Day Two – OBX Makeover – Plus Meemaw’s Tears

I knew I wouldn’t need to set an alarm to wake up on Day Two in Corolla, because I planned a first date with the sunrise over the ocean! So I crawled out of our toasty warm King bed in the third floor main bedroom, and I pulled open the sliding door out onto the deck. The brisk outside temperature quickly reminded me to grab a sweater before I began my climb up the stairs to the Crow’s Nest.

And what a view awaited me!

Mother Nature put on quite a show on Day Two.

And no sooner had I tiptoed up that staircase than I was joined by our daughter-in-law and business partner Sarah. She had come prepared as she was smartly wrapped up in a blanket to enjoy the early morning view.

No words were necessary between us as we welcomed the day with our own thoughts. I know for sure we both counted our many blessings on that brisk early spring morning. 

Our silent reverie soon came to an end since we knew we needed to head to the kitchen and grab something to eat before the  donation truck arrived. So after several cups of coffee and a breakfast bar we were ready and waiting at 9 a.m. The large truck and a van arrived right on schedule, and the men were extremely polite and hard working. They hit the ground running! 

I took tons of photos of the beds and dressers and tables and chairs and lamps and artwork etc. etc. that soon filled that truck and van to overflowing.

But I think these two photos will capture the morning.

Our third floor living area went from this…

To THIS!

It was quite a day. And Day Two was only half over!

Up next for our afternoon? My pride and joy in any house…the kitchen! And THAT, Dear Readers, is where the dam broke.

While Peepaw busied himself doing gymnastics on nail holes…

Sarah and I emptied all of the kitchen cupboards.

Keep in mind, our OBX home purchase included EVERYHING in the house…right down to the teaspoons in the drawer. So I was excited to see what treasures we would be reusing in the new kitchen design plan. It was my kind of treasure hunt!

We piled everything on the living room floor to begin to sort it all.

Day Two…Meemaw’s Tears

As Sarah began to separate the kitchen items into a KEEP and DONATE piles my eyes began to well up with all of those stored up tears. Nearly EVERYTHING from that kitchen was being added to the DONATE pile!

So far THIS is all that remained in that KEEP pile!

Of course Sarah noticed the tears, and I think she had been expecting to see them. She gently asked me what had finally been the tipping point for me. I pointed to two stacks of beautiful, beach-themed plates. Both dinner and salad plates. ALL in the DONATE pile.

We then began a heartfelt conversation about my lifelong “Waste Not, Want Not” way of living. I explained that people have always wondered how Peepaw and I could afford a Florida winter home on the water, as well as our many road trips, etc. Those luxuries would never have been possible except for our frugal lifestyle.

I can’t remember the last time we went out for a “fancy” meal…and that is MY choice! That pricey restaurant meal can be prepared in my own kitchen for a fraction of the cost. And we use the unspent cash for a night of  simple bar food and a chance to visit with “locals” wherever our travels take us! Once again, we always choose experiences instead of “things”.

Plus, I can’t remember the last time I bought clothes in a “regular” store. Peepaw and I would rather stay in a Motel 6 than a high end hotel so we can pocket that unspent “mad money” to use for a fun experience somewhere else. We even have a swimming pool and a hot tub at our home in the Heartland. How? Because Peepaw installed and built it all himself. And we bought that hot tub second hand!

Don’t get me wrong. There ARE some items I won’t skimp on. I will happily buy my clothes at thrift stores, but I will also gladly pay almost $90 for a six pound block of Gruyere cheese at our nearby Amish store in Iowa. And high thread count sheets are a MUST for me too. (Some things just can’t be substituted…even for me!)

This “make do” way of life is part of our DNA. So getting rid of so many of these perfectly good items? It was VERY hard for me.

Picture THIS…The Vision

Sarah listened closely to everything I said as I wiped away my tears. Then she shared her detailed vision for the future decor for the house and her reasons for the purge. It wasn’t long before I began to understand their game plan.

I had been thinking of this house as a family home filled to the rooftop with beach-themed decor and “tchotchkes.” But in fact this house was being transformed into a light-filled, uncluttered, modern home where guests will find everything one would expect to find in an upscale boutique hotel. A home where a professional cleaning crew comes in every week to quickly change high thread count sheets and bedding in the five bedrooms. They replace the fluffy white bath towels with clean ones. They sanitize and clean all bathrooms and the kitchen.  And they restock the cupboards with all white dishes that can easily be replaced and matched if broken. Sarah and Nick had done their homework, for sure. It all made perfect sense.

My “Lightbulb” Moment…

Then Sarah wisely asked me this question. She asked if I thought shoppers would eventually be THRILLED to buy our truck load of donated items once they were added to the shelves and showroom in the Dare Challenge Thrift Store in Nags Head. THAT comment really hit home for me! I think I’m a pretty generous person. So the thought that all of those useable items would bring joy to someone else made that DONATE pile seem less onerous to me. And the money those folks would spend would sure help that deserving charity to continue their mission of service. 

I finally began to see our OBX house for what it is. It’s a beautiful investment. A  house that will appeal to our target demographic group. A house where families and friends can relax in comfort and style…and make memories to last a lifetime. 

I love Sarah. Her business and management skills are obvious. And her “people” skills are too. I talked. She listened. She talked. I listened. And we found common ground.  I was finally ready to turn the page and restock that kitchen with everything a treasured GUEST would want to find there…to make VACATION meal memories come true in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Confession Time…Day Two

But I must confess. I did pull some of those items from the DONATE pile…and I made a “Meemaw’s KEEP Pile” on one of the remaining beds in the bunk room. So even though our car was already full of our Florida winter items I decided to try to figure out how some of those beach house “treasures” could find their way back to our Heartland home…and maybe back down to Fort Lauderdale next winter. (More about THAT crazy hatched plan later!)

Now…where can we go to find all of the NEW items for our OBX kitchen?

Believe me…That’s ANOTHER  story!