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Because I said so, that’s why.
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Although my opening line probably resonates with a lot of people, my mother never said that.
To be honest I can’t remember anything she said from my childhood that annoyed me… but in later years, whenever I forgot something I wanted to tell her? She would say, “It must not have been very important.”
To which I always wanted to reply, “Oh yes, now I remember. Your house is on fire .”
How about you…
What did your mother say that drove you nuts?
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Day lilies are popping.
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And they’re such a great burst of color…
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I wish they were at least week lilies.
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Here today.
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Gone tomorrow.
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Good thing there are a plethora of buds.
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😊
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My father painted this large canvas when he was in Hawaii during WWII.
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I never questioned when a man at war would find time to paint because my father painted anywhere, everywhere, all the time… even if he only had ten minutes.
This painting has hung over our bed in 4 different homes and hangs there still.
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My father was mostly a water colorist so his oils are rare, I only have two. The frame is basic, handmade with whatever was nearby at the time. My mother never liked it… so it was hidden in a closet until I got married and adopted it 40 years ago.
Am I overly fond of Hawaiian palm tree scenes? No. Does the tropical island design blend with our house in rural Maine? Probably not. But historical provenance and sentimental value trump decor every time.
Point of this blog?
Since we seem to be redoing everything else in our home.. I decided it was time to update this old girl as well.
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Which wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped.
Mind you, I knew this would be pricey… isn’t everything these days? But since it’s an oil that didn’t need to be restretched, an oil that didn’t need a mat or glass … I was hoping to get away for $300-$400.
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This frame?
$825.00
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This one?
Almost $1,300.
*Gulp!*
It’s clearly been a long time since I had anything framed.
😳
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Work has resumed on the front porch replacement and there’s a whole lotta thinking goin’ on.
( If you read that while humming Jerry Lee Lewis, you’re my people)
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As I mentioned before, my husband is not a contractor. Not a builder by any means.
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He’s never worked with composite decking before… and if you think it’s as simple as laying wooden deck boards you’d be wrong.
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Our old deck had small wooden boards running vertically, from lawn to house. That’s what the frame was set up for. So of course my husband decided to run the new ones horizontally because it means less cutting and measuring.
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And while he added a few more supports, he didn’t make them 16” on center like you’re supposed to. More on this mistake later…
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And since he changed the plan, he now has to picture frame the boards which means mitered corners.
This has never been his strong suit and just one of the reasons why I wanted to wait for a professional to tackle this project.
🥴
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A little bit of this, a whole lot of nothing important.
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I feel you Biggie.
I really do.
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I am woefully out of touch, as proved by this public service announcement from the University of Pittsburgh.
😳
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Could there be anything more revolting?
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Holy Hell.
That’s going to give me nightmares.
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From the back of the garage…
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To the back yard…
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Down the cobwebbed staircase of doom…
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And across the entire length of our nightmare, packed to the rafters basement….
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I cursed him.
On all of the 23 trips it took me to clear my patio table of his crap boxed up treasure.
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It may not look like much, but the boxes weighed a ton and I have a bad knee.
Explanation for my cursing?
A patio table belongs on the patio. Or in our case, on the back deck. But right after we relocated it to the garage… when the contractor replaced the deck last year… my husband piled a bunch of crap stuff on it. I’ve been after him for, count them… eleven! months to move his crap things.
Eleven months.
But our deck was still bare.
So last week I dragged every last piece of crap off the table and back down to the basement.
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If anyone needs 74 old issues of Life magazine? I’m your girl.
But after that workout?
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Success.
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Nothing earth shattering, just a woodchuck family having a nosh.
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Carrots and broccoli are their favorites.
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And they make short work of it.
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Momma had five children…
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But we rarely see them all together anymore.
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Still here.
Still useless.
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Proof positive people will buy anything.
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Yeah, it’s always the last place you look.
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Because we all need another one of those.
🥴
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Yikes.
For once I’m glad my plumbing is female.
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Because we keep voting for them, that’s why.
But seriously, the creature can live without its head for 30 days. You have to admit, that’s impressive.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten is not happy with the constant remodeling noise, but his curiosity gene is strong enough to warrant a quick exploration of the project when my husband takes a break.
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Checking out the missing siding.
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Walking balance beam.
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Attacking a clamp.
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And looking in the window he usually looks out are all on the menu.
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As is using the new pea gravel for a litter box.
Though we probably won’t share that part with my husband.
😉
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The horrible old carpet was gone, the lush new carpet was laid… and then it was time for the (not so) fun part.
Putting everything that we’d moved out back in.
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It’s no wonder people rarely change their flooring.
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It really is like moving.
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And I don’t know anyone who enjoys that.
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My husband and a friend moved all the major pieces.
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Slowly, carefully… and thankfully without mishap.
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And once our bed was put back together..
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And the doors reattached, I got busy with everything else.
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Now that’s more like it.
😊
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River's world..... 