Day #1,228 - Glitches

Today was a full day, but there is not much to show for it.  Last week I put clear sealer on the undersides of the stair treads.  Today I turned them over to seal the top sides.  There were drips on the edges.  Glitches.  So I scraped off the drips on five treads.  The spots looked terrible.  So I sanded them. Not good.  Now those areas were lighter.  Glitches. So I sanded the entire treads.  Then they needed staining again. But the other treads had two coats of stain making them much darker. (Which I did not like).  So now do I stain these 5 darker to match the others?  Or sand down the seven and re-stain them as well?  Yuck.

I put a second coat of sealer on the handrail, weeded Doc’s vegetables garden, took solar array readings, moved boxes and cleaned!

I washed down the Master Shower stall and noticed the top of the tub wall had never been painted!  Raw drywall mud.  Another Action Item.

Window Washer Brian continued to clean thresholds, remove window stickers and install bug screens.  We tried installing all the new screens and half of them do not work.  I have made a list and emailed the window rep this evening.  Glitches.

At 6 p.m. I finally called it quits for the day (at least on site).  Stopped at a grocery store to get bananas for Doc and dog food for Norman.  The dog treats were looking quite appealing to me by that point, so I grabbed a bag of beef jerky to nibble on.  Found a penny in the check out area.  (Coin #1).

Lots of emails and end-of-the-month stuff for the Penny Palace tonight. 

I just assembled a rolling clothing cart where I can hang things for the next few weeks.  Realized the end pieces are on backwards. More glitches.  I plan to take our current closet bar and shelves to the Penny Palace.  My brother made them and they are much nicer than anything else I’ve seen.  (And the price is right). 

Total:   1 Penny

Day #1,227 - Quick Visit

Doc wanted to go out for breakfast before he would cooperate and work on our list of Action Items for today.  So we had a quick meal at a local café.  On the way home, Doc stopped at a Circle K store so I could look for coins.  We got three pennies there  (Coins #1-3).

We packed up a van-load of stuff and headed for the Penny Palace.   Stopped at Home Depot for shelving hardware, a light fixture, paint, other supplies, and one dime.   (Coin #4)

We arrived at the Penny Palace around 12:30 and spent a hurried hour unloading things, putting shelves in the lawn shed and taking solar readings.

On the way home Doc stopped for a coffee, but I questioned his ‘cents ablity’ since it was such a hot day.  So he bought an Icee instead.  I collected a penny.  (Coin #5)

The glass dome of ceiling light we bought this morning was shattered, so we returned to Home Depot to exchange it.  Doc collected a median find penny as we exited the freeway.  (Coin #6).

 

There was one penny at the drive through diner when we got lunch.  (Coin #7)

This afternoon we took the doggies to get their nails trimmed.  A dime there.  (Coin #8).  Then Doc took the van to the car wash.  One penny there.  (Coin #9)

This evening I spent 2 hours sorting, cleaning and packing things for the Penny Palace.  I begged Doc to work with me for 15 minutes on some of his stuff.  I now have a load to take to the jobsite tomorrow.

Rats!  I left my cameras out in the lawn shed.

I spent several hours this evening paying bills. That is the largest stack I have seen.  Tonight I began filling out “Change of Address” forms on the bills. New Experience!  Doc bought this house just before we got married and we have been here for 30 years!

Total:   9 Coins        P (7), N (0), D (2), Q (0) = $0.27

Day #1,226 - Laundered

On the way to the Penny Palace, Doc stopped at McDonald’s. While he waited in the drive-up line, I wandered off looking for coins. I immediately did a SingSong.  The birds were singing which made me think of the Tiki Room at Disneyland. Immediately found a penny.  Doc got his penny at the drive-up window.  (Coins #1&2)

We unloaded gear at the Penny Palace and then took Sparky out in the yard.  He immediately wandered over to the corner on the North side where there is a small opening between the new iron fencing and the dirt.  Doc said, “We need Iron Jimmy to put a small blocking piece there.”  Within minutes Jimmy’s Truck pulled up and he had installed that block.  Talk about Manifesting!

