¡Viva la Renovation!

pics

2009-07-31T11:47:00.004-04:00

A Better Look

2008-11-12T14:29:00.002-05:00

I wanted to show a better picture of the new front patio:

It is not quite 100% finished. I still need to fill all around the stones with sand to level it out better and make sure everything stays in place (and is not a hazard!). It is pretty stable right now, don't get me wrong, but it will look much nicer in the end.

In the meantime, this past weekend I started building a little bluestone wall to the left side of the patio, to enclose what will be a little flower bed in the spring. If you look very closely in the photo above, you can barely see the dried-up brown ferns that are there. I have since pulled them out and started clearing the area, and roughed in the new little wall. It's been great weather for that kind of outdoor work.

FYI, it is best to wear nice, heavy work gloves while working with bluestone. Don't ask questions - just take my word for it.

So excited!

2008-11-06T09:40:00.002-05:00

I just got my copy of the new book by Katherine Neville, The Fire, which is the long-awaited (20 years!) sequel to The Eight, which I LOVED and would probably rank in my top ten favorite books.

My cup runneth over.

Whew!

2008-11-05T08:05:00.001-05:00

I could not be more proud...

2008-11-03T10:27:00.003-05:00

... or honored, to call the following individuals family:

B.M. Strong, Jr.
K.N. Schwandt
V.R. Benson
D.C. Strong
C.R. Strong

Amongst the five of them, they represent or have represented every branch of the U.S. military. They have seen 5 tours in Iraq, one tour in Afghanistan, and been awarded one Purple Heart. I am very thankful that all of them are now safely back on U.S. soil.

On the eve of this election day, let me first say that I usually make it a policy NOT to discuss politics or which candidate I am planning to vote for. And while I won't directly mention anyone by name, let's just say that I am a big fan of the song "Dear Mr. President" by Pink, and I think the Dixie Chicks are pretty cool, too.

We need some change. Big change. And I don't mean the type of change that comes from an aging Republican who chose Carabou Barbie as his running mate.

Please make sure to vote tomorrow.

And in the meantime, to B, K, V, C, and C, thank you and God bless.

No, you are not mistaken.

2008-11-01T15:02:00.004-04:00

That is snow in them thar hills.

There are still a few pretty leaves left, not long for this world.

My Visit to Annapolis

2008-10-30T09:30:00.007-04:00

This past weekend I went to Annapolis to visit my sister. We had a great time! I got to see my nephews, which was so nice - it had been way too long! We met up with them at John's football game. Below, Jessica and Michael:

And John, coming off the field, number 44. He doesn't look too happy because his team lost that day.
Twin brothers!
After that we drove over to our friend Jen's house, to see her and her 2 girls. Claire is so darned cute now, and seemed to really be fascinated by my purse.

See, she was protecting it with her life!

I just wanted to take her home with me!

The day before we went to visit Aunt Karin, and went out to lunch for Ethiopian food. I had never tried it before, and really liked it!

The rest of the time we just hung out at Jessica's house and spent time with her roommate, Jen, and the cats, Zoe and Inky. Jess had recently bought the cats a cute little hat and we had fun trying it on them. As Jessica said, putting it on them is so humiliating for them, it takes away their will to live.

Zoe refused to make eye contact. She wouldn't even lift her head up, so when she walked it was like an army crawl. Poor kitties. Inky seemed much more tolerant of the hat.

Currently reading: Wrong Place, Wrong Time, by Andrea Kane. Ehh.

One man's trash...

2008-10-21T14:55:00.008-04:00

... you know what they say about that.

So my neighbor's are having a new retaining wall and driveway put in their yard. So far the driveway guys have roped off the driveway and ripped out the old wall:

The old wall was made up of bluestone, which is quite a precious commodity in these parts, so the driveway guys were asked not to get rid of it. So here it is:

... piled up in their back yard. So as to not leave it there in a big, messy pile, they started moving it to the backest part of the yard, and built a new wall, just to keep it all neat and tidy...

Eventually we would like to build a fire pit out of it, once we find the perfect spot (i.e., not directly under a tree!).

In the meantime, Dave thought it would look nice to build a little patio/walkway area in front of my house - you know, add a little curb appeal. It became an obsession for me. It was like the ultimate puzzle, and very hard work:

This isn't a great picture because of where the sun was, so I will take a better picture next time. Overall, though, I am thrilled with the result!

Currently reading: The Song Reader, by Lisa Tucker. Just started it last night; I like it so far.

Also read last night: Against Medical Advice, a true story about a boy's struggle with Tourette's Syndrome, OCD, and anxiety disorder, from the ages of 5 through 18. Very interesting.

Autumn in Hancock

2008-10-20T15:02:00.003-04:00

I must say, the leaves were really breath-taking this season. I don't recall seeing such brilliant reds and oranges the past few years. Some say that means it will be a cold winter...

The long and short of it

2008-10-14T14:36:00.002-04:00

So I have heard some murmurings about not doing any blog-posting lately.

Basically, I just haven't felt like it. I've been busy, I've been tired, whatever.

That's not to say that "it's over." I'm just taking a break.

Recently watched: 21 Grams, with Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro. Wow, what a sad movie. Based on the title alone, one might thing the movie is all about drugs, but it's really not. It's about unimaginable loss and hope. Naomi Watts was nominated for an Oscar for this role, and she was excellent in it.

Books & Movies

2008-09-25T09:55:00.002-04:00

During my long flight to and from Japan, I got to see a few movies:

Indiana Jones & ... - I forget the full title. Whatever the new one is. It wasn't that great, obviously.

Sex and the City - enjoyed it, liked the ending.

The Bank Job - loved it! I love those caper-type films. And I really like Saffron Burrows.

What Happens in Vegas - Cute and predictable, enjoyable.

I have also read a few books lately:

The Almost Moon, by Alice Sebold. It was pretty dark, not sure if I liked or disliked it. I did not like it as much as her other books, for sure. I guess I feel a little loyalty, though, since the author went to my high school (even though I didn't know her back then).

The Lady and the Unicorn, by Tracy Chevalier. I liked it, but the ending wasn't so great.

Forgive Me, by Amanda Eyre Ward. Awesome book! Very emotional, raw, but I couldn't put it down. Thanks, Mom!

Currently reading: Drowning Ruth, by Christina Schwarz. I just started it yesterday for my book club. I guess it's good but it's kind of sad - definitely not a light-hearted read by any means.

Natural Beauty in Japan

2008-09-22T19:21:00.005-04:00

I head back to NYC today! I have had a great trip, but I am kind of homesick and ready to get back to all that is familiar.

Japanese fabrics

2008-09-18T05:09:00.009-04:00

I had a special request for a look at my Japanese fabrics. Enjoy!

Below, larger scale prints:

Don't you love the sunbathers!?

More flowers in Japan

2008-09-18T05:09:00.008-04:00

Next to food, I love taking pictures of flowers and trees!

Below, see the tiny little flower arrangements for sale:

And I loved the tiny pepper plants, below:

It's all about the food...

2008-09-18T05:09:00.007-04:00

When I travel I am always fascinated by the local food. I enjoy going to grocery stores and just looking around. Yesterday we went on a really nice walking tour, and at the beginning of our day we passed down this street that had all types of food markets. Apparently this used to be a black market area and now is the only place in Tokyo where you can actually bargain for the goods.

Above, those grapes were huge, and I liked the persimmons in the front row (for 600). Persimmon season is just starting here.

Below, piles of the different kinds of the tiny fish and shrimp. The big piles on the bottom left are seaweed.

Above, all different kinds of dried foods, including rice crackers. In the front row, the first 6 bags actually contain dried scallops of different sizes. I have to say, they didn't look too appetizing to me.

How about this? Octopus tentacles - big ones! They are this color because they are pickled.

And some interesting food items I have seen on other days:

Baby corn s- no way! And cute little asparagus. Below, squid and very shiny fishes. (I forgot to take a picture of the squid jerky in the marketplace!)

