Lala Kent and Randall Emmett know a thing or two about renovating a home. How so? There processhas been going on for a very long time! During a recent episode, Lala expressed herfrustration with the remodeling process, saying, Rand and I started our home renovation over a year and a half ago, we basically gutted the entire house. I will never do another renovation again,you could not pay me to do a renovation.

Amid the homes many new upgrades which includes a new, all-white kitchen, the cutest playroom ever for Randalls daughters, and a master bathroom that is seriously glam is a master suite redo.Working withFlipping Out'sMegan Weaveron the design of the renovation, the room was completely demolished and now features a beautiful gray color palette, a super plush wall-to-wall carpet, and some huge windows overlooking the couple's scenic backyard and pool.

Now, however, the rooms focal point is going to be a gorgeous built-in gas fireplace. In a video posted to his Instagram Stories, Randall said, Alright, we got the fireplace going in, there we go, its happening not yet, but close! Flanking a humongous, floor-to-ceiling window and two cozy chairs, the rooms new hearth will also feature a TV hanging above. More to see: The rooms private balcony. Now thats luxury!

Bravos Style & Living is your window to the fabulous lifestyles of Bravolebrities. Be the first to know about all the best fashion and beauty looks, the breathtaking homes Bravo stars live in, everything theyre eating and drinking, and so much more. Sign up to become a Bravo Insider and get exclusive extras.

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Lala Kent and Randall Emmetts Master Suite Is About to Be Lit - Bravo

30 years after cancer treatment, one survivor returns to the Ronald McDonald House that made a major difference in their cancer journey.

Ryan Hamner is a four-time survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma, a musician and a writer. In 2011, he wrote and recorded, "Where Hope Lives" for the American Cancer Society and the song for survivors, "Survivors Survive" used in 2015 for #WorldCancerDay. Recently, he published his book, This is Remission: A Four-Time Cancer Survivor's Memories of Treatment, Struggle, and Life, available on Amazon.

"I need a smile," the photographer Carolyn said. I was freezing.

"I can't feel my face when I'm with you," I said jokingly, referencing the popular song by The Weeknd.

It was in the forties and overcast. That's not too bad for many, but with the windchill and a little mist, it felt pretty icy to me. Oh yeah, and I've been living in Florida since 2012, so my body isn't exactly used to anything remotely cold.

There I was, after just over 30 years, standing in the driveway of the Houston Mill Ronald McDonald House in Atlanta, Georgia. It was surreal. I was back, but this time under much better circumstances.

That long winding driveway was at one time my cue that "we were there." Most of the time, on the ride to the House, I would just lay all of the way back in the car seat. In and out of sleep, I'd stare up towards the ceiling of the car with a limited view of what I could see outside of the car window. But, when we got to the winding driveway with all of the tall trees I knew we were there. This time though, many of those trees were gone.

Aleea, who worked with the Ronald McDonald House, was also there helping out with the pictures being taken of me for Ronald McDonald House's 40th anniversary. They were trying to snap a few shots of my Bamba Box and me.

"Do you have any jokes?" I would ask her. And she'd reply with a smile, which usually helped me smile for the camera.

In the 80s, after leaving a chemo session at the Emory Pediatric Clinic, I can remember being pushed out to the car in a wheelchair by my mom, although other family members definitely helped out, I was then slowly eased into the passenger's seat little by little. Seriously, one wrong move and things could get worse before we were ready.

When I think back on it now, I always remember being pushed out of that clinic into a sunny day. For whatever reason, that's my memory of leaving. But, many other memories of those days don't really align with a "sunny day." Things were tough.

I spent many nights at the Houston Mill Ronald McDonald House between the ages of 6 and 12 if I remember correctly. But remembering specifics isn't easy at times.

As Aleea and I walked around to the back of the house - a house now missing some of its paint and in need of some work - it all felt like something out of a movie. To many, it would mean nothing, just an old house. But now, how going back made me feel was hard to describe. There is not a single word that can capture what hit me as I approached that door on the back of the house that we used to go through after chemo treatments.

This was the door that we went through so many times to get into the house and back to my room. It wasn't just a door on a house, though. Going through that door was a marker for me back then a signal.

In the past, going through that door meant that I was just minutes away from becoming violently ill. It was like clockwork back then. Finish chemo, ride to the Ronald McDonald House and just get through it. Oh, and the ice chips, those were always in the mixtoo.

As I peered into the windows of that back door of the Houston Mill Ronald McDonald House, I could see the playroom that I remembered going by so many times. It had changed so much. It was now just an empty room where it appeared that some remodeling had begun but abruptly stopped.

