MOVIN' RIGHT ALONG

The inspectors finally came and went. The only thing Handyman Husband had forgotten to do was put on hurricane straps. Who knew that here in Kentucky we needed hurricane straps? The floor of the deck has been built, the shingles are over half done (it got too hot up there this afternoon for him to finish), we have a lockable door and window, and the vinyl soffit is up.

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

John & Clarinda Mosier 50th Anniversary Spoon

I have several heirlooms around my home that were given to me by my grandparents and/or parents. I think it's interesting to match the heirlooms with the owner(s). My grandmother gave me this spoon that belonged to her grandparents. It is engraved on the back with the date '48 - '98. Today when I see those dates, I think 1948-1998, but no, those dates were 1848-1898. The spoon has the letter "M" engraved on the handle. It belonged to my great-great grandparents, John & Clarinda Mosier. John was born March 12, 1824 in Adams Co., OH. He married Clarinda D. Mahaffey, who was born June 30, 1829 in Highland Co, OH, on October 26, 1848 in Adams Co. The spoon commemorates their 50th wedding anniversary. They were the parents of John Riley Mosier, who was the father of my paternal grandmother, Ethel Faye Mosier Jackson. John was a veteran of the Civil War. He served with the Ohio National Guard. What I find really amazing is that these people are my grandchildren's great, great, great, great grandparents and we still have such a tie to them with pictures and things.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Ever since we decided to add the laundry room/pantry, I've been struggling with what to do with the kitchen window since it will look directly into the new room. I finally made up my mind - It's history. Handyman Husband will remove the window completely and drywall both sides of the wall. On the kitchen side I want a bridge cabinet to go between the existing wall cabinets on that wall. It will look like the one on the opposite wall over the range. However, since there will be no microwave under it the tile will go all the way up to the cabinet making a nice backsplash over the sink. Now if we can just find a matching cabinet. I went to the cabinet shop where the original ones came from but they don't carry that brand anymore. They did give us the name of a company here in town that handles that brand now. One of us will check it out this week. I've also been trying to match the wallpaper border, but no luck. Lowes has completely taken out their wallpaper department and the decorator at Porter Paints told me the book it was in has been discontinued. I knew that wallpaper was not popular anymore, but I would have rather added it to the addition instead of Handyman Husband having to strip what's on the walls over the cabinets. It seems as if I keep finding more and more to add to the project.

The plumbing inspector came today and signed off on the roughed in plumbing. We're still waiting for the electrical inspector - hopefully tomorrow.

I guess I should have cleaned up the kitchen a little before taking the pictures. I used the big buckets this afternoon while I was cleaning the patio doors in the sunroom. I finally found a fairly easy way to clean them. Mix Spic and Span liquid with water, wipe it on the windows and then wipe dry with a Shamwow. They're handy towels/rags that (if you watch TV) you've seen on infomercials. They really do work. I got 2 walls of the sunroom clean, but the sun was shining too brightly on the other side. I'll try to get it done on Saturday morning. I also mowed the grass this afternoon. Today was a vacation day, but I worked harder than if I had been at work!!

MEMORIAL DAY 2009

SLOWLY BUT SURELY

Today didn't show much progress on the addition. I'm not saying Handyman Husband didn't work hard, it's just more tedious work than working with 2 X 4's or 4' X 8' sheets of plywood. The electrical and plumbing have to be roughed in before the next inspection. He got most of the electrical in today, but hasn't started on the plumbing yet. At least it was a little easier day today than yesterday. Not quite so physical.

I've been looking at a new table to go in the breakfast nook when everything is completed. I found what I want but it's a little on the pricy side. It's an Amish expandable table that goes from seating 2 to 10. It would be fantastic to have it for the grandchildren. I'd like to have a table big enough to seat the whole family so we wouldn't have to worry so much about spills since it'll be on tile, not carpet like there is in the dining room. I also like it because when it's just Handyman and me, we wouldn't have to deal with such a large table.

