So far today...

All the trim in the house and breezeway is finished. Needs a bit of touch up paint is all. We are ready for Russ! This being graduation weekend may be what is keeping him otherwise occupied. We do have a couple of other projects we could start and probably will.
We found the leak in the bathroom and it was not the wax ring. It was in the vicinity of the shut off valve beside the stool and I am not knowledgeable enough to be more specific than that. Bottom line and the good news is that it is no longer a leak. It has been fixed.
I have not put one flower in the ground as yet so that is another project I could start in on and most likely will...right after a short nap.

Time is flying!

Received a call from Menards yesterday morning and they asked me if I had checked the cabinets yet. I had not. They said they were fairly certain I was missing one...I was...it is the sink cabinet. AND they thought perhaps I had one that was not mine...I don't. But anyway it put a crimp into my morning because checking it all out more thoroughly than I had prior took up a chunk of time and numbers make my head hurt. It is now all checked and using my new word "wrecktified". The missing sink cabinet is supposed to be delivered Tuesday.
We ran out of trim molding so Butch went to a local supplier- Tri-County Lumber- and they did not have any that was primed. So we took time out to go to Menards. We are nearing the end of our trips to home improvement stores for awhile. Our coffers need to recover!
So this morning I am returning to my job of painting molding and trying to stay a step ahead of Butch measuring and applying. And then we hope to be interrupted by our friend Russ who will be supervising cabinet installation....and the beat goes on. Things are sure changing very quickly and we hope to be moving in very soon.

Sick of it!

The molding came primed but still needed paint. so that is what I have been doing for two days now and we will soon be running out and need more! Butch assured me we would buy it locally so I do not even get the break of sitting in the car to go 40 miles to pick it up. Such is life.
We are making great progress. The closet is done except for closety stuff like closet rods etc. Structurally it is done including all the molding and trim. Bathroom needs the vanity installed which is in a box in the kitchen area. Oh yes, Butch tells me the stool needs pulled and a new wax ring installed but he needs more help than I can give him to do it. When it comes to strength I am only half a person. I discovered water in the bathroom this morning shortly before my walk and woke him up to tell him. When I returned is when he told me he knew where the water was coming from. So our day started on a negative note and has been a bit of a theme for the day. Shortly after the water leak discovery the chop saw (Leo's ) quit and Butch discovered a broken belt. A new one has been ordered but we need a saw NOW. So as luck would have it I remembered that my good friend Colleen has one and she is back from Florida so we were able to borrow hers. There was bit of a "difference of opinion" between Butch and myself over one of the trim boards but no sense beating a dead horse so I will say no more about that. It has been rectified...sort of...or should I say wrecktified. No, I won't.
The bedroom is done except for baseboard moldings and a fair amount of the main room has trim and moldings in progress. Next up will be cabinets and vanity when our friend Russ can get here to help us. I think he said something about this weekend.
And I have supper on ...Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls...so all is good.

Very busy...and tired!

We received the bulk of our order this morning at 9:00 AM. I started painting moldings and as soon as they were dry Butch started trimming out the closet. We have both worked long and hard today and we are t-i-r-e-d!!  So when we slow down from the current frenzy you will get all the details...and pictures.

Bad News/Good news

The bad news is that we will not be getting our countertops for a month. The good news is we called Menards and said send what you have and we will come get the countertops when they get here. More good news is that the bulk of it is coming tomorrow.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cabbage, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8

We're Back!

We went to Missouri over the weekend to help...and watch...Elise celebrate her 3rd birthday. A good time was had by all!

 Elise's friend Sarah gave her a new couch and she was happy to share with her brother.

 Listening to the birthday song

 Baby Leo

Mom and cousin Chloe help with presents

Elise the clown putting her new jammies on her head.

Nana Susan with baby Leo

Elise loves her new wheels!

 Giving cousin Chloe a push.

