Rock Climbing

My oldest boy has decided he likes Rock climbing AS MUCH as he likes dirt biking!!!!! Oh my! Well, I have to say, its a much QUIETER hobby and he can play inside at Romper Room during the winter.

He had gone to a birthday party hosted there, and caught the climbing bug. He was fearless leaping for holds, dangling from the harness to get off the wall. He went to the top of the wall every time!

I was envious and wanted to try it too..... maybe later.

'I Hope You Dance... '

This was written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend.

I think it applies to my life as well, so this is to MY friends.... I have shortened it a bit, but the points still hold!

I'm reading more and dusting less.
I'm sitting in the back yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden.
I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure.
I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything - we use our good china and crystal for every special event, such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Spring blossom.

I wear my good jacket to the supermarket.

I'm not saving my best perfume for special parties, but wearing it for shop assistants in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary.

If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and love to our lives.

Every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself - this is a special day.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift.

Remember someone cares for you.

People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there.


Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

Where did it go?

Once again the mysterious and fickle blog Gods were not aligned for me... I had a whole post ready, pictures and everything and "POOF!" the entire thing spit me out like a fishbone in a succulent halibut steak before I could hit the "Publish Post" button!

In brief:

Floors are finally in! Just stairs and floor moulding to do. Looks great.

Cedar purchased for the covered back deck.

Bipass door track purched and 2x4s here for the laundryroom finishing idea..... I am running out of steam and may not get to actually FINISHING it this year, but it will be framed.

Still waiting for the drawer panels on the kitchen bench, not too worried though.

SIGH.... I am tired of the chaos, and hope the efforts will supress my itchy house feet for a few more years!

Just ICK

Thats not me (yet) ...

Tim was under the weather this weekend but managed to stave off actually vomitting, but Monday afternoon, Steve spontaniously RALPHED in a parking lot while we were out driving around. Then after we got home, he threw up on the threshold (and into the foyer). So I kept him home from school yesterday and he almost drove me BONKERS as he was extremely hyper and uncooperative all day. It's been a long time since we butted heads so badly, I was exhausted and infuriated by repeating myself over and over and over again. I had to ground him for the week and I got no improvement. My volume went up and up, my tone got angier, still no affect, I even seriously considered a "wooden spoon" I was so at a loss!!!!! Grrrr...

We went up to the school and picked up the work he missed, there was a lot!

But before that the dog buggered off for more than 3 HOURS!!!!! No idea where he was, but he came back dragging his feet and limping with drool around his scruff.... and no interest in food. I suspect he cleaned out every cat-food dish within a mile radius and found some dog to wrestle with. The doggy equivalent of a "bender". This morning he is still limping and listless, though he hasn't puked.

We all went to bed at a reasonable hour last night, and at about 10:30 Cammy SPLASHED his fishsticks and cherry pie all over his bed. The smell was outrageous.

It took over 1/2 hour to clean it up and change his sheets. The poor tyke was sobbing, I am sure it was humiliating and scary for him. Then at around 2 he woke again crying, he had had a nightmeare AND it wasn't his stomache this time..... South of the Equator had emptied explosively this time. More tears, more clean up..... and another round at 3. Then all quiet.

We all slept in right to the alarm this morning.

I'm next I suppose.... mommy is always last.

drumroll please

Okay, this is where the picture of the kitchen is supposed to go...... but it won't post for whatever reason!

I did some chair shopping and actually found chairs that T and I like for the kitchen.

First I went to the Brick, found ones I liked, but they only came in the set. Fine. Found some that were okay, but they were $200 each. Found some for $99 each, but they were hideous.

Next I went to Home Sense. All of them were around $100, but there was something I didn't like about all of them.... picture Goldilocks trying out the 3 bears' chairs... too white, too modern, too uncomfortable, to wimpy, etc....

Then I went to United Buy and Sell..... same crap as Brick. I was about to leave when a large man in a suit says, "Are you finding anything you need?".....
"Nope." I reply. Then I state my case and he points me to the back where the damaged stock is put to clearance. There is one chair with very bad damage put from $159 down to $28! I like it! Sturdy, casual but not rustic, intriging lines! AND I think I can fix the damage myself!!!!!! Alas, there is only one, and I express my disapointment to the fellow in the suit. He looks on the computer and says "there are 117 in Burnaby, they are $159 each".

"oh."

"How does $75 sound?" (he must really want to get rid of these chairs!) so I agree and he orders one up, at better than half price. And as he was typing up the reciept for the damaged one, he knocks another $2 off the damaged one! So for $101 I got 2 nice chairs that would normally have cost $318!!! I took the damaged one home, Weldbond glue, some clamps and a dark marker pen..... and within half an hour, I challenge anyone to find the damage!

Best part is T loved the chair, and on Wednesday I got the other one.

Wooden Spoon

Remember as kids, the threat of the "wooden spoon"? I don't know about you, but that threat was real in my home. A spanking with the wooden spoon could and did happen for making bad choices.

Now in my mid-thirties, I have had the adult equivilent of a spanking by a wooden spoon.

Let's see..... here is my livingroom as of 2 days ago.....



I was so smug with the wood there in all its maple naturalness!