Going back to the house had more of an impact on me than I initially thought it would. It was bittersweet. This was the place that provided me and my family a home in one of the hardest times of my life, and my family's too. We met others there going through similar trials. My hope is that the "sweet" memories of the hard times for all of us outweigh the "bitter" ones and it's more like a "sunny day" now.

Excerpt from:
The Ronald McDonald House: Going Back After 30 Years - Curetoday.com

Q: Will all business offices and stores be required to close?

No.Those deemed Essential Businesses (see below) may keep their facilities open (and are encouraged to keep them open) to continue providing essential services and products to the public. Employees may leave home to go to these jobs.

Non-essential businesses may keep facilities open only to maintain minimum basic operations, such as maintaining the value of an inventory, keeping the site secure, or ensuring that employees are able to work remotely. The Order does not prohibit any employees from working from home.

Q: What are Essential Businesses?

The Order provides the following list of Essential Businesses:

Q: Does this Order require that schools shut down?

This Order requires that all schools stop holding classes at physical locations within the City. However, schools may provide distance learning to their students. Employees of schools may go to work for the purpose of providing distance learning to their students. Schools can also continue to offer students free lunches for takeaway or delivery, which many schools are doing.

Q: I am in the business of manufacturing food that I supply to grocery stores and other food retailers. Am I required to shut down?

No. All suppliers of essential businesses are allowed (and encouraged) to continue operating. This includes businesses that supply food goods and prepared meals to grocery stores and other food retailers.

Q: Does the Order require that businesses stop work that is necessary to our health care system?

No. The Order exempts any business that is performing work related to the delivery of health care.

Q: Can my company continue construction on a health care facility?

Yes, the Order exempts any business that is performing work related to the delivery of health care.

Q: Can my company tend to its labs under this Order?

You and your employees are allowed to perform Minimum Basic Operations on site at your work place, so long as employees maintain a distance of six feet from one another to the greatest extent feasible. If tending to the companys labs is necessary to maintaining the value of inventory, the Order allows for this work to continue. Other than that, your lab may only operate if it performs work exempted in the Order.

Q: My business principally manufactures, supplies, or repairs cell phones. Can it operate?

Yes. If your business is primarily engaged in supply or repair of cell phones or other telecommunications devices, then it is essential and may continue to operate under the Order.

Q: Can landscaping services continue?

Landscaping services may continue only if they are necessary to protect the safety, sanitation, or operation of essential businesses, such as weed abatement and other fire prevention, tree trimming to prevent a dangerous condition, or clearance of irrigation infrastructure. Landscaping for cosmetic purposes may not continue.

Q: Are non-profit organizations allowed to continue operating?

If they provide essential services as described in the Order, then yes they can and should continue providing those services. This would include non-profits operating food pantries, providing housing for homeless residents, and providing other critical services.

Q: What if some of the work my business does at its facility is essential and some is non-essential?

Your business can continue to operate its facility to carry out its essential business functions. You must maximize remote work and comply with social distancing requirements at the facility. The facility cannot continue to carry out non-essential business functions.

Q: I operate a big box store that sells some clothing in addition to groceries, electronics, and hardware. Do I need to shut down the part of my store that sells non-essential supplies?

No. You may keep your entire store open if it primarily sells essential goods and supplies like food and telecommunication supplies.

Q: What if I have a cafeteria at my worksite. Can it continue to operate to serve workers who are carrying out work exempted in the Order?

The Cafeteria can operate like other food facilities. It can serve food to the remaining employees, so long as the employees take the food away and do not eat it in the cafeteria. The cafeteria should follow the social distancing requirements in the Order.

Q: Is the local government shutting down?

No, essential government functions will continue, including first responders, emergency management personnel, emergency dispatchers, and law enforcement. Other government functions or offices may be subject to reduced schedules or may be closed as part of the effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Q: I work for the governmentCan I continue to go to work?

Government employees can continue to go to work if they are designated as essential employees by their employer. Each government entity is responsible for determining which of its workers are essential workers.

Q: What do I do if my employer requires me to go to work?

Many businesses are not allowed to operate under this Order. Essential Businesses, as defined in the Order, are allowed (and encouraged) to continue operating. If your work is not an Essential Business, you are not allowed to go to work and your employer is not allowed to require you to attend except to sustain Minimum Basic Operations, as that term is defined in the Order. You may work from home if your work allows.

Q: I work in a hospital or medical clinic, but Im not sure Im essential. Should I continue to work? What if Im over 60?

ALL employees of hospitals, clinics, and other organizations that provide healthcare, provide services to healthcare organizations, provide needed supplies to healthcare organizations, or otherwise maintain healthcare operations of all kinds may continue working.

