Teverola, Italia~Behind Closed Doors

The little village where the kids live is called Teverola and I have been pondering how best to describe it for a couple of days. It is very old, quaint, and has very narrow streets. From the outside nothing looks contemporary but~behind closed doors you are in for some surprises.

What I mean is that the store fronts are much like what a storage unit front would look like at home. Each day they roll up the door, set out their wares and sell their merchandise on the sidewalks and inside the shops. They are surprisingly nice inside as compared to the outside. You'd make more money here as a designer than as a landscaper.

Once past the front door of the restaurant we had lunch in on Tuesday, you could imagine you were in a rather posh place, but the outside did not "invite you in" as we say in the staging business. Same with the shops and the mall Laura & I visited yesterday. If you know where you are going you can find some great places. Exploration is a big part of living here for sure.

The Parko Gated Complex~Outside Laura and Robert's Bella Villa

Arriving at night we couldn't see much outside but we were so impressed with the Wadsworth Bella Villa. Honestly, this is our favorite home they have ever had. It is so well-built and absolutely so comfortable inside.

It feels very safe behind a large metal gate and once inside you feel a piece of the more familiar around you. At the same time we are loving the things that seem rather different like the bathrooms with their bidets. Laura has cleverly made a little turtle habitat for their pet turtle in one as they are not used in the traditional fashion. The boys love having their pet "Oscar" in their bathroom.

They have three balconies that are fun, tile rounded staircases, gorgeous new windows with real shutters, and a great kitchen with a six burner gas stove. Laura has decorated it just beautifully and I think you all should come for a visit! They were very generous and gave us the master bedroom and I think it is one of the nicest places we have ever stayed. It truly feels so vacation-like! I want to make a slide show of their house at some point but for now I will just put in a picture or two.

Their Master Bedroom where we are fortunate enough to be sleeping!

The Bella Villa Living Room

One of the things that makes me feel like we are flashing back and forth between antiquity and now is that once you go on to the base you are definitely feeling the American influence. You feel right at home. My first lunch in Italy was at Taco Bell. Yup, pretty sorry, but true! It was fun for Laura as she hadn't even noticed the TB there before so she chose it for a fast meal while we were shopping at the commissary. The best Italian meals we have had so far have all been at Laura and Robert's house!

Today Jim, Robert and Spencer went to Pompeii for the day. They had a great time even though it was quite rainy. They found it fascinating and I think James is planning to do a post on it at some point. Laura surprised me with an appointment with her friend that does reflexology this morning so I had a very relaxing foot massage to start out the day. Then we went out exploring the local area while we waited for Ross to get out of school. It was really fun.

We had a pizza slice for lunch and this is what hers looked like. She got it just so she could blog about it. Who would ever think to put French fries and sliced hot dogs on a pizza? It was as gross as it looks!

Hot dog and French fry pizza??

It has been a fun, relaxing, and interesting few days. It is really great to see how people actually live in a different culture. We are starting some touristy things tomorrow in the area and leaving for the Almalfi Coast on a day trip on Friday and then heading out for Rome on Saturday and then up into northern Italy for eleven days.

It is all so spectacular and the best of it all is being with Laura and Robert, Spence and Rossie!

Italy!

Leaving for Italy At Last!

We are here! Our trip was long and very uncomfortable unless you like to be stuck in the bobsledding position unable to move for 12 hours with the head a perfect stranger tossing and turning in your lap. If you love trying to figure out just how you can actually get up and out of your seat to use the restroom and then once there, thinking you have finally found a cheap first class seat and linger as long as possible...you'd love it, this airline is for you! But it was a safe journey, we have reclaimed our personal space and and we are here! Sooooo~ all is forgiven, Lufthansa Airlines!

