What, you may ask, could I possibly have done to get a bruise like this on my knee?
Oh, it was awful-terrible-bad, I tell ya, and it hurts like heck. Please send boatloads of sympathy and get-well wishes. Flowers would be nice, too.
Tee-hee, ha-ha-ha, hohohoho! I'm just foolin' with ya. This is what my knees have looked like for the past couple of weeks every time I use my blue foam kneeling pad that is in the final stages of self-destruction.
I must admit I've gotten several double takes and jaws dropping open when people get a look at my knees after I've been using the pad. I have to quickly tell them, "No, no! I didn't fall off an eight-food ladder and land on my knees!" They aren't bruised at all, I've had to explain . . . just colored up from a combination of disintegrating blue foam and dirt.
Did I fool any of you? (My slightly whacky daughter with the warped sense of humor made me do this post.)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Luscious Raspberries and An Organizational Day
Turned out to be a really good catch-up day for me. Didn't do a thing with my remodeling hat on and that was fine. (Ooops, I lied a little there. When Chicken Mama stopped by tonight we did some searching online for small bar sinks. I want to put one in the end of the kitchen island [the end farthest away from my main work area] for Papa Pea to use for his coffee fixings. I don't know if it's just the two of us in particular or if other couples in the kitchen have the same problem. We inevitably want to be at the sink at the same time.)
This is the largest picking of raspberries so far. And I only picked down one side of one of the three rows at that. We had a brief thunderstorm which left the bushes quite wet before I got my rusty-duster out to pick. The blueberries seem to be getting ripe early this year so I had a few of them to put in my harvest bucket also.
The strawberries are done. All done. Got right around one hundred pounds total from them this year which is only a little over half as many as last year. I'm pretty sure the hot weather did 'em in as it hit just as the berries were starting to mature. Still and all, I got plenty for our needs, but I feel bad that our daughter would have liked another large batch to make into jam. They were producing one day and the next, it seems they just stopped.
It's nigh onto 8 o'clock and I'm thinking of getting ready for bed so I can be rarin' to go in the morning when I will get back on the move-ahead construction bandwagon.
This is the largest picking of raspberries so far. And I only picked down one side of one of the three rows at that. We had a brief thunderstorm which left the bushes quite wet before I got my rusty-duster out to pick. The blueberries seem to be getting ripe early this year so I had a few of them to put in my harvest bucket also.
The strawberries are done. All done. Got right around one hundred pounds total from them this year which is only a little over half as many as last year. I'm pretty sure the hot weather did 'em in as it hit just as the berries were starting to mature. Still and all, I got plenty for our needs, but I feel bad that our daughter would have liked another large batch to make into jam. They were producing one day and the next, it seems they just stopped.
It's nigh onto 8 o'clock and I'm thinking of getting ready for bed so I can be rarin' to go in the morning when I will get back on the move-ahead construction bandwagon.
Trying To Get Back On Schedule
A schedule? Ha! What am I saying? As long as this remodeling/construction is going on there will be no schedule. And for a person who thrives on routine and having everything in place . . . well, you won't be surprised when you hear I've checked myself into the Funny Farm some time soon.
We spent last Thursday in the big city (left at 6:15 a.m. and arrived home at 9:30 p.m.) going from store to store trying to make intelligent, sane decisions on countertops and floor tile. Well, okay, we looked at and got info on a lot of other stuff, too, but needed to get the countertops and kitchen tile nailed down.
Papa Pea holds out extremely well on a day like that if he gets frequent infusions of industrial-strength coffee and has an occasional brief puff on his pipe. Me? I seem to hit one brick wall after another (caused by sensory overload and way too much thinking) and barely made it home alive. Unfortunately, circumstances necessitated me being gone from home nearly all day yesterday, too, so there was no time for catching up or recovery. I did manage to get into bed early last night and tried to relax by watching a bit of the British TV series "Upstairs, Downstairs" before hubby made it to bed. I kept dozing off so finally gave it up and turned off the light, but then couldn't fall asleep because of being physically uncomfortable . . . just plain over-tired.
This morning I woke at 5:15 . . . and was done sleeping. So far today I feel pretty good so am concentrating on making it a good catch-up day while still managing to possibly do a little in the move ahead department.
Living in this (small) torn apart warehouse is starting to get through to me. The last several days have produced no visible progress which is what keeps me going during all of this. (Remember, I'm concrete.) I know there have to be such times, but it still bothers me. Nothing seems to go quickly or smoothly. In my makeshift kitchen, I'm constantly reaching in the wrong place for something needed, only finding it after turning around in place three times and opening and shutting four drawers and/or cabinets. It's a strange feeling when I automatically reach overhead to the hanging pot rack (which is no longer there or ever was above my present work area) for a pan only to find my hand groping in thin air. Also makes me feel (and look) a little whacked out and stoopid.
But, hey, it's all part of the game and this, too, will pass. Either that or I will go completely crackers. Indication that I may be well on my way? I am buying paint today to repaint the pantry. It's one thing when I keep trying to talk myself into living with and/or forgetting about that atrocious color on the walls, but when Papa Pea who usually doesn't even notice something like that says, "We have GOT to repaint these walls," I just knew it had to be done.
But don't worry about me. Give me today to pull together as much organization as I can muckle right now and by tomorrow I'll be tack on bop of things. I mean back on top of things. Possibly. With luck. And lots of cool, liquid libations throughout the day today. As Erin recently said when they started imbibing at 11:30 a.m., "It's five o'clock somewhere!"
We spent last Thursday in the big city (left at 6:15 a.m. and arrived home at 9:30 p.m.) going from store to store trying to make intelligent, sane decisions on countertops and floor tile. Well, okay, we looked at and got info on a lot of other stuff, too, but needed to get the countertops and kitchen tile nailed down.
Papa Pea holds out extremely well on a day like that if he gets frequent infusions of industrial-strength coffee and has an occasional brief puff on his pipe. Me? I seem to hit one brick wall after another (caused by sensory overload and way too much thinking) and barely made it home alive. Unfortunately, circumstances necessitated me being gone from home nearly all day yesterday, too, so there was no time for catching up or recovery. I did manage to get into bed early last night and tried to relax by watching a bit of the British TV series "Upstairs, Downstairs" before hubby made it to bed. I kept dozing off so finally gave it up and turned off the light, but then couldn't fall asleep because of being physically uncomfortable . . . just plain over-tired.