Both the Citys Order and the Governors recent guidance allows essential workers over 60 to continue working, even though others in that age group are being directed to stay home.

Q: What do I do about my kids? I have to work.

If you work for an Essential Business, as described in the Order, you can and should continue to work. Certain employers and community organizations will be providing childcare for employees of essential businesses. You may also employ a nanny or babysitter to provide home-based care for your kids.

Q: Can bike repair shops continue to operate?

Yes, bike repair shops are treated as an essential business (the same as auto repair shops) because they are necessary to facilitate essential travel.

Q: Can my company continue to provide janitorial services?

Yes, janitorial services are allowed as necessary to health and sanitation.

Q: Can grocery stores, farmers markets, and other food retailers remain open?

Yes. Grocery stores, certified farmers markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, food banks, convenience stores, and similar food retail establishments are encouraged to remain open to provide food and pet supplies to the public. When visiting these establishments, please help retailers maintain at least six feet minimum distance between patrons, including by providing ample space while shopping and waiting in line.

Q: If my childs school is providing food or meals, can I leave home to go to the school to pick up the food or meals?

Yes.

Q: I operate a food facility what practices should I follow to keep my patrons safe?

Consult the Howell County Health Departmentfor additional up to date information.

Q: Can warehouses and distribution centers that supply businesses that ship and deliver stay open?

Yes.

Q: I work for an essential infrastructure organizationcan I leave home to go to work?

Yes. You can go to work to maintain and operate essential infrastructure, including public works construction, construction of housing (in particular affordable housing or housing for individuals experiencing homelessness), airport operations, water, sewer, gas, electrical, oil refining, roads and highways, public transportation, solid waste collection and removal, internet, and telecommunications systems (including the provision of essential global, national, and local infrastructure for computing services, business infrastructure, communications, and web-based services).

Q: I run a construction company that builds affordable and market rate housing. Can we continue to build new units?

Yes. Creation of new housing units, including both market rate and affordable housing units, is essential. The Order allows construction projects to proceed and new ones to begin if they contribute new residential housing stock to meet the Citys critical need for additional housing supply.

Q I am midway through a remodel. Can my construction project continue?

Yes. Residential renovation projects of any kind that are currently underway may continue if necessary to a safe, sanitary, and functional home. Likewise, residential remodeling projects that are partly completed may continue if delaying completion would pose a safety, security, or sanitation risk to residents or impact the habitability of the residence.

Q: I have a construction project that will sustain damage if I do not continue work on it. Can I complete the project if it is not related to provision of healthcare, housing, or other essential infrastructure?

The Order allows for minimum basic operations at non-essential construction sites. You may send employees to the construction site to secure the site and to ensure that it does not sustain damage. You mayonlycontinue construction on the project to the extent it is necessary to prevent damage to the project, e.g. completing a roof or ensuring that there is proper drainage after grading has been completed.

Q: I have a contractor scheduled to begin a remodel next week. Can I go ahead with this project?

You must defer your remodel or renovation project unless it is necessary to restore your home to a safe, sanitary, and habitable space.

Q: Is general commercial construction allowed?

Unless your construction project is a health care facility, it is only allowed if it is necessary to the operation or maintenance of essential infrastructure, as that term is defined in the Order.

Q: What if I want to go to work at a physical location in the City and Im not sick?

Unless your work is exempted in the Order, you cannot go to work at a physical location in the City. You may work from home for any business if your employer allows it.

Q: Can I operate a business that sells things that can be delivered to peoples homes? Can I shift more of my business to a delivery model?

Deliveries can continue to be sent to peoples homes, and you may adjust your business model accordingly while this Order is in place.

Q: My business provides critical services and products for the federal government that we are required to provide on a time-certain basiscan we continue to manufacture these products or perform these services?

Employees and contractors of any governmental entity may continue to provide the services and products if the governmental entity determines that they are necessary to carry out an essential governmental function.

Q: Are daycare facilities allowed to operate?

Daycare facilities may operate, but only if they comply with the mandatory conditions set forth below and only to provide daycare to the children of employees who are exempted under the Order. This includes employees of essential businesses, employees who are providing for minimum basic operations of non-essential businesses, and governmental employees providing essential governmental functions.

Q: Can home-service workers continue to provide their services?

Home service workers may provide services to residences if essential to health, safety, sanitation, or the necessary operation of the residence. Generally, this will mean that plumbing, maintenance (to, for example, fix an interior or exterior water leak), pest control, or similar services necessary to maintain a safe and sanitary household are permissible. Purely cosmetic and other non-essential home services should be deferred to minimize risk of transmission. Home based childcare is also allowed under the Order.