Out & about in Tokyo

2008-09-18T05:09:00.006-04:00

Yesterday my friend's Japanese teacher, Takemura-sensei, took us shopping at a huge fabric store. Along the way we saw some great backstreet areas of the city.

And the fabric store was AWESOME!!

I could have spent hours there. Their prints are just amazing, especially the stuff for kids.

Then we went to a little place and had yakitori food for dinner. It was a lot of fun, and delicious (except for the liver). I did at least try a piece, though. Another thing I am not so keen on is the little tiny dried fish that garnished our radish salad. Their eyes kind of freaked me out.

Everything else was great, and our waiter was very nice.

After you eat, you place your skewers in this little bucket:

Above, our waiter poses for us!

Earlier in the day, I took these pictures:

See the spiral staircase at the top? Below, Tomomi in the cab:And part of my lunch at a cute Malaysian restaurant:

All in all, another great day in Japan.

Pretty Pics from Hakone Day Trip

2008-09-16T20:22:00.004-04:00

It's all about convenience...

2008-09-14T19:41:00.006-04:00

Japan is very much a vending machine society. Everywhere you go, you find vending machines selling cold drinks (sometimes in cups), cigarettes, and even ice cream (like my green tea ice cream cone from a couple of posts ago!).

What is NOT convenient, however, is the fact that is very difficult to find a trash can. Apparently Tokyo is very unlike New York, in that you do not walk down the street eating or drinking anything, so there are no corner trash cans. Occasionally you will come across a recycling bin for bottles and such.

Ahh, the recycling. Unbelievable. Below is the guide that my friends have hanging on their fridge outlining the recycling rules. It's so large that they have to keep it folded in half.

It has very explicit instructions for all manner of waste:

You know, in case you are unsure of how to dispose of your "twigs."

In their kitchen they have three separate trash cans - one for plastic, one for metal, and one for "combustibles." There is also this rubber valve-type thing in the sink drain that led me to believe they have a garbage disposal, and I thought they were so lucky. But no. Attached to it under the sink is a bag that hangs, so you can dump combustible waste in there. And it justs hangs there, then needs to be changed. And sometimes gets smelly.

At the Starbucks, there is a separate trash can for you to first pour your ice or leftover drink into, BEFORE you dispose of your cup and straw. And of course napkins and straw paper go elsewhere.

And while it is very cute, another thing that is not so convenient is the teeny tiny little sink in my bathroom.

I end up getting water everywhere when I wash my hands. Also, the mirror in there is too low for me - I have to stoop down to fix my hair. (In the other bathroom, however, there are 2 nice big sinks, and the whole wall above the sinks is mirrored medicine cabinets.) I think a lot of things in Japan are small because: 1) the people are smaller, and 2) they need to conserve as much space as possible.

Things are really different here.

Flora of Japan

2008-09-14T07:10:00.006-04:00

Day Trip to Kamakura

2008-09-14T03:46:00.007-04:00

Flower shop.

Pretty storefront.

When you enter a place, you have to lock up your umbrella - you cannot take it in with you.

Bamboo garden at the temple.

Look at just how big this bamboo is!

The giant bronze Budha, made in 1252.

Pretty gardens at a temple.
More gardens.
Main building of the temple.

Restaurant where we had lunch, with pretty garden outside.

Preparing for a festival.
The festival in full force, carrying a shrine.

Green tea ice cream cone - sustenance after visiting with Budha.

Views from the apartment window...

2008-09-13T18:46:00.004-04:00

Some of these I used my super-zoom lens on.

Noodles

2008-09-13T17:34:00.007-04:00

I received a comment with someone asking me to eat noodles for them. I think I know who it was...

Well, I already have! For lunch on Friday we went to restaurant and had soba noodles. we even sat on the cushions on the floor with tatami mats. I loved the tea there, and really enjoyed the noodles. I even tried a fish cake - interesting.

I really loved the tea at this place. The fish cake is in the photo above, to the right of the little green jar. It looks like shiny strips of cream cheese.

Lucky for me, it is normal, and even expected, that one takes pictures of her food! I love this. I am famous for taking pictures of my food.

My burger from the Mos Burger chain, dinner last night:

You hold it in the paper and eat it that way. That's some fries along side it in the basket.

For brunch yesterday... conveyor belt sushi! Sooooo cool! You sit at a counter and pick what you'd like as it comes around the conveyor belt. Then at the end they add up what you owe by looking at the color of your plate. Different plates have different prices.

For your tea, you grab a cup from the lower conveyor belt, fill it with hot water from this little spout, then add tea powder. It's pretty good.

After the sushi, we went and picked up some pastries to try at home later:

Delicious!!

Ginza in the Evening

2008-09-13T07:35:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, a day trip to Kamakura, to see the giant bronze Buddha, along with temples and gardens!

Walking around Tokyo

2008-09-13T01:16:00.005-04:00

Having a great time, eating some cool food. Very hot and humid here. Still tired. Nap now.

My First Class Experience

2008-09-12T17:43:00.005-04:00

A glass of champagne - my pre-takeoff beverage selection.

My little side table area, with my water, glass of seltzer with a lemon, and warm nut mix. Also, see my little video screen and my reading lamp:

Looking over at other seats:
My appetizer - grilled prawns and short rib wontons with pickled cucumbers, all on top of a little tablecloth! Note my little salt & pepper shakers. After this appetizer, we had soup, a salad (I requested no croutons, Mom!), and filet mignon for the entree. It had bacon and blue cheese on it. Then a hot fudge sundae for dessert.All in all, a very nice experience. I didn't sleep much, maybe just an hour or two. No matter how you do it, it's just a LOOOOONG flight. I was pretty bored at the end.

Welcome to Tokyo!

2008-09-12T03:46:00.004-04:00

I made it to Japan, safe and sound and as tired as I've ever been!

I am doing relatively well today, considering the jet lag factor.

The view from my bedroom window:

And the bullet train, as seen from the living room window (my friends' apartment is on the 44th floor):

Tired. Sayonara.

Totally out of my element

2008-09-10T10:35:00.004-04:00

I am at Chicago's O'Hare airport, waiting in the International First Class Lounge. It's me in my "Life is Good" t-shirt and a bunch of old Japanese businessmen in suits. No kidding - I am the only girl. And the only one reading People magazine.

I have a good 3 hours to kill before my flight leaves for Tokyo. Man, what a spread in this joint! Self-serve food and drinks, including sushi and all kinds of alcoholic beverages, if one so chooses. I'll be worried if I see people drinking at 9:30 a.m. Free wireless, obviously.

When it's time for my flight they come get me and escort me to the "secret door" by which I enter the plane and don't have to run into any coach people.

Boy - I really feel like I just fell off the turnip truck.

Ooh! I hear a Texas accent!

Time for more fresh fruit and perhaps a latte.

Check it OUT!!!

2008-09-09T15:58:00.002-04:00

I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for my trip to Tokyo, and I am so excited! Aside from getting to see and experience a new part of the world, I get to travel in this fashion:

WHAT??!! Yep, this is where I will be, in First Class. They call this First Suite. I get pre-take off beverage service, complimentary newspaper, a 5-course meal, wines, chocolates, choice of movies to watch, toiletries, etc.

I am so darned excited I can hardly stand it. The beauty of saving frequent flyer miles for, oh... eighteen years or so.

See you when I return, all sushied up.

New Goods!

2008-09-07T16:47:00.004-04:00

I am now offering To-Go Cuffs (formerly known as Coffee Coozies) in some really cool new fabrics! And... they have labels!!

Gotta love the taxi cabs!

Please support my efforts to make the world a greener place, and check out my Etsy shop, listed to the right of the screen. Perhaps you'll find something you like...?!