It felt all too familiar being surrounded by people speaking languages that we could not understand ~not unlike a trip to Cowell Park, Food For Less , or San Francisco. I mention this because I remember thinking that was unusual the first time we went to Europe in 1993 and now if felt completely normal. The world has truly gotten smaller and we are much more international in CA then I realized. It is also apparent that although we could not understand them, most of them could understand us, hmmm~ we Americans need to pick up the pace and learn some languages! It was great though in the Munich airport~I realized that even though my high school French classes were in another dispensation, I could understand a lot of it~so that was cool.

Once leaving Munich we traveled on a smaller commuter jet that we had to climb the stairs outside to broad. You would all be so proud of your once paranoid Bonbon...I actually almost fell asleep on that plane and it was being piloted by a captain (obviously very young and reckless) that flew like these wild Italians drive. It was the Mad Hatters Wild Ride into Naples and I have to say, I almost enjoyed it. It was a definite E Ticket!


We were greeted at the custom's desk by some very relaxed Italians that asked us in Charades, the universal language, if all we had in our luggage was clothing and when we nodded yes....Ciao! We were welcomed into Italy, no problemo! It was so unlike Germany where we got the pat down and you shivered when they said "immediately!" Those stiff green uniforms were just so reminiscent of the movies we have seen.

It was 10:30 p.m. when we arrived and were greeted by Laura and Spencer. They were like 'manna for the soul' and we loved our happy reunion. Spencer is so cute, while Rossie has been saving his 1001 kisses for us, Spencer is shy and gives us what I call the "little head but" hugs. He runs over throws his arms around you and then buts you with the top of his head against your body. The sweet thing is, it is just as sincere and loving as the 1001 kisses that awaited us this morning when we saw Rossie for the first time. Well, actually, the word "saw" is not exactly correct since it was pitch black in our room. What I should have said was~when he came into our room, jumped on the bed and said, "Hey, guess what? ...as though he had just seen us five minutes before. The 'guess what' was that he had lost his top front tooth on Easter and that even in the dark we could hear that little jack-o-lantern hissing always created by a missing front tooth ~ and it felt more like Halloween than Easter. He was quite excited to relay that he had gotten his tooth fairy money in a plastic egg which made it extra special! It made us know we were in very familiar territory with these sweet kids, even though we were over six thousand miles away from home. Home is where your family is.

So today we just tried to adjust to the new time zone and hung out with the family and had a nice Easter Dinner that was delicious~so we didn't skip Easter after all! More details about what it is like here later. Tomorrow is another day and unfortunately it is starting in about 2 hours! Mama Mia! Ciao for now!

Michelle is Blogging from Alberta!

For those of you using reader.google. com that know Michelle and Alan...add them in. They are finally getting settled in Canada and Michelle has posted an entry. Find her at capoppygirl.blogspot.com

Happy Easter!

Well, today is the day....we are flying to Italy overnight! We have been laboring for so long we are hoping for a smooth delivery! Oddly enough, we are skipping Easter this year. We are leaving tonight and arriving in Naples on Sunday night at 10:30 p.m.

I remember when I was a kid I would have an occasional day that I was dreading like going to the dentist or something and once I learned about the International divide I always wanted to go there to skip that woefully anticipated day. Why couldn't this be the day of my mammogram instead of Easter that we are skipping? Hmmmm, better planning is needed in the future! Anyway, the only part we are skipping is the bunnies, and chicks, etc. But in lieu of that I am sending you the above cool "peep" and wishing you a happy day of Easter Egg hunting, hot crossed buns or whatever your family does to celebrate Easter. I want Lanette to know that we did skip all Easter candy this year but we will have one Cadbury Egg each in the Munich airport!

I am grateful that as members of the Church we celebrate Easter every Sunday. Even though we won't be attending church we will be remembering the true meaning of Easter tomorrow. There is a quote from Elder Holland I always like to send at Easter from his book entitled "On Earth As it Is In Heaven." I could not find our copy this week but the idea of the quote, much less eloquently stated by me, is that our Heavenly Father loves each of us so much that even though as He watched the pain of the atonement unfold~ And He could have intervened and stopped the suffering of His only Begotten Son for us at any time ~ He didn't.

