This has been a really great year. As I type this my older boys are climbing all over me, the baby is alternately grabbing toys and demanding my attention, and my parents are heading back in from a short shopping trip (that was also a little break from the attentions of their grandsons). 2013 is bringing several changes, mostly of the smaller, everyday changes that happen without much forethought, but also several larger alterations to our lives.
I have decided to resign from my current position. I like my job, and I am good at it, but I am just not focused enough on either my work or my kids and I really want to focus on my boys. I still need an income though, so I am looking at a more flexible position with the same company. I hope to hear back this coming week, but things at work are definitely changing.
In February I am going to begin training to become a certified doula. I have wanted to become a midwife since I was 12 years old, but after having two babies with midwives I have discovered that what I really want to do is support the moms, and Andaluz is providing an avenue to do that. I am very excited.
Third, we are going to try to move. I would like to live in an area with sidewalks that is closer to everything we use/want, and hopefully closer to an actual community, if not inside a community, of supportive neighbors. Maybe we can pull this off, maybe we can't, but we are continually improving our home with this in mind in addition to our own needs and comforts.
There are many things I want to begin or progress with that I have not been able to due to my schedule; improving my cooking, getting back into Highland dancing, maybe joining a book club, refining and expanding my etsy store, a few side projects that may become something bigger, that mystery book club I signed up for, and the boys are going to be enjoying a lot more of my attention now (whether they like it or not). We are going to have a lot of fun.
I'm not a really sentimental person, given to recaps and long lists of reminiscences. When I'm asked what I am thankful for there is just so much, so I go with what is simple. This year brought the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. We got the most perfect baby on the planet, amen. Tonight I look forward to beginning a brand new calendar, starting new projects, and a whole lot of eggs florentine, sparkling cider, and time with loved ones. Maybe even a livestream of some fireworks. Here is to a really, really great year.
Happily,
-nava
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
31 December, 2012
10 April, 2012
April continues! As it does.
It's been a good week; I have been working for one full week now, and it is going well, at least in my opinion. I've made a few mistakes, thankfully nothing major (even one that was major but turned out to not be my fault) and I am looking forward to more. The only problem is that I can log in any time and do 'just a little' and I really need to be doing other things in the house.
For example, I finished up the flooring in the new master bedroom and we moved all our furniture in; it's wonderful. I've loved this room since we first saw the house, and it just feels right. I'm still working on clearing out the old room, which will be a guest room/baby's room/office, depending. I'm sure it will evolve. Either way, I need to empty it of the detritus from the past 6 months and lay flooring in there too. Then it's on to the boy's room. We've been buying the flooring for each room on separate trips to Ikea; it works out well so far, as we really don't have a place to store more than what we need for one project at a time. Plus I love Ikea, and Asher loves Smaland, so it's quite nice.
I'm still filling boxes with stuff to give away; I think we need to make a donation run this week. I also need to remember to send out some seeds I promised to a friend, and donate all the rest to the community garden.
Our own garden is looking pretty pitiful, but there are living things in there! The last windstorm blew down my makeshift coldframe, which shocked about half the seedlings too far to recover, but the rest are doing ok. I just need to figure out some way to keep the squirrels from eating everything.
Pesach is going well; the seders were ok; it can really only improve from here, and they weren't bad, it was just a stark contrast from the big, involved Chabad seders to me reading the haggadah myself and prompting responses from the boys. I'm thinking of organising a second night seder next year with a group of friends; I think it would be a lot of fun, a good mix of ages, and a nice, comfortable span of observance levels. The oat shmurah matzoh we got was FOUL though; I am either making my own or buying Lakewood next year. yeesh. It made the regular shmurah matzah seem tasty.
Since the boys are finally asking to go to bed (I have reached the pregnancy point that I really can't chase them around anymore) it's time to wrap this up.
happily,
-nava
For example, I finished up the flooring in the new master bedroom and we moved all our furniture in; it's wonderful. I've loved this room since we first saw the house, and it just feels right. I'm still working on clearing out the old room, which will be a guest room/baby's room/office, depending. I'm sure it will evolve. Either way, I need to empty it of the detritus from the past 6 months and lay flooring in there too. Then it's on to the boy's room. We've been buying the flooring for each room on separate trips to Ikea; it works out well so far, as we really don't have a place to store more than what we need for one project at a time. Plus I love Ikea, and Asher loves Smaland, so it's quite nice.
I'm still filling boxes with stuff to give away; I think we need to make a donation run this week. I also need to remember to send out some seeds I promised to a friend, and donate all the rest to the community garden.
Our own garden is looking pretty pitiful, but there are living things in there! The last windstorm blew down my makeshift coldframe, which shocked about half the seedlings too far to recover, but the rest are doing ok. I just need to figure out some way to keep the squirrels from eating everything.
Pesach is going well; the seders were ok; it can really only improve from here, and they weren't bad, it was just a stark contrast from the big, involved Chabad seders to me reading the haggadah myself and prompting responses from the boys. I'm thinking of organising a second night seder next year with a group of friends; I think it would be a lot of fun, a good mix of ages, and a nice, comfortable span of observance levels. The oat shmurah matzoh we got was FOUL though; I am either making my own or buying Lakewood next year. yeesh. It made the regular shmurah matzah seem tasty.
Since the boys are finally asking to go to bed (I have reached the pregnancy point that I really can't chase them around anymore) it's time to wrap this up.
happily,
-nava
02 April, 2012
April!
I don't even know what to write. There is just so much, and every time I sit to write I get distracted, so I play sudoku instead, or surf pinterest, or stare out the window for a while. My brain just needs the space, I suppose.
-Officially passed the 5 month mark in this pregnancy; everything looks good. Baby is active, randomly, although I can usually get a response immediately after laying down, but wandering around Ikea got a lot of action too, so I never know. Talked with one of my midwives about diabetes testing (no, unless there is a good reason) and the post-dates ultrasound (yes to stress tests, no to ultrasound unless stress tests or something else cause concern)so I ma feeling pretty secure there.
-roommate moved out. amen.
-Got flooring at Ikea and I am in the process of putting it into the recently vacated room, which will be our room shortly. Then have to do the other rooms. One step at a time.
-Getting ready for Pesach; pretty set, just need to finish cleaning.
-Started my New Job! yay! Today was the first training day; it went well, I learned a lot, and I am ready for tomorrow. Only concern is the scheduling, and taking care of the boys. We'll just see how it all works out.
-Garden is doing ok; about half the seedlings died, thanks to crazy weather, but it s early enough in the year that I am just going to plant everything I have left (with the exception of a few seeds I am saving for next year) and it should all turn out.