This morning I woke at 5:15 . . . and was done sleeping. So far today I feel pretty good so am concentrating on making it a good catch-up day while still managing to possibly do a little in the move ahead department.
Living in this (small) torn apart warehouse is starting to get through to me. The last several days have produced no visible progress which is what keeps me going during all of this. (Remember, I'm concrete.) I know there have to be such times, but it still bothers me. Nothing seems to go quickly or smoothly. In my makeshift kitchen, I'm constantly reaching in the wrong place for something needed, only finding it after turning around in place three times and opening and shutting four drawers and/or cabinets. It's a strange feeling when I automatically reach overhead to the hanging pot rack (which is no longer there or ever was above my present work area) for a pan only to find my hand groping in thin air. Also makes me feel (and look) a little whacked out and stoopid.
But, hey, it's all part of the game and this, too, will pass. Either that or I will go completely crackers. Indication that I may be well on my way? I am buying paint today to repaint the pantry. It's one thing when I keep trying to talk myself into living with and/or forgetting about that atrocious color on the walls, but when Papa Pea who usually doesn't even notice something like that says, "We have GOT to repaint these walls," I just knew it had to be done.
But don't worry about me. Give me today to pull together as much organization as I can muckle right now and by tomorrow I'll be tack on bop of things. I mean back on top of things. Possibly. With luck. And lots of cool, liquid libations throughout the day today. As Erin recently said when they started imbibing at 11:30 a.m., "It's five o'clock somewhere!"
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Poly Fail
Although I tried, I didn't get all the polyurethaning done that I wanted to last night. The next to the last coats were still tacky as dusk was falling so into the garage the boards went for the night. They were nice and dry by this morning so we decided to go ahead and install the end boards in the pantry even though I'll have to give some of them a final coat yet as they're in place. I have a small amount of polying to finish inside anyway so I'll finish them at the same time.
This is the set of shelves to the left on the wall directly across from the pantry door.
Another angle of the same shelves.
On the same wall as the door, to the right, are some substantial shelves Papa Pea built to hold any and all heavy stuff.
A darn sturdy unit it is!
This wall to the left of the door is still waiting for us to get to the big city to buy more tracks. We have the brackets, the shelves are cut to size and the end board is ready to be put up. Once done, this area will complete all storage areas.
I have gone ahead and put a few things in the pantry but I'm kinda sorta waiting to get all the shelves and storage units in place so I know exactly what I have to work with.
I've been anxious to get the two freezers in there but they will really fill up the room and hubby is concerned we might need to the space to stash other pieces of furniture while working on the kitchen and living room. Besides that, the weather has been so warm that it hasn't been ideal temperatures to be unloading and loading freezers.
Today was really fun to see the "decorative" pieces go up. Though certainly not necessary, to me the extras sure do add to the attractiveness of my happy little pantry!
This is the set of shelves to the left on the wall directly across from the pantry door.
Another angle of the same shelves.
On the same wall as the door, to the right, are some substantial shelves Papa Pea built to hold any and all heavy stuff.
A darn sturdy unit it is!
This wall to the left of the door is still waiting for us to get to the big city to buy more tracks. We have the brackets, the shelves are cut to size and the end board is ready to be put up. Once done, this area will complete all storage areas.
I have gone ahead and put a few things in the pantry but I'm kinda sorta waiting to get all the shelves and storage units in place so I know exactly what I have to work with.
I've been anxious to get the two freezers in there but they will really fill up the room and hubby is concerned we might need to the space to stash other pieces of furniture while working on the kitchen and living room. Besides that, the weather has been so warm that it hasn't been ideal temperatures to be unloading and loading freezers.
Today was really fun to see the "decorative" pieces go up. Though certainly not necessary, to me the extras sure do add to the attractiveness of my happy little pantry!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Another Day Come and Gone
You might think I spent the day in the garden by the following pictures but I did not. I spent the bulk of the day polying and am hoping to get one more coat on three pieces yet tonight.
B was here today doing a little fancy work. I had something specific in mind for end finishing pieces for the shelves in the pantry so last week I told B what I was thinking about. She said if I would make the pattern for the scalloped edge, she'd construct them. I've seen one piece in place in the pantry when she was checking it for fit and I couldn't be more pleased. I'll have pictures of the installation tomorrow, I hope. If I can get the rest of the finish on the boards yet tonight.
While I was waiting for applications of poly to dry today, I kept running out into the garden getting bits and pieces of this and that done. I did manage to get the whole blueberry patch weeded. Yahoo and hooray! The raspberry patch? Not yet, but I think I've got the weeds in that area shakin' in their boots.
This is my totally volunteer cherry tomato bed. I've thinned it twice already but as you can see, it needs to be done again, then the plants staked up and pruned. But . . . it may not happen this year. I might have to let them go au naturel and be grateful for any tomatoes I happen to get.
I had promised Chicken Mama a couple of the tomatoes potted up to take to her house and I finally got that done today. No tomatoes on them yet but there are little yellow blossoms. She'll take them home with her tonight. If she can fit them in her little teeny-tiny red car. She usually has quite a load.
I had Morning Glories planted around this trellis in the field garden last year. I was surprised to see lots of volunteers coming up this spring, so I dragged the trellis back out there and said, "Go for it, guys!" No flowers showing 'cause I snapped this picture in late afternoon after they had closed up for the day. It's amazing the way all the vines have gravitated toward the trellis with no help from me. How do they know it's there for them to climb on?
Last but not least, I had to take a picture of my Sweet Peas. I always plant them on the trellis in a raised bed closest to the house that has a clump of chives on either end. They've reached the top of the trellis and are currently blooming their little hearts out. Do they smell good? Oh my, yes!!
B was here today doing a little fancy work. I had something specific in mind for end finishing pieces for the shelves in the pantry so last week I told B what I was thinking about. She said if I would make the pattern for the scalloped edge, she'd construct them. I've seen one piece in place in the pantry when she was checking it for fit and I couldn't be more pleased. I'll have pictures of the installation tomorrow, I hope. If I can get the rest of the finish on the boards yet tonight.