I have often thought of that when I see suffering among our friends and family members and especially our children and grandchildren and wonder how He could do it? I know that if I had the power to prevent their sufferings I would be sorely tempted! But God in His infinite wisdom, knows the end from the beginning, and knows what is needed to be accomplished in this life, far better than we do.

(Not to be irreverent in any way, but that is why I know He is God, and I choose to be one of His "peeps"! )

Jim and I are looking forward to seeing the Life of the Savior portrayed in the artistry of Italy. And I know as we view it, it will bring us an even greater appreciation of His Gift for us all. So Happy Easter everyone! We love you and will try to do a little blogging if we can with some great pictures of the family and 'the old country' as Grampa Andrew would call it!

One Thing About Grandbabies Is

You don't have to see them very often to know you love them with all your heart. Meet Owen, Chris and Missy's littlest guy! Owen was born on June 2, 2007 and he is growing up so fast.

We haven't been able to see Owen very often in his short life and when we have it has been hectic times with Hazel's birth and long stay in the hospital, the holiday season and all that brings, and then Connor's Baptism. In the special little moments I have had with Owen I have learned that he is so easy to hold. He is one of those babies that molds perfectly into your arms and is contented to be held and loved. He is a very smiley guy. He seems very good-natured and mellow, he rarely cries at least when we have been around. He is just one little dream baby really. Happy, healthy and so good. And is he not beyond adorable on top of all that? His nickname is Owie!

~Missy has sent some current Owen Highlights so here they are~

• He is loving table food & wants nothing to do with baby food.
• He is crawling all over every place.
• He is pulling himself up on anything he can grip his fingers on to.
• He is getting bruises as he has not mastered the balancing act yet.
• He loves to snuggle and get kisses.
• He prefers our pillow top mattress to his crib (sigh)
• He is a babbling maniac.
• He puts everything and anything into his mouth~very curious
• He is super fun and super sweet.

One thing I have learned like nothing else over the past nine years of being a grandparent is that the heart has an overwhelming capacity to love and love deeply. I would never have thought we could love anyone like we love our 6 big kids and ....big surprise .....we do. And another thing with the babies, that love is in place long before they are even born. It is just a gift and one of the most fantastic things about being at this age and place in our lives. These little children bring unadulterated JOY there just is no other word for it, and in such great abundance. There are some rotten things about getting older but let me tell you~this is the buffer that makes it all good. Have I mentioned lately that God's plan for us is perfect? These thoughts and feelings wash over me daily and I am so thankful for all my blessings. And right now I am thinking primarily of Owen and missing him. I once heard someone say to never let your good memories fade and just bask in the light of reflected glory...so that is what I am doing now ~thinking about being with Owen in January!

We love you, Owen!

Happy Birthday Son!

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Dear Chris,

In less than a week on March 27th you will be 33!
Whoa! How did this happen so quickly?There are so many wonderful things about being the parent of an adult child. One that is not so neat is missing so many birthdays as years go by. But Dad and I have had fun picking a few pictures of your life to share on the blog to honor you and the fantastic son you have always been.

If Dad and I could have written a story of your life when you were a baby and included all the things we would have wished for you as an adult, you have had and done them all, Chris. We are so pleased with all your choices in the big and small things. You have stayed strong in your faith in Jesus Christ and continued to grow and learn, you have worked incredibly hard to achieve your education and career goals, and you have chosen a beautiful, loving wife and together you are raising an amazing family! You have been a joy to us from day one~we love you, Son! Happy Birthday!

Love, Mom & Dad

Hazel Update From Jennifer

This is a post from Jen's blog for those of you who don't link to her.

Ohhhhh! Little Hazel! Someone told me that it takes about 5 years to figure out everything you'll be dealing with when you have a child with a serious health problem. I guess we 'll think of these visits to the hospital as research into Hazel's over all health.

