Author: haileystoutstudio

We’ve had a really busy Spring and Summer, but wanted to post some of the latest creations we have completed in the Hailey-Stout Studio…a little barn art, a little table design, and some sewing…

For UVA Fans and students – a distressed wooden table perfect for a dorm room, deck, or small enough to be used for tailgaiting…!

Same for VT Hokies – this table can be used for any decor…!

If you need a little pick-me-up, the re-purposed barn wood sign will work for the beach, a lake house, cabin, or anywhere…!

The newest versatile bag…perfect for educators, or for someone who wants something different to take to work. Accommodates water bottle inside or out, cinches up for closure. Can be made in different sizes, and of course colors. This particular handbag has shorter handles for carrying up under your arm, or as a true handbag, or has an adjustable cross-body strap; perfect to be used as a messenger-type bag. Monogramming optional, but so in style these days…

Message me if interested in any of these products…Thanks!

Sooooo…we bought a place in a city that conveniently had beaches all around it and we started splitting our time between the ‘beach place’ and the ‘farm’. I was still working from home, and we were busy with continuing to work on the old house at the farm, and getting the new place at the beach the way we wanted.

After less than a year, and a week after my 55th birthday, my employer came to me and said ‘you have 30 days to find another position within the company, or take early retirement’. Because we lived so rurally on the farm, I was 2 hours away from a decent airport, and most any other position would have involved getting on a plane every Monday and flying home every Thursday…back and forth to whatever project assignment I might get placed on. After a soul-searching discussion, my husband and I made the decision that I would take the early-out option. We had saved and saved in anticipation of retirement, and felt comfortable with our future. And after 3 years, I’m happy to say we are having way too much fun!

I am now able to be the ‘weird artist’ I’ve always wanted to be, sit on the beach when I want (weather permitting), and basically do whatever! Life is good…really good! We are enjoying making our creations – since we both like to have busy hands. And that’s where we are right now. So, stay tuned for more posts about our projects and how they come to fruition.

After the dust settled from my high school reunion, things were fairly quiet. I was working upstairs in the room I call my ‘nest’…it consisted of 2 desks, one for sewing and one for my work, with computer, monitor, etc. In the middle of the ‘nest’ is what was originally designed as a kitchen island, but it’s my project table. We attached a gridded/numbered cutting surface on the top which I use to cut out the handbags I make. It also serves as a place to put together the custom framing we do. The better half makes the wood frames (oak, walnut, pine, chestnut…old barn wood) and we cut the mats and mount whatever folks want in a frame.

Anyway, things were pretty much routine…until the end of October that Fall, and my husband calls to me from the bottom of the stairs one day after working on winterizing some plumbing under the house. He tells me he needs my help, so I go to the top of the stairs and he explains that he needs me to call the rescue squad. Taking one look at him, I knew he was having a heart attack; having been diagnosed with hereditary heart disease almost 15 years prior, it was something I had anticipated for a good while. I calmly called 911 and explained that my husband was more than likely having a heart attack, hung up and encouraged him to lie on the bed with his c-Pap machine on to give him extra air while waiting for someone to arrive. The local volunteer fire department is only 2 miles away, so three men got here fairly quickly. It was a good 20 minutes before the rescue squad made it to our home. They quickly got him on a stretcher and took him to the local hospital. Long story short, he was transferred to a better hospital the next day for cauterization and then a triple bypass 2 days after that. It was a successful surgery and he healed quickly.

Shortly after my husband had recuperated, I went to a new urologist for kidney stone that have plagued me for about 10 years now. For the first time, I had an ultrasound as part of the testing required by the new doctor and everything regarding the many kidney stones I had came to a screeching halt. The ultrasound revealed what I call a ‘creature’ in my lower abdomen. The results were sent to our family doctor and within a week or so, he called to schedule an appointment with me…it’s NEVER good when the doctor calls you for an appointment. We went in for a consult and he recommended I go to the better hospital to see a surgical oncologist. After another more in-depth/specialized ultrasound and seeing this new doctor, it was decided I needed surgery to remove the creature. My husband jokes that he got out of the recliner from his surgery and I got in it…which was basically the way things happened.

After another successful surgery between the two of us, with no lingering consequences, we made a big decision.  Having experienced the surgeries we’d had, made us think that it was definitely time to smell the roses and see if we could purchase a second home close to a beach. While I was still off from work due to surgery, we took off the last week of my sick leave and spent several days in the location we had chosen to search for ‘our paradise’. Fortunately, we found exactly what we had in mind, within our budget, and about 45 days later we closed on our ‘dream’! YIPPEE!