While I was waiting for applications of poly to dry today, I kept running out into the garden getting bits and pieces of this and that done. I did manage to get the whole blueberry patch weeded. Yahoo and hooray! The raspberry patch? Not yet, but I think I've got the weeds in that area shakin' in their boots.
This is my totally volunteer cherry tomato bed. I've thinned it twice already but as you can see, it needs to be done again, then the plants staked up and pruned. But . . . it may not happen this year. I might have to let them go au naturel and be grateful for any tomatoes I happen to get.
I had promised Chicken Mama a couple of the tomatoes potted up to take to her house and I finally got that done today. No tomatoes on them yet but there are little yellow blossoms. She'll take them home with her tonight. If she can fit them in her little teeny-tiny red car. She usually has quite a load.
I had Morning Glories planted around this trellis in the field garden last year. I was surprised to see lots of volunteers coming up this spring, so I dragged the trellis back out there and said, "Go for it, guys!" No flowers showing 'cause I snapped this picture in late afternoon after they had closed up for the day. It's amazing the way all the vines have gravitated toward the trellis with no help from me. How do they know it's there for them to climb on?
Last but not least, I had to take a picture of my Sweet Peas. I always plant them on the trellis in a raised bed closest to the house that has a clump of chives on either end. They've reached the top of the trellis and are currently blooming their little hearts out. Do they smell good? Oh my, yes!!
Monday, July 25, 2011
It's Only for this Year . . .
No matter how many times I repeat this to myself, I can't seem to keep the frustration from setting in. Not to have the time to spend on the gardens this year is making me crazy. I have this awful feeling that weeds are going to take over everything and I'll never be able to get control back again.
I hadn't been down to the blueberry and raspberry patches for probably over two weeks. The remodeling has been more than a full-time job seven days a week and trying to keep up with every day must-dos plus the strawberry harvest has nearly been too much.
Lately, as I've given the raspberries a fleeting glance from the distance, I wondered if I was imagining a red tinge to the berries. Last night after dinner I went to investigate.
Not only had I seen color in the raspberries but I found a good bunch of ripe, ripe berries. I had already stuffed some into my mouth (Papa Pea always gets the first strawberries, I get the first raspberries) before I thought to take a picture.
It's usual that our strawberry season is winding down just as the raspberries start to come in. So now I'll need to add harvesting and preserving raspberries along with the strawberries. (I know we're blessed with this bountiful harvest of our own berries and am very grateful for the "hassle" of dealing with them.)
What else I discovered in the berry patches last night were many large, healthy weeds that seem to have popped up from nowhere. (Nowhere, ha! A couple of weeks of ample rain and hot, hot weather . . . of course they were going to pop up.)
These are some of the weeds between the two rows of the blueberries which are going to nag at me until I find time to pull them out by their well-established roots. The perimeters of the blueberries and raspberries are also acting as week nurseries. I put extra heavy mulch in those areas this spring because I knew they would be neglected. I guess the weather has been so favorable for weeds this year that they think they've found a hospitable environment to procreate. They just better be on guard though. Even if I have to go after them by flashlight in the middle of the night, their days are numbered. I will prevail.
I hadn't been down to the blueberry and raspberry patches for probably over two weeks. The remodeling has been more than a full-time job seven days a week and trying to keep up with every day must-dos plus the strawberry harvest has nearly been too much.
Lately, as I've given the raspberries a fleeting glance from the distance, I wondered if I was imagining a red tinge to the berries. Last night after dinner I went to investigate.
Not only had I seen color in the raspberries but I found a good bunch of ripe, ripe berries. I had already stuffed some into my mouth (Papa Pea always gets the first strawberries, I get the first raspberries) before I thought to take a picture.
It's usual that our strawberry season is winding down just as the raspberries start to come in. So now I'll need to add harvesting and preserving raspberries along with the strawberries. (I know we're blessed with this bountiful harvest of our own berries and am very grateful for the "hassle" of dealing with them.)
What else I discovered in the berry patches last night were many large, healthy weeds that seem to have popped up from nowhere. (Nowhere, ha! A couple of weeks of ample rain and hot, hot weather . . . of course they were going to pop up.)
These are some of the weeds between the two rows of the blueberries which are going to nag at me until I find time to pull them out by their well-established roots. The perimeters of the blueberries and raspberries are also acting as week nurseries. I put extra heavy mulch in those areas this spring because I knew they would be neglected. I guess the weather has been so favorable for weeds this year that they think they've found a hospitable environment to procreate. They just better be on guard though. Even if I have to go after them by flashlight in the middle of the night, their days are numbered. I will prevail.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Belated Birthday Cake and Reading Aloud
Our daughter's birthday was way back in the first part of this month on July 5th. Last night we finally managed to coordinate a get-together where the three of us could sit down for a meal and birthday cake.
Sorry the cake doesn't show up better . . . not that it was anything to brag about anyway. (You know me and my cake baking [non] abilities.) But it was the cake she requested: Coconut Creme and it was yummy. We all dove into it with more gusto than usual putting a hefty dent in it.
Last night was also Family Reading Night. This is turning into a tradition we started sometime last winter. (Last fall? Can't remember for sure.) It was at Chicken Mama's suggestion that we get together on the 15th of each month at which time each of us would read aloud anything of our choice. We try to set a time limit of 20 minutes reading for each person but frequently the subject matter is so interesting that the two of us listening clamor for "just a little more, please."
Just as lighting candles on a birthday cake gets postponed from the actual date of the birthday, some months find us scrambling to congregate for Family Reading Night long past the 15th of the month. But it's an extremely enjoyable evening that none of us wants to give up so even if we miss the "proper" date, we squeeze it in somewhere in the month.
Papa Pea was the last to read last night and he had some lofty and esoteric quotes to share which were totally lost on me because by that time the hour was late and I was nearly comatose in my recliner. But apparently my participation in the discussion was not missed as daughter (Ms. Philosophy Major) and her pops went at it with relish with me weakly interspersing the occasional comment of, "I don't understand that at all," or "Huh?" or "My mind is totally unable to grasp that concept," or near the end, "I don't even care; I have more basic things to think about." To which my dear husband said, "That's okay, you're just too concrete." (Did he imply I'm thick-headed?")