First Load of Laundry

We tested the washing machine and clothes dryer by washing a load of wet rags.  Those seem to be working well.  These new washers without the center agitators sure make funny noises.

Sparky tested his new doggie door.  It is the deluxe one with double doors which makes it harder to use than the one he is used to.

Window Brian continued his work today.  He cleaned the second story windows and tried installing the window screens.  Some of the new ones are STILL oversized and will not fit in the windows.

Shelving Assembly

Window Washing

I put clear sealer on the upstairs handrail and the undersides of the stair treads.  Doc graded quizzes and took solar data.  Then we both assembled some temporary shelves.

Clear Sealer on Upstairs Railing

We closed down the Penny Palace at 5 p.m. and Doc headed for coffee.  When he parked the van at 7-11 he said jokingly, “So do you see a coin before even getting out of the van?”  I looked out my window.  “Yes, as a matter-of-fact there is a penny next to my door”.   (Coin #3).  There was another penny by the gas pumps.  (Coin #4)

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When we got home, Doc and I both really wanted a nap, but agreed to spend a few minutes in the yard and lawn shed.  That turned into 1.5 hours, but we got a lot done.  We were not planning to go to the Penny Palace tomorrow, but now I have a load of stuff dragged out of the lawn shed and garage which need to go …

Total:   4 Pennies        

Day #1,225 - Testing

Which part do you want first - the Penny Finding or the Penny Palace update?

Penny Palace Progress

Painter Peter arrived at 8:30 a.m. to take off that tacky layer of sealant on the garage floor.  By 10 a.m. he was done and off to another project, but said he would return this afternoon if I would get the needed materials.  I said I would have them by 2 p.m.

Doc tested the Master Tub  (see video for that).  We also tested the gas cooktop.

At 10 a.m. our friends Ed and Lotte arrived bearing a pair of beautiful orchids.  Ed was Dean of Engineering the entire time I was working at CPP.  Shortly after I announced my Leave of Absence, Ed announced his retirement.  I joked that he just couldn’t face running the College without my assistance!  Two-and-a-half hours flew by as we tried to catch up on the past two years of activities as well as touring the Penny Palace. Lotte’s comment:  “Your photos do not do this place justice.  It is beautiful”.

At 11 a.m. Window Brian arrived.  Today he removed labels from exterior window frames and washed off the outside of the house.

After our guests departed, I made a run for the needed floor coating materials.  I decided to ‘push it’ and also drive all the way over to the sign shop for the new bathroom wall words.  Arrived back at 2:04 (4 minutes late).   It took Painter Peter less than an hour to apply the sealer. Tomorrow we will see how it hardened.

I applied the new wall letters which are supposed to be thinner and stickier.

At 4 p.m. Doc and I locked up the Penny Palace.

Both the Porta Potty and the Dumpster were taken away today.  Plus Project Manager Daryl’s contract ends in four days.  I guess that will close down the “Construction Phase”.

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Penny Finding

This morning while Doc went into Subway for breakfast sandwiches, I walked the parking lot. I didn’t want to waste time, so I immediately hummed a SingSong.  Found a penny within seconds.  Another penny as I was walking back to the van.  (Coins #1&2)

After ‘work’ (time at the Penny Palace)  Doc stopped at the 7-11 store for coffee and bananas.  I spotted a dirt penny in the planter before getting out of the van.  Inside the store we collected a dime, quarter, and penny.  When returning to the van Doc found two pennies and I found one.  (Coins #3-9).

1950 Hong Kong 5¢

As we exited the freeway, Doc found a median penny.  The people in the car next to us were giving us questioning looks.  (Coin #10).

We stopped to purchase a bag of dog food, then the bank for some cash, and then Doc decided to cruise the high school parking lot.  He spotted several Sit-N-Finds.  I had several coins in my hand when he asked if we had a ‘coin mine’ yet?  I said I did not want to look down to count them; I wanted to look out the window.  We then both shouted “coin” and simultaneously hopped out of the van to collect our respective pennies.  We were laughing. Such Friday night adventure!  Now we had a coin mine:  One dime, 12 Pennies and one foreign coin. (Coins #11-24)

Tonight’s Wish:  May the epoxy harden, and the letters stick.