-Went and bought a playhouse for the boys. It is waiting, boxed, in the garage until we clear the space for it in the yard. This involves some major pruning, raking, smoothing, laying sand, and then building the house, but I honestly believe it is about one day's worth of steady work.
-I've been working on some minor crafty things; flannel boards and shapes, some flannel people are in progress, alef-bet cards in a tin, sorting all the boy's toys into keep, toss, and educational, put all the 'school' things in one closet and all their toys in another, with the really messy stuff up where they can't reach, refurbishing a dollhouse I got at the thrift store, and painting up some peg people to live in it. Adin loves them. It's all very nice.
That's it for now; back to work on the flooring now. I plan to finish it tonight :)
happily,
-nava
-Officially passed the 5 month mark in this pregnancy; everything looks good. Baby is active, randomly, although I can usually get a response immediately after laying down, but wandering around Ikea got a lot of action too, so I never know. Talked with one of my midwives about diabetes testing (no, unless there is a good reason) and the post-dates ultrasound (yes to stress tests, no to ultrasound unless stress tests or something else cause concern)so I ma feeling pretty secure there.
-roommate moved out. amen.
-Got flooring at Ikea and I am in the process of putting it into the recently vacated room, which will be our room shortly. Then have to do the other rooms. One step at a time.
-Getting ready for Pesach; pretty set, just need to finish cleaning.
-Started my New Job! yay! Today was the first training day; it went well, I learned a lot, and I am ready for tomorrow. Only concern is the scheduling, and taking care of the boys. We'll just see how it all works out.
-Garden is doing ok; about half the seedlings died, thanks to crazy weather, but it s early enough in the year that I am just going to plant everything I have left (with the exception of a few seeds I am saving for next year) and it should all turn out.
-Went and bought a playhouse for the boys. It is waiting, boxed, in the garage until we clear the space for it in the yard. This involves some major pruning, raking, smoothing, laying sand, and then building the house, but I honestly believe it is about one day's worth of steady work.
-I've been working on some minor crafty things; flannel boards and shapes, some flannel people are in progress, alef-bet cards in a tin, sorting all the boy's toys into keep, toss, and educational, put all the 'school' things in one closet and all their toys in another, with the really messy stuff up where they can't reach, refurbishing a dollhouse I got at the thrift store, and painting up some peg people to live in it. Adin loves them. It's all very nice.
That's it for now; back to work on the flooring now. I plan to finish it tonight :)
happily,
-nava
14 February, 2012
project 7: closet shelf relocation
The positioning of the shelf in closets has always bothered me; I feel it is an awkward height in that full-length garments cannot hang freely, while the shelf itself is too high to be really useful and that there is usually a lot of wasted head space in the top of the closet. So I decided to reposition the shelf in our closet. It's a quick job, really, once the clothes are taken off the rod and the boxes (or whatever) are taken from the shelf.
-I first removed the clothes rod, then loosened the screws holding the two rod holders into the board supports on either side, and then loosened the center hook/support (which supports the rod and the shelf).
-Then I used a hammer to knock the shelf loose from the shelf supports and took that out as well.
-Finally I pried the shelf supports (3 boards) out.
-I figured out where I wanted the shelf to be; in my case I made it even with the top of the closet opening, so there would still be room for the boxes I use for socks and such up there; then I hammered each support back into place, using a level to be sure everything matched up and wouldn't be crooked. At least, it wouldn't be crooked in relation to gravity; there is a good chance it is at least slightly crooked to the rest of the closet.
-Then I retightened the rod supports and put the rod back in. I had to do the rod before the shelf because the rod acted as a brace for the shelf supports; I think the walls are a little uneven and I wanted to be sure the shelf would reattach in the same way it had been positioned before, and I realised that if I put the shelf in first I would not be able to wedge the rod back in once the supports and shelf were fastened together.
-Then I placed the shelf back on top and hammered it back in to place. I repositioned the center hook; it was originally offset slightly, and I put it in the center of the closet. With two equally sized doors it seemed really silly to have the rod divided up unevenly.
I filled up the shelf with my boxes (I use the old version of these boxes to store socks and things; very handy) stacking them 2 high, which leaves a few inches of headspace, which is fine as it allows for easy maneuvering of the boxes. I rehung the clothes and voila, all set. Now I can install a shelf at the bottom, or a rail, for shoe storage, and our longer garments (winter coats, bathrobes) hang freely. I even have room for a hamper in there now.
It was a simple project, although I do wish I had waited until Milt was home, so he could have assisted me, as I wore myself out on that project. Completely worth the results though :)
happily, -nava
-I first removed the clothes rod, then loosened the screws holding the two rod holders into the board supports on either side, and then loosened the center hook/support (which supports the rod and the shelf).
-Then I used a hammer to knock the shelf loose from the shelf supports and took that out as well.
-Finally I pried the shelf supports (3 boards) out.
-I figured out where I wanted the shelf to be; in my case I made it even with the top of the closet opening, so there would still be room for the boxes I use for socks and such up there; then I hammered each support back into place, using a level to be sure everything matched up and wouldn't be crooked. At least, it wouldn't be crooked in relation to gravity; there is a good chance it is at least slightly crooked to the rest of the closet.
-Then I retightened the rod supports and put the rod back in. I had to do the rod before the shelf because the rod acted as a brace for the shelf supports; I think the walls are a little uneven and I wanted to be sure the shelf would reattach in the same way it had been positioned before, and I realised that if I put the shelf in first I would not be able to wedge the rod back in once the supports and shelf were fastened together.
-Then I placed the shelf back on top and hammered it back in to place. I repositioned the center hook; it was originally offset slightly, and I put it in the center of the closet. With two equally sized doors it seemed really silly to have the rod divided up unevenly.
I filled up the shelf with my boxes (I use the old version of these boxes to store socks and things; very handy) stacking them 2 high, which leaves a few inches of headspace, which is fine as it allows for easy maneuvering of the boxes. I rehung the clothes and voila, all set. Now I can install a shelf at the bottom, or a rail, for shoe storage, and our longer garments (winter coats, bathrobes) hang freely. I even have room for a hamper in there now.