Q: If I operate a non-essential business with a retail storefront, am I allowed to re-configure my business to deliver products to peoples homes?

Yes.

Q: I operate a store that primarily sells non-essential goods, but that also sells a small fraction of essential goods like food, or products that allow people to work from home. Can I continue to sell products to customers at my storefront?

No. Your store may deliver items directly to customers residences. Other than that, you may only maintain minimum basic operations, such as security and safeguarding of your inventory.

Q: I am a nanny. Will I get in trouble if I go to work?

The Order allows nannies and babysitters caring for a child in the childs own home to continue working.

Q: Can notaries public continue to operate?

Yes.

Q: Can title insurance companies continue to operate?

Yes.

Q: Can auto dealerships sell cars online and deliver them to peoples homes?

Yes. The Order allows businesses to deliver products to peoples residences.

Q: My retail shop is not exempt can we deliver existing stock to peoples homes?

Yes. The Order allows businesses to deliver products to peoples residences.

See the article here:
City of West Plains publishes FAQ for businesses, employment and government operations - Ozark Radio News

Malibu | $749,000A manufactured house built in 1962, with one bedroom and one bathroom, on a 0.03-acre lot

Centered around an especially lovely stretch of beach in Malibu, Paradise Cove is a gated neighborhood made up of around 250 manufactured homes. Since the 1960s, it has been a popular home base for beach lovers of all stripes competitive surfers and Academy Award-winners included. The community is tight-knit, and residents regularly hold group cookouts, holiday events and golf-cart parades (the primary mode of transportation in the neighborhood).

Paradise Cove has expanded twice since its inception, and this home is in the original section, about 300 yards from the semiprivate beach that serves as a backyard to those who live here.

The main entrance to Paradise Cove is off the Pacific Coast Highway, the states most prominent scenic byway. The Malibu Country Mart, an outdoor shopping and dining complex, is about 15 minutes away by car, and the restaurants and nightlife of busier Santa Monica are about half an hour to the south.

Size: 620 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,208

Indoors: Built by Flamingo Homes in 1962, this house has new wide-plank wood floors throughout the main living spaces.

A set of glass double doors opens to the open-plan living area. To the left is a seating nook large enough to hold a sectional sofa. The wall on this side of the space is papered with a detailed map of the world.

To the right is a small dining area that extends into an open kitchen, where a gray marble bar offers additional counter space and seating. The kitchen has marble countertops and new stainless steel appliances, plus a mint-green Smeg refrigerator.

Beyond the main space is a bathroom that has a large walk-in shower with a glass door, slate tiles and a pebbled floor. At the rear of the house is a bedroom large enough to hold a queen-size bed. This room also has a wall of built-in shelving.

Outdoor space: A side door leads from the living area to a patio paved with concrete. This space is large enough for a barbecue and dining set, plus additional play equipment and surfboard storage. Parking for two cars plus a golf cart is included with this home. Residents also have access to various facilities, including tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground and the semiprivate beach.

Taxes: $2,562 annual land-lease fee (includes water, garbage removal and general maintenance), plus a yearly registration fee (akin to car registration)

A small community in the northern part of San Diego County, Fallbrook is known for its quaint Main Street and bountiful avocado trees. Each spring, the area holds an avocado festival, with nearly 70,000 people coming to watch events like the Best Decorated Avocado and Largest Avocado contests.

This house is about five minutes from the center of the community, and about 10 minutes from the base of the Santa Margarita River Trail, a five-mile loop popular with hikers and horseback riders. Camp Pendleton, the largest military base in California, is 20 minutes away by car. Downtown San Diego and San Diego International Airport are about an hours drive to the south.

Size: 2,680 square feet

Price per square foot: $280

Indoors: A winding driveway leads to the front door, which opens to a foyer and part of the main living area.

Laid out in a semi-open style, the living room is centered around a double-sided fireplace in floor-to-ceiling white-painted brick. On the left side of the fireplace is room for a small seating area and a dining table. Windows overlook the front yard, and the space is brightened by a wrought-iron pendant light. Exposed wood beams extend across the space, as do distressed wood floors.

On the other side of the fireplace, a second seating area is open to the kitchen, which has a marble-topped island with storage. A 2017 remodel included the installation of Fisher Paykel appliances and a brick-and-tile backsplash.

To the right of the kitchen, a hallway leads to two guest rooms large enough to hold queen-size beds and a guest bathroom with painted tile and a combination tub and shower.