Total:   24 Coins       

P (20), N (0), D (2), Q (1) + one foreign = $0.65 + 1950 Hong Kong, King George the Sixth 5¢ piece.

Day #1,224 - Smiling Overdose

Kellogg House Great Room

The Kellogg Mansion on the Cal Poly Pomona campus (where we teach) has always been a special place for Doc and I.  We took our wedding invitation photos there.  I held a surprise party there for Doc when he earned his Ph.D.  We had several Solar Car Team functions there.  Plus there were many other functions I arranged there as part of my Engineering Advocate job.  Standing in the Great Room today with the fireplace glowing was absolutely magical.

We've Got Gas!

A while back when Doc and I were working on the floorplans for our new house, Doc said,  “Your Grand Room is taller than the Great Room at the Kellogg Mansion”.  I didn’t think that could be true.  Today I was standing in both of those rooms.  It is true.  I was awestruck.

The Penny Palace is a smaller and more modern version of the Kellogg Mansion which I so enjoy.   Hopefully our Penny Palace will be used similarly for wonderful joy-filled activities.

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I did go to the Penny Palace for a little while this morning.  For the first time I drove Pippy around back and parked her in her spot.  She has a great view of the waterfall in our back yard and then the valley activities in the distance.

Electrician Travis

I worked with Electrician Travis to resolve that faulty canned light fixture (21 ft high in the Grand Room ceiling) as well as a few other little items.

Window washing Brian was able to do a few things, but it was raining too hard for him to work on the exterior of the house as planned.

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Today was spent mostly at Cal Poly Pomona. I attended the Pacesetters (retired folk) luncheon which was held at the Kellogg House Pomona (Kellogg Mansion).  In addition to the annual business meeting, there was a special performance  by celebrated, classical in-theatre pipe organist Tony Wilson on the newly installed Wurlitzer Theatre Organ.  It was magnificent!  For that brief period of time, all else was forgotten. 

I had been feeling guilty about leaving the Penny Palace so early today to attend this luncheon. Being at the Mansion I was re-energized by realizing we had somewhat created our own Mansion!  I sat there with my eyes closed listening to the pipe organ and was inspired.  Some NEW ideas and goals emerged …  I was very surprised by one of them.

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After the luncheon, I took care of a few tasks on campus.  Closed my Credit Union account (now that I am retiring), Cashed in some Gift Cards, and then visited and hugged at least a dozen people I had not seen in a while.

Found two dimes and a penny while passing through the Student Union, then a nickel and two pennies under a table in the cafeteria area.  (Coins #1-6)

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On the way home I stopped to get a Thank You balloon bouquet for Iron Work Jimmy.  When I stopped at his shop, he put everything aside for 5 minutes and ‘stretched’ a metal rack for me.  That will hold the storybook in the Aussie Bathroom.

The next stop was Home Depot.  Must have at least one of those each day.  I purchased the door lock for the dog yard gate which Jimmy is fabricating.  Joshua was the helpful sales clerk who re-keyed the new lock as well as the one I was trying to get re-keyed yesterday.  Yipee!

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When I got home, there were emails about the vinyl letters, upcoming visitors to the Penny Palace and all sorts of other topics.

Today was filled with such a continuous stream of Joy moments.  By this evening my heart was exhausted from smiling so much!

Total:   6 Coins        P (3), N (1), D (2), Q (0) = $0.28

Day #1,223 - We've Got Gas!

Another day of being at the Penny Palace at 7 a.m.  We were expecting the Gas Company installer any time between 7 - noon.

Final Driveway Fencing

Iron Jimmy and Jonathan arrived to install the remainder of the driveway fencing.  Gosh it looks great!  We also reviewed the designs for the next project - the dog yard fencing.  As I was making payment I asked Jimmy for the invoice on that Wagon Wheel Axle.  Doc just loves spinning his wheel!  Jimmy said it was his gift to the Penny Palace.  The team working on this project is awesome.  We are very blessed.