It was a simple project, although I do wish I had waited until Milt was home, so he could have assisted me, as I wore myself out on that project. Completely worth the results though :)
happily, -nava
project 6: fruit trees
I have been waffling about getting fruit trees for some time now, and finally decided to just go for it. Adin has a pomegranate that may or may not be dead (I'm giving it one more spring, and then we'll see) so I had him choose his own tree; he selected an ultra-dwarf cherry. We also got a fig (for the baby) and an ultra-dwarf nectarine. Milt planted them in our backyard and so far they are doing ok. Of course, it's only been a few days, but we have high hopes for these little guys (and they are little). I want to get a few more varieties, and I am going to ask my parents for cuttings from their quince and plum trees as well. I also have some yucca cuttings waiting for me to figure out where to stick them as well. An orchard in the making! A short, heavily pruned orchard in a smallish yard, and it's going to be amazing.
happily, -nava
happily, -nava
01 February, 2012
project 1: secure pantry
The majority of the closets in this house, including the pantry (and excluding the under-stair area) have sliding doors. This wouldn't be a problem except that 1) the doors hang from a track and were not secured at the base, so the boys looooove to swing them in and out and push between them, freaking me out. 2) the track system/ wheels are bent or otherwise distorted to the point that the doors in the pantry and one closet will not stay on their tracks, which make things interesting. As in, loud, cumbersome, and dangerous. Also, we have been battling mice (and winning, slowly, but winning) and the doors as they are now leave a sizeable gap along the floor, which means that mice can get into my pantry. EEEWWWW. Granted, so far they can only get in to the floor area, where I don't have any food, but still. The mice needed to be excluded (I'm sure they disagree), the doors needed to be secured and, oh yes, the doors needed to be securable (as in, lockable) so that two little boys would stop serving themselves whatever they saw and then leaving it to rot on my kitchen table. Also in my living room, on the stairs, in their bedroom...etc. The madness had to stop.
So, I got some strips of wood, had them cut to size, went back and got the correct width when I found I had a 2" wide board instead of a 3" wide (grrr), and built a track system of my very own, based on the danish credenza my mother owns. So far, so good. The doors stick a little, as the bottom corners have been roughed up, but, the gaps are gone, the doors stay in the doorway, they are moveable, and they cannot be swung to the point that the Ikea safety latch can be popped open. Hooray! I am going to sand the doors a little and wax them and the tracks (and paint them), but those are tasks for another day. A day in which I have money and go to the hardware store. Here is the really awful picture, because I really didn't feel like trying to move our table out of the way in order to have a better angle. I did move it a little; usually the chair shown is right against the doors if someone is sitting there, so the chair at the other end is pinned against the back doors right now, but that's ok. You can see the remaining beadboard waiting to be installed on the left, which is also on my list, but I'm tired of sawing things so that's gonna wait a bit. I also have to get the trim for that. All of this is on my list.
Project 1: Complete! Projects 2 & 3 are in progress. Yay!
-happily, nava
So, I got some strips of wood, had them cut to size, went back and got the correct width when I found I had a 2" wide board instead of a 3" wide (grrr), and built a track system of my very own, based on the danish credenza my mother owns. So far, so good. The doors stick a little, as the bottom corners have been roughed up, but, the gaps are gone, the doors stay in the doorway, they are moveable, and they cannot be swung to the point that the Ikea safety latch can be popped open. Hooray! I am going to sand the doors a little and wax them and the tracks (and paint them), but those are tasks for another day. A day in which I have money and go to the hardware store. Here is the really awful picture, because I really didn't feel like trying to move our table out of the way in order to have a better angle. I did move it a little; usually the chair shown is right against the doors if someone is sitting there, so the chair at the other end is pinned against the back doors right now, but that's ok. You can see the remaining beadboard waiting to be installed on the left, which is also on my list, but I'm tired of sawing things so that's gonna wait a bit. I also have to get the trim for that. All of this is on my list.
Project 1: Complete! Projects 2 & 3 are in progress. Yay!
-happily, nava
February
My goal to get my house (ok, excluding the garage and laundry room, because those are PROJECTS) clean by the end of January is 90% complete. At first I was a little disappointed because I really wanted to start with a clean slate, however, I have my house back. It's clean, and the only messes are clean laundry to put away and dishes to wash. Amazing! The house feels so much better, the kids are happier, I'm happier, it's great. Today I'm going to finish up putting away things and get a couple projects done involving hanging doors (pantry and boy's closet) and possibly a couple other things, but we'll see.
We also got our state tax refund yesterday, which is wonderful, we can get caught up on all our overdue bills (lot of little bills and unexpected expenses that aren't terrible, but still frustrating on a budget as tight as ours). I read a lot of economic blogs, and several say that you shouldn't give the government a loan, that is, you shouldn't hand over that portion of your paycheck without thinking just to get it back come refund time. Thing is, we don't. We just make so little that even with all of our withholdings exemptions we still get refunded. Now, it isn't exorbitant; we aren't getting rich (clearly) off of "the gov'ment", but it is enough to get us back on track financially and rebuild our financial safety net, at least a little bit. The goal is to have a fully-funded emergency fund, but right now it's about all we can do to keep a little aside for emergencies and keep up on bills. We are slowly getting out of debt, and we have everything we need and more, so our financial life is pretty good, no real complaints here, and once we pay off all our bills it will be even better because I won't have that stress over 'how are we going to pay this one this month' anymore. My biggest relief this year is that once we get our federal refund I will be able to pay our midwife and other associated bills in full. Oh, that's going to be so great.
Other news, we finally got contacted about our case file to be foster parents. Apparently it got left behind somewhere and the local office jut received it (almost 4 months later). Thing is, now Milt is not so sure he wants to be a foster parent. Right now, I agree; baby on the way, getting our house in order, we need to focus on our family as we are right now. We're going to be discussing with the worker the process of completing our certification and then putting us 'on hold' for actually taking any children until the time is right. I hope he'll come back around, and I know we both care about these kids, but timing really is everything. Still, good to know our case is active and we weren't disqualified. :)
Alright, time to get some work done!
-happily, nava
We also got our state tax refund yesterday, which is wonderful, we can get caught up on all our overdue bills (lot of little bills and unexpected expenses that aren't terrible, but still frustrating on a budget as tight as ours). I read a lot of economic blogs, and several say that you shouldn't give the government a loan, that is, you shouldn't hand over that portion of your paycheck without thinking just to get it back come refund time. Thing is, we don't. We just make so little that even with all of our withholdings exemptions we still get refunded. Now, it isn't exorbitant; we aren't getting rich (clearly) off of "the gov'ment", but it is enough to get us back on track financially and rebuild our financial safety net, at least a little bit. The goal is to have a fully-funded emergency fund, but right now it's about all we can do to keep a little aside for emergencies and keep up on bills. We are slowly getting out of debt, and we have everything we need and more, so our financial life is pretty good, no real complaints here, and once we pay off all our bills it will be even better because I won't have that stress over 'how are we going to pay this one this month' anymore. My biggest relief this year is that once we get our federal refund I will be able to pay our midwife and other associated bills in full. Oh, that's going to be so great.