Ah yes . . . good cake, good communication, good company. Except for me at the end there . . . Z-Z-Z-z-z-z-z.
Sorry the cake doesn't show up better . . . not that it was anything to brag about anyway. (You know me and my cake baking [non] abilities.) But it was the cake she requested: Coconut Creme and it was yummy. We all dove into it with more gusto than usual putting a hefty dent in it.
Last night was also Family Reading Night. This is turning into a tradition we started sometime last winter. (Last fall? Can't remember for sure.) It was at Chicken Mama's suggestion that we get together on the 15th of each month at which time each of us would read aloud anything of our choice. We try to set a time limit of 20 minutes reading for each person but frequently the subject matter is so interesting that the two of us listening clamor for "just a little more, please."
Just as lighting candles on a birthday cake gets postponed from the actual date of the birthday, some months find us scrambling to congregate for Family Reading Night long past the 15th of the month. But it's an extremely enjoyable evening that none of us wants to give up so even if we miss the "proper" date, we squeeze it in somewhere in the month.
Papa Pea was the last to read last night and he had some lofty and esoteric quotes to share which were totally lost on me because by that time the hour was late and I was nearly comatose in my recliner. But apparently my participation in the discussion was not missed as daughter (Ms. Philosophy Major) and her pops went at it with relish with me weakly interspersing the occasional comment of, "I don't understand that at all," or "Huh?" or "My mind is totally unable to grasp that concept," or near the end, "I don't even care; I have more basic things to think about." To which my dear husband said, "That's okay, you're just too concrete." (Did he imply I'm thick-headed?")
Ah yes . . . good cake, good communication, good company. Except for me at the end there . . . Z-Z-Z-z-z-z-z.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Duh . . . The Light Dawns
My delphiniums were reaching record-breaking heights this year. And then one day I noticed them bowed, broken and hanging their heads in woebegone sadness.
What the heck happened? I figured it must have occurred during the night this past week we had the torrential rain, thunder and lightning storm. Remember the 3-1/2" of rain in our gauge?
But there was no wind with the storm. The rain was coming down harder than I can ever remember seeing, but it was coming straight down. Plus the delphiniums are close to the house in a protected spot that doesn't get much wind anyway.
Well, duh. It finally dawned on me today what must have happened. A couple of weeks ago we spotted this chunk out of one of our plastic rain gutters on the roof. How in the world that came about we don't know. But with everything else going on around here, we haven't taken the time to repair the broken section of gutter.
Where is that "hole in the dike" located? Why, directly above my delphiniums! I can just imagine the rain coming off the roof during that bad storm. The torrents would hit that hole in the gutter, shoot directly out about 18" and hit the delphiniums dead on like a mighty waterfall. It's a wonder it only broke them in half!
What the heck happened? I figured it must have occurred during the night this past week we had the torrential rain, thunder and lightning storm. Remember the 3-1/2" of rain in our gauge?
But there was no wind with the storm. The rain was coming down harder than I can ever remember seeing, but it was coming straight down. Plus the delphiniums are close to the house in a protected spot that doesn't get much wind anyway.
Well, duh. It finally dawned on me today what must have happened. A couple of weeks ago we spotted this chunk out of one of our plastic rain gutters on the roof. How in the world that came about we don't know. But with everything else going on around here, we haven't taken the time to repair the broken section of gutter.
Where is that "hole in the dike" located? Why, directly above my delphiniums! I can just imagine the rain coming off the roof during that bad storm. The torrents would hit that hole in the gutter, shoot directly out about 18" and hit the delphiniums dead on like a mighty waterfall. It's a wonder it only broke them in half!
Berries, Radishes and Visitors
A couple of days ago, friend Jenyfer Matthews and her two kiddlies stopped over to say hello. Until last February, Jen and her family were living in Cairo, Egypt. Her hubby stayed behind to continue his work and maintain their home there, but because of the extreme political unrest they decided Jen and the kids should leave. It's been a difficult journey for them all which she's chronicled on her blog.
Jen's father and step-mother live in our county so she and her son and daughter are here visiting right now.
One of the first things her son asked when they got here was, "Where did you plant the carrots this year?" When they visited last summer, both he and his sister had a lot of fun pulling carrots right from the dirt and enthusiastically eating them while pronouncing them the best they'd ever tasted!
I think he was more than a little disappointed to hear this is my non-gardening year and, alas and alack, there were no carrots to be sampled.
They had to content themselves with a little berry picking. Above is Jen's daughter in the strawberry patch. (And yes, folks, the huge, lush, green weeds you see in the background are what is growing in my field garden. I hang my head in shame.)
The kids ate some berries while picking (that's the fun of it!) but did save a couple of containers full to take home with them.
This is what happens when I'm too busy to even keep an eye on my beds of salad fixings. Carrot Boy was eager to pull the radishes that got away from me. That's a French Breakfast Radish he's holding.
The round radishes were the size of tennis balls. Surprisingly enough, they were still tender . . . not woody or pithy as I had expected them to be. However, they were so hot and spicy we couldn't eat them without our eyes watering and our throats starting to close up! (If only I had some spare time, I would have liked to try fermenting them for a winter time tonic!)
As it is I need to hire a gardener for the rest of the season. And a cook. And a maid who does windows. And will clean a bathroom.
Jen's father and step-mother live in our county so she and her son and daughter are here visiting right now.
One of the first things her son asked when they got here was, "Where did you plant the carrots this year?" When they visited last summer, both he and his sister had a lot of fun pulling carrots right from the dirt and enthusiastically eating them while pronouncing them the best they'd ever tasted!
I think he was more than a little disappointed to hear this is my non-gardening year and, alas and alack, there were no carrots to be sampled.
They had to content themselves with a little berry picking. Above is Jen's daughter in the strawberry patch. (And yes, folks, the huge, lush, green weeds you see in the background are what is growing in my field garden. I hang my head in shame.)
The kids ate some berries while picking (that's the fun of it!) but did save a couple of containers full to take home with them.