FRAMING IS ALMOST DONE

Handyman husband has been making good use of the beautiful days this week. We now have a roof on our addition. He's had to spend quite a bit of time up on the ladder while sheeting the roof. At one point he thought he might have to call me to come home from work because he got in a bind and didn't have a hand-hold to get down with. But he worked it out and managed on his own. He's had to do some piece-work where the new addition meets the old house. I'm glad that he can figure those things out (even while he's up on a ladder). I've been trying to keep up the yard work so he can concentrate on the addition. I mowed the lawn this afternoon so we're good for a while.

RAFTERS GOING UP

Handyman husband had a productive day on Saturday. It's beginning to look more and more like a room. The rains are supposed to be over for the week so hopefully he'll get a lot done this week.

BUSY SATURDAY

It seems like we always have so much to do on Saturday, that we're worn out by late afternoon. Today, I've been to WalMart, came home and worked on laundry, then went to Fern Runners and bought my Wave Petunias, a Foxglove and a fern, came home and potted or planted all of them, finished up the laundry, pulled weeds out in my flower gardens and fixed lasagna for supper. Handyman husband worked some more on our addition. Here is a picture that shows what our new door will look like except that the right hand door will be the one that opens. Note-Handyman husband read this entry and noticed the pool outside of this door and commented on how mine would NOT have the pool outside of my door. Awww...I'd love to have a nice pool outside my door!!

PROGRESS

The walls started going up today!!! Yeah!!!
Handyman husband had to tear out some of the shed roof over the breakfast area before he could start building walls. He got that done this morning and when I got home I got to help him "raise" the wall. I am sooo looking forward to having the extra space. The one thing I haven't been able to come up with a solution on is the kitchen window. The space where the window is will be there but what do I put over it so you can't see in the pantry/laundry room? I've thought about stained glass, but I'm afraid the cost may make that impossible. They now have some plastic that will just lay on the glass. Static keeps it in place. That may be an option. What do you think?

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Today I have been fortunate to celebrate Mother's Day with one of my daughters, my mother-in-law, husband, and my sister-in-law and her husband. I have missed having my other daughter with me, but know that she is celebrating the day with her children and husband. But my mother has been on my mind a lot today. Of course I thought about her early this morning, but then at church they gave carnations to all the women - red if their mother was living and white if they had passed on. It was really kind of sad to say "white" when the youth asked which one. It says my mother is no longer with me. As I looked around at the flowers the other women had I felt sad for all of us who had lost our mothers. My mother had become my best friend over the years. She was the one person who had always been there for me my entire life. She shared with me all my greatest joys, my saddest moments and all my fears. She encouraged me and helped me however she could. After the death of my father she came to need me in a different way - to help with the physical things she could no longer do and to be her confidant and companion. At times that was a hard relationship for me. To have a parent to become so dependent on you is not easy. I always tried to be the daughter she wanted. I sometimes failed. But in the end I know that she knew how much I loved her. Mother, I miss you--but I know I'll see you one day when we all get to heaven!

THE FOUNDATION IS COMPLETE

Handyman husband has had quite a time this week trying to complete the foundation for our addition because of all the rain, but IT'S DONE! He got all of the concrete blocks laid earlier in the week and today he finished the brick face. The building inspector came and approved the work. He backfilled some of the dirt against the foundation and pretreated for termites after dinner tonight. Now it's time to start the carpentry work (which he's had a lot of experience at). Hopefully things will start to move a little faster now. The door had to be ordered and when it came in it opened the wrong way, so they had to send it back and reorder. It's supposed to be in on Tuesday.

A SHORT REPRIEVE FROM THE RAINS

The foundation is coming along nicely.
The bottom corner bricks are laid.

We have managed to have a day with only a few sprinkles in the morning. Handyman husband got quite a bit of block laid today and started on the corners with brick. Once the foundation is complete the building inspector comes back and hopefully gives the okay to proceed with construction. The foundation has been a bit tedious for handyman husband because he's never done it before. So far, so good. It's level and the walls are straight!! The rains are supposed to return tomorrow for about three days so it may be next week before he gets the rest of brick up. I MUST have patience!!

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

It seems like it's been raining forever. Handyman husband has been trying to lay the foundation for my new laundry room/pantry for about a week but it has been raining every day. They are predicting more rain tonight and tomorrow with a break on Tuesday and then back to rain Wednesday through Saturday. Why is it that we have been in a drought for so long and just when we have an outside project to complete, it has to rain for days on end?