Monday, July 23, 2018

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!

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

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 
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!


Monday, July 2, 2018

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!
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