                                                            Baby Leo...and Me

To give you a bit of insight into our Elise: She was eating breakfast and sharing a glass of fruit punch with her Papa Gary. She discovered a new taste sensation that she enjoyed. She filled her mouth with scrambled egg and then added a sip of fruit punch. She continued doing this until her eggs were gone. That girl is always thinking....

Stop and look at Tulips

We are what some might say caught up today. Yesterday we moseyed on down to Atlantic for a haircut and dental appts. We visited and had lunch with friends Bill and Bev Gunderson and then later on Butch played golf with Randy Clark while Sherri and I caught up on our lives, enjoying supper at our favorite Chinese restaurant. It was yummy and still our number one favorite Chinese restaurant. Everything is made fresh by authentic Chinese people and not the same cookie cutter stuff you get in most Chinese restaurants.

And then today Butch finished a cabinet that covers the electrical box in the breezeway. It is reusing a cabinet that was in the original kitchen. It makes the breezeway a bit neater. I cleaned a few areas and stashed a few things under the bed and in the new bench. Most of what is stashed away is in a temporary home just so it isn't underfoot while the rest of the project gets finished. So now we really are down to waiting for the cabinets and trim etc. They should be here next week if all goes as planned.

At Sherri's house: Sherri does daycare so her house is always a bit chaotic with many things happening all at the same time. My life seems very calm after spending an afternoon there. But it is always entertaining as well and I have had the best part (from afar) of watching many of her kids grow.
Here are a couple of pictures of Olivia who is a drop dead gorgeous little girl who loves ballet.

  and then there is Braley (sp?) who is two and we know it well. She wanted her mama and was not about to be happy till she got her. She did enjoy getting her picture taken .

Some of this weeks projects

The bench

Privacy doors for stool area


The washer and dryer

 The bed...I have taken a nap on it and I love it! It is firm which is our choice for a bed. Purchased from Overstock.com: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Select-Luxury-Reversible-Medium-Firm-10-inch-Queen-size-Foam-Mattress/6378792/product.html?CID=208011
Our experience with this bed and the ordering of it from Overstock has been top notch. Everything they stated has proven to be true. Could not be happier with this purchase and we plan to order a second one for the motorhome.

Making a bed

This is the making of a bed...I wanted an RV type bed to maximize our storage. You can see how much storage we gained from this plan.

 In the making of this bed the platform needed to be turned twice. Leo helped us with this but on the 2nd turning it did not go well and Leo fell hurting his back and getting several scrapes. After being checked medically he is okay but hurting a bit.

...and unleashing the beast!

These photos were taken in stages. Total time from when Butch is unrolling the mattress to the last photo is about 30 minutes. They say full expansion takes 24 hours.

Update from the weekend

We are coming right along. We have the washer and dryer in place and ready to run. The bench is built and needs some paint and a shelf to be completely done. The bed is about half done and we have hopes of finishing it today. Butch has installed one of the pocket doors in the closet and it needs some touch up paint.
Yesterday was another Lowes run to Ames to pick up a few needed items to finish the bed.
I checked on the status of the cabinets and counter tops and it looks like it will be another week yet. Not of big concern as long as we have all these other projects to keep us busy.
Yesterday we stopped at WalMart in Boone to pick up a few grocery items. A man in the store spotted a friend of his buying strawberries. He hollered at him and said," I bought some of those yesterday and they were great! Sure cannot beat the price!" They were $1 a box and the box was huge. I had not noticed them before but then I picked some up and he was right. They are very good!

And now a paint tip gleaned from Facebook:

REVIVE your old paintbrushes and STOP WASTING MONEY!!! Before you buy new paintbrushes this year, check this out. Soak old paintbrushes in VINEGAR for 30 minutes. GOOD AS NEW! Soak them in water with fabric softener and paint won’t dry on the brushes. LIKE this and SHARE other paintbrush tips.

Leo Teeter at 3 weeks

His mama says he slept through the night last night!

