Michele’s Musings

So we have been plugging along getting stuff done, but I haven’t been motivated to take any pictures.  I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, too much to do, not enough time or motivation really.  You almost get complacent living amongst the reno mess.  But I’m happy to say we have gotten some progress happening this weekend.  I got our front yard cleaned out yesterday since it wasn’t too too cold out. The kids bike’s and the deck furniture are now stored away for the winter.  James started working on installing the trim, not all of it is done (we ran out) and the toe kick’s aren’t in yet and we have a couple of filler pieces yet to install, but it is starting to look nice.

We are thinking of adding another cabinet in that empty space that is supposed to be a desk area.  But now that I am working in the ktchen, I think four more drawers (like that unit next to the space) would be more beneficial.  We would have to disconnect that outlet in the wall as well.  That is my baking area as well btw…. so much space to roll out dough!  I made tea biscuit’s tonight for the stew!  Oh and the microwave cabinet is also our *hic* liquer cabinet  

We installed a little white shelf over the sink.

No toe kicks installed yet either! There is beef stew simmering in that slow cooker, James says I look so happy when I’m cooking or baking now lol

I also discovered this morning that ALL the upper cabinets need to be moved up by at least 1/4″ as my coffee maker is trapped I can’t fill it! This is disasterous. Maybe I need to pull out the old coffeemaker, it was shorter…. it’s somewhere in the basement….

Our kitchen table! I am impressed with the amount of space we still have to walk around the room. We also need to get a window covering as it’s VERY bright first thing in the morning! but it’s an oddly sized window so ready made might not work well for us. Ideally I would like a blind, but the inner dimention of the window frame is 49″ W. Any ideas? Oh and I don’t know what to do with a colour….. White? Natural like the chair seats? Something else?

James also got some flooring installed in the back hallway, I am really wanting the first floor completely done in the next week or so, so that we can decorate for Christmas!  And I’m already thinking of our next big project (after all the flooring is done)….. our disgusting stained bathtub needs to be replaced!  I took a picture of it today AFTER I cleaned it….

There is even a wee child’s footprint stained into the end of it!  There is no finish left on it from the water level down.

We have an extra foot or so down at that end that we could tear out and put a longer tub in….. I’m liking the thought of that, as I barely fit comfortabley in the 5′ shallow tub we have now. Not that I’d WANT to soak in it, the stains really turn me off that idea!

The next series of pictures will be of the hallway and livingroom with new flooring!  *fingers crossed*

What I’ve been reading lately….. The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton.  It is the most recent installment of her Anita Blake vampire hunter series.   I found this one a bit boring.  I think if anyone picked up this book without having read the others in the series they would be bored to tears and not undertand anything that was going on.  I didn’t even enjoy the couple sex scenes she through in as they were just ODD, and that’s saying something for this author!  lol 

Honestly…. unless you’ve read the whole series and just want to know how the series is progressing, don’t read it.  I’m hoping Touch of Frost, her most recent Merry Gentry book is better!

Next…. Exit Strategy by Kelly Armstrong, I have high hopes for it!

Where did the time go?  We have been busy!  On top of all the reno stuff we have a sick cat and the other cat killed one of the betta fish, did you know they can live out of water for HOURS????  We didn’t know that, and when James went to clean up the mess of the dumped betta tank, the fish jumped 5 feet and scared the poop out of him LOL  We ended up having to flush him anyway, he just didn’t bounce back from that experience  

Oh and the sick cat….   Arran’s baby named Sugar started peeing all over the house, but because we have two cats it took us a bit to narrow down the offender, then James noticed her walking away from a cushion with pee on it, and there was blood in it *sigh*  So off to the vet…. we think she has an irritated bladder (cystitis) which can be brought on by the stress from things like home renovations   So she is now on a pricey Rx food and hates it!  We end up throwing most of it out.  And it’s oh so muh fun feeding two different cats two different diets….

And while we’re dealing with that…. we’re still finishing off the kitchen!  I don’t have any new pics to upload, but I have a working kitchen again! We have the counter top installed, sink in, dishwasher hooked up and working.  All the cabinets are in, all doors on, all upper knobs installed.  We still have to put the knobs and handles on the lower cabinets and install all the trim.  James also assembelled our kitchen table and chairs so we are eating in the kitchen as a family now!  No more eating in front of the TV!  I’m hoping to get most of it done this week/weekend then I’ll take pictures!  We have another trip to make to Ikea,  probably Saturday morning, one of the drawer front’s is chipped and we need another end panel. 

The kids are enjoying indoor soccer.  Rowan scored a goal on Saturday!!!!!  I have been doing all the running to and from games on Saturday’s while James gets work done in the kitchen.  I keep forgetting to bring the camera though. 

I am trying to make it through the new Greg Iles bk True Evil but it’s a long slow process… I have had to renew it once already.  It’s just dragging on…..  just another 100 pages to go…