Other news, we finally got contacted about our case file to be foster parents. Apparently it got left behind somewhere and the local office jut received it (almost 4 months later). Thing is, now Milt is not so sure he wants to be a foster parent. Right now, I agree; baby on the way, getting our house in order, we need to focus on our family as we are right now. We're going to be discussing with the worker the process of completing our certification and then putting us 'on hold' for actually taking any children until the time is right. I hope he'll come back around, and I know we both care about these kids, but timing really is everything. Still, good to know our case is active and we weren't disqualified. :)
Alright, time to get some work done!
-happily, nava
31 December, 2011
Let's recap!
2011! I did big things!
1) Moved to Oregon! Yes! That went very well. Technically that was the end of December, but I am counting it as 2011 because we were in limbo for a while.
2) Bought a house! That went...ok. It was ok. Moving on.
3) Made New Friends! Pretty awesome. Also, all of these friends are older than me, which hasn't been the case since about 6 years in to community college. I have people who give me advice, and also just like to chat. What a wonderful new experience!
4) Learned a whole lot about government aid programs. Yay! Seriously, yay. Not only have we benefited, but I have learned a lot about the actual people who need and use these programs, who has access, who needs access, just how hard it is to abuse the system, and just how much reform is needed.
5) Went to the Hazon Food Conference for the first time ever and it was amazing. I want to go again next year, but I may have put a little crimp into that plan (#8)
6) Completed the training stage for becoming foster parents. Woohoooooo!
7) Got a JOB. Actually, my aunt got me a job, and it is wonderful and I love it. I am still very nervous, and have made a couple mistakes, but altogether I love being a translator/reviewer. Very fun.
8) Decided to and then became pregnant. #3 and final, and I have gone through some major emotional ups and downs this time around, but I am very excited and hopeful and really looking forward to next summer. Which is why I may not be able to attend Hazon. It's ok! I'll be a little busy!
Signing off until next year,
-nava
ETA: I will not be going to Connecticut. In the winter. With a baby. I'll wait until the conference is back in Davis again :)
1) Moved to Oregon! Yes! That went very well. Technically that was the end of December, but I am counting it as 2011 because we were in limbo for a while.
2) Bought a house! That went...ok. It was ok. Moving on.
3) Made New Friends! Pretty awesome. Also, all of these friends are older than me, which hasn't been the case since about 6 years in to community college. I have people who give me advice, and also just like to chat. What a wonderful new experience!
4) Learned a whole lot about government aid programs. Yay! Seriously, yay. Not only have we benefited, but I have learned a lot about the actual people who need and use these programs, who has access, who needs access, just how hard it is to abuse the system, and just how much reform is needed.
5) Went to the Hazon Food Conference for the first time ever and it was amazing. I want to go again next year, but I may have put a little crimp into that plan (#8)
6) Completed the training stage for becoming foster parents. Woohoooooo!
7) Got a JOB. Actually, my aunt got me a job, and it is wonderful and I love it. I am still very nervous, and have made a couple mistakes, but altogether I love being a translator/reviewer. Very fun.
8) Decided to and then became pregnant. #3 and final, and I have gone through some major emotional ups and downs this time around, but I am very excited and hopeful and really looking forward to next summer. Which is why I may not be able to attend Hazon. It's ok! I'll be a little busy!
Signing off until next year,
-nava
ETA: I will not be going to Connecticut. In the winter. With a baby. I'll wait until the conference is back in Davis again :)
07 September, 2011
pears
This weekend we went down to the gleaner's garden, to volunteer, and then had an hour or so between when the gardening shift ended and we could go pick up food, so we took the boys to a nearby park. I noticed that there were pears all over the ground, and at first I though maybe some kids had been snacking, and then that maybe someone dropped an entire bag of them, and then finally found the productive tree at the edge of the play area. The boys and I gathered a small bag of them (about 20 or so), even though they were all quite hard, leaving behind any that were obviously cracked or nibbled on. Then we got to the food distribution and one of the attendants handed me a full paper bag of pears. Now I had two bags of pears staring at me in the kitchen, stuck in that limbo of I don't know what to do with them and I can't eat them all before they go bad. Finally today I looked up my options; I sorted through and put all the unblemished ones in the fridge ( I lined the bin with a paper bag, just in case of spoilage) and put the rest, most of which had nibbles taken thanks to the boys, in a box. Those I am going to either sauce or dehydrate tomorrow, once I look up which is the better method for unripe pears, as these will go bad before they ripen.
We also got a chest freezer this weekend; I had been looking for a while online, all the ones being sold on craigslist were too old or being sold for almost the same price as new, and the free offers were all broken, so I kept putting it off. The choice this weekend became either glut ourselves or let food rot, as the freezer compartment in our refrigerator has been full to capacity for sometime and a large influx of frozen food meant that we took advantage of labor day sales (with added warranty). I am not thrilled about having bought one new; I would rather our food preservation were not electricity dependent, but it is a time for taking what steps I can right now. Eventually I want a smaller refrigerator, and then perhaps not to have one at all, and the freezer can help lessen the reliance on the fridge while increasing our food reserves now, while the produce is coming in, for later, when I can sort through and perhaps preserve some of this another way. That's one reason I am leaning toward drying the pears; the less food at risk of spoilage due to loss of power the better. I do still need to store water; I am going to try to do that this week, although this week is already pretty full.
We have someone coming to do a (free!) inspection and estimate for window replacement; we definitely can't afford it now, but at least we'll have some numbers to work with. The solar power 'inspection' never happened; seems to me that they want a commitment to buy before even coming out, and I will not do that without being given any numbers whatsoever, so we are at an impasse. I will eventually just install something myself, I'm sure, but not soon. In the meantime I am looking at plans for bike power. We have a lot of bikes, so that's done.
The certification process for foster care seems to be moving forward; I heard from 2 references this week that they received and submitted the paperwork for references, so I am trying to get the house ready for inspection, whenever that may be, as we have not heard from or know who our caseworker is yet. I am excited, but a bit nervous right now. Once I get the house done I'm sure I'll feel less worried, but if someone were to show up now, well, we would definitely not pass. Too many projects waiting to be implemented, but we are getting there.
