It’s been a long strange year for all of us. Our sincere
hope is that even if you are not too happy, you are at the very least healthy
and safe.
The past year in Pine Grove has been spent, for the most
part, on house building. At least six months work remains until we can consider
this project “done”; however, strides have been made. The interior is
completely sheet rocked and painted. Rita and Emily spent the weeks prior to
Thanksgiving getting the bamboo flooring down on the main floor. Kitchen
cabinets are all but complete, save a countertop which is on order. The major
accomplishment has been installation of the downstairs lavatory, giving Chris
and Rita two bathrooms at their disposal for the first time since 1989! The
kitchen sink is now installed, negating having to wash dishes down in the barn
sink. Sleeping accommodations are still in the little house at the top of the
property, for now, at least until the county finals our permit.
Rita soldiers on for Caltrans. She is looking forward to
retiring in approximately four years. She may have a bit of the short-timer’s
syndrome. Work on the house takes up every other waking moment. We have stayed on
the property without venturing too far out since March, which I assume is the
same story for many of you.
Anne gave us some big news recently, she is now engaged to
our soon-to-be son in law, Jack. Wedding preparations are being made in broad
terms for now. They are saving up for a wedding at the old Girl Scout camp in Idyllwild
a couple of years from now. She has been
lucky enough to be able to work from home this whole time. She is still with
Cartoon Network working as a Production Coordinator on Craig of the Creek. Jack
along with the cats, Jojo an Pippin, keep her company.
Emily has been on the unemployment rolls since Disneyland
closed. She was able to spend most of the summer in Pine Grove with her
parents, building a sound recording booth for her voice acting work. The build
took over a month, as well as a couple days of installation down in Anaheim
with her parents. Emily is weighing her options, but with her sunny
disposition, she will come out of this just fine.
Chris hasn’t been doing too much other than painting walls,
trimming-out doors and windows, and installing fixtures. He has taken on the
role of fundraising chair for the local non-profit railroad group, but time to
devote to that is hard to come by. Hopefully next year things will slow down
enough to be able spend more time raising funds (we’ll see!). Chris also looks
forward to starting the build on the O scale model railroad in the barn next
year, once most of our living room furniture is moved into the new house.
Kona the dog is a bit confused as to why we are spending so
much time in the new house. She is slowly getting acclimated and enjoys laying
in front of the gas stove. Some days she just lays up on the hill overlooking
the property, waiting for squirrels to come out of the trees so she can chase
them back up.
That’s 2020 in a nutshell. Everyone out there stay safe, get
your shots when they come available, and keep in touch with those you cannot
physically visit with. Love to all. See you next year!
Chris, Rita & Kona