This is what happens when I'm too busy to even keep an eye on my beds of salad fixings. Carrot Boy was eager to pull the radishes that got away from me. That's a French Breakfast Radish he's holding.
The round radishes were the size of tennis balls. Surprisingly enough, they were still tender . . . not woody or pithy as I had expected them to be. However, they were so hot and spicy we couldn't eat them without our eyes watering and our throats starting to close up! (If only I had some spare time, I would have liked to try fermenting them for a winter time tonic!)
As it is I need to hire a gardener for the rest of the season. And a cook. And a maid who does windows. And will clean a bathroom.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Remember, It's Gonna Look Worse Before It Looks Better
I'm not sure these pictures are going to make any sense to those of you interested in our kitchen remodeling adventure, but I'm so tired tonight it's the best I can do. (I just ended my work day by picking twenty-one pounds of strawberries.)
Before we took out the half wall (and teeny-tiny living room), to have this viewpoint you would have been standing in the living room looking right at the half wall. Now that the room is becoming all kitchen, you're looking at the refrigerator and stove at the far end and sink on the right. They aren't going to be moved. To the left free-standing in the room will be an island which will be my main work counter. That's not the real island you see in the left of the above picture, but a pretend one so I can get the feel of it and decide how big I want the real one to be. (It's a section of cabinet we took out which will probably go somewhere in the garage soon.)
To the right is currently a double window that looks out onto our enclosed porch and doesn't really let in much light. We are taking it out and building a floor-to-top-of- cabinet height pine storage unit in that space. (The cabinet unit you see to the left of the windows is one that used to be up against the kitchen side of the half wall.)
Moving into the kitchen to the left and looking across pretend island. The windows we're taking out are just to the right of this picture. (That white strip on the floor with the red tape in it is where the half wall was previously.)
On the other side of the kitchen you see the unit that used to be on the far left of that wall. It's now in it's new permanent spot under those windows but doesn't have the permanent wood top on it yet.
Moving farther to the left along that wall is my pride and joy. A kitchen table that is big enough to seat more than four people . . . which is all I've had for the past 15 years! I am so thrilled to have this big a table (with room to pull it out from the wall) that you'd think me crazy if you knew just how happy it makes me. Stay tuned for some wild dinner parties. (Well, not this summer yet. Maybe come winter. When things slow down. And we're completely done with the remodeling. And have recovered sufficiently to function normally.)
Continuing on around the room to the left, we'll keep this unit with the TV on it that has always been in this spot.
And the wood stove (in the left of above picture) will stay where it is because it heats that whole end of the house.
Even though there's still lots to do in the kitchen, I'm enjoying the opened up space immensely and getting all kinds of ideas that I hadn't thought of before seeing and being able to move around in the actual space I have to work with.
Before we took out the half wall (and teeny-tiny living room), to have this viewpoint you would have been standing in the living room looking right at the half wall. Now that the room is becoming all kitchen, you're looking at the refrigerator and stove at the far end and sink on the right. They aren't going to be moved. To the left free-standing in the room will be an island which will be my main work counter. That's not the real island you see in the left of the above picture, but a pretend one so I can get the feel of it and decide how big I want the real one to be. (It's a section of cabinet we took out which will probably go somewhere in the garage soon.)
To the right is currently a double window that looks out onto our enclosed porch and doesn't really let in much light. We are taking it out and building a floor-to-top-of- cabinet height pine storage unit in that space. (The cabinet unit you see to the left of the windows is one that used to be up against the kitchen side of the half wall.)
Moving into the kitchen to the left and looking across pretend island. The windows we're taking out are just to the right of this picture. (That white strip on the floor with the red tape in it is where the half wall was previously.)
On the other side of the kitchen you see the unit that used to be on the far left of that wall. It's now in it's new permanent spot under those windows but doesn't have the permanent wood top on it yet.
Moving farther to the left along that wall is my pride and joy. A kitchen table that is big enough to seat more than four people . . . which is all I've had for the past 15 years! I am so thrilled to have this big a table (with room to pull it out from the wall) that you'd think me crazy if you knew just how happy it makes me. Stay tuned for some wild dinner parties. (Well, not this summer yet. Maybe come winter. When things slow down. And we're completely done with the remodeling. And have recovered sufficiently to function normally.)
Continuing on around the room to the left, we'll keep this unit with the TV on it that has always been in this spot.
And the wood stove (in the left of above picture) will stay where it is because it heats that whole end of the house.
Even though there's still lots to do in the kitchen, I'm enjoying the opened up space immensely and getting all kinds of ideas that I hadn't thought of before seeing and being able to move around in the actual space I have to work with.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
What We Did This Morning
One of the main objectives in our remodeling is to give me a bigger kitchen and a bigger living room. Up until now our kitchen and living room has always been all together, divided by a half wall.
This is the living room side of the half wall. This side of the wall we designed and used as a bookcase.
This gives a peek of both sides of the half wall. Our tiny kitchen table was butted up against the end of the white cabinet and half wall.
This was my main work counter in the kitchen which stuck out into the room backed up against the half wall.
This cabinet unit went this morning.
Taken off completely.
Here's the empty bookcase side which we took out also.
This all took a bit more grunting, groaning and muscle power than you might expect. Considering the humidity inside the house was hovering around 210%, it wasn't much fun. BUT with that section taken out, I can really begin to see what the room (all new kitchen area to-be) is going to look like. I. Am. Excited.
More pictures (and sweat) tomorrow.
This is the living room side of the half wall. This side of the wall we designed and used as a bookcase.
This gives a peek of both sides of the half wall. Our tiny kitchen table was butted up against the end of the white cabinet and half wall.
This was my main work counter in the kitchen which stuck out into the room backed up against the half wall.
This cabinet unit went this morning.
Taken off completely.
Here's the empty bookcase side which we took out also.
This all took a bit more grunting, groaning and muscle power than you might expect. Considering the humidity inside the house was hovering around 210%, it wasn't much fun. BUT with that section taken out, I can really begin to see what the room (all new kitchen area to-be) is going to look like. I. Am. Excited.
More pictures (and sweat) tomorrow.