I still have not written about the Hazon conference; I'll do that next, but on the way home another attendee gave me some excellent advice and a weight has been lifted from me. Sometimes you don't realise just how weighed down you are until it has been lifted; a 'lightness of being' has been restored. It's funny, I feel free again, even though I'm in the middle of all this. It's great :)
happily,
-nava
We also got a chest freezer this weekend; I had been looking for a while online, all the ones being sold on craigslist were too old or being sold for almost the same price as new, and the free offers were all broken, so I kept putting it off. The choice this weekend became either glut ourselves or let food rot, as the freezer compartment in our refrigerator has been full to capacity for sometime and a large influx of frozen food meant that we took advantage of labor day sales (with added warranty). I am not thrilled about having bought one new; I would rather our food preservation were not electricity dependent, but it is a time for taking what steps I can right now. Eventually I want a smaller refrigerator, and then perhaps not to have one at all, and the freezer can help lessen the reliance on the fridge while increasing our food reserves now, while the produce is coming in, for later, when I can sort through and perhaps preserve some of this another way. That's one reason I am leaning toward drying the pears; the less food at risk of spoilage due to loss of power the better. I do still need to store water; I am going to try to do that this week, although this week is already pretty full.
We have someone coming to do a (free!) inspection and estimate for window replacement; we definitely can't afford it now, but at least we'll have some numbers to work with. The solar power 'inspection' never happened; seems to me that they want a commitment to buy before even coming out, and I will not do that without being given any numbers whatsoever, so we are at an impasse. I will eventually just install something myself, I'm sure, but not soon. In the meantime I am looking at plans for bike power. We have a lot of bikes, so that's done.
The certification process for foster care seems to be moving forward; I heard from 2 references this week that they received and submitted the paperwork for references, so I am trying to get the house ready for inspection, whenever that may be, as we have not heard from or know who our caseworker is yet. I am excited, but a bit nervous right now. Once I get the house done I'm sure I'll feel less worried, but if someone were to show up now, well, we would definitely not pass. Too many projects waiting to be implemented, but we are getting there.
I still have not written about the Hazon conference; I'll do that next, but on the way home another attendee gave me some excellent advice and a weight has been lifted from me. Sometimes you don't realise just how weighed down you are until it has been lifted; a 'lightness of being' has been restored. It's funny, I feel free again, even though I'm in the middle of all this. It's great :)
happily,
-nava
22 August, 2011
stumbling blindly
It's been an interesting 2 weeks. I don't even know how to get started, or where I'm going with this.
Main thing on my mind is that I don't know what to do, or what I am doing, or should be doing, and not because I lack direction or ideas; i have so much I want to do, right now, and so much I need to do, right now. SO I guess I'll just bullet-list this one. Maybe.
1. We owe money. Nothing new, we are pretty amerikun in that regard. Thing is, we are really really sick of struggling. It sucks. I have been trying to find a job, trying to find some way to make money to help with our bills which don't seem to be getting any better. We cut our power usage, SO much, which is awesome, but we are still paying hospital bills and now owe our awesome new doctor another $500 on top of that, plus credit cards and car and mortgage and blah blah blah so the only consistent income I have found is online surveys. I've made $40, which, yay, that's a credit card bill or somesuch, but not nearly enough. I went and interviewed with an amazing local designer for a seamstress position but she told me today that she hired someone else and my stomach dropped. It's hard to keep being positive, to keep on knowing that everything really will be fine when everything I try to do has not been working. I had a yard sale and made $2. yeah. my etsy shop has only made enough to cover the listing fees, if that. no one seems to want to buy anything I have to sell. We decided to sell our wedding rings, because they were really expensive and they don't match, so we would take a little of the sales money and buy a set from an independent artist that actually matches. Well, so far all I've had is people on ebay offering $450 (for a $2000 ring) and I am almost at the point that I may accept it. That's one medical bill, right there. We need to put in flooring, we need to replace the heater, we need to hire an electrician because our wiring is being weird, we need to pay for gas so the job that at least one of us can keep going to work and make money to pay all these bills. The truly, truly frustrating part in this is that I know I have talents and skills and I work really, really hard, and it doesn't make any difference right now. ugh.
2. My family is worried that I am depressed and my children are in an unhealthy environment. Which is frustrating. Yes, I am frustrated, yes I am struggling with a lot of things right now, but no I am not depressed, and yes I do actually know the difference. Also, no, my house is not a health hazard! holy crap! Talk about making someone feel inadequate though. Wow. Now I get to be paranoid that whatever caseworker we get for foster care feels the same way as the well-intentioned but apparently filth fixated family member who started this. Then what? If my only option in this life is to neglect my family in order to keep my home obsessively clean then I am opting out of this whole thing. We will live in the woods. Thanks. Plus now I wonder if all the times my friends made nice comments about my home they were actually thinking 'Oh My God what a hell-hole!'. Which is fun.
3. There is so much I want to do, and I. can't. even. start. Due to time+money+support. Which is difficult, so I am stepping back on a lot of projects right now. However, there are things I CAN do. I am going to keep going on my etsy shop. I am going to have a garage sale this weekend and try again. I am going to relist my rings, again, at a price that won't leave me feeling robbed. I am going to keep on playing with my kids and cuddling and drawing and enjoying my time with them. I am going to keep cleaning whenever I darn well feel like it, because I like things clean, and not because I am worried about other people's opinions. I am going to leave the explosion of stuff in my living room right where it is and take a nap, because I was blessed to spend the last 4 days at an amazing conference with amazing people and I am incredibly tired and really wound up with IDEAS. So basically, more of the same. but MORE.
happily,
-nava
Main thing on my mind is that I don't know what to do, or what I am doing, or should be doing, and not because I lack direction or ideas; i have so much I want to do, right now, and so much I need to do, right now. SO I guess I'll just bullet-list this one. Maybe.
1. We owe money. Nothing new, we are pretty amerikun in that regard. Thing is, we are really really sick of struggling. It sucks. I have been trying to find a job, trying to find some way to make money to help with our bills which don't seem to be getting any better. We cut our power usage, SO much, which is awesome, but we are still paying hospital bills and now owe our awesome new doctor another $500 on top of that, plus credit cards and car and mortgage and blah blah blah so the only consistent income I have found is online surveys. I've made $40, which, yay, that's a credit card bill or somesuch, but not nearly enough. I went and interviewed with an amazing local designer for a seamstress position but she told me today that she hired someone else and my stomach dropped. It's hard to keep being positive, to keep on knowing that everything really will be fine when everything I try to do has not been working. I had a yard sale and made $2. yeah. my etsy shop has only made enough to cover the listing fees, if that. no one seems to want to buy anything I have to sell. We decided to sell our wedding rings, because they were really expensive and they don't match, so we would take a little of the sales money and buy a set from an independent artist that actually matches. Well, so far all I've had is people on ebay offering $450 (for a $2000 ring) and I am almost at the point that I may accept it. That's one medical bill, right there. We need to put in flooring, we need to replace the heater, we need to hire an electrician because our wiring is being weird, we need to pay for gas so the job that at least one of us can keep going to work and make money to pay all these bills. The truly, truly frustrating part in this is that I know I have talents and skills and I work really, really hard, and it doesn't make any difference right now. ugh.