Window Brian continued window cleaning.  Using his 28 ft. ladder he also agreed to clean the ceiling fans, wipe down the fireplace stone, and clean the trusses.  We were told we would need to get a lift in the Grand Room to switch out the light bulbs when they needed changing in the future.  So today we had Brian put in LEDs which are supposed to last 15 years.  One of the eight recessed lights kept tripping the circuit breaker, so an urgent call was made to the electrician.   New issue to resolve.  I will meet him tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.

Gas Man Mike

The Gas Company rep checked all the gas features in the house for good connections. Then he installed the gas meter.  We Now Have Gas!  (and thus hot water).

Don & Jeanne w/Jimmy's Axle

This morning our good friends Don and Jeanne visited.  Don was Best Man at our wedding and Jeanne took our wedding photos (30 years ago).  They have since moved to Sacramento so we were delighted to see them again.

The vinyl lettering which looked so great when I installed it last week, has started to curl and some of the letters are nearly falling off.  Another issue to resolve.

This afternoon. HVAC Steve connected the two gas furnaces.  Yipee!  We have heating.

Doc and I shut down the Penny Palace at 4 p.m.  We stopped at the key and lock kiosk to get one wayward lock keyed to match all the others.  The locksmith said he could not do it.  Another new issue to resolve.

Our next stop was the storage unit to prove to Doc that I emptied it yesterday (and to close out our account). Yipee!

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Penny Finding?  Oh Yeah.  Early afternoon I made a quick trip to the lighting store to get those LED lamps.  I was going to take window Brian up on his offer to change those while he had his ladder in the Grand Room.  I made a quick stop at a 7-11 store for a banana (and to look for coins).  I spotted a penny.  Reached for it and saw a quarter, then a penny, then a dime, then a penny.  (Coins #1-5)

Total:   5 Coins        P (3), N (0), D (1), Q (1) = $0.38

Day #1,222 - Stealth Move

While Doc went off to school, Handyman George and I moved a few things  J.  Doc was very surprised when he found out this evening.

The move was actually supposed to take place at noon yesterday, but it rained!  (Thus I had the stay-at-home day).  Today Doc was just not cooperating. He was taking forever to leave the house and George was parked around the corner with his truck, trailer, and two other guys just waiting to get started.

Over the past week I have been quietly pulling boxes together and rearranging things in order to make today’s move as effective as possible.  We hauled two loads in George’s trailer and two loads in Pippy.  The guys worked until 6 p.m. before they went home.

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Stucco Tommy called unexpectedly in the early afternoon.  Uncle and Ottie (Stucco Angels) were on the jobsite wanting to get access!  They came to repair the scratch in the new patio stucco wall.

I noticed the water in the stream looked clearer today.  Turns out a Landscaping Angel had visited to put granule additives in the water and leave me a bottle for future use.

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At 6 p.m. when everyone else was gone, I could begin MY on site work.  I cleaned and moved and tried to deal with some of the incoming stuff.  Finally at 8:15 I locked up the place.

Stopped at a Target store for cleaning supplies and some little solar lights.  I told the Angels they had better deliver at that stop because I was not going anywhere else!  I found two pennies.  Cashier Jeff was the witness and I gave him a Penny Card plus a 60 second story as I was paying for the items.  Shared Joy.

Doc arrived home at 10:15 and I had to ‘fess up to today’s activities.  LOL

Total:   2 Pennies

Day #1,221 - Rain Day

This morning Doc headed for school and I ran a few errands.  I stopped for petrol and spotted a penny.  (Coin #1)  The pump would not issue me a receipt, so I grudgingly went inside the store.  Had to stand in a long line to get my receipt.  But was rewarded with an additional penny, nickel, and dime under the counter.  (Coins #2-4)

I had gear packed by the front door and ready to head out to the Penny Palace.  It was cold and drizzly outside, the Penny Palace has not heating yet, plus I would be the only one working there, so I decided to stay home instead.

I was able to catch up on some minor tasks.  I updated my Penny Palace logbook (it was two months behind), worked on some property management issues for the rentals, filed away papers which have been on the table for several weeks and various other tasks.  It was nice to have a ‘rain day’.

