited marketability and why experience and appraiser's opinion was the best indication of value.  I had completed three counties that had been accepted and processed in this ratio cycle.  I had the remaining three counties completed on schedule and awaiting final approval from the replacement manager. There was a six-month period when we could have worked out any problems between the time I completed the three remaining counties and his end date of this ratio cycle.  The replacement manager was already months late to present a Final Ratio Report to the Commission for all 115 counties from all appraisers.  My final three county appraisals suddenly became unacceptable on September 30, 2011 during a manager conference call that included my "silent supervisor."  These three counties were no different than the first three counties that were approved in the beginning of the ratio cycle in the issues of concern.  I felt like I was thrown under a bus and later that day in an email, told my supervisor and the assistant manager that I didn't see it coming.  Their response was silence. At the end of that day, I started the retirement process which takes no less than two months.  No one saw saw that coming either.  I gave only two weeks written notice (6 weeks later) never speaking to the replacement manager again after his call on September 30, 2011.  He is not the man that I thought he was in the first two years.  If he is in fact the good man I thought he was, he changed under pressure from the Commission to reduce staff which is possible considering the declining economy and state budget.  Because I was already eligible for retirement, I may be the one employee that may be affected the least.  Whatever the case, I no longer have any respect for the State Tax Commission and do not want to waste anymore of my time with them.  I trust my intuition that this was the right decision to retire at this time as I believe it would only get worse if I stayed.  Now, four months after I decided to retire from the STC, I was right because I feel a great weight lifted and know in my heart I'm in a better place. 

Unfortunately, my idea of integrity is no longer in the majority.  The world has changed.  The joy of appraising has changed because it has become necessary to make market value to protect yourself rather than see it for what it is and be honest that sometimes there is no other defensible marketability other than what is developed from experience and intuition.  I want no part of an appraisal industry that has eliminated the human element.  Time to move on to having a life that celebrates Intuitive Value.

Since real estate appraising has been such a large part of my life, I will take a break from it and re-evaluate if my experience and skills can again bring joy into my life.  I need to jump in once in awhile now that I'm detached from any State Tax Commission influence and see if real estate appraising can be a joyful experience again...I'm not even sure I want it to be at this point.  Rather than just stop being an appraiser, I will complete my Continuing Education (CE) for this term and pay for my license which will be good for another two years beginning June 2012.  I only have one 7-hr class remaining at this point and that is Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) which I will take before June 2012.  I want to keep my General Appraisal Certification which I attained in August 2005.  If I cannot find any joy or desire to appraise when it comes time to renew again in June 2014, I will officially de-activate my license.  Once that is done, to activate it again, takes 28 hours of  CE (about $600) and pay the $300 license fee.  I'll know by then if the joy of appraising is still in my heart.  The world may change...right?

Exercise - SBU Wellness Center

Most winters since 1992, I have used the facilities at Southwest Baptist University for exercise.  It is located in Bolivar, Missouri about 30 minutes from my home in Hermitage.  The current website is:

http://www.sbuniv.edu/wellness_center/facilities.html

I first became interested in the Olympic-size indoor pool three weeks after neck surgery in early January 1992 when I was 38 years old.  I wanted some low impact exercise to get back on track with my active lifestyle.  I joined a structured swim program that hopefully would allow me to become a certified lifeguard by May.  My goal was to get stronger and I succeeded. As an added benefit, I could increase outdoor activities in Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Stream Team,Church Activities and wherever I could be of help to allow children to enjoy water activities since a Certified Lifeguard was required for insurance purposes.  This opened up much opportunity for me to be with young people and added much satisfaction to my life.  I kept up the certifications for six years which also included First Aid and CPR.  By the end of the 1990's, I was no longer interested in organized water activities with children since mine grew up and moved away.  It was a wonderful decade centered around water activities and young people!  I kept up my swim skills each January - May 2-3 times per week swimming laps for 30 minutes.  At that time, membership was not required and anyone could come and pay $1 to use the pool and locker facilities.  What a deal!

