My Dream Laundry Room

How do you know you are really old? When you have a dream laundry room!  I dreamed up my new laundry room many, many years ago. It took many steps to get here. Remember I have lived in my house for 44 years and I have been planning changes since the day we moved in. Creating a laundry room started with my husband constructing our 500 sq ft addition which moved the living room and created a dining room. Then cutting my kitchen by one third (and my husband completely remodeling the kitchen) to create the space for the new laundry room.

I created this idea board for the new laundry room about eleven years ago. We don't move quickly around here. My parents passed away and the empty, drywalled space worked well as a storage space for the many boxes I took way too long to go through. Then, you know, covid and I filled it with shelves and created a pandemic pantry/small grocery store. To finish the laundry room, I have had to move those shelves all over my house and it is hide and seek to find groceries and supplies.

As you will see, there were a lot of changes along the way. The appliances remained the same. But I soon realized there is no way a short person can reach a cupboard over a very deep front loading washing machine.  I was also concerned that the tall cupboard would block the doorway and make the room feel smaller. My husband constructed shelves along the top of my enclosed porch for my blue canning jar collection and I needed more grocery space. 

When I got home from Michigan, this was happening. 

I was already trying out paint colors. 

Grampa and assistant finished the soffit. 

The painting assistant did a great job on the wall behind the appliances. I decided to do just one wall "cupcake pink" and my husband painted the other two wall and ceiling a bright white. 

I think the arm on the right is putting his two cents in on how it is going to look. Since I am not privy to the contractor's time table, I was glad I was caught up on laundry when he disconnected the appliances and moved them. 

I went with open shelving so the room wouldn't seem so small. We measured shelf height by my elaborate drawings of what would go on what shelf and how high a short person can reach. I can reach the clothes baskets because they stick out far enough on the 20 inch shelf for me to grab. My roasters and other rarely used items will be on the top shelf. 

It's hard to believe from the short photographer perspective, but the top shelf on the right can hold rolls of paper towels. There is a hanging rack on the edge of the bottom shelf. 

Proving I can put paper towels on the top shelf on the right. It is a little high for me, but hubby is the one who replaces paper towel rolls so it works just fine. I also have cute baskets marked "beach towels" "sun screen" "bug spray" and room for other miscellaneous items. 

I think the color is closer here. It is more of a pink than an orange.  I took lots of pictures like this as I will soon be cluttering it up with small appliances, grocery and paper items and all kinds of treasures of a kitchen nature that I have scattered all over my house. Oh, and laundry items, too.

I thought we bought at least triple the brackets needed for supporting the shelves, but it turned out we used them all to make sure the shelves are supported since I tend to overload. We also placed extra of the vertical (things) that are screwed into every stud. 

I am absolutely over the moon.  I have dreamed about this laundry room for a long time and it matches what was in my mind perfectly. I am so happy!  

Next up is the total remodel of our ONE bathroom and changing the tub/shower to a walk in shower. We are also putting in a higher, old person commode, replacing the basin and cabinet and another project I am still working on. When we remodeled the bathroom in the 70's, we eyeballed a built in shelving unit with a built in cabinet and it is not standard size. We would like to purchase a standard size cabinet to replace it but I'm not sure that can happen. I'm still measuring, but the project can start without it.  

THEN the former washer/dryer space is going to become our new half bath.  Whew. 

Mimi Camp Finale 2023

I am finally getting to the final Mimi Camp post.  This day was inspired by two new-to-me favorite reality shows of mine that I found on the Tubi tv app. It is called "Portrait Artist of the Year" and "Landscape Artist of the Year".  I came up with the concept at the last minute, made one shopping trip before camp and - the kids enjoyed it as much or more than I did. 

Grampa graciously agreed to be our model for Portrait Artist of the Year. Our easels were tv tray tables with Dollar Tree plate holders. Artists could chose flat canvas boards or stretched canvas in various sizes. Everyone had a plastic palette and could request acrylic paint colors. 

My youngest granddaughter in progress. 

Finished portrait "Grampa in a Red Chair"

Sebastian aged 8. 

Leo aged 4

Drew aged 10

Oliver in progress

Oliver ended with a scenic background

Louis, aged four, paid great attention to detail. You can see the red chair, blue shirt and jeans and the fact that grampa was wearing white socks. He later painted over them with brown for grampa's boots. 

My oldest granddaughter truly is the Portrait Artist of the Year. 

And my other eight year old veered into Michael Jordan. 

We had a special lunch and then headed out to a local park for "Landscape Artist of the Year". 

The littles were over art competition which is why I selected a park with a playground. 

My bigs were on top of the hill overlooking the lake. I will share their art work with no commentary, except to explain what looked like a dinosaur to me. It is the water tower. There is also a boat with fishermen in one picture. 

My middles were down by the playground. 

The painting above includes the colorful playground equipment. 

This is one of my most favorite Mimi Camp activities ever. All of the children enjoyed it as much as I did. I have taken down all the art work in my house and replaced it with these precious artworks.  And some of the kids have requested another painting day in the future.  

Despite covering my carpet with plastic tablecloths, a few palettes were flipped and the paint splattered in gaps of the tablecloths. And stained the carpet in one large blotch and two smaller ones. And it doesn't bother me at all. Every time I walk in the room (because they are in the middle of the carpet and I can't cover them) I smile. 