Short Weather Update
I meant to get this post up first thing this morning, but then things started happening on our destruction working toward construction (!) in the new kitchen area and I haven't had a second to get back here until now. And the only reason I'm at the computer is that I knew I needed to sit down before I fell down.
No sleep does not bode well for anyone in the midst of remodeling. We were up and awake most of the night last night hoping we weren't going to wash away in one heck of a storm.
The good thing is that we didn't have high winds but did have thunder, lightning and the heaviest rain I've seen in a long time. At one point I turned on the back outside light and the rain was coming down so hard I could not see through it.
This morning we had 3-1/2" in our rain gauge but we've heard reports of more than that in the county. Many gravel roads are flooded, culverts are out, streams are way over their banks and some roads have been closed because of wash-outs. The main highway had water running over it in spots and is littered with debris this morning.
We had no real damage, but have lots of standing water around. Our driveway through the protecting woods held up well. The sun came out and the humidity has become like a steam bath. Temp is 79 in the shade, but 90+ on the south side in the sun. Why didn't I plant a half acre of corn this year?
First thing Papa Pea and I said to each other this morning was, "Thank the powers that be our remodeling doesn't include tearing off any part of our roof!" THAT would have been disastrous last night!
No sleep does not bode well for anyone in the midst of remodeling. We were up and awake most of the night last night hoping we weren't going to wash away in one heck of a storm.
The good thing is that we didn't have high winds but did have thunder, lightning and the heaviest rain I've seen in a long time. At one point I turned on the back outside light and the rain was coming down so hard I could not see through it.
This morning we had 3-1/2" in our rain gauge but we've heard reports of more than that in the county. Many gravel roads are flooded, culverts are out, streams are way over their banks and some roads have been closed because of wash-outs. The main highway had water running over it in spots and is littered with debris this morning.
We had no real damage, but have lots of standing water around. Our driveway through the protecting woods held up well. The sun came out and the humidity has become like a steam bath. Temp is 79 in the shade, but 90+ on the south side in the sun. Why didn't I plant a half acre of corn this year?
First thing Papa Pea and I said to each other this morning was, "Thank the powers that be our remodeling doesn't include tearing off any part of our roof!" THAT would have been disastrous last night!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Too Much to Blog About
Wow, whadda day! Lots and lots of progress today . . . really too much to fit into one post. Plus it's almost 10 p.m. and that 5:30 alarm is going to come very early. B is going to be here again tomorrow so we need to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when she arrives at 7:50 a.m. (She believes in arriving so that she can BE WORKING at 8!)
I had to empty the units on the south side of our living room/kitchen so we could move them. I almost forgot to take before pictures, but remembered just in time.
Looking from left to right, this storage unit is coming out.
Also being moved is the middle section with storage on the bottom and shelves on top.
The far right hand side is made up of four stacked boxes containing all my cookbooks.
Emptied and ready to be moved. This unit will slide down to the far right hand end where my cookbooks were.
This part will go into the new living room and hold our TV and VCR.
Now there's this empty space ready for the left hand unit.
Confused yet? More pictures of how the area now looks to be posted tomorrow.
I had to empty the units on the south side of our living room/kitchen so we could move them. I almost forgot to take before pictures, but remembered just in time.
Looking from left to right, this storage unit is coming out.
Also being moved is the middle section with storage on the bottom and shelves on top.
The far right hand side is made up of four stacked boxes containing all my cookbooks.
Emptied and ready to be moved. This unit will slide down to the far right hand end where my cookbooks were.
This part will go into the new living room and hold our TV and VCR.
Now there's this empty space ready for the left hand unit.
Confused yet? More pictures of how the area now looks to be posted tomorrow.
Monday, July 18, 2011
More Progress and Hot, Hot Weather
Hot. Muggy. Sticky. Oppressive. We aren't supposed to have weather like this up here. What's goin' on, folks?
Doesn't do any good to complain and the high temps aren't going to kill us so why be grumpy and grouchy about it? Just keep drinking lots of liquids and be thankful for a refreshing shower at the end of the day.
Good progress today. Papa Pea started on the built-in storage unit that will go behind the door in the pantry. I worked on making room in various nooks and crannies of the house in which to store the scads of boxed up books and the contents of various cabinets and storage areas that are going to be torn out and/or moved in the next step which will hopefully start tomorrow.
B, our carpenter/friend, was here to put the top and doors on the pantry cabinets.
Here's the beginning of the tops being fitted.
Viola! Counter tops on and B installing doors.
There it is! All done except Mama Pea forgot to get the knobs for the doors when in the big city last time. Duh. (It wasn't the only thing I forgot. Brain on overload.)
I had B make the doors just like the units she built for us fifteen years ago in the kitchen/living room area. I just love the look of them.
The cabinets in the pantry are now ready to be stuffed with miscellaneous things I have to empty out of the kitchen/living room area so we can start on the remodeling of it.
Tomorrow we want to get all the wall shelves up in the pantry and start on the kitchen/living room demolition. Wish us luck . . . and some cooler weather, please!
Doesn't do any good to complain and the high temps aren't going to kill us so why be grumpy and grouchy about it? Just keep drinking lots of liquids and be thankful for a refreshing shower at the end of the day.
Good progress today. Papa Pea started on the built-in storage unit that will go behind the door in the pantry. I worked on making room in various nooks and crannies of the house in which to store the scads of boxed up books and the contents of various cabinets and storage areas that are going to be torn out and/or moved in the next step which will hopefully start tomorrow.
B, our carpenter/friend, was here to put the top and doors on the pantry cabinets.
Here's the beginning of the tops being fitted.
Viola! Counter tops on and B installing doors.
There it is! All done except Mama Pea forgot to get the knobs for the doors when in the big city last time. Duh. (It wasn't the only thing I forgot. Brain on overload.)
I had B make the doors just like the units she built for us fifteen years ago in the kitchen/living room area. I just love the look of them.
The cabinets in the pantry are now ready to be stuffed with miscellaneous things I have to empty out of the kitchen/living room area so we can start on the remodeling of it.
Tomorrow we want to get all the wall shelves up in the pantry and start on the kitchen/living room demolition. Wish us luck . . . and some cooler weather, please!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Is Tomorrow A Day Of Rest?
