Door Swag & Mailbox

This is our coastal Christmas door swag. I'm really loving Florida, can you tell?

This is the new mailbox. The poinsettia is a gift from our neighbor's granddaughter.

This is the mailbox before, actually is looked even worse just before we took it down a few days ago. the roof of the little house was falling apart.

I would say it's a big improvement. So much more to do. So very, very tired. Today is a down day for me. Enjoy life today everybody, I think I'm going to sit this one out.

Royal Roots

Have you ever wondered where you're from or who your great-great-great grandparents are?

Being curious about my ancestry inspired me to sketch this primal woman. I threw her arms in the air to show that we all surrender and have no choice in being submissive to our genes. She wears a crown because after much research my cousin, Ken Writtenhouse, found that we are distant cousins to the royal family. All of us have a bloodline that goes way back.

Let's start with pointing out on the list above, Kenneth Dean Writtenhouse Sr. was born in 1912. He is my grandfather, my father's father.

This is my dad, Dannie(Pete)Lee Writtenhouse with his race car back in the 60's. Continue on to see where the link is to my family being distant cousins to the Royal Family of England.

My Grandfather, Kenneth Dean Writtenhouse and his wife, Ruth (Trissel) Writtenhouse, my dad's parents.

My great grandfather, Fredrick Loten Writtenouse. My dad's grandfather. 

Fredrick Loten Writtenhouse was married to Goldie Demoine Shores. My dad's grandfather and grandmother.

My great-great grandfather, William Wallace Writtenhouse b. 1857 death date unknown. He was married to Marietta (Baldwin) Writtenhouse. My dad's great grandparents.
William Wallace Writtenhouse
Father: Levi Rittenhouse b.1835
Mother: Nancy Jane Lease b.1838
Spouse: Marietta (Baldwin) Writtenhouse
Children: Fredrick Writtenhouse and others.

William Wallace Writtenhouse and Marietta (Baldwin) Writtenhouse when they were younger.

Levi Rittenhouse 1835-1867, Stone behind says, "Lieut Levi Rittenhouse, Co H, 10th Kans Inf." (photo by Jean Flood from Ancestry site.)
Lt. Levi Rittenhouse (my 3 great-grandfather)
Birth: Mar. 1, 1835 in Ross County, Ohio, USA
Death: Jan 27, 1867
Father: John Smith Rittenhouse b.21 FEB 1810
Mother: Sarah Jane Veatch b.3 Jan 1810
The W was added to Rittenhouse at this time starting with William Wallace Writtenhouse, Levi Rittenhouse's son.
Levi Rittenhouse served in the Civil War.
Levi was married to Nancy Jane Lease b. 6 June 1838 in Ross County, Ohio. She died 4 June 1934,
2nd Marriage to Bertha Singer 26 Jan 1865

Sarah Jane Veatch b. 3 Jan 1810 in Maryland. She is shown in this photo with her husband John Smith Rittenhouse.

Sarah Jane Veatch Rittenhouse died 1864 in Champaign County, IL. Sarah is my 4 great-grandmother and my link to the bloodline of royal family. She was married to John Smith Rittenhouse b. 21 Feb. 1810. They had ten children, one of them being Levi Rittenhouse.

Levi's brother, Hezekiah Veatch Rittenhouse's (my 5 great uncle)grave stone.
Birth: Sep. 11, 1833
Death: Oct. 25, 1880 (age 47)
Father: John Smith Rittehnouse b. 1810
Mother: Sarah Jane (Veatch) Rittenhouse b. Drew the map in the photo below.

Hezekiah, Levi's brother was named after Sarah Jane's dad, Hezekiah my 6 great grandfather, b. 1745 died 1811. 

Hezekiah Veatch, my 6 great grandfather was married to Sarah Hurley. The only information that I could find is that he is the father of Sarah Jane Veatch and that his name is mentioned in the History of Western Maryland.