Medicare. Bah Humbug.

I swear I am going to share the photos from the last day of Gramma Camp. But I am postponing the post yet again. 

We have been getting some rain - the good kind. A nice gentle rain with no tornados or flooding or hail or winds that take the trees down. And it has been very pleasant! 

My friend has gone to heaven to join her husband. I attended the memorial with her large group of friends and we spent a lot of time reminiscing and sharing fellowship with her family. She was in my dreams the night before, looking as healthy as she was a year or so ago, talking to me while I cleaned out my purse. I am sure there was a lot of "dream meaning" there, but I am happy to ignore it and just think of her. She faced so much adversity her whole life and what we all remember most was her positive attitude and sweet laugh. 

I am leaving in two days to spend a week at a beach rental two states away that my daughter has arranged. I have not yet started packing, but did refill my "vacation" pill box this morning.  And now I am frustrated, again. 

My husband was able to retire at age 60. The master plan was that we would have all our debts paid, including the house and that I would continue working until age 65 for the health insurance. We were successful with the bills, not so much with my job. My mother was diagnosed with ALS when I was in my early 50's (and passed a few years later) and my dad was suffering from congestive heart failure and leukemia when he suffered a massive stroke. We were blessed that I could leave the workforce and become a caregiver. And a grandchild care provider when we gained 7 more grandchildren in the 5 years following his death.  

Since I am a few months older than my husband (call me cradle robber), I was able to claim a spousal pension that covered the payment for a self-pay health insurance policy with great prescription coverage with a reasonable co-pay and major medical (they paid almost $40,000 for my arm) and we were able to afford office visits, labs etc not on the policy.  But I was looking forward to Medicare. 

I spent way to much time making spreadsheets, requesting information from Medicare, supplemental providers, speaking with "experts", etc before making our choices.  

We have Part A which pays who knows what. We pay for part B which pays for other things. We have a supplemental Part F, only available to a select group that my husband belongs in. I had no idea that you have to reselect a Part D Plan every year until I spent all these energy on a Plan D that started in September when I turned 65 and got a letter that November that raised their rates and deductibles by over 100% for the next year.  

For those new to Part D, which is the prescription coverage, every city (zip code), county and state figure into your rates so that even talking to a neighbor in a nearby town, our costs for the same policy are different. 

An Advantage plan does not work for a variety of reasons in our circumstance, so I do need to select a Part D.  First let me tell you about previous prescription coverage. 

My husband had the same job for almost 40 years. Our insurance coverage varied. When we had five young children, we had high co-pays with no vision or dental coverage, which is why I went back to work at an employer that did offer that coverage for five children with teeth and glasses. As soon as we ran out of children (they all graduated) his plan began to offer dental and vision as well as lower deductibles and more coverage. Which benefited middle aged people with eyes and teeth, too. It did carry an affordable prescription plan. 

The gap insurance we purchased had the same prescription policy that we had previously. The policy had an online option where they kept track of everything for me, sent me emails when it was time to renew to approve shipments and even contacted the doctor for me if I ran out of refills. The cost was unbelievable - $3 for generic, up to $10-$14 for the name brands for a 90 day supply. They arrived with free shipping in my mailbox.

Then we went on Medicare Plan D.  I make a spreadsheet when they release prices for the coming year.  I take into account deductibles, what tier the prescriptions are in so I can see if there is an alternative, my co-pays, etc. And the monthly bill for the privilege of having insurance. The cost for online prescriptions in my zip code are way over budget. The first two years, I did not meet the deductibles for co-pays until December.  

I am still paying so much more than I did when we were under my husband's employer's plan. One of my prescriptions has a $100 copay which I know is miniscule compared to others, but is so much more than it used to cost. Another copay is $70. My blood pressure medicine is only $2.  I am grateful we can afford to pay these copays. 

My designated drug store has a service where you can pick up all your prescriptions at the same time in the same trip. I joined so that they could keep track of refills.  I just picked up my prescriptions and not all were refilled.  One is a 90 day supply instead of whatever the others are so it can't be on the plan. So now I need to keep track of that one. Another was just written and is something I will be on forever. And there are no refills on the original prescription. And it's me that has to leave messages in my doctor's automated system - so you can imagine how that is going. 

If you are still here, I appreciate you reading through my rant. I can see how the elderly (I'm still in my late 60's so let's say elderly is 90) get confused and don't take their necessary prescriptions, can't afford to get their prescriptions, take the wrong prescriptions and give up on prescriptions. It is a confusing mess.   

My neighbor did join an advantage plan that includes vision insurance. She needed an emergency vision procedure and her plan required appeals and more information from her eye doctor. She had to sit with her head still, in the dark, for several days until it was approved. Her doctor shared that it is automatically approved on Medicare. This mishmash of requirements is not fair to anyone trying to make an educated choice, either. She was very satisfied with her plan until this happened. I think that is where we all are. Health insurance is great until you have to use it. 

Lucky for you all I am leaving for a week of R & R!  And I am planning to come back in a much better mood, LOL.  

*Update: the prescription has been filled. And I only owe an additional $45 as a copay. . . . 

Pies

4 pumpkin 

4 cherry

3 apple

2 blueberry

48 cupcakes