At the end of the hallway is the master bedroom, which has its own patio, as well as wooden barn-style doors along one wall that open to the closet. The en suite bathroom has a double vanity with copper sinks and Spanish-tile floors.

An office, with its own half bathroom, is attached to the main house and accessible through a separate entrance.

Outdoor space: Sliding-glass doors lead from the living area to a California room with a ceiling fan and a Spanish-tile floor. This space flows into a partially covered patio.

A lawn extends from the front of the house to the side yard, which has a decorative stone fountain. The grounds are planted with fruit-bearing trees, including lemon and avocado. The attached garage holds two cars.

Taxes: $7,874 (estimated)

Contact: Greg Goodell, Redfin Corporation, 760-576-1700; redfin.com

Situated near the shores of Lake Tahoe and several popular ski resorts, Truckee is an ideal base for year-round activity in this part of the state. It has been a popular resort destination since the early 20th century, where tourists and year-round residents take advantage of the skiing, boating and hiking spots within 20 minutes of downtown.

This house is in a neighborhood at Northstar California Resort, about 15 minutes from the center of town. A shuttle carries passengers from homes in the area to the resorts ski lifts in about five minutes, and to the Village at Northstar for casual dining and coffee options.

Kings Beach, a community with family-friendly restaurants and locally owned boutiques on the banks of Lake Tahoe, is about 15 minutes away by car; Reno, Nev., is about 35 minutes away.

Size: 1,832 square feet

Price per square foot: $409

Indoors: A long driveway leads from the street to this house, on the twelfth fairway of the Northstar resorts golf course.

A set of steps leads to the front door, which opens to an entry hall that ends with a bench built over furnace vents to warm ski boots. Turning left leads to a small landing area that connects to a set of stairs and another hallway.

The hallway leads to three guest rooms, one large enough to hold a queen-size bed and the other two equipped with built-in bunk beds. These bedrooms share a bathroom with a combination tub and shower.

Up the short flight of stairs is the main living area, laid out in open-plan style. This space gets plenty of natural sunlight thanks to wide windows facing the golf course. In the sitting area, built-in bookcases flank a fireplace, which has a new rock mantel installed by the owners. Exposed wood ceilings continue into the dining area, which has a wooden wall adjacent to sliding-glass doors that open to a patio.

A wooden breakfast bar separates the dining area from the kitchen, which has stainless steel appliances, wood cabinets and granite countertops. A yellow door opens to a spacious walk-in pantry illuminated by colorful pendant lights.

From the living room, stairs lead up to a full-floor master suite with walls lined in the same wood that appears throughout the house and sliding-glass doors that open to a private Juliet balcony. The master bathroom has a walk-in shower with a new frosted-glass door.

Outdoor space: Off the dining room is a large patio overlooking the golf course, with room for a full dining set and barbecue. A one-car garage is attached to the house. A short shuttle ride from the house are community amenities, including a clubhouse with its own arcade, a fitness center and a swimming pool.

Taxes: $8,925 (estimated), plus a $100 monthly homeowner association fee

Contact: Christy Mond, Carr Long Real Estate, 530-562-1100; carrlong.com

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

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$750,000 Homes in California - The New York Times

For the first time since 1978, family-owned business Stover Hearth and Patio on Baltimore National Pike closed its doors and did not re-open them the next day.

Christie Stover, co-owner, couldnt bring herself to shut down the store last Monday, after Gov. Larry Hogan ordered all non-essential businesses to close by 5 p.m. Instead, she asked an employee to lock up the building.

And it was very strange to come down around 5:30 and see the showroom completely empty and shuttered, Stover said.

Stover and her husband have been running the business as its second generation since 2013, when Stovers father-in-law fell sick. In the past, the store, which specializes in furniture, has only been closed for a day at a time to account for blizzards. But now, it looks like the store will be closed indefinitely.

Thats what bothers Stover the most: the uncertainty of it all.

We cant plan for anything because of this massive cloud of uncertainty that hangs over not just us but the whole country, and all small businesses, Stover said. We dont want them to lift the mandatory closure order before its absolutely safe.

In the meantime, the owners are trying to cut costs in any way they can. Theyve turned the heat, air conditioning and electricity off and have stopped paying themselves. They havent laid off any of their seven employees, although they have volunteered to cut their own hours to keep the business afloat.

Stover said that the businesss revenue has already fallen by 83 percent since the closure.

Katie Stover, Christies daughter, said that the store has been a constant her entire life. Its where she and her brother would go after school to wait for their parents to get out of work, where she would work on the weekends growing up and occasionally full-time.

While she works at a marketing agency now, and she said that her parents have never made her feel like she is expected or obligated to take over the family business, Katie always figured it was a matter of when, not if.