Now we get to buy furniture and decorate the place…fun, fun, fun…and to be continued in the third part to our backstory!

Some may think the title of this post means something else, but in this case, it’s referring to our pets, and in our house that means kitties…! For as long as I can remember I’ve had a kitty…most have been regular short-hair domestic types, although there were a couple Siamese when I was in high school and college. For most of our marriage we have had 3 kitties at a time. All have different personalities as most of you know…just like humans, they are truly individuals. About 14 months ago, our kitty Presley went to heaven…he was one cool cat…and it practically broke my heart. He was ‘my kitty’ and it took me a long time to get over it…we had a real connection. We had 2 other male cats (indoor/outdoor) at the time, and a couple months before Presley’s passing, a mother cat and her kitten appeared at one of our barns. We gave in and kept them, thinking they would be ‘barn cats’…that didn’t last long! Within a month or so, they started following us back to the house after feeding them at the barn. And within a couple more months, they were hanging out on the back porch of the house, and found their way through the pet door into the house. Shortly after, Presley left us, and then we were a family of 4 kitties and 2 humans. The 2 new kitties adjusted well to us, even though our other ‘boys’ weren’t real sure about them. Gradually they have found a way to get along.

Back in the late fall, we ‘lost’ another of our precious fur balls. When spending time in our second home close to the beach, one of the ‘boys’ went out early one morning and within an hour and a half, we couldn’t find him, and he has never returned. He was an older kitty, too…16…but appeared healthy for the most part. He had just slowed down in some ways; mainly he just slept more. And as it is said; ‘and then there were three’.

The kitten that appeared with his mama, about a year and a half ago now, looks and acts so much like my beloved Presley, and I have gotten attached to the silly thing. His name is Barney, named by my husband because he was supposed to be a barn cat, and the Barney just stuck. He has a much sweeter nature than his predecessor, Presley…he’s easy going, very loving, and has a motor (purrs) unlike any kitty I’ve ever had. Since he’s only about 20 months old, he’s still busy, busy, busy and love the outdoors more than indoors. We let him out Saturday afternoon as usual after he takes a nap inside and never saw him again before we went to bed…which isn’t so unusual either. But…when he didn’t come in for his breakfast yesterday morning, I was worried. Since I’m still non-weight bearing from the ankle surgery, I can’t do much and it was left to my husband to go searching. I called and called for him…no Barney. My husband explored all the barns and then rode the four-wheeler around the fields closest to us. The thought of coyotes came to mind for both of us, since they are more abundant now. Still no Barney…and I was devastated. It shocked me so…I didn’t realize I had gotten that attached, and couldn’t believe I wouldn’t see that sweet face or hear that motor again.

But…about 6 p.m. yesterday, I called for him one more time. I didn’t see that flash of black and white come running from any of the barns, so I went back inside. Not 5 minutes later, I heard a distinct meow at the backdoor, and there was my furry buddy…yowling to get in, just like always. I could’ve cried from happiness, but I restrained myself, barely. I scooped him up and couldn’t let go…and that motor of his sounded louder than ever…or maybe I just sounded better than ever. He gobbled his supper up like he was starved, and my husband gave him another helping. It wasn’t long before he was sound asleep in his usual nap spot. Later he came and sat beside me (he’s too young to be a lap kitty yet), and he seemed so tired. These are the times when I wish they could talk…would love to know where he’d been all that time. When we went to bed he was back to sleep again…inside…and I knew where he was.

Anyway, all I can say is I’m THANKFUL…for the small things in life…those that give you so much joy, no matter what shape or size, rough, smooth, furry, or whatever!

Since this blog is primarily to document our retirement and the fun we’re having, it only makes sense to go back and tell the story from the beginning. In June 2009, we moved ‘back’ to the area where I was born and raised…not my husband’s roots, but mine. We had fallen in love with an old federal-style ‘four-over-four’ brick house, and had started renovating it four years prior to our moving into it. According to county records, the house was started in 1845 and completed in 1854, which now makes it 161 years old. The house is in good shape structurally, but needed central heat and cosmetic updates; paint, new windows, floors scrubbed and sealed. We also completely gutted the existing kitchen and downstairs bath. The better half is VERY handy, and because of that, we were able to do the majority of the work ourselves.