"New" table

2008-09-06T14:52:00.006-04:00

I recently finished re-finishing this old table I picked up at a yard sale this summer. I sanded the bejesus out of it, primed it, painted it, and added pretty new hardware. I am going to use it in my apartment in the city as my new coffee table. My old coffee table (an Ikea staple) I plan to cut down a bit, add a cushion, and turn it into a storage bench for my little bedroom area.

Here is the "new" table:

And a close-up of the new hardware:

And I, with my love of all magazines, really appreciate the cool magazine holders on either end of the table:

As you can see, Monkey is also very excited about the new table:

In all seriousness, this is a great way to "go green." Get a piece of old but sturdy furniture, and redo it in your own personal style. Save money, get a unique piece that really suits your home, and save a piece from a trip to the landfill!

Boy, I pissed someone off...

2008-09-05T14:04:00.006-04:00

Last weekend I was walking thru my backyard and saw this little red squirrel sitting on top of my birdhouse:

I stopped to watch him, and said, "hey, what are you doing, squirrel?"

He looked over at me, and he looked pissed!

He actually started ... yelling at me (as much as squirrels can yell, I guess), and running back forth and doing this little dance with his back feet. It was hilarious! Very entertaining. Although I did get a little nervous and wonder if he was going to actually come after me.

I captured some of the action in a little movie. If you turn your volume up, you may be able to hear him chattering at me.

Feisty little sucker, isn't he? I liked it when he looked down into the birdhouse, as if to see if anyone was home.

After he finished his little tirade, he ran up the tree and perched on this high branch and didn't move for about 30 minutes. It's as if he was sulking or had been sent to the corner for a time-out. Eventually, he got over it and went and ate a walnut for a while.

See him up on that high branch, first one on the left above the birdhouse...

I really enjoy my wildlife.

I think it's a hit...

2008-09-04T09:17:00.004-04:00

The new bird feeder sees plenty of action...

I have been talking about my plans for fixing up the back deck, and one thing I would ultimately like to do is get some form of shade over part of it, to make it more useful during the summer. I would really love to build some kind of pergola, and have morning glories (or some such climbing plant) all over it.

There is a pergola two houses over from mine:

I don't know if you can see it, but there is a black and white cat in the picture above, to the left-hand side, in front of the fence. I'm sure he enjoys watching the new bird feeder!

I also have this old stone patio in the side yard which isn't terribly attractive. Some of the big stones have been lifted up by the roots of the 2 big trees next to it. I am very hesitant to remove this patio because my little chipmunk friend lives underneath it.

See, his door is in this spot between to the two trees.

The Fire Pit

2008-09-03T07:57:00.004-04:00

For a good year or so now, we have discussed having a firepit. At first the plan was to build one, but then it seemed that might not be such a good idea - with all the trees around, where would be the best place to put it?

Certainly not where this old remnant of what must have been a fire pit is, near the river bank:

So I think that ultimately we will end up buying one, the metal kind with the mesh dome-shaped screen that goes over it. That way we can put it anywhere we want!

To that end, I have been accumulating kindling under my deck. There is no shortage of available sticks!

Currently reading: A Good Year, by Peter Mayle. I've just started it. Also just ordered Drowning Ruth (forget the author) for a book club meeting.

Local News

2008-09-02T09:05:00.004-04:00

It appears that some big, and good, things are a-happening in the Village of Hancock. For one, what used to be the video store (before they moved across the street) now has some renovation going on and a sign in the window that says "A Taste of Brooklyn coming soon." There is also a sign in that window for Boars Head Brand deli meats.

Another event which I am very happy about is the steady progression of the repair of the building on Front Street that was condemned earlier in the year, forcing residents and businesses out of the space. Here's a preview:

They are restoring it to give it that classic olde store-front look, as they have done to several other buildings in town.

Another preview would be of the approaching autumn - these changes in the leaves I noticed on the drive up:

Hopefully it will be a beautiful fall! I remember last year for the weekend of the Harvest Festival, it was still warm enough to wear shorts.

What a coincidence!

2008-09-01T10:23:00.006-04:00

Remember a few posts ago, I wrote about a toadstool? Well, this weekend I found a real live toad! And he let me pet him - no kidding, Mom!

I was walking around on the river bank looking for the little tiny frogs I see all over the place, and I did see one of those, but he wouldn't hold still for a picture. He was literally the size of my thumbnail.

But then I saw this toad! He was pretty tiny as well - just over an inch long - but not as shy.

See, look at how small...

And a close-up of his handsome face...
I know, not much of a close-up. He wasn't THAT cooperative. But he did let me pet him. He felt really squishy. I would have picked him up but once when I was a kid I picked up a toad and he peed on me. So I didn't this time.

I also found these very pretty, very tiny flowers on the river bank. It was almost impossible to get a good photo of them because they were so darned tiny - I couldn't get close enough!

See, aren't they precious!?

It was a really great weekend. The weather yesterday was just glorious. A nice end to the summer.

I don't know... what do you think?

2008-08-31T13:38:00.007-04:00

Does it look like my back deck needs some work?

Not to mention the eyesore of my front steps and railing:

It has the same ugly, broken spindles that the back does (except for where they are broken off and missing).

Here are the front steps after I did some cleaning off of the overgrown crab grass, so I could measure them:

It was a dirty job:

Note, however, the nice bluestone walkway leading from the stairs to the house. My plan is to get some more bluestone cut to fit the stairs (hence the measuring) and cover its old crumbling concrete. Bluestone is a big deal in these parts. My friend, John, said he would take me next week to get it cut. He knows what I will need as far as thickness, type of cut, edging, sealing, etc.

I also have a nice slab of bluestone at the foot of the back deck stairs:

Yeah, I would really like to get some good curb appeal going at my place. It's about time.

A Stool for a Toad

2008-08-30T11:02:00.006-04:00

Last weekend I took pictures of this pretty mushroom in the side yard. I personally think the name "toadstool" is much nicer, though.

Looks like someone took a little bite out of it!

It's a bit gloomy today here in Hancock, so it's a good day to run some errands, and do some little projects around the house. Already I have done one small project, in the New Bathroom.

My house, being quite old, does not have ductwork leading to the 2nd floor to supply heat. Instead, it just has these vents in the floors of the upstairs rooms, which you can open up with a little lever so you can get heat from the room below. As some of you may recall, I once fell through one of these grates, many moons ago. Specifically, this one in the living room:

That grate got knocked right out when my foot and leg plowed through it! My friend, Ginger, put it back in for me, which I much appreciated. She is by far the handiest woman I know!

Anyway, there was one of these grates in the ceiling of the New Bathroom. During the renovation, its hole was covered up as the new ceiling and walls were put up. I saved the grate, spray-painted it a high gloss black last weekend, and today hung it in the New Bathroom. A piece of artwork, I guess you could call it - a tribute to the old Room That Was.

Of course, I hung it slightly off-center, so my next project will be to move it over, then fill in the first nail hole!

Watched last night: Flawless, with Michael Caine and Demi Moore. Loved it! A great heist story, and Demi's clothes and hair-dos are to die for.

What else would i have....

2008-08-29T18:41:00.002-04:00

... for dinner, except herb-stuffed whole trout?

After all, I am in the land of Trout Town, USA!

It was excellent.

Projects

2008-08-26T11:18:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I did actually work on some projects. I primed a garage-sale table that I plan on using as a coffee table in my apartment. I still have to paint it, and brought it back to the city already so I can do that later. Once it is painted and I put the new drawer pulls on I will post a photo.

I also spent some time down on the river bank, involved in my all-time favorite activity - picking up broken glass! I have a new glass-collecting bucket with drainage holes in the bottom. My previous bucket apparently got swept away when we had a little flooding a month or so ago. I made sure I left my bucket on elevated ground this time.

Below, see the print of my Wellington boot in the sand on the river bank. There's no better glass-collecting (or river-banking) footware than Wellies!