Its always been there in the future at some point, Katie said.

Now, its starting to feel like an if.

The business is currently operating in the only way it really can: virtually. Christie and the employees have created tours of the showroom to post online and are taking orders over the phone. They can offer contactless curbside pickup or delivery, which Christies husband does himself.

After the Stovers had to close their doors, they received a Facebook message from a customer saying that she knows they can get through this time and is supporting them.

It was at that moment that I realized, were closed physically but were united virtually, Christie Stover said. It made us all feel better.

Christie came up with the hashtag #ClosedPhysicallyUnitedVirtually to share on social media to promote the idea that businesses might be forced to close their doors, but will still remain connected to their communities.

I dont think most people realize that small businesses are like the thread that runs through the fabric that binds all of us in the community together, Christie said. You know, its not just us, its all the small businesses.

The Stovers applied for a $10,000 small business grant, but were later told by the State of Maryland that they are still processing the thousands of applications and have no idea when the money will actually come in.

Its wonderful to talk about all this aid and all this help thats out there in the news media, but the reality on the ground for us is there is no help, there is no aid financially, for the most part, Christie Stover said.

But the Stovers feel supported by their customers and the community around them, and hope to support other Frederick businesses as well.

We know all the small business owners, and its were all in this together, and we cant go see one another so were reaching out virtually and trying to reassure each other anyway we can, Christie Stover said.

Katie thinks about the small businesses as her neighbors, and where someone might go to get a sponsor for their high school football team or a host for a fundraiser.

Thats all coming from small businesses and your neighbors and the people who are there for you and make it a fun place to be and a fun place to live, Katie Stover said. I think right now were really at risk of losing a lot of what makes a community right now.

Follow Erika Riley on Twitter: @ej_riley

See the rest here:
Family-owned small business sees closure for the first time in years - Frederick News Post

The views at the top were certainly beautiful the blue of Lake Michigan stretching out forever. However, nothing compared to what was at the bottom of the hill, which took my breath away. Windows shattered, paint peeling, roof caving in, doors flung open to rooms with mattresses torn apart and water dripping. I was looking at what used to be the most popular ski destination in the Midwest Sugarloaf Mountain. When the resort was at its prime it attracted up to4,000 skiers a day. This past Wednesday, 20 years after its closure, I was the only one there.

Within the resort, the atmosphere only became more apocalyptic. It felt like an ideal setting for a horror movie. There was one picture hanging on the wall that hadnt been broken. The date on the bottom of the frame read 1972. The picture was of what looked like an aprs-ski party the outdoor patio crowded with people in multicolored retro snowsuits, laughing and holding drinks. I then looked out at what was left of the back patio, all of the chairs broken and the wood deck rotting. It felt surreal to see the photo of how vibrant this place used to be and compare that to the lifeless scene in front of me.

The eeriness of this abandoned resort gave me the same chills I felt scrolling throughphotos by The New York Times of deserted places around the world during this pandemic. The photos included the Eiffel Tower, Times Square, the streets of Rome and the Sydney Opera House emptiness spreading globally like the virus. This is a virus that does not recognize borders. Across the world, the most popular destinations are completely abandoned. There are public spaces, places built for humans, but no humans.

The desolation is evident on campus. On March 10, I was weaving around other students, trying to make it on time to my morning lecture. Two weeks later, the only signs of life on the Diag are the squirrels fighting over nuts, a sight all too reminiscent of the shoppers I witnessed at Meijer bickering over the last rolls of toilet paper. Our lives changed abruptly with no indication of when things will get better.

COVID-19 has rightfully been the only thing in the news recently. Ive heard stay six feet apart and wash your hands hundreds of times. We are reshaping our lives around this virus. It feels as though this is only the beginning of a timeless, emotional, medical pandemic and financial recession.

We are currently a part of something that will be known as an infamous historical event. Twenty years from now, previously lively spaces like Sugarloaf in the 1970s, could look very different. As a result of the coronavirus, jobs will be lost, businesses will close, buildings will be boarded up and places will be abandoned.

The eeriness of abandonment is already evident in airports, national parks, subways, wedding venues, concert halls, schools, churches, travel destinations, stadiums, etc. What is the cost of these places being closed? The source of income that previously circulated through these places is all of a sudden inaccessible, cooped up in their homes under shelter in place orders.

Realistically, if businesses cannot innovate and reinvent themselves virtually many may not survive. Wuhan, China, where the virus first emerged, has been in lockdown for almosttwo months. Many businesses in the United States could have to endure two months without income. It is hard to believe that the economy is going to all bounce back and its going to bounce back very big, as PresidentDonald Trump claims, when so many people are risking unemployment.