And here is my livingroom as of this morning.....



There is a difference, did you see it?

Ah, it is obvious when you know where to look! That is no longer maple boards in the middle of my dissasembled home, nope, its BIRCH. It's origin unknown, it's future more certain. It WILL end up on my floor!

You see Evan started laying the maple annd it became clear very quickly that the boards were no milled correctly. Every board was skant at the ends, meaning that a whole WHACK of filler would be needed and Evan would be very nearly insane by the time he got it all down if he managed to keep the rows straight. So we had to return it. All 1000 or so pounds that had so carefully been hauled upstairs and stacked for air circulation...... it all had to be carried downstairs and loaded into the truck. Then carried back off the truck and loaded onto a pallet. We got a work out, oh boy.

I was near tears and my stomache sick with the anguish and uncertainty of what was to come next! But they were good and they wrote me a check for a full refund..... will it clear? Time will tell. They seemed as sad as me that it didn't work out. They have been great, really great.

Yesterday was spent in a flurry of stressful shopping. Where was I to find 3/4" flooring on short notice? The first place was $8.39/sq ft. EEEEK! Run away! The next place was MUCH cheaper, but they only had 299 sq feet left at that price... I needed 500. The next place was an in between price but a 2 week wait. And on my day went until I was bleary eyed and exhausted.

Then I phoned the last place. Yes, they had birch, but not maple. Yes the price was good, yes it is 3/4" thick, prefinished and they have more than enough. The catch is it doesn't have a warranty, is not returnable and is "Rustic Grade" otherwise known as B or C grade. That can be very interesting looking from what I had seen that day.... a little too interesting looking for a livingroom.

But I packed up the kids and went to look.

WOW! That wasn't too bad! So I called T at work and said "meet me here I think I found it!" and while I waited for T to finish work, the boys and I went to play at a park.

And there it is, after hauling the heavy boxes upstairs, it is quietly getting to the relative humidity of our home.... for about $400 more than the maple.

That was an expensive spanking!!!!!!

I am getting excited about it!

As you well know, I am easily made happy as a rule, and expected change tends to fill me with gleeful anticipation....

Though my home is in a state of disaster with my livingroom dismantled and floors not happened yet.... though we haven't figured out aHOW we are going to get the floors FINISHED (the first quote came in at $2100 just for the sanding and finishing). We aren't sure if we are skilled enough to finish the floors on our own.... its not like if we mess it up its an easy fix. I am still giddy with the joy that comes from knowing I am getting things DONE the way I want.

I would have thought T would be pleased that I am spending money here instead of moving us to an older home. But he said with a heavy sigh.... "I guess no acreage and shop, eh?" I sputtered a response, " Honey that would be a 1/2 million dollar or more around here!", and he said "I know, it's okay"..... I think the fact that he can't have this dream is a slap to his breadwinning-manhood. He bemoans the fact that his income isn't quite enough to make ends meet even with our quiet lifestyle.

But I'm fine with it! Our lifestyle is lacking for naught! We have a home that fits, 2 vehicles that are paid for, a reasonable mortgage, great neighbourhood. He IS employed at the top end of pay for someone of his education level (and not union), our kids are healthy, and icing on the cake --- we just got the best dog ever whelped GIVEN to us!

SO now you know where my positive attitude of the day is coming from with the house... life is good and I get wood floors (for a price).

Here is the best part, even after the floors are in and the furniture is where it should be..... I still have something GLORIOUS to look forward to!

ITALY!!!!!

Che buon'idea!

Yes, the anticipation is mounting, and though I am TERRIFIED of the prospect of leaving my home, family and the money it will take, I am so looking forward to the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and experiences that this trip will bring. From the International airports to the homesickeness...... it will all be new to me.

Spiders

So CUTE!!!!!!

reno central

Okay, I'm pooped.
Packed up half the china cabinet, cut in some more paint in the kitchen and there were 1000s of staples in the stairwell holding that carper there!



Tomorrow we will remove the hallway carpet, and next week our floor will be laid (hopefully)....

A Nag VICTORIOUS!

Okay, I did it! It took a few YEARS of persistent nagging and the threat fo moving a few times.....

It's my money and I want to LIVE in this house while we are here..... so that is what all the painting and building is about.

Here is the BEST part:




That ain't no cheap laminate that is in the disaster that once was my living room, no sirree! That's SOLID MAPLE baby! It is reclaimed wood from local woodlots and the price was very nice. It is in planks so it will look more country than formal which is fine by me. I am just thrilled! T finally had enough of the carpet and a good quality laminate was getting up there in price anyways.

*** Please be sure to look at the kitchen colours I posted today too ***

kirchen colours can confuse

Challenge of the day!

Your semi-gloss beadboard paint turned out way brighter than you expected..... so what colour do you pick for the rest of the kitchen?

Do you go with something BOLD? and make it a statement with contrast?



Do you go with something coordinating in the same palette on lighter? (or is that just too much sunshine in one room?)



Or do we do something in between?
Maybe a Split Pea Soup?



or Creamy Tomato?



No matter which I go with (and I am leaning towards tomato soup)It needs to go with the valances I already have, mostly because I still like them.