2. My family is worried that I am depressed and my children are in an unhealthy environment. Which is frustrating. Yes, I am frustrated, yes I am struggling with a lot of things right now, but no I am not depressed, and yes I do actually know the difference. Also, no, my house is not a health hazard! holy crap! Talk about making someone feel inadequate though. Wow. Now I get to be paranoid that whatever caseworker we get for foster care feels the same way as the well-intentioned but apparently filth fixated family member who started this. Then what? If my only option in this life is to neglect my family in order to keep my home obsessively clean then I am opting out of this whole thing. We will live in the woods. Thanks. Plus now I wonder if all the times my friends made nice comments about my home they were actually thinking 'Oh My God what a hell-hole!'. Which is fun.
3. There is so much I want to do, and I. can't. even. start. Due to time+money+support. Which is difficult, so I am stepping back on a lot of projects right now. However, there are things I CAN do. I am going to keep going on my etsy shop. I am going to have a garage sale this weekend and try again. I am going to relist my rings, again, at a price that won't leave me feeling robbed. I am going to keep on playing with my kids and cuddling and drawing and enjoying my time with them. I am going to keep cleaning whenever I darn well feel like it, because I like things clean, and not because I am worried about other people's opinions. I am going to leave the explosion of stuff in my living room right where it is and take a nap, because I was blessed to spend the last 4 days at an amazing conference with amazing people and I am incredibly tired and really wound up with IDEAS. So basically, more of the same. but MORE.
happily,
-nava
13 June, 2011
busy
It's been a busy few days around here. I got knocked flat with a myster illness + allergy combo, and finally was able to function again a couple days ago. We are pulling up carpet and rearranging bedrooms this week; so far one room is drying and waiting for furniture, then we repeat on the next room, and then the next. We went to the hardware store and got fencing and posts for my garden; I need to get that in today so the bunnies can roam free without eating my plants. I also need to get all my windowsill plants into the garden. I've decided to build windowsill boxes so I can grow things year round indoors, but that can wait a little. Now I need to take apart my bed, redrill holes to raise the sides so I can store stuff underneath, move it into the new room, reassemble and start on the next room.
Late Saturday our awesome friends drove up from Coos Bay en route to Ohio, and we were very glad the rooms were not torn up yet, but they will be coming back through on Sunday and I intend to have it all done by then.
whew!
happily, -nava
L
Late Saturday our awesome friends drove up from Coos Bay en route to Ohio, and we were very glad the rooms were not torn up yet, but they will be coming back through on Sunday and I intend to have it all done by then.
whew!
happily, -nava
L
21 January, 2011
hello Oregon
well, we've been in Oregon for almost a month now, and in our house since the 3rd, We've been adjusting a lot, but things for the most part have been going well.
heating: our house has a radiator for almost every room, each individually controlled, with varying levels of effectiveness; the one in our bedroom will roast us in minutes, the one in the living room warms up the windowsill quite nicely, etc. For the past week I've kept all the heaters off except when absolutely needed; once Milt had to be up at 6 and it had frozen overnight, but by the time the rest of us got up we could shut it off again.
paint: the house was painted...interestingly. Thankully there was a gigantic bucket of blueish paint in the garage, so with the help of a $5 can of brown paint I am (slowly) repainting the mint-green living room a nice, clean grey. The boy's room I painted a super happy dark aqua; they love it. The kitchen will be yellow (hooray for oops paint!) but I'm waiting on that, since it needs a bit of a remodel. We'll see.
Did manage to kasher the kitchen, mostly; the dishwasher is a glorified dish drying rack, I want to get wash bins for the sink (for conservation reasons, too) and I use towels and plastic cutting mats on the laminate countertops for now.
planning my garden; there is one spot in the backyard that gets sun all day, and I've noticed that's where the neighbours have positioned their planter boxes too. Just need to salvage some materials for that.
we are still just using our phones for internet, and occasionally driving over to McD's to use their free wifi when we need it (some sites/functions do not work on a phone) and it looks like we will not be able to afford home internet for some time, which is fine, we're doing ok :)
on that note, we have been looking for a renter; I hope we find the right one/ones soon, because I would really love the company and that big, beautiful room is just an empty space till then.
Alright, time to get ready for Shabbat. Should be really great this week!
happily
-nava
heating: our house has a radiator for almost every room, each individually controlled, with varying levels of effectiveness; the one in our bedroom will roast us in minutes, the one in the living room warms up the windowsill quite nicely, etc. For the past week I've kept all the heaters off except when absolutely needed; once Milt had to be up at 6 and it had frozen overnight, but by the time the rest of us got up we could shut it off again.
paint: the house was painted...interestingly. Thankully there was a gigantic bucket of blueish paint in the garage, so with the help of a $5 can of brown paint I am (slowly) repainting the mint-green living room a nice, clean grey. The boy's room I painted a super happy dark aqua; they love it. The kitchen will be yellow (hooray for oops paint!) but I'm waiting on that, since it needs a bit of a remodel. We'll see.
Did manage to kasher the kitchen, mostly; the dishwasher is a glorified dish drying rack, I want to get wash bins for the sink (for conservation reasons, too) and I use towels and plastic cutting mats on the laminate countertops for now.
planning my garden; there is one spot in the backyard that gets sun all day, and I've noticed that's where the neighbours have positioned their planter boxes too. Just need to salvage some materials for that.
we are still just using our phones for internet, and occasionally driving over to McD's to use their free wifi when we need it (some sites/functions do not work on a phone) and it looks like we will not be able to afford home internet for some time, which is fine, we're doing ok :)
on that note, we have been looking for a renter; I hope we find the right one/ones soon, because I would really love the company and that big, beautiful room is just an empty space till then.
Alright, time to get ready for Shabbat. Should be really great this week!
happily
-nava
07 January, 2011
moving in
we finally got into the house on the 3rd, signed on the 5th. After much deliberation (who's, I don't know) the sellers signed yesterday. Containers were delivered the 5th, finished unloading today, and I am really really really looking forward to Shabbat. My only internet access is through my phone, so whileit's been great having some access and taking advantage of what an awesome phone I have, it's been a bit limiting. Once % have real internet again it will be picture time, because OH MAN the updating I have planned for this place! Woooo!
happily,
nava
happily,
nava
01 January, 2011
Well hello, 2011. So nice to see you.
I am in Oregon. We are in Oregon. Finally. I flew up with the boys on Thursday; 7am flight out of San Jose. It was a great flight; quiet, short, early. No issues in security (no scan or pat-down), easy seating arrangement switch, happy child, sleeping toddler.
