1. So glad you stopped by and told me about your “odyssey.” And thanks for the compliment!

2. I have moved 5 times in my 58 years of marriage. Each time it was like a home improvement. Twice it has been across the country. Not only was it settling in a new home but also trying to make new friends, meet the neighbors, find a church, plus new doctor, dentist, hairdresser, grocery store. But each time has been a blessing meeting new people, relearning to knit, two new book clubs, becoming a Master Gardner. Replacing body parts hasn’t been the greatest, but even that turns into good with time. Then there is following up with all the old friends that hold wonderful memories. Just finished the first book by you-Winter Secret. It was a joy and I look forward to reading more.

3. So glad to hear from you, Kathy. Glad you enjoyed Amy.

4. I was reading your paperbacks before ebooks became so popular. Enjoyed them and was glad to read Amy’s story recently on my kindle.

5. Thanks so much for your kind words. They are encouraging!

6. I have read 4 of your books that take place in Steadfast, Wisconsin. I like that there a mystery (usually small town crime) to solve and a romance. Plus your characters have good Christian values, and it usually takes a little time for the “love story” to blossom.

7. No I haven’t recently lived through in major home remodeling.

8. no, haven’t

9. Yes, we lived through renovations. When we purchased our home, there were things we wanted to have updated. We had a contractor take care of the changes. It was challenging because they would come when they wanted to come. My husband worked nights. I worked days. We never knew when they would show up. I was so glad when it was completed.

10. I am currently in the middle of a kitchen redesign and replace with my husband of 30 years. The house has not been touched since 1963. We started this on January 14, 2021. I have a new tile floor, moved the dishwasher and refridgerator and all new kitchen cabinets. The only issue now is the cost of plywood. He refuses to buy a new sheet of plywood because the cost is 4 times what it should be. So I am patiently waiting until we get the ability to have new counter tops made. We are currently using pieces of the old laminate on top of the new cabinets along with pieces of 1 by 6 boards so things don’t fall into the spaces between the wall and cabinets. Good thing is, I got my lazy Susan.

11. The landlord has someone retile the bathroom and then pain the laundry and hall ceiling. It was a nightmare. was told the bathroom would take a day and a half. took over a week (no bathroom to use thankfully toilet is separated) I also got a 24 hour stomach bug and was really sick. He was coming before 8.30 and would arrive after 11. with the hall ceiling said would take 3 days took over a week due to not even coming one day and at times coming late leaving a mess (still have paint specks on the carpet and walls.) He also did work on the outside wall and painted it and the paint in 6 months is already flaking off. Can I say I was so glad when he was gone. Oh and he left the old tiles outside. Didn’t take anything away and used things without asking like my wheelbarrow which he mixed cement in and it still have bits of cement in it.

12. We had new windows put in one of our homes, too. It was quite a challenge with all the noise, mess, and issues with four kids running around at the same time but well worth it. My most memorable renovation adventure, though, was when my son and daughter-in-law renovated their home (completely down to the studs) and lived with us for about four months. It was quite a challenge but also a blessing. Our daughter-in-law was pregnant at the time with their first daughter and was going through all the emotions of that on top of her house being remodeled. I was able to be in the room with her when she gave birth and enjoyed having the precious new baby girl in our home for a couple of weeks before they were able to move back into their “new” home.

13. We bought a fixer upper three years ago and I’m still living through home improvement projects. I haven’t had countertops in my kitchen for 2 years now. Maybe next year. ? The worst was when kitchen was torn apart for 5 months and I had to do dishes in the bathtub for those months. And I was pregnant. I’ve never been more grateful for a kitchen sink in my life!

14. Yes, I have lived through a couple. One required living with a half torn up kitchen for three months. The other involved having to trek down to the basement to use the bathroom because the only upstairs bathroom was being remodeled. It was toughest at night. 🙂 I started to get a little more thoughtful about drinking anything after supper. That only lasted a month. Both of those “times of trial” were worth the efforts.

15. Just over 12 years ago my son and I had discussions about putting a new kitchen and dividing the family room into two rooms meaning we would have a smaller family room and sometime in the future it could become an office or a fourth bedroom. After visiting several kitchen display places we decided on who we would go with and arranged for him to come and talk to us as we told him what we had in mind he listened and gave us his suggestions once we had come to a decision he went away to draw up the plan for our new kitchen. Meanwhile Mum, Matt and I went looking for anew wall oven, hot plates and dishwasher so that their measurements could be passed on to be included in our new kitchen design. Now Matt and his mate Wes pulled out the old kitchen and pulled up the old flooring. Then the changes to our family room began, we decided to replace the windows in our lounge room the three bedrooms, and the sliding door in the kitchen which lead out to our backyard, so off we went to order them and have them delivered as Matt and Wes decided they could replace the windows. Meanwhile over several weekends the new rooms took shape with me going to visit Mum while the building took place. Mum, my daughter and I went and picked the cupboard doors, the bench tops and the tiles for the floors and the walls in the laundry. Finally the date for the new kitchen to be installed arrived, Matt had organised to have his holidays so he could do the painting of the roof and the walls in the new room and family room . Unfortunately or may be it was blessing but I ended up in hospital with a severe migraine so poor Matt was left to supervise the tradesmen as well as complete all the painting and I came home to a nearly finished kitchen, a new laundry, new room and a changed family room. My nephew and a work colleague came and spent the weekend tiling the laundry floor, walls and the new rooms and kitchen floors, then all we needed was a fine weekend for Matt and Wes to be able to install the windows, so another weekend visiting Mum. While the boys did all the hard work I was left to clean up after them. Several years prior to this we needed to redo our bathroom as the water had leaked from the shower and the floor boards had started to rot, once again the boys took on the task and as this could only be done over the weekend it took them several weeks to get it to the stage were the tiler could come and do the floor and walls luckily Mum lived close by so Matt and I could go and have showers each day.. I think our renovations have come to an end but I would really love to redo the floor in the lounge and entrance, I might just start dropping some gentle hints and see what transpires. Good luck with your renovations

16. I don’t have lived in a house improvement project. Three years ago we had a garden improvement. We had just moved into a new rental house that summer. But the garden was a mess. The fence was almost falling over, the gate was crooked, the weeds were very high, it was all not really maintained. Fortunately, since the garden improvement, we have a very nice garden, where we can sit in the shade and in the sun.

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