I also refilled my old bird feeder (chain still intact - bah! to the squirrels!) and got a new one - double decker, no less!
I also spoke with my friend, Neil, about having him come in and power-wash the back deck and front railing. I just have to choose what color stain I would like to use then. Once that is all done, I plan to replace the spindles in the railing, which will hopefully not be too difficult. I'll hold off until the weather is a bit cooler - it was still really hot in the sun this weekend. Once all THAT is done, I want to paint the railings white.

In other news, I am gearing up for my trip to Tokyo! I leave on September 10th and I am so excited! I have never been anywhere in Asia before. My friends that I will be visiting there are actually here in New York today, wrapping up their U.S. visit, so I am meeting them for coffee later. We can start going over our plans!

Pretty pictures from the weekend

2008-08-25T20:43:00.008-04:00

On Sunday I waded out into the river and skipped stones for a while.

You know, it really IS the little things.

Dig in!

2008-08-25T11:48:00.004-04:00

I am very behind on my blog posts, and will try to get caught up this week.

A few weeks ago, you may remember that my friend, Lydia, and I went picking blueberries. I ended up with this huge bucket that I just could not eat my way through. Turns out the little ladies of our building are big fans of blueberries!

On another day, Antonia looks so serious...

... but then mellows out a bit with a little hugging from Chris!

Recently watched: National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and Real Women Have Curves. Enjoyed them both.

The Monkus

2008-08-23T21:30:00.002-04:00

This cat cracks me up on a daily basis.

Photo taken from above as he is sprawled on the sofa. Sound asleep, not a care in the world.

Currently reading: The First Horseman, by John Case. Literally just started it - no kidding, I am on page 3.

Friends

2008-08-22T10:23:00.001-04:00

Vida and Amos in the courtyard.

My life is complete.

2008-08-21T22:13:00.003-04:00

Really made my day when this appeared in my mailbox. After thoroughly poring over it multiple times, I can add it to my Ikea catalog library (in chronological order, of course!)

Summer in the city

2008-08-19T11:42:00.003-04:00

The summer is winding down and we have been having some weird weather. We actually had a few days here that felt downright cool, like fall is coming.

I am blogging about the weather, so obviously not too much is going on! I spent this past weekend in the city, doing a lot of chores and a lot of sewing of To-Go Cuffs! Not too exciting to write about. This coming weekend I will be heading up to the house, and will hopefully find some interesting stuff to take pictures of. I plan on refinishing one of my yard sale tables.

In the meantime, you can enjoy this pretty picture I took on my last visit to Florida.

Currently reading: Kingdom Come, by Tim Green. I really loved his book, Exact Revenge, that I read a year to two ago. Thriller genre, I guess.

Out and About

2008-08-12T09:24:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, Tracy and Amos came up to Hancock with me. As always, we had a nice time!

On Saturday, we went to our favorite antique store, Duck Harbor Antiques, over in Pennsylvania. We found some nice, very affordable treasures there. Tracy even found a really cool winter coat there for $22!

We really lucked out that day, in that the old saw mill was open for tours and demonstrations. It is run by the Equinunk Historical Society and they open it several times a year and give demonstrations of how the saw mill works. It's very interesting.

The setting is really beautiful. The mill is water-powered, so it sits right next to a pond that feeds into a waterfall.

After a little tour around the mill, they had the demonstration:

After the running of the saw, the water is used up and the waterfall stops for a time...

Some more pretty pictures from the mill...

Other events of the weekend included Amos's first dip in the Delaware:

He was real cold.

Cuz I know you all are dying of suspense

2008-08-10T19:55:00.002-04:00

I have NOT ordered the cute Pottery Barn sheets. I purchased some pretty solid blue sheets at BB&B today, that are 640 thread count and feel lovely. I am not sure if I will keep them or not. I have to really think about it.

I really want fun, interesting sheets for some reason.

I guess I could always order the PB sheets and return them if they are not lustrous enough, right?

Love these!

2008-08-07T22:37:00.003-04:00

I am most definitely my mother's daughter, and as such I am quite addicted to bed linens. I actually need a new set of sheets, and have really fallen in love with these from Pottery Barn Kids.

They have cute little owls and trees all over them, and it's a very Scandinavian print, which I always love. My only concern is that Pottery Barn sheets don't have as high a thread count as I usually like, but I guess I could always return them if I didn't like them. They would look really great with my pinwheel quilt!

Currently reading: Immortal, by Traci Slatton. An interesting story set in 14th century Florence.

Day of Adventure!

2008-08-07T10:32:00.013-04:00

Last weekend my friend/neighbor, Lydia, came up to Hancock with me. Saturday we went out exploring the area for 8 hours and had a blast! We crammed a lot into one day.

We started at the diner, and wanted to find yard sales, so we looked at the local papers and found out that there was a blueberry festival in Montrose, PA, as well as several farms where you can go pick your own blueberries.

Off we went!

We didn't know exactly where we were going, and at one point Lydia spotted a miniature horse farm, so of course we had to stop!

We saw this cute little guy, plus these alpacas, who kind of gave us the cold shoulder when it came to photo ops:

We also happened upon this beautiful structure, the Starucca Viaduct...

Not far from the viaduct was the cute town of Susquehana, Pa, where we found this awesome antique shop and got some great bargains:

Afterwards we walked down the block a bit and came to a diner where we had a drink at the counter, and I was amazed by the view in this place:

How pretty is that!? And I love the old booths.

We did eventually find our way to the Hilltop Blueberry Farm, and had a great time filling our buckets! And eating a lot of berries. And taking some great pictures...

They had 12 different varieties of blueberries there! Below, the pond at the farm:

Then we headed off to Montrose and caught the tail-end of the Blueberry Festival. There we had blueberry ice cream, and got to see a little of this cute town. See the Firehouse:

... and this cool old building that was probably once a hotel...

We wandered around the town a little and popped into some antique stores, which is always fun. For some reason this town seemed to have a lot of store-front lawyers' offices. The store fronts were really cute:

On the way back to Hancock, we took another swing by the Viaduct (that was kind of an accident!) and came across another antique place called the Piccadilly Emporium. We had a nice chat with its proprietor, then made our way home.

All in all, a great day!

How cute are these guys?!

2008-08-01T08:50:00.003-04:00

Claire (big sister) and Fiona (baby sister):

More Florida Fun

2008-07-31T11:28:00.004-04:00

Hanging out on the sun porch...

One day we walked over to some friends' house and saw their beautiful garden and butterfly house. They actually have a little screened-in porch with butterfly-appropriate plants and such, and that's where they make their cocoons and are protected from the environs and predators. Unfortunately there weren't any butterflies there that day, but we got to see a lot of beautiful flowers...

Isn't this purple blossom crazy looking!? They also had a red one like this.

I always love lantanas!

I don't know what the purple ones above are called, but they were very pretty as well.

The whole back section that did not have decking in their yard was covered with Mexican petunias, which are basically a weed and care-free...

I love this covered dock they have over the water, and it even has a porch swing on it.

Bruce and Mom want to eventually make a big deck or patio to cover their grassy backyard. The grass that grows there is very prickly and not very pretty, so lots of people just have grass-less yards! Less maintenance, too.

The next door neighbor down there has a banana tree and we had some of the fresh bananas from it. They were so good! He also has a pineapple plant growing over there.

I am back at work now, kind of glad and kind of not! I felt like my visit was way too short, especially because I was plagued by the stupid back pain pretty much the entire time. This weekend I'll be heading up to Hancock, try to do some relaxing and maybe some crocheting.

More bird...

2008-07-28T18:56:00.001-04:00

After Jessica scared him off...

More art...

2008-07-28T08:48:00.009-04:00

My great-grandfather, Gustav, was an amazing artist. I have a couple paintings of his up at the house. Down here in Florida I am able to enjoy a lot more of his art.

Above is a large oil painting that hangs in Mom's living room. Gustav also made the frames that most of these pieces are in!

...and a close-up...

This watercolor is one of my favorites:

(Sorry - there's a little glare there!)

Jessica's favorite is this one of the monk who is dreaming of this woman:
See the monk with his head down on the table...?