When Doc got home around 6:30 p.m. he was aching.  So we decided to go for a Chinese massage.  $20 to get pampered for an hour.  We walked out of there wondering why we don’t do that Every Week!   Wonderful.

Doc insisted upon going next door to the grocery store to look for coins.  He collected a dime.  (Coin #5).

Total:   5 Coins        P (2), N (1), D (2), Q (0) = $0.27

Day #1,220 - Shoes

 Transporting Shoes

Daughter-in-law Laura has been advising me to start packing things I don’t use.  So I packed up all my shoes.  For the past year I have been wearing my construction boots EVERY day - almost from the time I wake up in the morning until I go to bed.  Who needs the other shoes?

This morning Doc had coffee with son, Brian, then we went out for breakfast and a planning session.

Work Boots

I was really tempted to stay away from the Penny Palace today, but could not waste the opportunity of getting Doc’s assistance for a few hours.  We expect the dumpster to be taken away this week, so we need to make sure we have cleared out any remaining large debris.  We cut up lumber, tossed boxes and cleaned a bit.

Cleaning Aussie Bathroom

One goal today was to clean the Aussie bathroom.  I figured between the two of us we could have that done in under an hour.  It’s only a 7 x 9 ft. room!  After an hour I was tired and decided I could finish on another day.

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On the way home from the Penny Palace, Doc stopped for petrol and coffee.  I found a dime and he found a penny. (Coins #1&2).  We drove past a key and lock kiosk to check on hours of operation. Doc found a dime and I found a penny.  (Coins #3&4)  The score was now tied.

This evening at 8 p.m. we headed out for our routine grocery shopping.  We collected 4 coins at the first store, a penny at the second store, and another dime/penny combination at the third store. (Coins #5-11) We were home at 10 p.m. for dinner.

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I have been told that eleven is a good number.  Today we found three sets of 11¢ and the total number of coins was eleven.  Doc noted that the sum of the digits for 47¢ (4+7) also equals eleven.

Total:   11 Coins        P (7), N (0), D (4), Q (0) = $0.47

Day #1,219 - Sealed

Today’s primary focus seemed to be on sealing things.

This morning when Doc stopped for breakfast at McDonald’s, I visited three nearby fast food places.  Three pennies at the first one; two pennies at the second, and a dime at the third.  (Coins #1-6).

Sealing the Patio

Doc and I arrived at the Penny Palace at 7 a.m. - only minutes before Miguel and Serafin did.  They immediately went to work and did not quit until 3:15 p.m.  They sealed the patio. They sealed the new stucco wall.  They sealed the driveway, the pathways, the bridges, the flagstone, the repaired driveway retaining wall, the front walkway, the North driveway, the circular driveway, the mailbox post, the front repaired column, and even the mini-mountain inside the house.  This sealing process really enhanced the colors of all the stone, stucco, and concrete.

Phantom Plumber

Sometime during the morning the Phantom Plumber arrived.  He set the two garage sinks, connected the faucets and drains, sealed everything, and installed the point-of-use water heater in the back garage.

Doc and I installed the timer trigger pegs, replaced the floor outlet cover in the Grand Room, put in two window screens, cleaned thresholds, cleaned oversprayed paint, washed floors, installed closet shelving, etc.  When Doc left to take care of some banking, I continued to clean and to seal floor grout.  I believe that is the last of the tile sealing!  Yipee!

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Sealing Mini-Mountain

We locked up the Penny Palace at 3:45.  Temperatures were over 90 degrees today and I was wiped out.  Just wanted to go home, eat lunch and get cool!  But I want to continue working on things in the garage, so I bargained with Doc - if he would help me crush all the aluminum cans he has all over the garage and bag the plastic bottles, I would take them to the recycle station while he took a nap.  I took 30 minutes for my part of the deal; Doc took a 2-hr nap.  I did find a penny there.  (Coin #7)

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This evening I am paying bills.  Good to seal and mail off those envelopes since I was getting a bit behind on that chore.