Two Ingredient Cookies

From my friend Janette Irwin

OK guys this one is so SIMPLE even the most baking challenged person can make them. And talk about GOOD FOR YOU TOO!!!!!!!

TWO (yes that's it) INGREDIENT COOK...IES

Ingredients

2 large bananas (can be a few days old for easier mashing)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
Mix-ins of your choice (I used dark chocolate chips and a pinch of cinnamon)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mash the bananas in a medium bowl. Add the oats and whichever mix-ins you choose (the Burlap Bag recommends a handful of dark chocolate chips, crushed walnut pieces, cinnamon or raisins - I chose dark chocolate chips and cinnamon) and mix.
3. Shape into balls with your hands and place on a baking pan covered with parchment paper (I used parchment instead of greasing the pan). Press down into a disc shape if desired.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes (mine were done after 12).
5. Enjoy!
Yield: 12-16 cookies
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 12-15 minutes 

Progress

We are making progress right along. I am taking pictures as we go but I am a ways from getting the totally finished pictures. For instance yesterday and the day before we worked on the bench ( to cover the water meter) and the platform bed (designed like an RV bed). The bench needs some paint and a false floor yet. And the bed needs some pieces glued and others painted before we can release the beast otherwise known as the mattress in a box. The storage space under the bed is huge!! I love it!
There are a couple of items we need help with but most things we can handle ourselves. We need help turning over some plywood so pieces on the underside can be glued. Also need some muscle to help stack the dryer on the washer. I looked to see where we stood with cabinets and counter top etc being delivered and it is a little further out than I thought. We do have plenty to keep us busy until cabinet delivery however.

The beast in a box.(queen sized reversible mattress)

The weather has been perfect for doing indoor stuff..

From Roland Iowa on KCCI news

When you gotta mow, you gotta mow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=p5MooatkiFk

Ugly

Yesterday we went to Exira IA for the second funeral of the week. The mother of our good friend Bev Bro Gunderson of Atlantic IA passed away. After attending the services we made our way to Waukee IA to pick up parts and make a Menards run. Lots of travel miles but we were listening to a good book (Orphan Train) so the miles passed quickly.
 On our way home we stopped at HyVee in Perry IA and from what I saw, Fareway in Jefferson has nothing to fear when HyVee comes to Jefferson. The prices were VERY high in comparison. Every item seemed higher and some so high it was shocking. Dove dark chocolate candy Fareway $3.58 HyVee $4.79.

Another shock happened this morning as I looked out my tiny motorhome window. Snow and lots of it and more on the way

Below: This was taken from inside the house

As was this shot

My poor tulips have had quite a time of it this Spring

Tuesday...

I hit the ground running this morning and decided to do the painting in the breezeway. I had to quit at 1:00 to get ready for my doctors appointment. She took a couple of samples from my upper arm. It didn't take long and I was soon back home and painting. Among other odds and ends of paint I painted the cement floor and put a fresh coat on the front steps. So now I will not know if my arm is hurting from painting or getting sliced. It actually doesn't hurt at all. My back does though!
Butch mowed and burned some yard waste and then started measuring out another project- the bench. We have plenty to keep us busy till the cabinets arrive. Exciting time though!!

More of Monday and some of today

Butch told me the obituary for Eloise was not easy to read so I changed it. When I put obituaries and other things on the blog most of the time I copy and paste and sometimes it just doesn't work too well.
I did take a few pictures yesterday and I have a new one of our very grownup Elise But I will need to get it scanned before you can see it. I did and here they are.

And now we have the baby Leo. I made his acquaintance yesterday afternoon. He is such a calm and contented babe and I was so lucky to get to hold him throughout the service. When he opens his eyes which he does frequently he is very bright and alert following sounds all over the room.. He seems to have a pretty good concept of his surroundings for a guy who is only two weeks old.

When his mom makes a smooching noise he frowns. He does not like that sound! He frowned every time she did it

 These are pictures of some of the windows in The First Presbyterian Church in Savannah MO