Within this pandemic we can still find hope. The emptiness around the world does not instill eeriness alone. There are hints of aspiration and realization. Aspirations for things we often took for granted, like social connection. When you are restricted to FaceTime, the value of in-person conversation becomes evident. There is also a realization that places are only worth the people in them. Many of the currently abandoned spaces around the world have beauty in themselves, but the actual beauty is the presence of others within these spaces.

For right now we can empathize, accept and look ahead. Empathize with those most vulnerable during this pandemic, accept that things are not going to be normal and look ahead to when places will be full of people, instead of abandoned.

Emily Ulrich can be reached at emulrich@umich.edu.

See more here:
Emily Ulrich: Abandoning life as we know it - The Michigan Daily

The property sits in mature landscaped gardens of up to nearly an acre with extensive views over the countryside

There's something quite charming about a thatched roof cottage which makes you feel like you've stepped back in time.

This unique period farmhouse on Mill Lane, in Legbourne, near Louth offers a truly idyllic escape to countryside.

Entering the grounds via wrought iron gates and the sweeping gravel driveway, the main solid timber door has beautiful stained glass windows to each side.

Once inside, there are timber beams to the ceiling and a truly stunning ornate Elizabethan staircase and balustrade to the galleried landing.

Timber is the dominant feature of this delightful cottage, with latch doors and beamed ceilings in many of the sizeable rooms.

The reception room offers the best space, perfect for entertaining all year round; with French doors opening out onto patio seating areas.

Each of the decent-sized five bedrooms has a part sloping ceiling with some having decorative leaded windows.

The property sits in mature landscaped gardens of up to nearly an acre, with extensive views over the countryside and has a wealth of space both inside and outside.

Finally there's a triple brick garage with two electric remote controlled doors and one manual.

To find out more about this Louth property, on the market for 730,000 - contact Hunters Turner Evans Stevens Estate Agents, or why not view our dedicated property channel on GrimsbyLive for further inspiration.

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This thatched-roof cottage has a stunning Elizabethan staircase - Grimsby Live

WATCH: Play up your home's Autumn garden colours to boost sale appeal.

You dont need a home stylist to increase your property appeal. In fact, the features that most impress potential buyers might surprise you.

According to Rated Peoples recent Home Improvement Trends Report, six of the top 15 features that make buyers more likely to buy a property are external, with a garden lawn, security system, paved patio, outdoor lights, bi-fold doors and decking all working to increase the number of potential buyers for a property.

And inside? The big buyer attractions are functional additions like a downstairs toilet, built-in storage, a separate shower cubicle and underfloor heating.

Who'd have thought clever storage solutions could sell your house?

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The floor plan de jour for the past few years has moved towards open plan, but interestingly, the survey reveals that having separate living spaces is more popular with prospective buyers.

Forget open plan. Buyers are looking for separate living spaces now.

Getty

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People, says although some of the most attractive home improvements may look like bigger, more costly jobs to complete, there are clever and cost-effective ways to achieve similar looks, which could in turn increase the value of your home. When it comes to selling, its a good idea to stay up to date with the features that buyers are looking for because the trends that were adding value just two to three years ago might now be devaluing properties.

The research is taken from a wider study into renovation and interior design trends and other surprising buyer turnoffs.

Outdoor lighting and lawned gardens are a big selling point.

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Here, the top 15 home improvements that attract the most buyers are:

(Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report: 2020 ranked by the percentage of homeowners who said each feature would make them more likely to buy a property).

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15 interior trends that devalue your home

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15 Features that will sell your home - Better Homes and Gardens

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PUBLISHED: 15:31 29 March 2020 | UPDATED: 15:32 29 March 2020

Sarah Burgess

Andy performs for residents behind glass doors. PHOTO: Park House Care Home

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One of Park Houses favourite entertainers, Andrew John Hayes, has been using his one hour daily outing to maintain residents routine as social distancing measures are tightened.

By pitching himself on the patio on the other side of the glass windows, complete with amp, microphone and guitar, residents are able to have their regular entertainment from the safety of their armchairs.

Park House manager Sara Pearce said: Andy has been coming to sing at Park House for a number of years. He usually comes on a Friday.

Over the years he has grown very fond of the residents and has been deeply saddened when we have unfortunately lost any of our Park family.

He is especially fond of a lady called Olive, and helped us to plan her 104th birthday, coming in to sing for her on her big day,

He brought his drum kit so that she could play it, as drumming is one of her favourite things to do when music is playing.