During this visit, my mom told me some very interesting history about my great-grandfather, especially as it relates to this painting. Before he emigrated to the U.S. from Sweden, he apparently had worked at a lot of monasteries throughout Europe, painting the ceilings, murals, etc. I am sure that this inspired the painting shown here. He was known to mention that in the little villages that were located adjacent to the monasteries, the population was almost entirely women and children. Hmmm....

As I mentioned before, Gustav not only painted but he also made his own frames. He made other things from wood as well, such as this mirror, which was a constant fixture in my childhood.

He also made the beautful spinning wheel that is in my mom's dining room now. I have always loved that piece. In a post from a previous visit to Florida I included photos of the spinning wheel.

Another of my favorite paintings of his is an oil painting that is quite damaged and isn't displayed currently. It needs to be professionally restored and I hope to be able to do that someday.

Art

2008-07-27T14:02:00.003-04:00

Tyra has been very busy down here in Florida, doing her quilting. In particular, she has been working on art quilts lately.

Aren't these amazing? They are all wall hangings. One of them is sushi! And the one with the palm tree is very 3-dimensional.

Just finished up a little family swim, had lunch, and are about to head over to a friend's house to see her butterfly garden and pergola (maybe get some ideas for Hancock!)

Greetings from the small creatures, and big birds!

2008-07-26T17:25:00.008-04:00

I am down in Florida visiting Mom and Bruce, and as always, I love the wildlife!

There are always lots of the little lizards in the yard and on the sun porch. And I have noticed that they are very prolific poopers. There are little lizard poops everywhere! Don't worry - that is not something I took a photo of!

While Mom, Jess, and I were swimming yesterday, there was a big heron sitting on the little dock at the house next door.

I tired to get a little closer to get a real close-up, and he flew off....

Oh, yeah - there are humans here, too!

Mom and Jess relax in the pool:

And under duress, Jess actually poses for a picture with The Tyra:

And I got to see my cousin, Cody, last night! It is the first time I have seen him since he got out of the Marines. He looks great, and seems to be enjoying life here in Florida. He lives in the same apartment building as Sara, and works at Ron Jon Surf Shop teaching surfing lessons. How cool is that?! In the fall, he'll be taking classes again, too. It was great to see him!

He came over last night for dinner, and Bruce made his amazing marinara sauce. We also had fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, and it was so pretty I had to take a picture of it!

I haven't seen Sara yet - she returns tonight from a vacation with friends in California.

At the moment, I am getting very excited about our dinner - pork tenderloin on the grill, asparagus with goat cheese and prosciutto on the grill, and parsley potatoes! Pictures may follow.....

I just fell in love...

2008-07-23T11:20:00.002-04:00

... with a fabric!

Look at how beautiful this is, and see it in a room. I would be in heaven in here!

Down the Road

2008-07-23T10:26:00.004-04:00

I will be leaving tomorrow morning to go visit the parents in Florida for a few days. Jess will be there, too, and hopefully Tory.

I plan on doing a whole lot of relaxing and hopefully some good snorkeling. And hopefully Bruce will make me an omelet for breakfast one morning!

Later on, once the weather cools a bit and I am back in renovation/decoration mode, I am hoping to paint the upstairs hallway floor. Originally I had planned to just leave the wooden floor the way it was, a little scuffed up but with character, but then I noticed that one section of it had previously been painted an ugly brown. So the best thing is to just paint it all!

I might try to go a little fancy, and do a checkered or diamond pattern, like this one I saw in a magazine:

Not sure what colors I would use - probably something similar to this. The walls up there are painted kind of a pale salmon color, so I would do something pretty neutral. Reading the instructions for something like this, it seems pretty complicated and time-consuming, so we'll see how it goes!

I'll be sure to post some pictures from Florida!

A day in the rough life....

2008-07-22T09:00:00.004-04:00

.... of Monkey.

Man, this cat has a hard life. And he has some of the strangest sleeping positions.

And locations. Cuz who doesn't love sleeping in a cardboard box?

Still reading: Love Walked In. This author really writes such beautiful words, decriptions, etc. When I am not actually reading the book, I am thinking about reading it! I hope to find other books by this author.

Welcome, Fiona Jane!

2008-07-21T10:04:00.003-04:00

Big sister, Claire, meets Fiona:

I spoke with the new mom yesterday, and all are doing well!

Lordville

2008-07-20T14:25:00.006-04:00

Over the long 4th of July weekend (forever etched in my mind as The Weekend of Many Yard Sales), we took a ride over to Lordville to check out a few sales. What an interesting little town.

For those of you who have been to Copenhagen, Lordville could be compared to the area called Christiania. Christiania is the area in Copenhagen where it is very hippie-ish, eclectic, laid back, etc. Very artsy and what-not. My sister, Jessica, and I really loved Christiania, and had one of the best meals of our lives at a restaurant there called Spiseloppen (which translates to "the flea eats").

One home in Lordville was so ... eclectic that we thought it was one of the yard sales. But no. That's just how that guy's house is normally.

There is a very cute little church there:

It has really beautiful stained-glass windows:

And a cute bell tower:

There is what looks like it was once an old hotel. It has a door that says "Ladies Entrance" and another that says "Gents." Apparently this building is known as The Mannequin House. I'm guessing it's because of this chick in the upstairs window:

They were selling T-shirts at one of the yard sales that said "Save the Mannequin House." I don't know if that means the place is slated for demolition - that would be a shame because it's such a cool old building.

Unfortunately, I think Lordville has seen better times. There are a lot of beautiful old houses and buildings literally in ruins. I truly hate seeing that kind of stuff.

On the way out of Lordville, we saw an interesting house that had this boat in its yard, filled with flowers:

Nice, creative landscaping accent!

To the left of that picture above, if you look through the trees you can see part of a big old house. I was very pleased to find out that the man there having a yard sale has recently bought that place and plans to do a total rehab as a weekend home for his family. He was selling some of the old fixtures from the house. I was tempted to buy one of the little bathroom sinks he had for when I redo The Little Room into a bathroom upstairs, but I figured I have plenty of time to find something!

Happy Baby!

2008-07-18T12:33:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week we were hanging out in the courtyard, and Vida in particular was having a great time...

I love the head gear!

As you can see, Vida is now crawling and is being ever more adorable. And she has lots of teeth!

Meanwhile, my long lost blogging friend, Robyn, is visiting from Austin! She is Tracy's good friend, and although we just met yesterday in person, we have felt like friends through our blogs and common interests. It was so nice to meet her in person, and she's even prettier than in her pictures! She and Tracy are among my most faithful blog commenters (and we all know how much I love my comments!). I hope Tracy and Robyn are able to find some nice indoor, A/C-related activities for this very hot day in NYC!

I will be heading up to the house shortly. I have to stop on the way up to buy yarn. I have an order for another custom baby blanket, so I have to get busy. And if it's very hot up in Hancock I can stay in and crochet and watch movies. Luckily my house stays pretty cool inside. I doubt I'll summon up any energy for house-related projects. My back is still acting up a little, and if it's hot I won't feel too motivated.

Currently reading: Love Walked in, by Marisa de los Santos. So far it's pretty good. A story about relationships - not just a new romance, but also a stepdaughter, mental illness, and personal discovery.

Good living!

2008-07-17T09:33:00.003-04:00

In the hot dog days of summer, what better way to pass the time than floating down the river in some tubes...?

I think it's supposed to be pretty hot this weekend, so I'll try to get in a lot of tube time!

If you want to come up and tube some time, just give me a call!

A New Treasure

2008-07-16T08:11:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, up in Hancock, my neighbors and I went to a yard sale at the mayor's house. She actually has an antique shop behind her house and periodically has a yard sale to kind of clear out her inventory a bit.

So this past time we were finishing up at the yard sale, and she said to me, "oh, wait right here!" and she ran off back into her house. She came back to me with a little gift bag.