The UPack containers were filled in a marathon session by my Dad, with some assistance from myself and my sister. My Mom helped indoors, packing and organising. 3 containers full of STUFF, and still some got left behind. I am going to continue getting rid of things as I unpack up here. It's been fun, actually, the purging. Assisting in this is that I am setting up our kitchen as Kosher, so anything that didn't make the cut is GONE. It means I start over too, in acquiring some things, so I am trying to keep that controlled. I want to cut it all down, as far as we can. Packing all that was too much. Even after all the Ebay and half.com and garage sales and craigslist and freecycle, so much stuff.
Mom and I managed to condense my crafting supplies quite a bit. It doesn't all fit in the wardrobe, yet, but by summer that is my plan, and by the end of this year (Rosh Hoshanah) I want it all to fit without being precarious. :) One of the last things to make it in to the containers was my little sewing machine; my heavy-duty (to me, at least) machine I think got left behind. It may get sent up, it may not. Either way I want to give sewing lessons. I have enough supplies, after all, and we can definitely use the income! Going to finish posting things to Etsy too; perhaps today, a little 'New Year' treat.
I am looking forward to the enforced frugality we are heading in to; no tv, still sussing out internet, very minimal use of utilities. Which reminds me, we need to get utilities turned on in the house.
We sign Monday, finally, 11 days late, and are taking 'early' occupancy for $30 a day until the down payment clears. Cheaper than a hotel, yes, and we are relieved to finally be moving in. Finally finally finally.
Finally together, finally going home, finally starting again after a long pause.
Finally.
It's going to be a lovely year.
So here is my resolution: Go, enjoy. "We should all be all alive."
The UPack containers were filled in a marathon session by my Dad, with some assistance from myself and my sister. My Mom helped indoors, packing and organising. 3 containers full of STUFF, and still some got left behind. I am going to continue getting rid of things as I unpack up here. It's been fun, actually, the purging. Assisting in this is that I am setting up our kitchen as Kosher, so anything that didn't make the cut is GONE. It means I start over too, in acquiring some things, so I am trying to keep that controlled. I want to cut it all down, as far as we can. Packing all that was too much. Even after all the Ebay and half.com and garage sales and craigslist and freecycle, so much stuff.
Mom and I managed to condense my crafting supplies quite a bit. It doesn't all fit in the wardrobe, yet, but by summer that is my plan, and by the end of this year (Rosh Hoshanah) I want it all to fit without being precarious. :) One of the last things to make it in to the containers was my little sewing machine; my heavy-duty (to me, at least) machine I think got left behind. It may get sent up, it may not. Either way I want to give sewing lessons. I have enough supplies, after all, and we can definitely use the income! Going to finish posting things to Etsy too; perhaps today, a little 'New Year' treat.
I am looking forward to the enforced frugality we are heading in to; no tv, still sussing out internet, very minimal use of utilities. Which reminds me, we need to get utilities turned on in the house.
We sign Monday, finally, 11 days late, and are taking 'early' occupancy for $30 a day until the down payment clears. Cheaper than a hotel, yes, and we are relieved to finally be moving in. Finally finally finally.
Finally together, finally going home, finally starting again after a long pause.
Finally.
It's going to be a lovely year.
So here is my resolution: Go, enjoy. "We should all be all alive."
06 December, 2010
Movin' On Uuuuup (material monday. ish.)
'We' sign the papers on the 23rd. I'm looking into POA for various reasons. The closing date is the 27th. Wow. So soon. so very very soon. Not ready yet, but so ready. If I could throw everything in a bag and be out the door now I would.
Milt's been up there since the 28th, as he started work the 29th. The first few days were hard, but harder for him, as he didn't have the routine and the rhythm of taking care of the boys, the house, the plans; all he had was the emptiness of a rented room and the voices of his son through a telephone. The first few calls were filled with choked messages, loneliness.
It hits me sometimes now too, especially as I try to plan for getting the 3 of us up there; "what day? what does closing mean? should we deliver our stuff before we get there? what is your work schedule? what, in all this confusion, will work?" Then I look into plane tickets and, despite my repulsion at being scanned and/or searched the trade off is >2 hours flight time, or +12 hours drive time, or +30 hours train. So plane tickets then, but what about the cost? $50 if we can go the 25th, but where would we sleep then? $50 if I can wait until January; can I? It's only an extra week. It's an entire extra week! Not so long, and yet we are so tired of waiting, of the being apart.
Asher wakes up every morning now, "Daddy not here. Daddy at new house!" calm, matter-of-fact, sometime excited. Already it's a routine; it's been easy, how quickly he accepted it, no tears, just some occasional wistfulness. Is that ok? In small children time was elastic, I remember, my own Dad gone for months at a time, no sadness on my part. It was the actual parting that hurt, not the being apart. I am thankful that he's not hurting, but somehow, it makes it harder, and strange, being so alright with this distance. Adin though, he's been a bit clingy, so incredibly excited whenever I come around a corner, much less back inside after being out for an errand. "You came BACK!" Happy to see me, yes, but also so surprised.
It's made me re-examine love, family, attachment. Strangely, makes adoption seem even less fraught; I'd only seen the trauma of it until now, known the risks, the problems, the pain of what I still want, eventually. but this has nothing to do with our move. Not yet, anyhow.
Now it's a matter of purging; I've lost my camera, again, so I can't post things to sell, and anything I don't sell in my 'not keeping' pile I am giving away. I don't want any of it, and I can't afford to take it even if I wanted to. Hey, right now I can't afford to take any of it. Strangely, I'm ok with the thought that perhaps all these boxes I am carefully packing will have to be abandoned. It makes me giddy. I wouldn't miss it, most of it, I know now the boys wouldn't at all. I am going to go through the boxes of toys, see if I can purge another 50% there. Shouldn't be hard. I keep catching myself waffling over things, thinking "what if" and packing it up again when I should be throwing it out. Throw it out! Be done. Be free. That seems to be my mantra these days. be Free.
Milt's been up there since the 28th, as he started work the 29th. The first few days were hard, but harder for him, as he didn't have the routine and the rhythm of taking care of the boys, the house, the plans; all he had was the emptiness of a rented room and the voices of his son through a telephone. The first few calls were filled with choked messages, loneliness.
It hits me sometimes now too, especially as I try to plan for getting the 3 of us up there; "what day? what does closing mean? should we deliver our stuff before we get there? what is your work schedule? what, in all this confusion, will work?" Then I look into plane tickets and, despite my repulsion at being scanned and/or searched the trade off is >2 hours flight time, or +12 hours drive time, or +30 hours train. So plane tickets then, but what about the cost? $50 if we can go the 25th, but where would we sleep then? $50 if I can wait until January; can I? It's only an extra week. It's an entire extra week! Not so long, and yet we are so tired of waiting, of the being apart.