We woke to another foggy, ishy, gray, humid day today but lucky for me and my polyurethaning, around 11 o'clock a lovely breeze came by and blew the humidity away. It still wasn't sunny but I went for it and set up in the back yard to do my polying.
Pretty soon the sun did come out . . . and it got HOT. Whew-ee, did it get hot! As long as I kept my insulated mug of cold liquids handy for frequent swigs, I was okay though. I got the two coats on the inside of the pantry cabinet doors which is all I planned for them and the first coat on both sides of the big pine pantry door.
The way the day started out I felt very fortunate to be able to get that much done. Now I can stop worrying that the cabinet doors won't be ready for B to install on Monday.
Papa Pea and I even managed to get up one set of tracks and brackets for some of the wall shelves in the pantry.
I also got just a little shy of half of the strawberry patch picked. We both had a BIG bowl of sliced berries and vanilla ice cream for dessert after a veggie sandwich for dinner. Oh my, did the berries and ice cream ever taste wonderful! After that, I sat and cleaned and processed (smooshed and put in containers for the freezer for use in smoothies later) the rest of the berries. My total strawberry harvest to date so far this year is 48 pounds and 4 ounces. Looks like it's gonna be another good strawberry year!
On a sad note, the hawk that has been harassing our poultry succeeded in getting one of our Light Sussex chicks earlier this week. The hawk had killed and was starting to eat the bird by the time Papa Pea got out there after hearing the alarm set up by the rest of the birds. Does this lend strength to the theory that light colored chickens are easier prey for hawks to spot and kill? The only good thing was that the bird was a rooster and would have gone into the freezer this fall rather than being one of our new laying hens.
Boy, this day zoomed by in a flash. Papa Pea did a lot of outside puttering including getting all the lawn around the gardens mowed which is a big, big job. Before I picked berries, I did some weeding at the ends of the rows where I was short on sawdust for mulch. B had given me a big garbage can full of wonderful sawdust from her shop so I spread that where the berries were getting splashed with mud when it rained. I was just about upside down on my head in the garbage can trying to get all the sawdust out and since I was really hot and sweaty at the time, I'm sure I now have a light coating of sawdust all over my body.
It seems like it should be about six o'clock but it's nearly half past 9. Time for me to think about getting a shower and cashing in to be ready for another fun-filled day tomorrow. Oh, but wait! I have a new bottle of sangria in the refrigerator that I want to open and try . . . anybody ever drink in the shower?
Pretty soon the sun did come out . . . and it got HOT. Whew-ee, did it get hot! As long as I kept my insulated mug of cold liquids handy for frequent swigs, I was okay though. I got the two coats on the inside of the pantry cabinet doors which is all I planned for them and the first coat on both sides of the big pine pantry door.
The way the day started out I felt very fortunate to be able to get that much done. Now I can stop worrying that the cabinet doors won't be ready for B to install on Monday.
Papa Pea and I even managed to get up one set of tracks and brackets for some of the wall shelves in the pantry.
I also got just a little shy of half of the strawberry patch picked. We both had a BIG bowl of sliced berries and vanilla ice cream for dessert after a veggie sandwich for dinner. Oh my, did the berries and ice cream ever taste wonderful! After that, I sat and cleaned and processed (smooshed and put in containers for the freezer for use in smoothies later) the rest of the berries. My total strawberry harvest to date so far this year is 48 pounds and 4 ounces. Looks like it's gonna be another good strawberry year!
On a sad note, the hawk that has been harassing our poultry succeeded in getting one of our Light Sussex chicks earlier this week. The hawk had killed and was starting to eat the bird by the time Papa Pea got out there after hearing the alarm set up by the rest of the birds. Does this lend strength to the theory that light colored chickens are easier prey for hawks to spot and kill? The only good thing was that the bird was a rooster and would have gone into the freezer this fall rather than being one of our new laying hens.
Boy, this day zoomed by in a flash. Papa Pea did a lot of outside puttering including getting all the lawn around the gardens mowed which is a big, big job. Before I picked berries, I did some weeding at the ends of the rows where I was short on sawdust for mulch. B had given me a big garbage can full of wonderful sawdust from her shop so I spread that where the berries were getting splashed with mud when it rained. I was just about upside down on my head in the garbage can trying to get all the sawdust out and since I was really hot and sweaty at the time, I'm sure I now have a light coating of sawdust all over my body.
It seems like it should be about six o'clock but it's nearly half past 9. Time for me to think about getting a shower and cashing in to be ready for another fun-filled day tomorrow. Oh, but wait! I have a new bottle of sangria in the refrigerator that I want to open and try . . . anybody ever drink in the shower?
Friday, July 15, 2011
Poly-Game Called Because of Rain
I wasn't brave enough to set up outside for more brush work with the big can of polyurethane first thing this morning because of the dark and foreboding sky. And a good decision it turned out to be because it started raining a little before 11 o'clock. Instead, here's how I spent the morning:
- Early trip to town in order to beat the hordes of tourists taking over my town. (If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?)
- On my tuchus catching up on much neglected desk work including making phone calls and (ugh) paying bills. A lot of bills.
- Thought about going out into the garden to attack (or be attacked by) weeds but was pretty sure the bugs would be hatefully horrid because of the heavy, overcast weather. (Wasn't hard to talk myself out of that one.)
- I could have cleaned house but why bother when we're living with sawdust and insulation, tromping in and out with one thing or another and not maintaining much semblance of order as to the normal arrangement of things. (I did have to clean the bathroom though.)
- I have scads of books, decorations on the walls, and most of the contents of my kitchen cabinets which need to be boxed up and stored away in preparation for tearing into the existing kitchen/living room next week. (Yup, I'm gonna get right on that real soon here.)
- This weekend I MUST finalize to the last 1/16th of an inch, the plans for revamping the old cabinets and construction of new ones in my expanded kitchen area.
- I made a second trip into town specificially to mail paid bills and stop at the library (which never opens until TEN A.M. . . . arrgh!).
- Now we have had a late lunch and I've done a mountain of dishes. (I swear we have people come into the house in the middle of the night and make all these dirty dishes I always have to deal with.)