Now let me back it up a little bit. My house, which I have found out is the oldest one on my street, was built by the mayor's grandmother. When it was first built it didn't have any indoor plumbing and had an outhouse! I love learning the history of the place.

Back to present day... Apparently at one time I had asked the mayor if she had any items for sale in her shop that had come from her grandmother's house. I thought it would be so cool to have something from that time. (I don't remember asking her this, but she never forgot!)

So the gift bag contained two crocheted pieces, made by her grandmother, that go on the back of a wing chair. They are in perfect condition. Below, I have one on the wing chair in my living room:

I was really touched by the gesture, and feel even more at home in my place!

Moosey

2008-07-15T11:12:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I was somewhat laid up with a bad back, but at least I had Johanna and Moose there to keep me company! Moose had a great time and wore himself out.

See, everyone loves the red sofa....!

Oh yeah - I have to also mention that Moose peed on my lap in the car!

Flew the Coop!

2008-07-13T21:27:00.002-04:00

My baby birds have left the birdhouse! All was quiet there this weekend. I am now an empty-nester. Never thought I'd know THAT feeling!

I am also pleased to announce that it is safe to say that the bats living in my house are now gone, and it is peaceful and quiet during the night. No getting woken up by bat fights in the middle of the night, frealing me out.

I have some photos to post, will try to get them posted tomorrow.

Slow Movers

2008-07-10T09:32:00.003-04:00

While sitting on the river bank last weekend, I noticed that there are millions of these little tiny snails crawling around on all the rocks. I have never seen such tiny snails, in their little shells.

See all those little black spots on the big rock? Below, I point them out, just to give you some idea of scale:

If you sit there and watch them for a while, you can see them move very slowly. That's how I figured out that they were actually living creatures and not just little rocks or something.

These snails are a far cry from the ones we saw in Sweden! Those were enormous. Scary, even.

My New "Bed"

2008-07-09T08:40:00.002-04:00

Of late I have been wanting a real bed, not just a mattress and box spring on one of those standard metal frames, for my apartment. I don't know why, I just really wanted a cool new bed.

Real beds cost money, though, and I just didn't feel like spending any.

So I made a "bed." Well, a headboard, actually. I had this decorative wooden trim left from when Mom and Bruce demo'ed their kitchen in Florida. I made them save it and then haul it all the way up to Hancock last summer. My mom thought I was crazy.

I took the trim, and fastened it directly on to the wall behind my bed, in the size and shape of a headboard, then filled it all in with paint. I had plenty of leftover black paint from when I finished my wardrobe.

So there you have my free "new" "bed."

For my Jess

2008-07-08T10:11:00.005-04:00

In a recent post, I wrote about all of the great yard-sale finds of the long holiday weekend. In addition to those items, I also got a couple of great furniture pieces. In particular, this really unique sewing table for Jessica. It needs a little TLC, but is a great piece...

Inside its hinged lid is a thread rack, plus it has 2 little drawers for other notions. There is also a groove running along the inside edge, I guess for holding needles, pencils, etc.

Speaking of holding pencils, I also got this great old school desk. This thing is made of oak, solid as a rock, and just needs a coat of paint. It was $12!

It has a little space for pencils, and a hole for the ink well. This desk and 2 other little tables I got I will refinish and then probably try to sell (you know, because I do not already have enough business ventures going on these days!) One of the others I got is the little trestle table below ($5).

Currently reading: The Broken Window, by Jeffery Deaver, a Lincoln Rhyme story.

Bird Flick

2008-07-08T09:01:00.003-04:00

Voila!!

The action is a little slow at first, but bear with me.

My baby birds

2008-07-07T11:01:00.006-04:00

As you may know, I love my birdhouse and my tree-swallow couple who moved in. Well, now they have a whole family! There are baby birds in there, at least 3 of them!! They actually look pretty big, probably ready to leave the nest soon.

I was obsessed with them this weekend. I would just stand in front of the birdhouse and watch the babies peek their heads out, waiting for their parents to bring them food. I got some pretty good photos, which I will share. By the end of the weekend, they did not seem afraid of me anymore, and would just look out at me instead of hiding back in the house.

In the picture just above you can see one of the baby birds trying to squeeze his head past the other one.

I was trying for the longest time to get a photo of the baby when the parent would swoop in with food. It happened so quickly, so that most of the time I ended up with this:

Finally, I got a good shot of the baby with his mouth open. It's all orange inside!

Then I had the brilliant idea of taking a video of it! I will post that later when I have a break in my workday.

All in all, the bird family had a happy 4th of July.

Update

2008-07-07T10:05:00.002-04:00

4 days later....

Still intact.

Some more of my loot!

2008-07-05T18:00:00.007-04:00

The yard-saling this weekend was out o' control! There was really some great stuff to be had. Here are a few of the things I picked up for super cheap:

A nifty little sewing caddy, complete with some old notions (such as "rick-rack"):

A cool old milk jug in pristine condition, that I plan on using to hold all of my left-over little balls of yarn:

This really cool, really old-looking salt-and-pepper shaker set. The salt shaker has this little grinder-type thing built into its lid, to break up the salt if it gets all stuck together. I have never seen that before!

A really pretty old wooden frame that was 50 cents:

And a glass flower frog. I have always wanted one of these to hold pens and such, but at antique stores they are always $12 or more. This was one was $1!

A cool little vintage kitchen dispenser of some sort:

And a cute tin match holder to hang on the kitchen wall (assuming that one day I have a cute vintage kitchen!):

A handy small metal tool box that looks like it was never used (another 50-cent item!):

I think I will use this box to hold all of my crochet hooks and scissors. I got some good organizational tools for my apartment at these yard sales!

One more thing - a beautiful addition to my cup-and-saucer collection:

This last item is currently on display in The Pink Room.

That's most of what I got. I'll show a few more things later.

Now I'm just thinking of chicken wings at the diner!

Bonanza!

2008-07-04T16:19:00.004-04:00

My neighbors and I hit a ton of great yard sales today and made some major scores. One item I am particularly pleased with is this little purse:

I love this thing! It was 50 cents.

I'll post pictures of more of the good stuff I got later. The only reason I am making this post now (so soon after the previous one today) is because I was supposed to be napping (it was mandated) but I just couldn't fall asleep. So I have been bird-watching (more great photos for later) and also started a load of laundry, chatted with my mom, and ate the coconut cream pie that I never ate from last night.

Might do some reading now (the book I got for 25 cents at a yard sale!), or look up birds in my Audubon book (a separate post all its own).

It's not just humans that love the red sofa...

2008-07-04T14:50:00.003-04:00

The Monkus partakes of a nap.

Plan G

2008-07-03T11:15:00.006-04:00

In my ongoing battle to actually make my "squirrel-proof" birdfeeder.... squirrel-proof:

I mean, come on! How can they get through a metal chain!!??

In other news, I am very happy to be up in Hancock for this long weekend. And there is a lot to be excited about here, especially on the flower front!

A few weeks ago I was very pleased to see a bunch of buds on my little rose bush...

... and this week, ta-da!!

Daylilies are in bloom all over the place, including this little patch by the side of my house:

Or are these called Tiger Lilies?

Currently reading: Secrets of a Lady, by Tracy Grant. Set in 1800's England, a kind of adventure story, with spies and kidnapping, family secrets, and a precious ring. It's taking me forever to read it!

The Eel Weir

2008-06-26T11:17:00.009-04:00

Before I got my place on the river, I had never heard of an eel weir. It's actually a very fascinating contraption, and has been around for centuries (actually, for millennia).

There is a shop up the river from me called Delaware Delicacies Smokehouse, and it is owned and run by Ray Turner, aka The Eel Man. He is quite famous for owning and operating his eel weir. I have been to his shop before and that is when I first learned about how he catches them. He is quite a character, and very interesting.

