May 10, 2010

Well, here it is the month of May. Today is such a beautiful day! Nice temperature and wonderful bright sun.

On Saturday, May 6, the livingroom window was finally able to be installed. My, how much brighter the room looks. Missing one window can really darken a room. But, now it is in and all I can say is it looks good!

Still working on putting up the pictures that were on the walls before the painting began. Have two more rooms to go. Trying to figure out a way to hang the Grandchildren's pictures evenly without making a million holes. Going to make paper templates and put them up where the pictures will go and then measure and put the real pictures up. As for the pictures in the girls' room...well, I'm still working on that too.

I really need to get outside and work in my garden. It is getting very overgrown. Weeds are every where.

I also need to get the carpets shampooed. What to do when there are so few nice days and lots of rainy days? Just taking one day at a time. My Mom said, "Well, you could shampoo your carpets in August." Ah-h, NO. To late and too far away. Must be sooner.

It's really time to just relax and enjoy these beautiful days with a good book and a glass of iced tea.

Day 13 Floor laying

Okay, I'm late getting this post in. Chalk it up to excitement!

On Saturday, March 26, the floor got laid. Once again they ran into trouble. Bathroom is by no means square. So, they started, got first row in and already don't have a plumb wall. Wall went up years ago. It separated one room from another; what more did it need to do, right? Square? No, way. Needless to say it frustrated the painter who volunteered to lay the floor. Well, after much work and hassle it got completed. It sure does look good. Of course, anything would look better than bare wood. I'm just so thankful. I keep praising the Lord for letting this work get done and that the financial need has been met.

The house is now done and looks wonderful! I just walk from room to room and get excited about how nice everything looks. As you can see it doesn't take much to excite me. Come and visit me and see how nice it looks.

Painting Day 11 & 12

Day 11 starts out with the electrician coming to install the fan/heater/light. Rick and I leave to go look for a carpet for the master bedroom.

The hole for the bathroom light needs to be cut still larger. Electrician installs the light in no time flat.

Rick and I find a grey/silver carpet for the bedroom. Need to position the carpet twice to get it home in our little truck.

Home again to find the painter painting in the bathroom. Ceiling white...check. Walls parsnip...check. Woodwork white...check. Now to get used to seeing the bathroom a pale green. It's not as pale as I thought it would be. Still, I do like it.

Day 12

Oh, yeah, back to the normal kind of day. Try to install a new vanity because a pedestal sink would not work out. How many things can go wrong? Cut pipes for flexible lines. Oops, too short and the flexible lines on hand are for toilet lines. Did I mention these guys are not plumbers? Rick left to get the right flexible lines and Steve starts working on the toilet. Next thing I know Steve is asking me if I have something he can help me with because he had to get out of the bathroom because it was frustrating him. Apparently whatever could go wrong; did. Well, it took them most of the day to complete the installations. So, the only thing left to do is lay the floor.

Painting Day 10

Oh, what a NIGHTMARE!! The bathroom was to be done today. Old houses can give you nightmares.

Needed to replace the fan/heater/light that was in the ceiling because the heater and fan had died. Remove old fixture and get the new one out of the box. Oh, no, new fixture is larger than the old one even though it is the same manufacturer and same design. No problem. Cut the hole in the ceiling larger to accommodate the new one. Bet you think that will do the trick. Nope, ends up the wires do not line up. The new fixture has an extra wire. Time to call an electrician.

Removed toilet and tore up floor around it because when that toilet was put in it was not set right so it leaked and rotted the floor. Toilet and floor removed...check.

Remove old vanity to put in new pedestal sink. Oh, my, is that a big hole in the floor? Yep, and check out the hole in the wall. Apparently when the vanity was put in the plumber put a hole in the wall for ??? and one in the floor for ???. Oh, and the new pedestal sink won't go in unless we reconfigure all the pipes. Did I mention nightmare?! So, we may have to go back to another vanity. Oh, all's well in the old house. It just takes longer to do things in them.

So, the painter did get the tub walls regrouted and filled the holes on the walls. That is something and a move forward. Just a small set back to try us. We will continue to move forward. Don't forget tomorrow is another day!

Painting Day 8 and 9

Day 8: March 16

Master bedroom painted. Oh, my, where do you go with all the things in this room? Well, photo albums got taken downstairs. Furniture had to stay in the room because there was no where else to go; let alone getting it there. That meant he had to paint around a dresser, a bureau, two metal closets, a file cabinet, a desk, a bookshelf, and oh, yea, the bed. So, woodwork white...check. Walls Blue Opal...check. Lookin' good...oh,yea!!

Day 9: March 18

Boys' room painted. More things to move out. All Rachel's books that were taken into this room and put on the bottom bunks had to be put into boxes. Three boxes full...check. Shelves that had the boys' books on had to be put into boxes. Five boxes full...check. Okay, now where do we put eight boxes?? Rachel's Room!! Oh, forgot all the games, the TV, and the dvd player. Oh, did I tell you that you can hardly move in Rachel's room.

Time to paint. Today he had to work around two bunk beds, two dressers, a metal closet, and a rocking chair. Put the two sets of shelves into the master bedroom. Crazy! Ceiling and woodwork white...check. Walls Blue Opal...check. Boys' room completed! Yeah!!

Next week he will work on the bathroom. This is the room that will be completely remodeled. New floor...new sink...new toilet...and of course a new paint job.

So, stay posted for a few more days to read about the rest of the work that will be done. Oh, and have a wonderful weekend!

Painting Day 7

Day 7 is done. Girls' room painted today. If you've ever been in the girls room you know how bad the wall right inside the door looked. Well, no more! Let's see...woodwork white...check. Walls Blue Opal...check. Wall inside doorway repaired...check. This is like moving into a new house...from old to new.

I now have a five day break from painting. He will be back next Wednesday. That will give me time to put some of the rooms back together and pack up some things that are left in my room so he can start there when he comes back.

So, let's see...my room next Wednesday; the boys' room next Friday. Then afterwards...the bathroom will be done. That will include a new toilet, sink, floor and of course PAINT. Wow, this is absolutely wonderful.

What's funny while this is being completed is that while he is working there is not much I can do. So, I pretty much am stranded in one area. Hope this doesn't give stay-at-home wives a bad name. No, Steve, I'm usually extremely busy through the day. I don't get to sit around like this. We stay-at-home wives do have much to keep us busy. I just go crazy trying to get things done before you arrive and after you leave.

Painting Day 6

It's the morning after day 6 that I finally can document how it went. Smoothly! No problems to report on yesterday's painting.

So, what got painted yesterday? Our little hallway with lots and lots of woodwork. Oh, did I say I love our painter?? There is one small wall in our hallway with lots of doors and woodwork. Well, I thought about asking him to paint the very small ceiling area in the Blue Opal as well. But, I forgot and to work he went. He also painted the stair well from our living area down to the church. Day is done and I go to see what he has done. Woodwork white...check. Small wall Blue Opal...check. Ceilings white...no-o-o, Blue Opal!! Yeah!! I told you I love this painter. He knew what to do to break up the white from the woodwork. How's it look? Wonderful!!

Oh, yeah, his name is Steve Kieffer and his business is called Top Coat.