Got a letter from the Academic V.P. at Cal Poly Pomona saying “We understand you will not be returning from your two-year Leave of Absence.  Best wishes.”  I guess that Seals that deal.

Total:   7 Coins        P (6), N (0), D (1), Q (0) = $0.16

Day #1,218 - C of O

Wednesday when Inspector Mike Signed Off on our building permit card he said we did not need a Certificate of Occupancy - that was only for Commercial Buildings.  Guess what arrived in today’s mail?  Our Certificate!  It says “… must be posted and maintained at or near to the entrance of the building …”  Even though it is a pretty document, I don’t think I want it hanging at our front door.  LOL.

This morning on our way to the Penny Palace Doc stopped at Starbucks and Subway for breakfast.  I was disappointed because I didn’t find any coins in the parking area there.  So Doc drove me across the street to the closed In-N-Out Burger place where I collected 3 pennies and one nickel.  (Coins #1-4).

We visited a very huge irrigation supply place to seek additional waterfall timer triggers.  (I want to cycle the waterfalls twice each day).  They only deal with the new, digital timers.  In looking around I thought. “There is no way there would be a loose penny in a place like this”.  Wrong!  There was a penny in the doorway as we were leaving.  (Coin #5)  How in the world did we miss that when we walked in?

Continued progress at the Penny Palace.  Doc and I cleaned his office from top to bottom.  Except for buying and installing a ceiling fan, that room is now ready for move in!

 

The rep called us today regarding the tacky garage floor.  It was concluded that the painter did not properly mix the sealer and hardener.  The clear coating needs to be removed.  Thus, Doc and I got to work with a can of pure acetone and were able to dissolve a few square feet of the material before quitting due to the fumes (and my frustration with the process).  We will continue with a few more feet tomorrow.

Temperatures today were in the mid-90s, but it was really pleasant inside the Penny Palace.  Doc turned on the two huge ceiling fans in the Grand Room for both practical and fun reasons. 

Doc helped me apply those vinyl decals on the bathroom walls.  One on each of three walls:

            “All Things Bright and Beautiful”

            “All Creatures Great and Small”

            “All Things Wise and Wonderful”

Concrete Rick came by to test out the different concrete sealers for tomorrow’s projects.

Neighbor Brian dropped in with a housewarming gift.  His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus who showed up at the Penny Palace on December 20  (see blog).

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We shut down the Penny Palace at 4 p.m. and headed to Home Depot.  We had quite a shopping list tonight.  And we found those waterfall timer triggers!

Then Doc insisted we go out to dinner before heading home.  He wanted to celebrate this week’s milestone achievement.  I dread going into a sit-down restaurant when I am wearing construction boots and clothing covered in paint, sweat and dust.  Yuck.  Doc found a nickel in the planter near the entrance.  (Coin #6)

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Someone said today “Have a nice weekend”. 

How are weekends any different than weekdays?  The Penny Palace is a 24/7  project / blessing / curse / obsession …

Total:   6 Coins        P (4), N (2), D (0), Q (0) = $0.14

Day #1,217 - To Be Continued?

I was wondering if the Penny Finding would continue after getting Sign Off? How long can this continue? Until Move In?

Doc put in a full day at school; I put in a full day at the Penny Palace.

By the time the cabinet installers arrived at 9:30 a.m. I had already sealed the tile grout in the foyer, taken solar array readings for Doc, contacted The Gas Co. about the new meter, cleaned and a few other things.

A neighbor, Natalie came over to say ‘welcome’ and deliver a beautiful bowl with red Begonias.

Our Architect Debbie came to visit! It was wonderful to share with her the positive comments from so many people.

The cabinet installers finished their work around 5:15 at which point I locked up the house. I figured with just three cabinets they would be done by early afternoon and I could run for supplies. Not the case.

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I was exhausted as I drove away from the Penny Palace and said, “Good Afternoon Angels. Is this Penny Finding stuff going to continue? I am going to make ONE stop at the gas station between here and the freeway, so you have one chance to deliver”.