A few weekends ago, we were taking a drive along Pea's Eddy Road, which runs along the other side of the river as my house. We were actually going to a yard sale, but happened to catch Ray Turner as he was canoeing out to the weir to check his catch of the day. It was the first time I had actually seen it and I was amazed by the magnitude of this set-up. We pulled the car over and watched from a distance overlooking the river.

So from a distance, this is what you see:

Rocks built up on both sides that come to a point and end at this little wooden shack-like structure (the weir). The idea is that you kind of "funnel" the fish and eels into the trap in the weir, by these rock walls. What is so amazing to me is the enormity of such a project.

See below, Ray at the weir, to give you some idea of scale:

You can see his canoe pulled up there in the left of the photo above.

Now, look at how far this "funnel" or rock walls go out before they get to the weir:

For the most part, each season, Ray builds up these rock walls single-handedly. Can you imagine the labor involved with that?

I googled the guy, and found this, if you're interested:

http://www.greenworks.tv/rough_terrain/eelman/index.htm

The Compound

2008-06-25T07:53:00.009-04:00

Our apartment building is very unique for NYC. It has a central courtyard which is completely private from the street, and it is a great place to hang out. It is quite the happenin' place these days!

We have lots of beautiful flowers and vegetables growing, thanks to Tracy. We even have a water feature mixed in with the flowers. Nick rescued it from a neighbor's practically abandoned patio.

The fountain is directly behind Vida, who enjoys the lawn, above. This feat of engineering (and ingenuity!) was built by Chris and Tracy. See Tracy's blog for more details.

http://www.abovethedoorframe.blogspot.com/

The ping pong table is a big draw. Here Antonia checks out underneath, just to make sure everything is good:

Aside from the babies, we also have lots of pets who love spending time in the courtyard, including Flea:

Flea likes drinking out of the fountain!

Below, Harlem scopes out the lawn and says hi to Vida. In the background you can see some ping-pong players!
Sometimes I enjoy just sitting out there and looking at all of the flowers, such as this hibiscus and pansies...

On my own little patio I have a few plants, including these cherry tomatoes:

I don't have as many plants as I have past summers, since I go away a lot of the weekends. I have this plant, plus basil, rosemary, lavender, some marigolds and some portulacca.

Meanwhile, up in Hancock, I am wondering if my roses have bloomed yet!

I hope you feel it...

2008-06-23T11:37:00.002-04:00

Fresh Moose & Shaved Cat

2008-06-22T12:05:00.004-04:00

The other day I went over to Jo's house to visit Moose after his surgery. (He no longer has the key manly parts.) It just so happens that the cat was also being groomed that day, and I took these photos after we picked her up...

Is that one of the funniest things you have ever seen!? The cat loves her new look. She struts around like nobody's business.

In the meantime, Moose is growing so much! His legs are so long, he's almost colt-ish! And still very sweet.

Flowers

2008-06-18T08:43:00.003-04:00

Enjoy!

I obviously enjoy taking photos of flowers, birds and food. When I travel, I also like to take pictures of doors and windows for some reason.

I got a nice comment on my last post about my bird pictures. I am able to capture these shots by literally just sitting there with my camera and waiting for the perfect moment. Needless to say, on the weekends that I take a lot of bird photos I don't get much else accomplished!

This past weekend, however, I did get a lot of projects finished (sanding, painting, polyurethaning, reupholstering) but failed to take pictures of any of it! Next time...

That's what I call good eats!

2008-06-17T10:23:00.003-04:00

Saturday we cooked out on the grill (in the rain) next door. We had London broil and my favorite asparagus bundles. Check it out...

That is some good-lookin' grub.

Luckily it wasn't raining too hard during grill time. Earlier in the day it rained as hard as I have ever seen before - no joke!

Watched over the weekend: The Savages. I really liked it, although it is not a light-hearted movie. But you can't really go wrong with Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Also watched: Once. I loved it and the music was phenomenal. There is this one song in the movie that is so beautiful, it reaches deep down inside you and reminds you that you have a soul (you know, in case it goes quiet once in a while!).

I heart baby animals!

2008-06-15T08:32:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we were taking a nice little drive along the road that runs parallel to the river (across the river from us) after hitting a yard sale there (at which I spent a whopping $1.25 and got all kinds of goodies!).

We came across this cute little structure which actually is a school bus stop:

It's not in bloom now but right next to it there is a nice rhododendron bush.

Only in the country! When I was kid I just stood out in the snow or rain waiting for the bus!

So anyway, we stopped so I could take this photo, and I peeked inside and thought I saw a little birds' nest. Then I peeked a little more and saw movement! There were baby birds in the nest!

There were 4 of them in there, staring right at me. I didn't want to scare them so I used the super zoom feature on my camera to get this picture. You can see the one to the left is kind of standing outside the nest. They look pretty grown-up and are probably ready to leave the nest pretty soon.

Fun at 252!

2008-06-13T14:30:00.005-04:00

I am actually up at the house today, but wanted to post a few cute photos from my building back in the city.

Below, one of our feline residents, Flea, getting a little refreshment on a hot day:

One day this past week Tracy "borrowed" Antonia and we hung out with her in the courtyard for a while.

She's 13 months old now and so much fun! Great facial expressions and lots of conversation in her own personal language, and much game playing!

Meanwhile, Monkey and Clancy looking like they're ready to face off in my apartment!

My Latest Attempt

2008-06-11T08:14:00.005-04:00

Last year I bought this nice "squirrel-proof" bird feeder. Yeah, not so much. A few weekends ago I caught a squirrel down INSIDE it, with his butt sticking out of the top. Apparently they prefer the sunflower seeds, because there were all these empty shells left on top of the rest of the seed.

So here is what I came up with this time:

Bungee cords! Strapped down nice and tight.

Dave took one look at this and said that right after the squirrels dismantled this (which would probably take 2 minutes!) they could then partake in some fun bungee jumping. After eating all the sunflower seeds, of course.

Already planning his attack:

My new bird feeder hangs from a pole, which the squirrels cannot climb:

You can't see the whole thing, but I'm sure you get the idea.
I have really been enjoying the birds lately, and have started identifying them in my Audubon book. I'll post more about that later.

Can't wait to go up this weekend, maybe do some swimming!

Junk Pile

2008-06-09T10:30:00.004-04:00

I decided to sweat it out in the city this past weekend, so didn't go to Hancock.

Last weekend, however, my very helpful neighbors helped me empty out my basement of all the old junk that I inherited with the place!

The debris included many old storm windows and screens, an old utility sink, some old wooden beams, a kerosene heater, and this lovely plastic chandelier:

I especially like the plastic house and plants inside the light fixture.

This coming weekend, I will work on really cleaning the basement out. There are a bunch of old plumbing parts lying around, and just dirt everywhere. I mean, it's never going to be nice down there, but it could use a good cleaning. And I plan on repairing that loose first step.

Aside from this going on, I am feeling like I should rename my blog "Viva La Wildlife!"

Currently reading: Silence, by Thomas Perry. I love his Jane Whitefield books, so thought I'd give this one a try. Not bad so far.

My New Tenants

2008-06-06T23:10:00.005-04:00

I am pleased to announce that I have a new bird family living in my birdhouse! I took out the old Audubon book and identified them as tree swallows. They are really cute, and very industrious! The entire Memorial Day weekend was spent carrying bits and pieces of grass into the house to build the nest. Then last weekend, the male bird sat on the perch virtually the whole time - guarding his fam, I guess.

Below, the happy couple...

Isn't he cute!?

Living the High Life

2008-06-05T09:56:00.003-04:00

It's a rough, demanding life that my cats have...

I mean, I feel bad at night when I have to go to bed and intrude on "their" space!

Currently reading: The Genius, by Jesse Kellerman. Very interesting so far, murder mystery in the New York art world.

'Allo!

2008-06-04T08:17:00.001-04:00

My little friend has some long toes!

More pics from Memorial Day Weekend

2008-06-02T13:44:00.005-04:00

Had a nice dinner at Dave and Regina's one night...