Hazel has C-Dif (the intestinal bacteria thing), she got it from taking too many antibiotics-they kill the good bacteria and cause C-Dif to flare up. She also has some unusual strain of UTI that took 7 days to culture. A normal UTI takes 48 hours to culture so this is some bizarre thing. We are very hopeful that this is the cause of all the high fevers though. The antibiotics are helping and she seems much happier! She is getting a PICC line today so that she can come home with IV antibiotics. The last thing is that she's had to go back on O2 and is up pretty high on that. Ideally, they want her off of it before sending her home. So while she recovers from the PICC line sedation and all the other stuff, they are trying to wean her off the air too. I am really really hoping that she comes home tomorrow. Cross your fingers and we'll let you know!

The family celebrating Piper's 9th Birthday with Daddy & Hazel Jo!

Beautiful Piper Turns 9 Today!

It is hard for Jim and me to realize we have been grandparents for nine whole years today! Thank you, Piper, for being the first of ten of the greatest little people we know and love! Back in the old days before blogs I started to do some scrapbooking when the babies started coming. Well, I have some fun things regarding the first two or three kids but after that I fell woefully behind. So I am so happy we can blog now. Here is a scan of some of the scrapbook pictures from when Piper was born.

What the text is telling you is that Piper was born in Edinburgh, Scotland to two very happy parents! We arrived when she was about 8 days old for her blessing at church. Grandma & Grandpa Stewart came too!

Here is a picture of Piper on her first birthday! She did love that cake!

Here is Piper with her Auntie Laura last summer when she came with her family to visit us in CA. We all had so much fun together since Laura & Robert lived near us.

Here is Piper just being cute as usual! I had to skip to the here and now as there must be a billion pictures of this young lady and I was getting carried away!

I couldn't resist putting in this one of Piper in her Hogwarts outfit reading Harry Potter. Piper loves to read and has enjoyed lots of fun books with Daddy each night as he reads to his girls before bed! What great parents you have, Piperpoozela!

Here are nine reasons we love Piper so much!

1. Piper is so sweet and kind to everyone.
2. Piper loves her family so much.
3. Piper is fun to be with, she loves to play and be with people.
4. Piper is so good to her siblings..she is the best oldest sister!
5. Piper is enthusiastic about life and loves to try new things.
6. Piper sets goals and works on developing her talents.
7. Piper loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
8. Piper is affectionate and loves to snuggle up.
9. Piper is a great helper to her parents with chores and the little sisters.

And one to grow on...Piper is a great student!

Happy Birthday Miss Piper!
Grampa and I send our love to you today!
Enjoy 9!


~7 of our 10 grandkids~
Julia, Owen, Connor, Piper, Aynslee, Chloe & Zach
And our good friend, Mitrian, is standing in the back!

The Unexpected Surprises of Life

At the end of last week we had a young woman die in our ward. She was just 30 and as of now they are not sure what caused her death. She was disabled and so devoted to the church. Kelly had an illness in her childhood that left her functioning just slightly below normal mentally but it was enough to make her seems somewhat childlike. Kelly was often in need of rides which we gave her and she would come to our house on special holidays when she had no where to go. She was in Temple Pageant with our Laura and would always ask about her and Spencer who was also in pageant with Laura. We had a nice connection with her and it seems so unreal that she is gone now.

Kelly was the only member of the church in her family and she was also an only child. She always wanted her parents to get baptized. That is how it is when you have found something so wonderful. You just want to share it with the people you love so much. She had a great desire to have her parents enjoy the blessings of being members of the church. Yesterday her parents came to church as they had come down from Oregon to make arrangements.

It was high council Sunday and one of the speakers, Jeff Adams, realized this may be the only opportunity her parents had to hear the message of the gospel.
So he just scraped his prepared talk and went by the spirit. He was absolutely amazing~He gave this spontaneous message that touched everyone's hearts including theirs. He just led us through a number of scriptures that made everything so simple and easy to understand~it was really neat. It made me wonder if given no advanced notice, could we all do something like that? I know that my testimony would be as strong but would I be able to just site scriptures after scripture and lace them through my talk in such a way to inspire others in that way?