He was devastated to learn that the pandemic was going to affect his time with the residents - so weve worked it out in a way that means he can still come and residents can still enjoy their time with him.

Olive said the through-the-window performance was brilliant and that Andy was her trusted friend.

Another resident, Joyce, said: It was such a lovely thing to do in these difficult times, I do prefer it when you can see him with no window though.

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Coronavirus in Norfolk: Care home residents entertained with 'through-the-window' live performance | Latest Norfolk and Suffolk News - Eastern Daily...

Oliver Leech Architects, a young specialist studio based in Wandsworth, has transformed a wisteria-clad mid-terrace Victorian house in Camberwell with ground-floor, side and rear extensions, using a palette of raw, natural materials exposed brickwork, timber and concrete that respect the patina of the original house, creating a sympathetic relationship between old and new.

The light-filled ground-floor extension stretches into the garden, blending indoor and outdoor space.

Here a scrappy, paved patch has been turned into a trellis-lined, urban oasis, set with a garden bench and planters of lavender.

To be honest, Im not hugely green-fingered, admits the owner, Max Taylor, an advertising executive. But it looks and smells great and it is low-maintenance.

When Max bought the two-storey house in 2015, it was in poor condition, with little natural light and a cramped kitchen.

I was looking for something with character that I could do up in a few years time. Dad gave me some good advice. He said, You should live in a house for all seasons before doing work to it, to see where the light catches and what spots you want to be in.

After living in the property for three years, Max knew he wanted to redesign the house to provide new cooking and eating spaces facing out on to the garden.

I noticed the old side return got amazing light in the summer, so when I was speaking to Oliver, I said, When we build the kitchen extension, we must keep this area open to catch the evening sun.

He also wanted to maximise open-plan living to provide more usable space and a calm atmosphere. Work began in September 2018.

Max moved out for six months while the house was stripped back to a shell, extended and internally rebuilt.

Leechs aim was to maximise the height of the new extensions and introduce large glazed openings.

Natural light is a very easy and inexpensive thing to make the most of, he says.

Light-filled: pitched skylights in the side extension let the evening sun pour in (Juliet Murphy)

The side extension provides extra width to the previously narrow kitchen, with pitched skylights overhead.

White oiled Douglas fir was combined with pale buff bricks to provide a subtle contrast with the existing London brickwork.

A rear extension with a high ceiling projects slightly further into the garden, framing a set of white-oiled Douglas fir bi-folding doors across a low-height window seat that has pull-out drawers for extra storage.

The bespoke seat, formed in cast stone, is flexible, in that the bi-fold doors fully retract and you can sit facing the kitchen, or with your legs lolling into the garden.

The bespoke-built kitchen, designed by the architects, continues the use of exposed raw materials, with a polished concrete countertop and sink to match the grey microcement kitchen floor.

Domestic touches warm up the pared-back design. No true whites have been used on walls and ceilings. Rich green units with circular handle detail run along the left side of the kitchen.

The green band of the planting in the garden continues through the kitchen, says Leech.

Theres underfloor heating, while Tala pendant lights hang over the long wooden table in the side extension.

The materials used for the extension continue through into the patio, with buff clay pavers laid in herringbone bond, surrounded by white-oiled timber boundary screens.

We got rid of the steps to the garden and made it all one level, says Max.

In the reception areas at the front of the house, original timber floors have been sanded back and oiled, and a muted colour palette employed on walls and ceilings.

The dark, narrow hallway has been opened up to expose the original wall structures, which creates extra light.

We kept the old timber studwork to retain some of the history of the house, says Leech.

An urban oasis: the trellis-lined, low-maintenance garden is planted with lavender(Juliet Murphy)

The front room has been turned into a chill-out space, with sofas, rugs and a film projector to screen movies. This leads into Maxs reading room.

Max told us he wanted a space to hand-write letters, says Leech.

Upstairs there are new windows in Maxs bedroom. In the bathroom, he now has a cast-iron bath in front of the window and a walk-in shower.

Plastered walls were left exposed and sealed to create a textural finish.

Maxs brief was that he wanted a contemporary home, but he didnt want to lose any sense of comfort and warmth, says Leech, who founded his studio, specialising in small to medium-scale residential architecture, in 2016.

Max says he loves living with the seasons.

You hardly need the lights on in this room, even at 10pm. I enjoy just sitting in silence in the space thats been created.

He has hung photos and artworks, but at certain times of the day the sunlight creates beautiful graphic patterns on the wall.

The way the light hits the timber beams in the kitchen, and then refracts around the extended kitchen is amazing.

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How to maximise light:inside a London terrace house after total overhaul led by the changing light of every season - Homes and Property