Here Today

Well, the internet is up and running at my very own house.  Which is an exciting prospect.  I will now celebrate by going out of town for the 4th of July weekend.  

As for a rundown of my life: my kids have colds, they are tired from the move, and they will be tired by the little vacation.  Two of my kids have developed mild to moderate separation anxiety, and the oldest has decided to take this time and become a mouthy teenager, even though she is only seven.  But I'm trying to give everybody some slack.  Moving is disruptive.  

The kitchen is coming together nicely, if a bit slowly, with cabinets installed.  Countertops, flooring and a new range are on the horizon along with a tiled back splash.  I'll post pictures when I can.

My room is in a constant state of flux in an attempt to unpack and organize.  But someday that will be better.

I'm hoping by Christmas I have everything pulled together.

That's really not too far away, right?   Right.   

Reunion

It's been just a little over 10 months since my Grandmother passed away. This weekend we are up at her house where there is a lake, a barn, rolling hills, trees, small irrigation canals. It's picturesque.

This is the first time since the funeral that I've been up here. Driving up to the house and walking across the lawn, I was greeted almost immediately with a soft sense of loss, something missing. My grandmother's essence, however, is everywhere. She was quite the woman. And I am very fond of her.

I will not see her again in this life, but the very real truth of it is she will always be found as soon as I look for her.

Missing. In Action.

But one of these days I'll cut back on the action. I look forward to it. Then I will blog more. So until the next time... Cheers!

I'm Missing Twitter & Other Aspects of The Internet

It's June and I'm wearing a turtleneck. It's been gray and drizzly the last few days. Too gray and not drizzly enough to actually water the lawn. The lawn for which we have not yet had time to purchase sprinklers. Of course that changed this afternoon because along with the chilly June weather we got an adequate downpour that should do a decent watering job of the lawn for a few more days.

I hope.

My muscles are sore from painting the kitchen. The drywall was mudded, taped, and textured and so last night I stayed up stretching muscles I forgot I had by priming the ceiling and the walls. I have one more coat to go that I'll do either this evening or tomorrow morning.

Common sense says to paint tonight as I haven't had my shower yet, and so I should go for it and get it done with. My aching muscles are the procrastinators. They say I should head straight for the warm bath with my latest Daniel Pinkwater book and forget about painting tonight.

I'll let you know who wins: common sense or the muscles. I'll let you know whenever it is I can get back to the computer. (I have taken a quick break from my house to head up to my parent's home where there is internet and phone in abundance. Also, lots of tortilla chips.)

Hmmm. I'm hungry.

The Moving. Oh! The Moving.

I hate moving. I hate it. I hate it with a passionately strong hate. Because I am tired of it. I am utterly tired of moving every two years. (And because I am utterly tired I will not say anything remotely clever and pithy about it. And that is a darn shame. Because an Ode to Moving could be a work of art.)

But now that I have bought a house I need not worry about moving for awhile, anyway. Can I get a Woo Hoo for that? Woo Hoo! Or, actually in my current state of fatigue: woo hoo. {crash.} (That was me falling asleep amidst the many unpacked boxes.)

I am without a regular phone and an internet connection. But that will be forthcoming.

In any case. The kitchen is coming along fine. The drywall is being mudded and taped and will be textured tomorrow. Cabinets should be in by the end of the week.

Pictures, like the internet, are forthcoming...

cheers.

Mad As A Hatter*

On this day many, many years ago, Anne Boleyn was crowned Queen of England. We know that didn't turn out so well for poor Anne. But it did help along religious diversity as the Church of England was born around that time as well. Lots of eventual conflicts, too. And not really because of poor Anne, but because of her husband. Which (although I am very fond of my husband, as I am sure you are fond of your husbands) does not surprise me in the least.

June first is an important day. For one thing it's the first day of Summer here, as in No More School. Which is fine and dandy, but considering the impending move and (hence) the busy mom, and the wet spring that has bred thousands of mosquitoes that feast on my children when they are outside, my children are already claiming to be bored. And rather itchy.

Mosquitoes are really awful.

But not quite as awful as getting your head chopped off when you do not produce a male heir. I have produced a male heir, fortunately. But at the rate the mosquitoes are getting at my skin, I may wish to have my head chopped off before the week's end.


*Because "Off With Her Head" seemed indecorous as a title. However the Queen in Alice in Wonderland says "Off with her head" and with abandon as well! And so the title obliquely references Alice, and the unfortunate event of losing one's head, which Anne Boleyn did do. Poor girl. (I cannot say that enough.) I am almost as mad as a hatter. So there you go.