Nathaniel (Nathan) Veatch (my 7 great grandfather. Sarah Jane's grandfather and Hezekiah's father.)
Birth: 1719
Birthplace: Bealls Pasture, Prince George's, Maryland, USA (Nathan's lifestyle would have been much like you see in the photo above.)
Death: May 7, 1802 in Montgomery County, Maryland USA
Father: James Veatch
Mother: Rachel (Hepburn) Veatch
Nathan was married at age 21 in 1740, wife's name is Sara. They had five children, one of them being Hezekiah.

The "Descended from Kings" list continues on through the Veatch/Veitch Family and into the Muirdeen Family and so on. I'll continue on with Sarah Jane Veatch's ancestry and then continue on with John Smith Rittenhouse.

With the Netflix series The Crown being popular right now, it has prompted me to figure out exactly how I am related to the Royal Family. The deeper I dig the more addicted to genealogy I am becoming.
 

Virtual Vakay

Mi Miguel and I haven't the funds or the energy for vacations right now. We're what you would call, "house poor." 

All this hard work will be worth it because when we're finished with the house, we'll be debt-free and living a simplified life.

Our goal is to have a lifestyle that even when we're staying at home we feel like we're on vacation.

For now, we're doing the little things in life that makes living here in Florida feel like a vacation...staycation. That's me on a group bike ride.

A staycation that involves exercise and weight loss is a productive one. Oh, the calories I left on this bike ride. 

You throw in the great conversation with the bike group at our 7.4 mile stop at Maggie Mae's, and it makes for an enjoyable ride.

The fixer upper can be quite a money pit, but we do have to take breaks on occasion to build our funds back up and to regain our sanity. To travel with no cost and no effort, I'm going to start a virtual trek around the United States while we're renovating our sweet little home.

A few weeks ago at a local flea market we picked up vintage post cards from each state in hopes of posting one each time I blog. My first virtual stop is Alabama. Here is the Governor's Mansion in Montgomery from way back in the day.

Here is the Governor's Mansion today, what a difference clearing out shrubbery can make. What else is in Alabama? 

When we actually go there someday, I'm going to seek out soul food, doesn't it look yummy?

Got this little road trip map handy for that day when we can hop on a plane and head to Alabama. Should we ever go there, I want to see this...

Sipsey Wilderness. Isn't it gorgeous? I wonder if I could talk Mi Miguel into camping here one day...you know, when the fixer upper is finished. But for now it's the little things in Florida that we appreciate.

Like this for example. Here's an aspect of our Florida life that makes it such a staycation. Having our next door neighbors over for roast beef, potatoes and carrots. It's quaint dinners like this that makes our home feel like a cozy, welcoming bed and breakfast. 

If it weren't for great neighbors I think I would have jumped in our canal by now to become fodder for the gators.

In reality, we are simplifying our lives by working hard and spending lots of money to make our home as eclectically basic and stress free as we possible can. Spending lots of money so we can live a simple life...makes sense doesn't it?

Oh if I had all of our fixer upper money, I'd hop on a plane and...well, you know. I don't need to play the song for you, because I'm sure just seeing the meme will have "Leaving on a Jet Plane" stuck in your head for the rest of the day.  

Here is where some of our money has gone lately. The first guest bedroom is finished as far as painting, light fixture and furniture placement. 

A new bedspread would be nice too; comforters are too hot for Florida.

Here is one of the two nightstands that I chalk painted. I learned real quick that chalk paint is not ideal for a room that gets a lot of sun. I'll post about that later with before and after the move from IN to FL projects. 

The first guest bedroom is going to be all about adventure and travel. We still have to find a few more pieces to pull the room together but we're getting there.

Here's a better view of the light fixture that I created.

This is from a shower curtain that I bought over a year ago. It's been my inspiration for color in all of the rooms that we've done so far. 

I do feel like I'm on vacation when I get great nature photos like this one. I just took it from my backyard. But there is still oh so much to do with this house. I'm leaving on a jet plane...