Sometime in the early 2000's, a major renovation of the facilities occurred over 2-3 years.  A wonderful gym was built and furnished and the pool area renovated.  New locker rooms and showers were built.  The facility had become the Wellness Center and now requires membership with monthly dues.  During this renovation, I missed a couple years of winter swims but joined a YMCA in Jefferson City one year when I lived nearby and also had an elliptical machine at home.  After another neck surgery in 2007, I became a member to supplement my physical therapy.  It took longer this time to get my strength back but I have noticed that in January 2012, I am physically stronger than I have ever been!  I believe it is because my neck issues have been resolved and I have added weight-lifting to my routine.  My activities at the Wellness Center now include 45 minutes on a treadmill, 15 minutes of weight machines, and 30 minutes of swim laps.  I do this 3 days a week.  My membership will continue until the end of May this year.  Soon I will mix it up with one of several different aerobic classes available.  All this is in addition to using my elliptical machine at home during bad weather and my 3-mile Dam Walks on nice days. 

I know that exercise will continue to be a major part of my lifestyle as being inactive for a little as two weeks, makes me sad and has a negative affect on the quality of my life.  When I have had a good week of exercise which is 3-5 days of 30-90 minutes of activity, I am at my best and I sleep better and am in balance.  My intuition is at its best!

My Best Friend Daffney

Of all the pets we have had, Daffney was by far the sweetest member of our family.  Her mother, Sassy, was also sweet but with a large measure of sass, of course!  Sassy was only 17 months old when her firstborn, Daffney, arrived in Sarah's bedroom closet. Between the two of them, there were 23 puppies born.  So much joy in the house!  So many pictures in the photo albums.  So many good memories and fun!  We were blessed.

Sassy and Daffney were best friends until Sassy passed away October 2009 just a couple weeks short of her 15th birthday.  Daffney passed away a couple years later on December 3, 2011 at 15 years and 8 months.  It was good that Keith and I were able to spend all our time with each of them during their final days in our home.  It was a very, very sad time but peaceful and natural to be with our best friends to comfort them. 

In addition to all the wonderful photos of both Sassy and Daffney in our family albums, I have these most recent photos to share.  It is especially sad this Christmas as the nest is even more empty.  Before we had children, we had pets always around since our first year together in 1973.  This has also come at the time I retired and starting a different pace of life.  It will take some getting use too but I am optimistic that it will all work out in time naturally. It is the right time.  It will be sad for as long as it needs to be.  Both Sassy and Daffney will forever be in our hearts and we thank God for the time that we did have and the joy and friendship they brought into our lives.  This Spring, we will place their new blue stone memorials on their grave sites in our flower garden in our yard.  We will smile and remember them always.

Here we have Sassy and Daffney in their Happy Halloweenie costumes in 2008.

                                                             My sweet foot warmers!

Here is Sassy about 6 weeks before she passed away in October 2009.  She had heart issues.

These three photos above were taken in October 2010.  Daffney proved to be a good companion out in public and we began to take her everywhere with us.  After her mother died, we could no longer leave her alone for long.

This would be Daffney's last winter experience after a blizzard in early 2011. I don't think she wanted to go through another one like that!

This photo was taken just after Daffney's yearly physical on June 21, 2011.  The Veterinarian said said she was very healthy for her age just two months after her 15th birthday!  She was slowing down a bit and her eyes weren't clear but she was happy and got around well enough.  She still would walk with what I called a "hoppity-skip" once in awhile.  She did this when she was full of joy!

These three photos above taken in September 2011 show Daffney with Keith and I when we visited the recently flooded areas near Whiting, Iowa where Keith has family.  Daffney traveled very well!  We loved having her with us and she was no problem at all.  So we decided she could do well to be with us again on our yearly Hot Springs, Arkansas vacation in late October.  This was her second time to Hot Springs and her last trip together with us. 

The above photos were taken on a walk around Garvan Woodland Gardens near Hot Springs, Arkansas.  We carried Daffney most of the time but she never passed up an opportunity to drink water even when she had to share it with the fishes!  The profile photo was the last one taken as she passed away 6 weeks later at home.  She had stopped eating a couple days and on December 1st, we took her to the Veterinarian who took X-rays and blood tests and gave us the sad news that Daffney was in her final days.  Her kidneys were failing.  We brought her home and stayed with her all the time.  Two days later she passed away while we watched "A Wonderful Life" on TV. 

