Building The Love Shack

Let’s start with the first change. The Warriors are no longer Warriors. They are the family. The Warrior’s name has been retired.

Now let’s talk about what is coming next.

There are the trips.

One to Mexico in February. This trip started out with just a few of us and has now increased in numbers, with it a promise of a Sixth Birthday that I’ll never forget.

The second one I mentioned a few blogs ago for my Husband and me, our trip to Europe. We are very excited to be heading to Italy, France, and Spain this coming Summer.

And there will be a lot more traveling coming, which I will discuss soon.

Let’s start off with our permanent location.

After much searching, we discovered that there is no such place as the perfect/ turn-key house with everything we needed.

Our new location will need a few additions to make it everything we need. And of course, in this family, the construction never dies.

The plan is to never have to drive again. Only to open the door and have everything we need there. To accommodate the list given to us, we have been very busy working on the new plans.

The new toys will start in the Spring and have already been arranged.

The heated saltwater pool will be put in in May, by the pool company. The electrician is doing the electrical, and the gas lines for the pool are being done by the gas fitters.

Because of the bi-laws, the pool needs a fence. The new fence will be partly done by a contractor, they are doing the post.

The newly designed deck will be fancier than the one at the cottage and it will be installed by us.

The new deck will have built-in barbeques, a smoker, and a pizza oven. It will have a fire pit, a lounging area, and a dining area. It will surround the pool and hot tub, and be connected to the bar.

There will be tons of lighting and the best part is the pool will be useable from April to November and it is large enough to swim laps. The hot tub and bar will be usable year-round. That’s their new playground as requested and my favorite part is no more closing up for the Winter.

The cottage belongings are still being sorted. Some have been brought into our home and replaced some of the former household furniture and good. Others have been donated to a new family who has just arrived in Canada and other items to a church for their garage sale. Some items have been kept for the next adventure.

As for the next adventure, the family is now ready to take our group on the road. It’s been decided that it’s time to buy a very large RV.

In March, the family is heading to Toronto to the Rv Show to try on a few RVs to see what fits this group.

We would all love to see North America and we would like to do it together. There are trips being planned for weeks in Alaska, The East Coast, The Sunny South, and of course Northern Canada.

They have given me a list of what we need in the new RV.

I’m told it needs to sleep at least seven and has to have a trailer hitch so we can tow the motorcycles. It also has to have room for golf clubs. And we will need room to store those paddle boards Husband and I have wanted for years. And have room to carry fishing gear, that would for be me.

Then there is more excitement.

Thanksgiving day’s conversation over dinner came with more good news.

There is a new grandbaby (in human form) on the way. A wedding is in the near future and I am excited to perform the ceremony of another family member. And two new babies have been added to the family in the furbaby form.

I learned that day, our annual Winter Birthday Party had been increased. It was decided it was time for the adult children to get to know each other. Which means our family is growing again.

As for myself and Husband, retirement isn’t that far off.

When we do retire we will be found on the outside of some Southern Little Beach Town in the Winter and up in the Great White North in the Summer in our Rv. I’ll be writing and he’ll be golfing. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll make a fisherman out of him yet.

For now, I, the writer of this blog. I presently have three jobs. I keep getting asked when will I retire from at least one of them. The answer is I don’t know.

The problem is that I actually like most of the people I work with and they have been some of my biggest supports in my new career and in my writing. I’m sure one day I’ll have enough of the nursing world and that career will come to an end.

For now, I’m about to throw myself into my new career which I already love, and I’ll take it from there. And I also have the promise to keep.

In one of my last conversations with Sissy, she told me to finish the book that I started so many years ago. It’s going to be bitter/sweet to write it as one of the characters is so much like her. She said to make her character famous and I’ll do my best.

For the blog, I’ll keep writing. About what? I don’t know, but it will come to me.

I have recently been approached about turning our story into a book. The answer to that is no.

This story is our story. I don’t want it altered and it has already been written just the way I want it. Truthful and from the heart.

But, I am willing to let them look at the one already written. I have sparked their interest. As it turns out there is a publisher who has been reading this blog for quite some time.

Who Knew…

I have also been offered to write freelance for a magazine and part-time for another magazine. I’m considering those offers.

As it turned out, seven years ago when I named the cottage The Love Shack, it turned out to be the right name. Our story turned out to not only be a story of building a place together but also about love.

Love that keeps growing. Love that finds its way. Love that keeps carrying us through.

As for all of us, we have a very exciting year ahead of us. But mostly we are looking forward to our adventures. The day trips and traveling together. Pool parties and barbeques. Winery visits, movie nights, and bowling nights. And let’s not forget the shopping trips. But mostly continuing on with what we do best, just being together.

Thank you for following our blog all these years. It was a pleasure to write and to share.

Like I said I will still write. Only this story had ended. Unlike the beginning when we had gone through so much to start our story, it definitely didn’t start out as most fairytales do, but it does end with a happily ever after.

Lacie Sheldon Winters