While We are Waiting....

There was a popular song way back when I was a teenager called "The Twelfth of Never." I feel like today is the "twelfth of never" as our remodeling is taking a very slow pace. V-e-r-y slow. I won't revisit some of the frustrations here on the blog, but suffice it to say we are running low on patience.

Savannah, on the other hand, is a happy clam. She enjoyed four days of daycare during the noisiest part of the construction, and now she heads to the garage door in anticipation of a ride in the car. We don't even have to have a destination, it's just the joy of the journey. She is safe and secure, strapped in with her new harness which gives her a little room to look out the window when the car slows down.

Some days are so slow, waiting for someone to come and work, that I just sit out on the back porch with my camera and zoom lens and take pictures of the doves in the trees. This fellow was really giving me a curious look!

One creature that is not slowing down in the backyard is this little bee. He has been busily buzzing from flower to flower, spending a lot of time in the basil. 

So we're hopeful that someone will come today. We were promised an 8:00 arrival of the painter and our project manager. But it's after 10, no one is here, and the frustration builds. The longer they make us wait, the more little defects we find. Wouldn't you think it's in their best interest to be both punctual and speedy?

Soooo Tired Tonight

I was going to post some progress pictures tonight... We're getting really close to the end of this renovation. But frankly, I was too tired to bother! Today has been a long day.

We were asked if the painters could come on Saturday and finish their part of the project a day earlier than proposed. "Early" appealed to us, so we agreed and I arranged to drop Savannah off for day care again this morning. But instead of "painters", we got one painter and his eight year old son! And Graham and I spent the whole day entertaining and being entertained by the eight year old! I finally went to pick up Savannah at 5:30, started preparing dinner at 6:00, and watched the painter and his son leave at 6:45. This was not the way I would like to spend another Saturday.

And Savannah, bless her little heart, has spent the last three days in doggie day care. She has had lots of little dogs to play with all day long, so when she finally gets home, she eats dinner, does her "business" outside, and then plops down wherever I am and is out like a light! Right now she is snoozing on the floor beside me. She's so tired she's not even snoring!

So, yes we are getting close to the end of the project. I have my wonderful new sink and faucet in and working beautifully. We have new doors and a window and all are stained or painted. All that's left is the electrical work and clean-up and then I can get my shades installed, the house thoroughly cleaned, the furniture moved and the television mounted. About the time I get that done, one of my children will be moving into a new rent house and the other will be following suit a few weeks later, into a new house of her own. One of these days I'll put my feet up and just relax.

Meanwhile, Savannah and I are ready to call it a day!

Savannah and a couple of new doggie friends at day care.

Little Progress Today

Having had two days off from our construction schedule, we awoke this morning ready to send Savannah to day care and brace ourselves for another noisy day. Instead we got a call that a worker had called in sick and we could relax for the rest of the day. Deliveries would be made, but no construction. So I canceled Savannah's day care and we took advantage of the time to work a little in the garden and do some inspecting of the fruit. We have been picking tomatoes and radishes daily and I had seen some little flowers popping up on the beans. But lookie here! Two little baby beans have made their way into the world!

These are the only beans I found, but there are lots of little flowers on the bushes.

Savannah might have been a little disappointed in having to stay home. She runs to the garage door every time I head out that way, so I think she enjoys her doggie time at Karen's. Today, however, she picked up a scent in the back yard and really worked over every inch in search of whatever critter invaded her territory! We don't know if it was a squirrel or a possum, but it has left some "evidence" twice now and Savannah is determined to find out who it is!

This is a dog who definitely leads with her nose!

Graham and I figured we could go out for lunch since no one was expected to be working, but when we returned home and let Savannah outside we discovered these lovely boxes stacked next to the door! It's my new sink and faucet! Yippee!! And later this evening we walked around the outside of the new room to find our new window! Goodness! The things that appear when you least expect it!

Graham brought in the boxes with the sink and faucet. The new trim was delivered too.



So it looks like tomorrow will be a busy (and noisy) day. I have Bible study and would ordinarily take Savannah with me, but she will go to Karen's instead and stay away from the hammering and sawing. One day of confinement upstairs was enough for both of us! And we're looking forward to two very productive days.



A New Quilt in the Making

Recently I have discovered a wonderful website with dozens of tutorials for any number of quilting methods. Most are free, but they also offered an online course for half price that is permanently available and has eight or nine different lessons. This wonderful place is the Missouri Star Quilt Company. In addition to the tutorials, they also sell material, pre-cuts, and just about any notion you might need for quilting.

One of those notions is a little ruler that is primarily used for cutting your binding fabric when you are binding your quilt. But one accidental find for this little tool is helpful for cutting strips to make what is called a Friendship Braid. This really caught my eye and all the possibilities for using this pattern are endless. I just googled "friendship braid" and got a handful of patterns from all over.

Another thing the Missouri Star store has put me onto are "pre-cuts." These are either strips of various widths or squares of various sizes, already cut and including many fabrics that are complementary all bundled into one package! And the names they are given are fun too. There's the Jelly Roll, Honey Bun and Dessert Roll - lovely strips from 1 1/2" to 5" wide. Then there are Charm Packs, Layer Cakes and Turnovers - again squares of various sizes or in the case of Turnovers, pre-cut triangles. Oh these are lots of fun. And Missouri Star has a Daily Deal on the pre-cuts of up to 70% off.