This is one thing I truly love about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It has so many layers of understanding and we are never done learning. It just never gets old or boring but is always so alive. The interesting thing is that no matter how much there is to learn, God only requires a childlike faith in Jesus Christ like Kelly's. It is tailor made for every individual and that is Grace at its best. And I really love how it is always so applicable and practical as we use the things we have learned each week to make life better and more enjoyable and meaningful. No wonder Kelly wanted her parents to have it too. Who wouldn't?

We will miss Kelly, that is for sure! But how wonderful it is to know we will see her again one day. As we celebrate Easter it is something to think about and be thankful for everyday~ not just on the appointed holiday.

Women of Worth

One Flaw In Women This painting is called After Dinner by Pino & is one of my all time favorites. "Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take 'no' for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideas. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give. HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW In WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR Own WORTH." To all my great daughters, sisters and friends ~you are loved ~ just the way you are! Why mess with total perfection? Mom/Bonnie

No Such Thing As Just a Mom!

JUST A MOM?

Jen's first time holding Hazel!

"A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. 'What I mean is,' explained the recorder, 'do you have a job or are you just a....?' 'Of course I have a job,' snapped the woman. 'I'm a Mom.' 'We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it,' said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, 'Official Interrogator' or 'Town Registrar.' 'What is your occupation?' she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. 'I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.' The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

'Might I ask,' said the clerk with new interest, 'just what you do in your field?' Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, 'I have a continuing program of research, [what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.' There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than 'just another Mom.' Motherhood! What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door.

Does this make grandmothers 'Senior Research Associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations' and great grandmothers 'Executive Senior Associate Researchers? Yes it does! I also think it makes Aunts 'Associate Research Assistants'. "

Never underestimate the importance, power, and influence in what you do as women, every single day. Is there any job more important or rewarding any where?

Baby Hazel

Our little Hazel has been admitted to Utah Valley Hospital tonight. Jen did take her ER bag, thanks goodness, as she is there for awhile. They just don't know what is causing the fevers at this point so it is a wait and see, and most of all pray. Thanks for any support you give them. You are wonderful friends and family members there in Utah. This is like a big elephant sitting on our hearts. Being in the hospital four times in less than six months is over the top! She is an angel.

Two lucky sisters, Piper & Baby Halo!

Movies For Fun and Relaxtion

If you haven't already seen Dan In Real Life it is available for rent or purchase now. It is really a fun, uplifting, touching and sweet story.


Also check out August Rush, another heart warmer. These movies can take you away like a Calgon Bath for a little while. Enjoy!

Easter Random Sampler

Piper and her Easter Basket!

I have had so much fun taking pictures of Spring this year. Blogging has just made life so much more interesting for me. I had kind of lost interest in taking pictures when I knew I would never catch up on the scrapbooking and we didn't need anymore boxes of pictures to trip over. With the blog I now have a place to put them~cyber space! That is better than renting another storage unit!

Last week as I was shopping for a house we are staging this week I happened upon these beautiful snipits of spring around the area. Spring just got me thinking about Easter and all the symbolism of new beginnings and birth and the eternal round of life. The longer I live the more I see God's patterns in everything and the more I appreciate them.

I think God is very partial to pink! Have you ever noticed how many tree and flowers are pink? Many of the other colors of flowers are hybrids~yellow roses as we know them have only been around a few hundred years!

I like pink , but not as much as you probably think from my pink blog template and all the pink I have been photographing. It is just so beautiful as it dots all the green hills around here.

These photos are all taken in Moraga, CA

Ever since I started blogging I have been trying to go through our previously mentioned 16 boxes of photos and get them scanned and organized. This morning I ran across this photo of my Dad and that started the random thoughts of how much I miss him, how sad I am that he died so young (61) and missed so much of his own, ours and his grandchildren's lives, etc.



I realized that none of his great grandchildren,including his namesake, Ross, have ever seen this picture of him. In fact, I doubt that Lowell, Missy or Robert have seen it either.