The next day we buried her in our backyard and will plant flowers next Spring.  Sassy's grave is a few feet away.  I went online and found just the right blue stone memorials custom made from Adirondack Stone Works at www.petmemorial.net located in New York.  Sassy was always known as our lap dog as she would insist on sitting in your chair and even scoot you over to squeeze in on the left side.  Then she would nudge your hand to pet her head while she was awake. Daffney was a foot dog.  She always liked best to be at your feet and lay her head upon them.  She would lean into any neck scratches done with your feet.  On the memorials I had engraved for Sassy, "Forever in our hearts...now in God's lap."  For Daffney I had engraved, "Forever in our hearts...now at God's feet."  It will be a quiet Christmas full of love and good memories.

Remodeling Lower Level - Painting

Painting began on my first day of retirement on December 1, 2011.  It was also the day that Keith and I took our Dachshund, Daffney, to the vet first thing because she had stopped eating a couple days.  Sadly we were told she was in her end days and we took her home where she can be most comfortable in familiar surroundings and both of us attentive to her needs.  Fortunately, I had all my painting supplies ready to go and the first day went slow as I checked on Daffney off and on.  It was good to stay busy and yet be close.  Daffney passed away three days later and the painting was good therapy and lasted two weeks.  Sometimes the cloth I used to wipe my tears was also the cloth I used to wipe paint smudges so looking in the mirror made me smile once in awhile as I moved forward.

The paint I choose was from Valspar with a one-coat eggshell finish.  The three colors are Canyon Earth, Wool Coat, and Warm Buff. 

Here you can see the colors with Warm Buff inside the closet and under the archway, Canyon Earth on the archway and the wall with the sliding glass door.  Wool Coat is on the wall with the water distiller.

Shortly after I finished all the painting, we noticed how the suspended ceiling looked sagging.  We had replaced about a half dozen ceiling tiles earlier because they were off-colored and slightly stained.  We thought that would be enough.  After the new floor and paint, we decided to tear out the whole ceiling and replace all the tiles and added more brackets for additional support.  Of course, in the process, there was a huge mess to clean up and some touch-up painting afterwards.

The spots on all the photos are from my camera...not on the walls!  Here you can see the dust created from removing the old ceiling.  We already completed the side of the room in the picture and the mess is from the other side.  So I had a big cleaning job!  Luckily, all it took was wiping the dust off the walls and letting it all settle for the shop-vac to suck-up. 

Here's the finished cleaned-up room with some spots still on my camera:

View from end of room by the distiller looking toward the wall that separates the unfinished room with the wood stove and furnace.  The fan will help heat the newly remodeled room.

View from the corner that will be the bedroom looking toward the sliding glass doors in the family room.  This bedroom area will soon be blocked off with storage shelves as partitions.

View from the family room looking under the archway with the stairs going tto the upper floor on the right and the door to the bathroom and unfinished area on the left.

View of the bedroom area from the family room under the archway.  This view will soon be blocked with storage shelves and a curtain doorway on the right.

View of the stairwell from the bedroom area.  This will be soon be blocked by storage shelves and the freezer.  The shelves facing the bedroon will be a closet unit and bookcases.  They will be back-to-back with storage shelves used as pantry with doors facing the stairs.  There will also be a curtain doorway.

View from the stairwell looking across the room to the distiller corner.  This will be blocked with storage shelves soon.  There will be a large hallway from the stairs to the family room.

This is the bedroom area as seen from the stairwell.  We left the overhead light out in that corner because the lighting will come from several lamps.  This will allow the bedroom to be dark if the rest of the room is lighted.  The overhead light in the photo will be over the storage cabinets and hallway.

We have added a wool rug recently and will move in  the bedroom set from upstairs soon.  This will include a nightstand, rolltop desk, and a hutch/dresser.  The closet on the right will open halfway into the bedroom and halfway into the family room.  There will be a heavy curtain separating the two rooms.  This will allow the curtain to be drawn for privacy or open to watch TV and/or get natural light.  The closet is for file storage as my work requires 5-7 years retainment; later it will be additional storage of seasonal clothing.

A beautiful wool rug!  Too bad the bed will cover up most of it!  I have made arrangements with a couple young men in town to help us move everything out of the storage unit tomorrow.  They did a good job six months ago when we moved it all out to begin the remodeling project in June.  We will put all the plastic containers back in the corner near the wall fan until we clean-up, paint, and add 3-tiered rack shelving to the other side of the lower level.  That should take up a whole wall and keep everything off the floor.  The remaining project is removing the wallpaper and painting the bathroom in the lower level.  I will start today.