Another Completed Project -- Check!

"Before"

"After"

I spent the past weekend working on a project

that has dogged me since

I moved in a year ago.

The mantle of my fireplace

got a "slapdash" coat of paint

just before I moved in.

In addition to only having one coat

which really did not completely cover

the original paint,

it was painted with latex over oil,
which took foreveeeeeer to dry,

and the underside of the mantel shelf

never got painted.

So, lots of problems

I have lived with for the past year.

I also lived with the original red brick 

surround for a year,

trying to decide whether or not to paint it as well.

As you can see from above,

I decided to paint it.

My first coat on the bricks

which you see above

was with KILZ Hide-All.

After that I painted two coats a white latex 

on everything.

The black vent behind the fire screen

also got a coat of an oil based enamel.

I do not have a lot of experience

painting with enamel and while painting

with it, every brush stoke seemed to show.

I am happy to  say when it dried,

it was as smooth as satin!

I am very happy with the results of my

weekend project.

I am also happy to have this project off my list!

Judy, Judy, Judy

Reminiscing today.

The picture above is of my cousin Judy and me.

It was taken when we were four years old.

Note the matching sun suits.

This picture was taken in Michigan,

where both our families lived at that time.

About a year later, my family moved 

to Alabama.

However,  Judy and I stayed friends

all during our childhood.

Vacations were family trips,

either north or south,

depending upon which family was

traveling that summer.

The above picture shows Judy and me at the door

of my family's home in Alabama.

I'm the one with the ponytail.

Our mothers, who were close sisters,

are on the porch

with my sister Nancy between them.

They are all eyeing Judy's and my

life-sized dolls.

These dolls were so large they wore

real children's clothes!

On a later trip south for Judy's family 

the above "cousin" picture was taken.

I'm in the middle, with Nancy between Judy and me.

My older brother Bill is beside me

with Judy's little brother Ron in front.

How's this for dressed up girls?

We were at Judy's house and

getting ready for 

her violin recital.

I am the older, by about a month, and larger.

Judy was always (and still is) petite and 

I always felt  a bit awkward next to her!

This is a picture of all the "girl" cousins,

at that time. 
We have a few more now.

It was taken in Michigan.

I'm the one in the yellow sweater,

with the gosh awful pixie cut.

Between Judy and me 

is Linda, Patty in the center,

Nancy in the blue (what a cutie!)

and little Terri.

Which brings me to why 
I'm revisiting my past.

Sadly, family trips back and forth 
have become obsolete.
Too much distance, time,
marriages, children and life in general
put us on different paths.
However, a few years ago
Judy and I reconnected
via Facebook

and Judy has been keeping up with the 

Hummingbird Cake Bake Off.

She surprised me recently with the above picture.

Very nice cake Judy!
And YOU  look great too!

Allrecipes was her inspiration for her cake.
She says it was "yummy" and that she'll
"be making this again."

Thank you, thank you, thank you Judy,
for joining in with our cake fun.
But more than that,
thank you for helping me remember
what special times we had growing up.
Sure do wish we lived closer!

Almost Finished...

The work on the new screened porch

continued last week 

and the end is in sight!

My initial plan was to use the wood floor

already there.

But after thought and discussion

it was decided a tile floor

would be more durable.

So I chose two I liked,

in a light gray.

Looking at them side by side,

they look almost identical,

but there were some subtle differences.

It helped to place them in the space and decide.

In a short while,

the chosen ones were in place 

with spacers.

Then grouted and finished!

The covers for the electrical plugs were also installed.

The ceiling fan has been installed.

The black channels you see above will hold the screens

in place and be finished with a white cover.

The last bit of progress last week 

was that I ordered a replacement door

for the entrance to the porch.

It will not be ready for four or five weeks.

I am hoping the rest of the porch 

will be done before then!

The only real remaining job

is the installation of the screens.

Then, the real fun starts,

decorating it!