Asher wakes up every morning now, "Daddy not here. Daddy at new house!" calm, matter-of-fact, sometime excited. Already it's a routine; it's been easy, how quickly he accepted it, no tears, just some occasional wistfulness. Is that ok? In small children time was elastic, I remember, my own Dad gone for months at a time, no sadness on my part. It was the actual parting that hurt, not the being apart. I am thankful that he's not hurting, but somehow, it makes it harder, and strange, being so alright with this distance. Adin though, he's been a bit clingy, so incredibly excited whenever I come around a corner, much less back inside after being out for an errand. "You came BACK!" Happy to see me, yes, but also so surprised.
It's made me re-examine love, family, attachment. Strangely, makes adoption seem even less fraught; I'd only seen the trauma of it until now, known the risks, the problems, the pain of what I still want, eventually. but this has nothing to do with our move. Not yet, anyhow.
Now it's a matter of purging; I've lost my camera, again, so I can't post things to sell, and anything I don't sell in my 'not keeping' pile I am giving away. I don't want any of it, and I can't afford to take it even if I wanted to. Hey, right now I can't afford to take any of it. Strangely, I'm ok with the thought that perhaps all these boxes I am carefully packing will have to be abandoned. It makes me giddy. I wouldn't miss it, most of it, I know now the boys wouldn't at all. I am going to go through the boxes of toys, see if I can purge another 50% there. Shouldn't be hard. I keep catching myself waffling over things, thinking "what if" and packing it up again when I should be throwing it out. Throw it out! Be done. Be free. That seems to be my mantra these days. be Free.
21 October, 2010
what day is it? : patterns! everywhere!
So this whole buying a house - trying to move - dealing with banks - finding employment -sifting through mountains of ... stuff... has really thrown me for a loop. At the end of the day I don't even zone out anymore; I just keep going until I can barely drag myself into bed because I just. want. to. finish. My poor kids. Well, Adin seems fine; he likes the new stuff to destroy, but Asher is having a hard time with the incredible mess and the lack of routine. Poor kid.
The past 4 days I have done nothing but sort patterns. 35+ years of patterns. This means gathering them all together, all the envelopes, random pieces, etc, sorting them, trying to put the pieces with the envelopes, repairing ripped pieces and envelopes, and cataloging everything. 4 days. I have 4 groups: mine (mine!mine!) sell/giveaway vintage, sell giveaway non-vintage, and 'missing'.The 'missing' group runs the gamut from complete except for 1 tiny piece missing to everything missing except for one sad little piece floating around in a plastic bag with a large card telling me the company and pattern number. I have sorted through 1 box of patterns so far, smoothing, matching, packaging, I still have 2 MORE to go.
What I want to do is see if there is some place online where people are looking for pattern pieces to complete their own incomplete ones and I will send them mine (if they need them) for the cost of postage. Or even free. heck, I think we might have an extra $5 this week, why not? Well, I don't think $5 will send many. A few though! Definitely a few!
I did manage to freecycle about 10 buckets of paint. Awesome! I also have one box of craft 'stuff' (magazines, supplies, patterns) to get rid of. I was hoping to garage sale this weekend, but the forecast is calling for RAIN. and then some RAIN. plus I am attending a baby shower and hopefully getting together with friends this weekend, but it already seems too late for garage sales and we need money for closing costs and money money money freak out blah blah blah. I need to chill out again.
That has been my lesson in this whole thing. Chill out. Trust.
So I do.
Again.
happily.
-nava
The past 4 days I have done nothing but sort patterns. 35+ years of patterns. This means gathering them all together, all the envelopes, random pieces, etc, sorting them, trying to put the pieces with the envelopes, repairing ripped pieces and envelopes, and cataloging everything. 4 days. I have 4 groups: mine (mine!mine!) sell/giveaway vintage, sell giveaway non-vintage, and 'missing'.The 'missing' group runs the gamut from complete except for 1 tiny piece missing to everything missing except for one sad little piece floating around in a plastic bag with a large card telling me the company and pattern number. I have sorted through 1 box of patterns so far, smoothing, matching, packaging, I still have 2 MORE to go.
What I want to do is see if there is some place online where people are looking for pattern pieces to complete their own incomplete ones and I will send them mine (if they need them) for the cost of postage. Or even free. heck, I think we might have an extra $5 this week, why not? Well, I don't think $5 will send many. A few though! Definitely a few!
I did manage to freecycle about 10 buckets of paint. Awesome! I also have one box of craft 'stuff' (magazines, supplies, patterns) to get rid of. I was hoping to garage sale this weekend, but the forecast is calling for RAIN. and then some RAIN. plus I am attending a baby shower and hopefully getting together with friends this weekend, but it already seems too late for garage sales and we need money for closing costs and money money money freak out blah blah blah. I need to chill out again.
That has been my lesson in this whole thing. Chill out. Trust.
So I do.
Again.
happily.
-nava
01 September, 2010
working wednesday: surprise house makeover part 2
Well, I am done! mostly. What all did I do? I painted the dining room, living room and kitchen walls beige (two different beiges, actually, as I found a can of paint that was almost the same color as the one I bought, which was good because then I had just enough paint), tiled and boxed the hearth, painted the brick fireplace surround, constructed and painted a mantle to go over the brick 'mantel', and patched and painted the wall above the fireplace. Originally I was going to leave that wall burgundy, to make my mom happy, but there was a big crack in the drywall from the house settling (earthquake country! yay!) and since I had to patch it I had to repaint it anyhow, so I went with grey. Thing is,we didn't have any grey left, so I mixed some green and purple paint with some white primer and made my own grey,which I actually really love. I don't really like the beige and grey together, but it is growing on me, and I am thinking of doing some grey walls in our own house now, instead of all white.
(grey? gray? I think I like grey just because gray looks like Gary to me. hmmm. I know it's supposed to be a regional dialect thing, but since I don't have one dialect I just go with whatever seems right.)
Anyhow, for the fireplace, I used firring strips to create a 'box' on top of the brick, screwed that into the walls, and then I attached the front decorating strip and the mantle top to that. I used liquid nails to attach more wood boards to cover the brick underneath. It's sturdy and looks fantastic (and I say this only because everyone who has seen it says so, and also because I am proud of myself.) I covered the bricks with white primer, then painted over that and the mantel with high-gloss white, for ease of cleaning.
Now then, it isn't quite done. almost! almost.
happily,
nava
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