The kitchen continues......

I decided I didn't like the light mint green I had painted the back splash boards or the hallway beside the kitchen, so I redid them. I tore out the pineboard, bought new ones and stained them. - to get this colour I first put on a coat of Danish Walnut and then a coat of Red Mahogany. Hubby says he likes this much better than the light green, good thing cause I'm getting tired of redoing it! I still have to put on a couple of coats of satin varethane so I can wipe it down.

I painted the hallway the same light mint green as the kitchen, that's when I decided I really didn't like that colour at all. I had painted my office an avacado green, so I mixed the last bit of that with the light green and repainted the hallway. It looks much better, it's not as dark as the office but makes the white trim stand out much better. I may repaint the kitchen (just the wall above the cupoboards and around the fridge with the same light avacado, but that will just have to wait a while, my gardening is getting behind.

The Kitchen!

Not being of sound mind or that great a body either, I decided to redo some of my kitchen. I needed a project to keep my mind busy while I tried to quit smoking. Not one of my brightest ideas - yes, the kitchen needed doing, but maybe I should have given a little thought as to how much stress it was going to create in my life! Never the less it is done.

As you can see it was ceramic tile and although they did match the counter top they had never been installed properly and were falling off leaving large ugly spaces.

Around the top was a border of sunflowers - was being the operative word, half of it was gone leaving just the paper backing. The woman we bought the house from said she was in the process of redoing the kitchen, but had sold the house before she could finish. Like so many other things in this home, her projects were very poorly done just quick cover ups to make a sale. She said she had hired a contractor to do the work, turns out it was her uncle who had no prior experience and it shows!

Anyway I ripped off all the tiles, got rid of the border wall paper, washed and scrubbed every inch of the kitchen and installed pine bead boards. That took me 3 days and once that was done, much to hubby's horror I painted it all a light green.

It did clean it up nicely, but hubby was right I should have never painted the back splash. It should have stayed the natural pine and I should have covered it in a couple of coats of varethane so I could wash it easily.

So, as soon as I get the energy I'm going to rip it all out and start again!

The kitchen saga will contine............

Quitting Smoking!

I decided it is time to quit smoking (again). I have quit several times in the last 20 years, sometimes for as long as a year, sometimes as short as a day. The last time was in 2002 - that one lasted almost a year. I did well from November till the following September when my Mother died, followed closely by our dear old dog Archie in November and then my Mother-in-law at Christmas. It was too much, I went back to smoking.

That spring of 2003 I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I said to my doctor, "I guess I should quit smoking again". He said, "No! It's much too stressful and you don't need more stress right now".

Six years later I'm thinking maybe it's time again. I could use the money (I'm saving for a trip to Kentucky, you know), I'm sick of the smell, it would be nice to be able to breath and smell again plus it's just plain STUPID to smoke.

Today is actually day 10 of the plan, I haven't had a puff since the morning of the 4th of August. Although I have nicotine gum, patches and lozenges in the house I haven't needed them. I have stocked up on hard candies, sunflower seeds, caramels, lots of fresh fruit and some jumbo drinking straws cut to the length of a cigarette to suck on or chew on while I'm on the computer.
The one place I thought I'd have a hard time was when I was on the computer, I literally drank coffee and chained smoked while sitting here. I have had to limit my time a little at first, but it's getting better already.

I also decided to keep my mind busy I needed a project, so rather than just put up wainscoting in the bedroom, I decided to redo the kitchen first! Trying to do this while quitting smoking was not one of my better ideas! But it is about half done, and I haven't had a ciggie but that old drinking straw has sure had a chomping a time or two. Hubby bless his heart has had the brains to stay out of my way and not give me any little tips on how to do what I'm doing.

I hope this is the last time, but you never know.

Just Lilies

A Walk Around the Farm Yard

It is such a beautiful morning I thought you might like to go for a walk around the farm. The first one is in the field looking north towards the farm yard.... then looking south from the deck to where I was standing for the first picture. You can see the bales we did yesterday in the far field - due to the cold dry spring and now grasshoppers our hay crop is pitiful. Last year we made 160 bales on that field, this year only 97 - it's going to a miracle if we get enough feed for the cows this winter.

My garden and greenhouse - the potatoes look good, the garden on the other side of the greenhouse is pretty sad looking this year.

Looking at the east end of the house.

The north side....

and the south side. Tomorrow I'll take you haying!

Pride goeth before a fall!

I bought a new (to me) truck last month - it's a 2005 Dodge Dakota, and has all the toys you could ask for and fancy chrome everywhere. Although it's 4 years old it has really low milage and has been very well looked after. A couple of days ago I washed it and shinned it up and the next morning and went to town. While I was in grocery shopping I could see through the front windows a couple of young men looking at the truck and discussing something. Of course I thought "Oh, they like my truck" and felt rather proud of how good it looked. A little while later after I had come back from another store and was walking down the street, I saw a man and a woman point at the truck as they walked by and say something, again I thought they were discussing how good it looked.
When I got home as I got out I glanced at the windshield and OMG there was a DEAD MOUSE stuck to it!!! It was just below the windshield wipers, there is a black edge at the bottom of the glass and I couldn't see the damn thing from inside. I realized what everyone was pointing at and talking about - I felt rather silly to say the least.
I knew Simba had been playing with a dead mouse the night before beside the truck, tossing it up in the air and doing kitty things with it, when I went to get it and throw it in the bush I couldn't find it. Now I know where it went!

Walking in the rain

We had horrific thunder storms last night and about 1/2 an inch of rain. This morning it was grey and drizzley and the temps. hung around the 50 degree mark.
I tried to find housework to do, but couldn't find anything that interested me (like it ever interests me!), did some digging on family genealogy, tried to nap, finally gave up and went walking in the rain.
Molly the Collie and Max the Mouser came with me and we wandered for about a mile around the farm. Strangely Max always likes to come for a walk with me even if it's raining, some of the other cats will start out, but the least sign of dampness they head back to the house (the big woossies).
I've always loved walking in the rain, even as a kid, as long as there was no thunder and lightening. It clears my mind, refreshes my soul and gives me time to think about things. I love getting back home and dropping the wet things at the door, towelling my hair and putting on nice warm dry clothes - my jammies this time. Depending on how cold I got I like a nice cup of hot coffee or hot chocolate and warm fuzzy slippers.
On this trip I've decided I must loose some weight, it's really been creeping up the last few years. That and the fact that we had company the other day and after they left, I mentioned to hubby that Liz had gained a lot of weight. He replied "Oh she's not that bad, she's no bigger than you, it's just her clothes are 2 sizes to small". I really had to remind myself that hubby is one of those people who couldn't care less what someone looks like, as long as they are decent and honest.
I also decided that my fall house project will be to put bead board wainscoting in the bedroom. I'll use pine boards and then put a white wash on them. I built a headboard last year of the same stuff so it should match. I did wainscoting in the spare room a couple of years ago and used the sheets of fibre board - the stuff was horrible and I still don't like the look.
I'm going for the romantic victorian look, maybe some nice plates on the wall along with some old photos framed in antique frames. Floral bedspread and curtains, my grandmothers lace doilies placed here and there.....
Yes, walking in the rain inspires me!