I used a Charm Pack to make Andrew's rag quilt (see it here) and a Jelly Roll for Graham's quilt that I made last year (here). I picked up several little Fat Quarter packs the other day and decided to use one of them to make something with the Friendship Braid. I have three braids completed  that measure 27 " x 10". I think I will use four braids and "sash" them with a contrasting fabric. Then I'll just start adding borders until I get it the size and shape I like. Anyway, here is where I am on it.

I like the soft colors in the braid. I have to decide whether to use a dark or light color for the sashing (strips that will frame each braid.) This has been a fun diversion to all the hammering and sawing going on in the room downstairs. It won't be long before we have a brand new media room and can enjoy some movies in there. Meanwhile, I'll just keep on braiding!

Transformation

Graham and I decided several months ago to call in the experts and turn our "Florida" room into a "Media" room. We had been using it for TV viewing anyway and felt it was time to give it some legitimacy and a little soundproofing to boot! So we called Bobo Custom Builders* and started the ball rolling. I'm keeping a photo journal to share. Here are the first entries.

I'm beginning to strip the room of all the furniture and window dressing. It became a great place for the grandboys and Savannah to play "throw and catch" with the squeaky balls.

This is mid-way through the first day. The demolition crew took out the windows and door from this end of the room. It will become the wall where the TV and components will be installed.

The end of the day and we have the outside wall completed. I'm very impressed with the cleanliness and conscientiousness of the sub-contractors. Bobo works very hard to maintain a good reputation.

The electricians arrived early this morning to start placing the outlets on the wall for the TV and its components. The cable will run up that channel as well and we shouldn't see any wiring. Again, these laborers are very professional and considerate. So far, so good!

*Bobo Custom Builders remodeled our kitchen about seven years ago. What many consider a very unpleasant experience was the total opposite with us. In just thirty days our "kitchen cave" was transformed into a beautiful, open kitchen with lovely Mediterranean appeal. We couldn't have been happier. I would recommend them for any home improvement project.

Savannah has been going to Karen Nash for "day care" during this process. She is much happier having other little dogs to play with than she would be if I had to confine her upstairs all day. I'll try to get a picture this afternoon when I go to pick her up!

More to come...

Savannah Update

It has been six weeks since Savannah came to live with us. So I figure it's time for a progress report! It is amazing how much she has changed in six weeks, or maybe it's just that she is adapting to our household and her personality is showing more.



For one thing, she has settled down considerably in her activity level! I don't know if it was uncertainty in her surroundings that caused her to be so hyper, but she is adapting to a slower pace, and we have a lot more "down" time together. She will sit with me for longer periods of time. And I can leave her in the backyard by herself for longer periods as well. She is much better about the pool and the Polaris now and has only jumped in once in the past few weeks (and that was prompted by a little grandboy throwing her ball in the pool!)

Her appetite is still good. She likes her dry food and doesn't beg for "people" food - ever. I mix her EVO with Wee Bits and feed her twice a day. She no longer eats like there's no tomorrow, which is an indicator to me that she is comfortable and secure with us. We do give her crunchy (no-grain) treats occasionally. In the picture above she is standing for her treat. She apparently learned this maneuver in her former home. In fact, she responds to several commands, which leads me to believe she had a good home before she was found walking the street.

One area that needs much improvement is walking on a leash. I don't think she had ever been trained to do this. We have a tug of war every time we try to go out. I don't think it's enjoyable for her, and I know it's a chore for me. So I'm going to look into some kind of class that will help us take our walks. That or make a call to the Dog Whisperer!

And it's time to take her in for grooming. Her hair is filling out nicely and needs to be shaped into a Westie cut. I don't want her cut like a Schnauzer, though. And really, she only needs her face and legs trimmed this time. Hopefully I can get that point across to the groomer.

So you can see that we're adapting well. The construction on the back room should start soon and I have arranged for Savannah to have daycare on the days it is most noisy. I know she'll enjoy some doggie playtime and make new friends. And that will certainly be a post all its own!

May Day Easter Luncheon

Because of various health issues our extended family postponed our Easter celebration a week. That happened to coincide with Meredith's birthday.  So we all put our dishes on hold and planned our gathering for May 1st. The cake I had planned for Easter worked perfectly for a May Day birthday. Meredith cooked her pork roast and fresh green beans, Jo brought our favorite jello salad, and Lois whipped up some queso and chips, Murphy's favorite food!

 For Christmas, Mimi and Da (Lois & Doug) gave the grandboys each a Build a Bear Doggie. They (the dogs) have cute little summer outfits that Mimi requested they wear to the party. She brought the doggies a skateboard (!) and showed A & A how to help the doggies ride the board. It worked just great on the coffee table! Adrian and Andrew were both duly impressed.

Now that Ludee has a new dog who loves to play ball with the boys, they both are transferring their affections to their own little doggies. Andrew shows just how a doggie will kiss your ear!

And Adrian is happy to show off his doggie and its spiffy summer duds.

Although we really never need a reason to gather friends and family together, it was a nice way to celebrate both a late April Resurrection Sunday and a May Day birthday.