That just brought me back to the beauty of spring and Easter and Christ's gift of Eternal Life and families being forever and it made me realize that our little ones will one day know him well. That just made me feel so happy to realize all our kids and Erin and Scott and Nick and Alesha, Raul and Sebastian and all the little babies yet to be born, will one day get to know Grampa Ross and love him as we do. Even though we live in a crazy mixed up world, God's plan is perfect and filled with order and comfort and I love that!

Punch Toys From Bygone Days

When I was a child there were these toys called punch or bop toys. Usually they were 24 to 36 inches tall and they were made of heavy vinyl. Often they had a picture of a clown on them but not always. The toy was filled with air and then they put some sand in the bottom to make it heavier than the other end. Then you could punch the daylights out of it and it would continually pop back up to the upright position. Now flash forward a few decades.

Recently I have read posts on favorite blogs written by mothers and the horrendous days they have had with their kids. My friend Laura writes about Finger Painting with Ranch. Just the other day I read this one from Vanessa called I Knew Going In. We have all had these experiences~different scenarios but the same feelings of exhaustion, desperation, and discouragement.

Although these things seem funny to the rest of us looking in and also maybe even to these young moms after a good night's sleep or two, I think these experiences speak volumes about the amazing character of these great mothers and women. Now I know the same is true of men. But for today I am just talking about women, motherhood, commitment and love.

Women have an uncanny ability to just keep coming back for more and that is what I was thinking about with regards to the punch toys. For me that visual image of getting knocked over and popping right back up is pretty analogous to what moms do every single day. I believe these types of experiences in addition to all the joyous ones, drive the level of love and commitment deeper and deeper into our character every time we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and keep on going. It takes an incredibly healthy, strong, and loving person to do it and that is one of the reasons I love young moms so much. When I watch our daughters, Jen, Laura, and now Missy, go about their regular days I am totally in awe. They do so much, tirelessly serving their families and working to raise these outstanding little people. I honestly don't know how they do it and I cannot even imagine that I once did it too. That is the beauty of the trials and tribulations of the daily routine...they seem to fade like the memories of labor and delivery. And one day all you remember is the love you feel for your kids and how you don't know where you end and they begin. So take heart, my little sisters~its all good in the long run. One day at a time~you are all amazing!

One Of My Many Dream Houses

A week or so ago Vanessa posted this great photo of her dream house on her blog so I promised her I'd send mine. The house I have chosen just whispers serenity. I love it! I would almost buy this house without even seeing the inside because the outside is so awesome. These people have such great taste that the inside just has to be fabulous.

You can tell by the way they take care of the yard that they do not neglect maintenance issues inside the home. Wouldn't you just love to sit in the gazebo with a lemon aid or play a little croquet? This house is almost oozing curb appeal!

~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~

It almost seem too harsh to include some other homes I saw today to make my point but I have been wanting to photograph these houses for ages and so here they are:

They say a man's house is his castle....well, that does not mean his yard is his kingdom! These homeowners are a rude bunch with no regard whatsoever for the optic nerves of anyone else. You must consider your neighbors in your paint decisions~it is the rule!

No, no, no~People!
Egg Yoke is not a color for exterior paint!
Corner lot, naturally!

They tried to make this cuter by adding this
hideous paint on the picket fence around the front
of the house. Nope~not good!

Easter Egg Blue is only good one day of the year~

This is no way to win friends and influence people!

The camera has been kind to this
house it is much brighter in reality!
There are many blue houses that look good.
If the paint is too bright take it back and have
them add white! Don't just keep painting.

And now, drum roll, my all time favorite
Ugly House Award goes here!

This house is on a corner lot also so it destroys two streets!
And yes, folks you saw it here~
It is For Sale! Any wagers on how long it will take?
Curb Repellent instead of Appeal


This photo was so dark I had to lighten it but rest assured,
the true color is what you see on the side view of the house above.

There simply are no word except~

Never Stripe your Clapboard Siding!
Never, Never! Never!