I saw this little snake swimming in the river. He stared up at me for a minute then swam off very quickly! See his little head poking out of the surface of the water:

Early one morning I got up and watched the clouds roll down the river...

With Dina's help, I painted my new basement door. It looks fab!

... and we hit up a yard sale, and I got this little bench for $4. You know, because I don't have enough projects lined up already!

The last time...

2008-05-28T12:15:00.003-04:00

Think about it - when was the last time you just laid down in the grass and looked up at the sky? It's probably been ages.

I highly recommend that you do so at the next earliest opportunity.

Vida takes Hancock!

2008-05-27T11:35:00.005-04:00

My neighbors from the city came up for the holiday weekend, and brought along their baby, Vida. She had a great time playing in the grass and napping in the hammock!

It really was a spectacular weekend weather-wise, and a good time was had by all.

Cute Furry Friends

2008-05-22T11:06:00.004-04:00

My camera has this really great zoom feature, so I can get super close-up shots. A few weekends ago I took these pictures of a chipmunk picking up seeds under the bird feeder:

I think he's so cute, and he looks very soft. One of these days hopefully I'll get to pet him.

Another thing I love in Hancock is this immense tree that's right at the top of the riverbank. It is one of this tree's roots that serves as the foyer into Kirby's den. This weekend I might pull out my tree book and try to identify its species.

To help demonstrate it's immensity, see the photo above of Dave "hiding" behind it.

I can't wait to get up there this weekend. I have a list of projects I'd like to work on - some furniture stripping, refinishing, painting, etc. Hopefully I'll get the new bathroom curtains made, and finally hem the shower curtain liners. And maybe even work on finally cleaning out the basement, without bumping my head really hard in the process.

Best laid plans

2008-05-21T10:34:00.004-04:00

I have been perfectly happy with my decision to hold off on the kitchen re-do. Then this past weekend my fridge had a meltdown. I woke up Sunday morning to the smell of something burning, got all freaked out, yelled upstairs for Tracy, and called Dave in a panic.

Turns out the smell was coming from my fridge, and slowly dissipated once we unplugged it. So whatever was making that smell was definitely coming from the refrigerator.

I don't mind waiting for the complete kitchen re-do, but I need a refrigemator. No kidding. I always have beverages in there, and quite often store my delicious leftovers from the diner so I can bring them back to the city on Sundays for dinner. I just can't live without a way to keep my Blue Moons frosty cold.

So I ordered a new fridge. It comes next Thursday, so I will be without this holiday weekend. No biggie, I guess. I'm pretty bummed, though, that this fridge died, because I had a couple of people lined up who wanted to buy it once I did the renovation!

Below, a couple more pretty pics from the weekend:

The cardinal is a little blurry, but you get the drift.

Amos in the country

2008-05-20T09:10:00.005-04:00

Amos had a great time in Hancock this weekend. He got all tuckered out from all of his playing, then did some really good napping (as did the rest of us!).

He's a great snuggler, although he gives off enough body heat to act as a furnace!

I was disappointed that, due to the rain, we were not able to play the flashlight-outside-in-the-pitch-dark game. Next time, I guess.

We were also not successful in getting him to go in the river. A little too chilly, perhaps!

Pretty, pretty

2008-05-19T10:42:00.005-04:00

I went out pretty early Saturday morning and took some pretty pictures in the yard. I love early morning up in the mountains.

Raindrops on the lavender buds:

It was early enough in the morning that the fog had not yet burned off the mountain. You couldn't even see the top of the mountain at this point:

More pretty flowering trees:

Currently reading: Say When, by Elizabeth Berg.

Recently watched: Juno. Great movie! Some of the best lines I've heard in a long time. Very likeable characters, too (most of them).

One more project

2008-05-15T09:04:00.005-04:00

In my post yesterday I forgot to mention that I finally covered up the cord for the towel warmer in the New Bathroom. It looks so much better!

Tonight I have to shorten my shower curtain liners so I can hang them up and actually be able to TAKE a shower! I also have to hang the little bracket on the wall that will hold the shower head.

Meanwhile, the guys from the "environmental services" place (aka pest control) came out to my place to rid my house of the squirrels and birds, etc. - all of the unwanted roommates. They flush the squirrels out, then put a trap door on so that if there are any still left inside, they can get out but can't get back in. It's a pretty nifty-looking little contraption:

I have to give them a call back to set up the time when they come back and seal everything up for good. I was also happy to notice that they closed up the area where the bees had been getting in last summer:

The guy told me, however, that is possible for a beehive to remain dormant, so even though we don't see any activity, the queen could still be living in the wall in there. So when it comes time to demo the kitchen, the guy warned me to be very careful. He said that the hives will sometimes fill a huge wall space, between studs. If I was to find bees in there, I would call a bee wrangler to come get them and relocate them. Apparently there is a shortage of honey bees these days, and it is a threat to the environment. Same with the recent shortage of bats. It's hard to imagine a shortage of bats in Hancock!

This weekend I don't have anything major planned, project-wise. Weather permitting, I will paint the new basement door. If I feel ambitious, maybe I will start working on refinishing the bookcases in the upstairs hallway. They are very institutional-looking right now.

My recent projects

2008-05-14T10:03:00.006-04:00

Aside from the new basement door, not too much has been going on in the way of major renovations at my house. I have decided to put the big kitchen re-do on hold until next year. Heck, I've been 2 years without a kitchen there - what's one more...?

This past weekend I did do a few little odd jobs around the place. I hung up this drying rack in the laundry room.

See, I already put it into action! This is part of my ever-expanding effort to "go green." The more I use this drying rack, the less actual dryer time is required, so I save gas and electricity.

I also hung up these curtains on the closet in the Pink Room. It looks so much better! I wrestled for months with what fabric to use, what curtains to make, then finally I just settled on some very cheap, plain white cotton curtains. It was cheaper to buy them than to make them! And they are nice and simple so they don't compete with the busy floral floor.

The room just looks so much more finished now.

Nice!

2008-05-13T13:10:00.007-04:00

At long last, a "real" basement door. No longer just a couple sheets of plywood with a rock (aka "the lock") to hold it down. But a real Wizard-of-Oz type cellar door.

I am so pleased!

Below you can see the old "door" off to the side, under the deck:

This weekend I have to paint the door (it comes primed only), and we will be all set!

I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no birdies!

2008-05-11T20:20:00.005-04:00

Based on the number of hatched robins' egg shells I found on the ground this weekend, it is pretty safe to say that we have lots of little red breasts making their debut! My concern here is that I just this weekend added the little perch to my birdhouse, but it might be too late! Robins are definitely too big to fit in the birdhouse, but some chickadees and the like will. But I am afraid that they have already laid their eggs elsewhere! Dave and Regina did see what seemed like a chickadee resting on the perch and looking in the house. I hope she decides to move in!

Watched this weekend: 27 Dresses, with Katherine Heigl. Very cute, I enjoyed it. Definitely a chick flick!

Also watched: A Love Song for Bobby Long, with Scarlett Johansson and John Travolta. I really liked it. Sad but nice at the same time, if that makes any sense.

Live the beauty!

2008-05-08T09:27:00.006-04:00

Over at the House of Atticus, 2 doors down, there is some amazing foliage. A couple of weeks ago I took these photos of these huge, magnificent magnolia trees. They are taller than the house!

A couple of weekends ago, when we were introducing Moose to Atticus and The Slow Movers (aka Titus and Rembrandt - thanks, RB!), I was chatting with the owner of the house, and she told me that she bought those trees down south about 40 years ago. She said that at the time she bought them, the guy who sold then to her said they would never survive in her climate. I am so glad they proved him wrong!

Below see a close-up of the smaller flowering tree that stands along the fence there:

And a beautiful forsythia bush:

The house right next to mine boasts this pretty flowering tree:

Hopefully when I get up there tomorrow my lilac bush will be in bloom. I also can't wait to see how my little rose bush is doing.