New Toys

The new toys, I mean tools, came!

I'm not quite sure about the impact driver and the light but otherwise they are awesome! There's a circular saw-which I have needed more time than I can even list-an oscillating saw and a drill.  All cordless and all fit in the bag they sent along with the tools. Now to get sawdust on some of them tomorrow!  I plan to build the spacer for the new cabinet tomorrow.  If I decide to paint it in the kitchen I might install it-it's oil based paint and I'm a messy painter so I haven't decided.  Most likely I will as I can put the drawer pulls on and load the cabinet.  That will help get things back in order in the kitchen-never an easy thing for me.

I went out today and ordered a new dishwasher-it will be two weeks before it gets to the store and then they will set up installation.  I could do without one if I wasn't selling the house.  I don't have many dishes most of the time.  While I was there I ordered the measurements for the door between the house and the garage.  For it to be code it has to be a fire door and because my basement has only 7 foot ceilings (instead of the 8 foot now standard and for which doors are made) the door has to be custom made.  That wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be.  The door is the last big improvement I need to make before listing the house.  I am plodding along on the small, actually tiny, things everyday.  When I looked at the schedule for next week and the following I have days where there is nothing!

Last night I sewed on the blocks for the Chookyblue swap, tonight I should get them all sewn,  trimmed, and up on the design wall.  Things are looking up!

Still not finished, sigh

That just about says it all!  Although I'm getting really close.  Every Sunday I look at the list and think, this time next week I'll be finished.  I've been saying that for the last three weeks!  I finally feel like I'm over the hard work of last week.  I'm glad I put so much concerted effort into things as many of the "big, time consuming, I really don't want to do this but I have to" projects were finished! Every book I own is now on a shelf!  I had six boxes of books stored and they are all unpacked. There is still room on all the bookshelves!  I think from here on out I'll just pick one room and finish it up then move to another.  The kitchen will be last, of course!  I also want to photograph all my furnishings and add them to a spreadsheet for insurance purposes, been meaning to do that for quite a while now.  (Another 15 minute project once all the photos are taken.)

We are in World Series Fever around here as our Kansas City Royals are playing!  We won the first game last night in 14 innings (wouldn't want to just take the regular 9 to win it) and tonight we are winning as well.  The New York Mets don't know what hit them-apparently we never give up, very rarely swing and miss,  and rarely strike out.  Best of seven games, after tonight they take the games to New York for at least two games-three if the Mets win one and will come back here if necessary for the last two.  I love baseball, of all the sports I love it best and it's the only professional game I enjoy.  There is a poetry to it that is just special.

I did manage to sit at the sewing machine a bit tonight!  Mended the bed skirt for my bed--another thing off the list! Also put it back on the bed, although it still needs adjustment.  I also worked on the swap project, really hope this turns out the way I have planned!  I'm not sure about the fabrics.  I can never tell about a quilt until it's almost done, if I hate it I'll have to start over!  Luckily for me it's not terribly large.  Perhaps a sneaky peak will be coming your way!

Getting it done-nearly back to normal.

Last week I worked really hard at getting stuff done from the list.  All the big heavy stuff is done!  I do have to finish the cabinet in the kitchen but am waiting on the new power tools I'm buying to get here.  Larry had a bunch of tools but most need to be replaced now.  I do quite a bit of woodworking and home decor and I want to try some pallet furniture next summer.  I believe in quality tools-they make a job so much easier whether is setting a screw for sewing a seam.  The trouble with working hard is that I am worn out.

The hutch and bookcases are back in the living room, filling the end wall.  As soon as that is looking decent I'll post a photo.  I had Brayden and Kolby on Friday as they were out of school so I put them to work adding books to the shelves.  They had two totes of children's books to unload and I showed them the two shelves I wanted them on--they had other ideas.  I had to smile when I heard them organizing the books.  "Let's put all the Christmas/holiday books here.  This one's poetry put it with the other poetry.  Gift Horse, my favorite, I want to put it here so I can find it fast."  In the end they had used three shelves, although one had only two books.  I'll be rearranging things this week!  The boys also helped be get the rug back down and under the sofa.  They'd have done more but I ran out of steam.

A trip to IKEA netted me two "Billy" bookcases for the office and I have them put together and in the room but the shelves are not in and there are no books on it yet.  I also picked up a table top to use for the top of the cabinet I'm adding in the kitchen.  I intended to cut it down width wise but now that I have it resting on the cabinets I really like the size-a really great work space.  I will have to build a spacer for the back of the cabinets, though.  Got a couple of there little things as well, that place is dangerous!  It's a good thing I only go occasionally!

The house (except my office which is buried) got cleaned up for Rob's birthday party today.  He picked the menu:  Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches, watergate salad, veggie nibbles, apple crisp and ice cream for dessert.  Easy and yummy! Everyone was here except my California crew, we always enjoy getting together and seeing Ryan is a treat.

Now I've to clean up the kitchen a bit, mostly put away the leftovers-what few there were. I will do the dishes tomorrow.  I think the dishwasher may have quit today-there was an odd smell and the water didn't all drain out!  I just replaced the garbage disposal and the kitchen light.  What will break next?