When we moved, I was still working (from home) and my husband retired at that point; his new ‘job’ was to finish the renovation of the old house. We were fortunate in that our house sold quickly in a very depressed market, and we had to move in a hurry! We only had the sink cabinet and the cabinet that holds the microwave built when we moved. We had all kitchen appliances, but only the refrigerator and microwave worked. The range needed to be ‘plumbed’ for gas and the dishwasher needed it’s plumbing also. We had torn wood out of an old corn crib across the road and the heart pine was being turned into our kitchen cabinets, made by the better half, of course. By end of that summer we had a full kitchen, minus the island we now have. That meant no more grilling most of our meals on the gas grill outside, and boiling water on the range, and not hand-washing dishes! Oh the joy of modern conveniences in a VERY old house!

And, the other thing we started once we moved, was the in-ground swimming pool. We had one at our previous residence and loved it, but I had said we could wait til the next summer before we built a new one. I did a take-back and decided I couldn’t stand a summer w/out a cement pond, so work on the pool started just after the 4th of July. Worried that we would hit rock and not be able to continue, I did a ‘no-rock’ dance the first day, and it worked! Only 2 or 3 larger sized rocks that could be lifted out w/ a backhoe were unearthed. By the 2nd week in August, we were swimming…it was GLORIOUS, to say the least! And cause for another happy dance by me!

Over the next year, features in the house morphed from the temporary cabinetry, and/or hardware, into the final features. It kept my hubby occupied…sometimes I think he worked harder physically than he had the last several years before he retired. Had we stayed in our old home, he would have been bored and looking for another job in 6 months – there was just not enough there to keep him busy. Here, he always has something to do – partly because of our barn art and projects we enjoy doing, but when you own an old house, there’s always something that needs fixing!

Another reason so much was finished in a year’s time was because I had signed us up to host the 35th year reunion for my high school class. By June of 2010, we had graded, seeded, and landscaped around the house and pool, built a deck outside of the ‘woodshed’ where my husband does his creating, strung lights and were ready for my classmates. It was a fun event, very relaxed atmosphere, and now they want to have our reunion here every five years! What was I thinking???

That’s the end of Part 1…stay tuned for Part 2 😉

Finally…I am out of my post-surgery, drug-induced stupor and am feeling more human than I have in over a week. Getting around is easier although still awkward. My nights and days have been kind of mixed up, but are better today. With encouragement, the husband had me painting something for his latest barn-art creation today, & it felt good to have a paintbrush back in my hand and paint under my fingernails. Creating from the ‘royal recliner’ is almost a challenge, but we mastered this obstacle, too. Several tables now surround me & most everything I need to design/create is at my finger tips. Something I need to find is exercises to do while sitting & convalescing (convalescing…that’s a word very strange to me and my vocabulary). UGH – that’s all I have to say about that…along with approximately 37 more days in this non-weight bearing state. Join me in the countdown! 😉

A week later, after my initial post, I find myself sitting in one spot. It’s the same spot I’ve sat in since having surgery on my right ankle for a ‘high grade peroneus brevis tendon tear’. I’m non-weight bearing for six weeks and then in some kind of ‘boot’ for at least another six weeks, and who-know-what else. Going into this surgery, kicking and screaming, it was something that HAD to be done…I just don’t like to be inconvenienced and already it’s been harder than I thought it would be. The orthopedic surgeon said that the tendon was shredded, and only a matter of time before it let go, so I suppose it was best to get it done when I did!

Thankfully, my better half is the BEST HUSBAND a girl could ever have and has taken care of me, cooked for me, helped me dress, get from bed to my ‘royal recliner’, as he calls it, and wherever I need to go. Having ditched the crutches given to me by the hospital when leaving, a little wheeled scooter that I rest my knee on and push along with my good foot gets me where I need to go, somewhat awkwardly, depending on the desired location, but it beats sore hands and armpits from the crutches. Another 10 days and the stitches come out, and who knows what kind of ‘covering’ I will get to protect the ankle for the remainder of the 4 weeks I am non-weight bearing. Stay tuned for that…

But…this medical interlude still allows for me to do the ‘creating’ that has become second nature to me and my husband in our retirement. I have things all lined up and mostly within reach to keep me busy and entertained. It’s a good thing because this sitting and watching TV has gotten old already! 😉