*Yawn!*

A little tired.

Sprinting in slow motion.

Trying to teach my son some self-control by using time-out methods. He is currently screaming about not being able to reach his flip flop. The lonely sandal is sitting on the floor by the window a few feet away from him. He is insisting he can not reach it!!!! His sister has decided to take pity on him because his maniacal screaming was interrupting her PBS Kids show. My children; they have such grace.

I lost my tape gun yesterday. My mom lent me hers so I could get packing again, but seriously. A lost tape gun is detrimental to one's mental health when getting ready to move.

Putting in recess lighting in the new house today. Which is an old house. Just new to us. With lots of weeds in the flower beds.

But at least we are proud owners of a brand new trimmer, as well as a lawn mower.

Well, off to get things done. Hopefully.

A Little Prayer For, yes, A Kitchen

I have spent some time praying about this remodel. (I almost called it a "little remodel" but, um, it's an entire kitchen, so that's not really little, is it.) Mostly I have been praying that things will please fall into place. Because they could really drag on if they don't. And this is a small thing, as far as spiritual things go, but you know what? I've learned that Heavenly Father is willing to help me wherever I let him, even with kitchen remodels.

Three things that were particularly vexing me were: moving the vent for the range, moving a vent on the floor, and moving a gas line. I needed all three moved because I have decided that I do not like a stove next to a refrigerator. Actually, strike that. I never had to decide it, I have always instinctively known. Blame it on my inner interior decorator and architect.

If your range is next to your refrigerator that is just fine. I don't like you any less. I just wanted mine parted, and with that parting came some work. But that is what home ownership is all about, right? So they say. I've dived in.

But this morning, after a lovely Memorial Day (complete with a BBQ, and the annual family whiffle ball game), I got a call saying someone was coming to check out the vents I needed moved. And he did more than just check them out, he moved them. Jack. He is a nice guy. And now my vents are moved. He will move the gas pipe on Monday. Bless him. I told him he was an answer to my prayers. And he was.

In Which I Become A Remodeling & Design Blog

We bought a house. We did. An actual house. We now own a house. And owe a considerable amount of moolah to the bank. But it's done and good, and we have gone and torn out the kitchen.

Because once you purchase a house, the next step is to utterly change it, right?

Actually, most of the house will stay the same, with a few improvements, but the kitchen is going to be brand new. Woot!

Although slightly overwhelmed is the current default emotion, I am also excited.


Below is the BEFORE picture.


Here is the DURING picture. We knocked down the soffit or bulkhead, or whatever you want to call it. I'm putting in cabinets that go up to the top of the ceiling. And moving the range, etc., etc.


The gross yellow stuff on the walls is old glue from a laminate back splash. Ugly, ugly, very ugly it was. So I'm going to do something different. Maybe subway tile. Kind of as an ode to New York City.

In any case, if I am sparse on posting it's because I'm trying to move and put in a new kitchen and weed out huge dandelions from my front yard. Wish me luck!

9 years

Ben and I were sitting next to each other watching our oldest twirling around the floor in her dance class. It was the last class before the performance and parents are invited to watch. I really love my daughters' teachers; they love the kids, they love dance, they respect the body. My oldest daughter's teacher is the mother-in-law of one of my former school mates.

I leaned over to Ben and was going to say "That's Noelle's mother-in-law" as if he knew who Noelle was. But he doesn't. We didn't go to high school together. Which is a good thing. We joke that if my parent's had known each other in high school they would have never married. I think the same could be said about Ben and me. I was still growing into myself in high school and wasn't quite me yet. Oh, there were flickers of me around the edges, but I needed a few more life experiences and so on.

The point of this post is that while we didn't know each other until college, I felt like he would know that trivial information from my past. I went to school with Noelle. Here is her mother-in-law. He doesn't know that. But I'm glad I feel like he might. We've been married 9 years today. Nine years isn't forever yet, but I can see that it's long enough to make the part of my past I had without him seem a little odd for him not being there at least hovering in the wings.

And so here's to many more years, decidedly together. Happy Anniversary, Ben. I love you.

Ben's recreation of a Doonsbury comic strip which he did shortly after we were married. I have a fondness for Doonsbury, as well as a fondness for Ben: this helps explain why. Who wouldn't fall for something like that?