At the gas station I spotted a coin. (Coin #1) Could not figure it out. Still haven’t determined its country of origin. I said, “OK Angels. Nice. That is three Foreign Coins recently. Does that mean travel in our future? A foreign coin is nice, but I think it needs to be a US coin to count for Penny Tales.” Instantly there was a penny in my path.

Inside the convenience store I was in line to purchase a cold beverage. The nice guy behind me was a witness as I picked up a wayward nickel. I gave him a Penny Card and told him about Penny Finding. And then there was a second nickel! (Coins #3&4). Wow. Nickels are the rarest finds of the four major coin types. I guess the Penny Angels want to continue their game.

Total: 4 Coins P (1), N (2), D (0), Q (0) + one foreign = $0.11 + ???

Solicitor or Angel?

I was just writing today’s Penny Tale. I wrote: “Angels, if you really want to prove that you are involved in this crazy journey, you’ll throw a quarter somewhere in today. 25 has been the Special number throughout this project…”. At that point the front doorbell rang …

I was irritated by the interruption of my writing and the dogs were going crazy at the front door. I said hello to the high-school aged young man and saw the envelope in his hand. I assumed he was selling magazine subscriptions as a fundraiser and I was starting to tell him “no thanks”.

He showed me the envelope with a hand-drawn request - funeral funds for his sister who was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. Of course I am quietly thinking “Yeah, sure. Drug money? What are you REALLY going to use this for?” Then I looked into his eyes and let my heart hear him. He was asking for PENNIES or any loose pocket change. I had to laugh. Pennies? I listened to more of his story with my Heart and asked the Angels for their input.

He said, “Jenny will be buried on the 25^th”. I had just typed the sentence about 25. (See above)

I told him to put that thought on pause while I went inside for a few moments. I came back to the door with some Penny Cards as well as my gift. He was nearly in tears. I told him about Penny Finding and the Penny Palace. The next 15 minutes were spent in wonderful conversation about all sorts of things. Shared Joy. Reminder to act on the “Nudgings”.

We Have Sign Off!

We have the Official City Sign Off on the Dream Home!

THANK YOU to all of you and others who have made this happen. Whether it was hands-on involvement, cheerleading, kibitzing, inspecting, funding, paper pushing or hugs, there are hundreds of people who created this Special Place.

If you have been on board for any portion of this journey, you know that the Penny Palace is a symbol of COINcidences, dreaming big, and manifesting. The Penny Angels and an incredible Source of love (whatever term you chose to call it) have made this happen.

Some of you have been involved for over 25 years. Thank you for your love and dedication. Thank you for not giving up even when I did.

My brain many times over the past years has said “Foolish, wasteful, selfish, financially stupid, too much work, not worth it, quit, give up.” The heart and ‘nudgings’ have said, “Build it. There is a purpose for it”. There is a reason for “Tina’s Ark”. There is a reason to leave a secure job behind and walk forward on faith. But Gosh the engineer in me is sure fighting that.

It has been 2.5 years since this new parcel of land ‘fell into our laps’. It has been 14 months since ground-breaking on Valentine’s Day last year.

This journey has provided daily reminders of invisible forces around us which are there to help. It is now Day #1216 of CONTINUOUS Penny Finding which is somehow related to this project. I’m wondering if the coin finding will continue now that we have the official Sign Off?

For the rest of today’s Penny Tale, see today’s Blog and Video.

So many people have said the Penny Palace is a welcoming place and symbolic to them. I hope you will find that to be true and come visit it yourself.

with Gratitude,

Tina

Day #1,216 - SIGN OFF!

Today started very much like any other day … Doc pulled into McDonald's for coffee and breakfast, while I hopped out and searched the nearby self-serve car wash. I was expecting today to be a Special Day, so I did a SingSong: “Good Morning Penny Angels won’t you come out to play …” Immediately there was a penny in my path. As I bent to retrieve it, there was another, and another … A total of 7 coins in that spot. (Coins #1-7) I laughed and said: “Thank You so much for that. It will make for a good story tonight. Seven is a nice, spiritual number”. But then I got just a little sassy: “Angels, if you really want to prove that you are involved in this crazy journey, you’ll throw in a quarter somewhere today. 25 has been the Special number throughout this project, so a Quarter would emphasize that ‘coincidence’”.