The rain continues to pitter-pat down on the roof (and all other exposed surfaces) so I think it would be a wonderful idea to crawl into bed for a little afternoon nap. Or maybe just stretch out and read for the rest of the day.
HAHAHAHAhah . . . ah . . . hah . . . um . . . hum . . . ooooh. Right.
- Early trip to town in order to beat the hordes of tourists taking over my town. (If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?)
- On my tuchus catching up on much neglected desk work including making phone calls and (ugh) paying bills. A lot of bills.
- Thought about going out into the garden to attack (or be attacked by) weeds but was pretty sure the bugs would be hatefully horrid because of the heavy, overcast weather. (Wasn't hard to talk myself out of that one.)
- I could have cleaned house but why bother when we're living with sawdust and insulation, tromping in and out with one thing or another and not maintaining much semblance of order as to the normal arrangement of things. (I did have to clean the bathroom though.)
- I have scads of books, decorations on the walls, and most of the contents of my kitchen cabinets which need to be boxed up and stored away in preparation for tearing into the existing kitchen/living room next week. (Yup, I'm gonna get right on that real soon here.)
- This weekend I MUST finalize to the last 1/16th of an inch, the plans for revamping the old cabinets and construction of new ones in my expanded kitchen area.
- I made a second trip into town specificially to mail paid bills and stop at the library (which never opens until TEN A.M. . . . arrgh!).
- Now we have had a late lunch and I've done a mountain of dishes. (I swear we have people come into the house in the middle of the night and make all these dirty dishes I always have to deal with.)
The rain continues to pitter-pat down on the roof (and all other exposed surfaces) so I think it would be a wonderful idea to crawl into bed for a little afternoon nap. Or maybe just stretch out and read for the rest of the day.
HAHAHAHAhah . . . ah . . . hah . . . um . . . hum . . . ooooh. Right.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
A Start on the Cabinet Installation
I'm trying to contain my impatience but am disappointed that we didn't get any farther today on the pantry cabinet installation than we did.
B was able to give us only a couple of hours of her time today because of other responsibilities.
It took all three of us (plus four small boys and a shoe horn) to get the cabinet frames muscled into place. B believes in building to fit with no sloppy wiggle-waggle room.
Once in place, she set to work screwing the three units together. Good thing she's such a skinny-minnie little thing.
Above she and Papa Pea are lolly-gagging around, lying down on the job. I tell ya, the help you get these days.
After B had to pack up her tool box and leave, Papa Pea was able to finish some nailing.
I had hoped we would get the tops on the cabinets so we could work on putting up shelves on the upper part of the walls in the next few days, but it will be much easier to install the cabinet tops without the shelves in the way so we'll have to find something to occupy ourselves (whatEVER will we do??!) until B returns on Monday to finish up the cabinets. By then I should have the doors done and she can install them, too.
I hesitated setting up to do more polying today because the morning was very overcast. Now at 4:30, I realize I could have gotten a whole day's work done without a drop of rain falling. Oh well, I'll cross my fingers for a good, long day tomorrow spent with brush in hand.
B was able to give us only a couple of hours of her time today because of other responsibilities.
It took all three of us (plus four small boys and a shoe horn) to get the cabinet frames muscled into place. B believes in building to fit with no sloppy wiggle-waggle room.
Once in place, she set to work screwing the three units together. Good thing she's such a skinny-minnie little thing.
Above she and Papa Pea are lolly-gagging around, lying down on the job. I tell ya, the help you get these days.
After B had to pack up her tool box and leave, Papa Pea was able to finish some nailing.
I had hoped we would get the tops on the cabinets so we could work on putting up shelves on the upper part of the walls in the next few days, but it will be much easier to install the cabinet tops without the shelves in the way so we'll have to find something to occupy ourselves (whatEVER will we do??!) until B returns on Monday to finish up the cabinets. By then I should have the doors done and she can install them, too.
I hesitated setting up to do more polying today because the morning was very overcast. Now at 4:30, I realize I could have gotten a whole day's work done without a drop of rain falling. Oh well, I'll cross my fingers for a good, long day tomorrow spent with brush in hand.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Floor's Done
Yippee Skippy! The vinyl tile flooring in the pantry is done, done, done.
We're pretty darn pleased with the way these self-stick tiles went down. A very tight, precise look. If you just made a passing glance at the floor, it almost doesn't even look like individual tiles. Hooray, this choice worked out really well.
The floor did require a coat of adhesive primer (which supposedly enhances the bonding ability) before laying the tiles, but that was easy to put on with a roller.
We're getting there. (Hey, stop looking at me and keep working!)
We picked up the cabinet frames and doors from B first thing this morning and spread them out in the back yard.
It was a beautiful day (not too hot but lots of sun) and I managed to get two coats on the cabinet frames and the fronts of the doors. I'm going to call the frames good at two coats but I want to put one more coat on the door fronts and then either one or two coats on the inside of the doors.
B is coming by for a short time tomorrow to get the cabinets installed (without doors), then Papa Pea and I will work on getting the shelves mounted on the pantry walls.
Whew, another day jam-packed with fun and excitement. Now I have to go work at getting all this polyurethane off my hands . . .
We're pretty darn pleased with the way these self-stick tiles went down. A very tight, precise look. If you just made a passing glance at the floor, it almost doesn't even look like individual tiles. Hooray, this choice worked out really well.
The floor did require a coat of adhesive primer (which supposedly enhances the bonding ability) before laying the tiles, but that was easy to put on with a roller.
We're getting there. (Hey, stop looking at me and keep working!)
We picked up the cabinet frames and doors from B first thing this morning and spread them out in the back yard.
It was a beautiful day (not too hot but lots of sun) and I managed to get two coats on the cabinet frames and the fronts of the doors. I'm going to call the frames good at two coats but I want to put one more coat on the door fronts and then either one or two coats on the inside of the doors.
B is coming by for a short time tomorrow to get the cabinets installed (without doors), then Papa Pea and I will work on getting the shelves mounted on the pantry walls.
Whew, another day jam-packed with fun and excitement. Now I have to go work at getting all this polyurethane off my hands . . .
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