Reprise: Of paint, floors and windows

Remember when I said I'd be sore?  I am.  My arms hurt so much last night that a pain pill was taken.  The FLOORS are done!  Man, does it feel good to say that.  It felt even better to mark that off the list.    They will never be shiny, I don't have a floor polisher, but the wax sinks deep into the wood (these floors are in horrible shape) and fills in some of the holes and leaves behind a hard surface that doesn't store dirt.  If it weren't for that I might not have done it.  A second coat would be lovely but not happening!

The cabinet sections are ready to come upstairs, but the drawer fronts still need paint.  That one comes off the list by Saturday!  As well as the touch up painting and windows.

With the cleaning as I re-set the furniture from the floor project my lists will be almost done.

I have decided to move the hutch and two bookcases back into the end of the living room.  I moved them out last year for painting and to make the room look larger but I HATE it.  People looking at my house will just have to imagine the room without them--I still live here and I'm tired of being without some of my things.  Also, I'll be re-hanging the shelves over the new cabinet, taken down in order to put the hutch there and two of the spice shelves I took down.  Again, I live here!

The studio has stayed clean, wonder of wonder, but that's probably because I haven't been working on anything much.  Once the cleaning is finished I'm going to spend a whole day binge watching movies and sewing.  Can't wait!

I'm off to IKEA for more bookshelves-I have a lot of books! The counter top for the new cabinets and some assorted things, some of which I don't have on my list!  I always do that at IKEA!

Of paint, paste wax and clean windows

This past few days have been totally about paint.  The ceiling in the living room had to be repainted as even though I still had the original paint the paint on the ceiling had yellowed so the patch stuck out like a sore thumb!  I do have to say though that the patches look amazing!  It was worth all the pennies I had to spend to have it done.  I'm also painting some base cabinets that Larry had in the garage but that I am moving to the kitchen.  That project will go on all week I'm afraid but when it's finished (and I make a trip to IKEA for a counter top) I will have 12 drawers to put things in and you will here me cheering where ever you are!  I've touched up some places on walls etc and there are a few more to do.  These little jobs are a pain, takes longer to clean the paint brush than to actually paint!

Next up was to put paste wax on all the horrid, old, need to be refinished or replaced oak floors.  This is a two part project as the floor must be scrubbed first, I did that today and tomorrow I'll do the actual waxing.  I expect to be sore.

I started washing windows and screens in the "in between time" while waiting for things to dry.

By the end of this week I should have the list nearly done!  It depends on if I decide to move the bookcases and hutch back into the living room.  I moved them out last year to make the room look larger when I put it on the market but I really HATE it!  Plus I've no place to put the cottages or stockings without it.

The weather remains warm, although it did cool off enough for the heat to pop on for a few minutes that past two mornings.  Trees are turning.  House plants are inside.  Fall is coming, isn't it?

Tonight after dinner I'm going to cut some fabric.  I Joined Chookyblue's Secret Santa swap, my first ever swap, and I have to get going on it.  At least  know what I am going to do and the fabric I'm using will be from some charm squares I bought at last year's Guild show.  There's no excuse for putting it off.  Also I'll do some stitches on Ryan's quilt.  I'm slowly nearing the end on that one.

Off to make dinner, scrambled eggs with bacon and toast--yummy.  Then Rob is coming over to replace a light fixture and the garbage disposal that both died this past week.  I hope nothing else decides to give up the ghost!

Catch up on the catching up!

I've been keeping busy, trying to finish up any number of fairly small things around here.

I've finished pulling weeds, well one never really finishes pulling weeds but for the moment, and getting things done up outside.  It's been cool here and enjoyable to work outside.

Then I cleaned the garage.  How does a two car garage-which by the way isn't big enough for my smallish truck-get SO messed up?  I mean there isn't even a man around! Just me, sigh.  Right now I still need to finish clearing the bench but one can safely walk through now!  I have things stored down there that I have packed to move plus empty totes and knocked down boxes to use for packing. Right now though I've taken everything out of the house I feel I can live without.

I cleaned the laundry room--boring.  Have the lights and racks set up for the plants that will come inside soon.  Moved the washer and dryer back to where I like them, they like to walk about for exercise.

I finished the mending on Brayden's quilt and one more block on Ryan's.

Most every day I've taken Quinn for a walk in the park.

Yesterday, I picked up Ceili (the trailer) so that I could take her to the dealership for repairs this morning.  I don't suppose I'll get her back for a couple of weeks anyway.  Oh, by the way, Ceili is pronounced Key-Lee and is the Irish word for a party!  My Ceili is a party animal although I usually forget to turn on the music!

I made it back to the Trails Museum to work at entering the collection to the archives!  Yeah!  I think I'm down to single digits in the number of boxes left to do.  I always think that and then I find many more diaries to be entered, sigh, today was no different.

Today was release day for Nalini Singh's new book Rock Redemption so after I got home from the museum and the pet store (You'll be happy to know Quinn will not starve-and no Ann she's not eating Kangaroo) I just sat down and read!  It was a great story and if you're looking for fiction you can not beat anything written by Nalini Singh!

Tomorrow, I'll hit the studio for a good clean up!  I've feeling much more productive these past two weeks.  I've been focusing on one thing at a time and that seems to be helping me not get overwhelmed.

Well, I seem to have written a tome-sorry about that!