As I typed that sentence just now, our front doorbell rang. That led to a 20 minute detour and a beautiful COINcidence. I’ll need to type that story separately.

Doc was not yet through the McDonald's line, so I ventured to the nearby fast food diner and collected 2 pennies at that drive-up window. (Coins #8&9).

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What a day at the Penny Palace. Doc and I expected to be alone other than a brief visit by the City Inspector. Wrong!

As soon as I arrived, Neighbor Craig walked over saying, “I heard you need a little more dirt.” (An email request I had sent out last night). “I have a pile right there on my driveway which you can have today.” Talk about Manifesting!

Doc and I planned to stain some concrete areas before the Inspector arrived at 9 a.m. and before the day got too warm. Shortly after we arrived, Miguel and Serafin appeared to power wash that concrete. They weren’t expected until tomorrow!

Mike, the City Inspector arrived. He did a brief walk through the house and asked for the card so he could officially Sign Off. Funding Inspector, Alex arrived! Such Joy. We have grown quite fond of him and hope to keep in touch in the coming years as he completes his Architectural degree. He completed his final inspection also.

Then, Project Manager, Daryl arrived, and a few minutes later, Handyman George dropped in unexpectedly. So we had one heck of a Signing Party!

We hung a 10 ft. banner (which I painted yesterday) across the front of the house. It reads: “We have Sign Off! Next … the Cleaning Phase”. Within an hour we had new guests. Neighbors walking past the house gave a thumbs up and shouted: “Congratulations and Welcome”!

Dick and Kathy introduced themselves and I invited them in to tour the Penny Palace. Our first guests since the house was “official”. Such JOY! They left saying, “This home is very Special and has personality”. No kidding!

Window washing Brian continued his diligent efforts to give us clean views.

Doc and I made numerous phone calls to announce the “Birth of our Baby” and to say Thanks to so many people who made it happen.

Handyman George returned with friends Ramon and Robert to share the PP with them. More Shared JOY.

Friend, Mandy, heard the news and dropped in with a hug and housewarming gift.

Landscaper Rod delivered our 'as built' drawings for the irrigation systems. He also gave us brief instructions on pruning and caring for some of the plants.

I wasn’t getting a whole lot of work completed this afternoon, but that’s OK. It’s taken 30 years of dreaming and working toward this day.

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At 4 p.m. we locked up the Penny Palace. Our first stop was son Stephen’s house where he had a Celebratory cup of coffee ready for Doc. We returned his borrowed tile saw saying, “Tile work done!”

Our next stop was a grocery store. There was one ooey, gooey penny by a vending machine. (Coin #10). Then in the check out line there was a coin I did not recognize - it was a coin from Kuwait! Travel on the horizon? (Coin #11)

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The sun was setting on a lovely day. Doc asked if I wanted to go out to dinner or do something to Celebrate this momentous milestone? I said I would rather go home and take a nap! He suggested we a least “go for a sunset cruise”. So we detoured a few hundred yards from the grocery store and cruised the high school parking lot. I was not seeing any coins, when Doc exclaimed: “There’s a penny!” (Coin #12). He then spotted another blob. I told him it was nothing. He argued. I investigated. It was a Quarter! (Coin #13) Suddenly I remembered my Challenge to the Angels this morning: “If you really want to validate your existence, you will send a Quarter today!” I stood there awestruck. I told Doc the story. He was amazed. I hopped back in the van and we were preparing to leave the lot. Doc again spotted something. I told him it was a blob. Wrong. It was a second quarter. (Coin #14) If ONE quarter proves the existence of the Penny Angels, then what does TWO mean? Those Angels are incredible. There was one more penny as we were leaving - just to encourage the “Penny Tales”. (Coin #15).

I’m glad we stayed home this evening because there was a young man, Alex, who came to the front door and it was a beautiful encounter. (See separate story).

Total: 15 Coins P (12), N (0), D (0), Q (2) + one foreign = $0.62 + Kuwait 5 Fil