The remodeling of the bathrooms was meant to start today, but it's been postponed. The contractor's contract couldn't be "holier" if it had been carved on a stone tablet and brought down from a mountain.

Nevertheless, the hardwood floors are done, the electrical work and painting are done and the cabinets for my husband's collection of not-likely-to-be-read-again books have been built. We also built cabinets in the two bedroom closets. We needed extra storage space for blankets, luggage and, of course, family skeletons.

When it came to window coverings, John wanted curtains that would minimally obstruct the view. I didn't want anything to obstruct the view. The view is why we bought the house. Sand, ocean, horizon - don't fool with Mother Nature. Eventually we compromised on electric shades. When they're up, they're out of sight, out of mind - out of discussion.

Because John and I don't always agree on decorating ideas, the decor of our new home is "contemporary compromise". Thankfully, however, we agreed on spending three hundred dollars for a one-year, insurance policy for the major appliances. So far the dryer's timer has been fixed, a new compressor has been installed in the refrigerator and the water heater has been replaced. The water heater is the tankless kind - the insurance hasn't been.

Unfortunately, there isn't insurance for day-to-day living. There's already a scratch on the living room wall and a couple of nicks in the hardwood floor. What some people would call natural wear and tear I call making ourselves at home.

Home is where the heart is - and according to my husband, it's also where a big screen TV should be. I thought four televisions in a four-room condo was obsessive - until neighbors said they had one in their bathroom. Maybe they watch a lot on ABC. Isn't that the "up close and personal" network?

I'd rather watch the waves break on the shore. Although John complained about sand on the floor I walk barefoot and don't feel it. I feel at the beach. John also complained about the way the condo complex was run. Now he's secretary of the Homeowner's Association. The complaining has stopped. God works in mysterious ways. Yes, she does.