The Peanut, Renos (the saga continues), Remembering....

This peanut came for a sleepover on Saturday.....she is chatting so much more and can respond to questions and carry on a bit of a conversation (well, more one sided on Grammies part but still.....) and is becoming so much more fun!  It was a beautiful day so we went for a walk in the woods and came upon patches of squishy moss.....so off came our shoes and we walked on the moss and had a sit down where we found ladybugs, watched a squirrel chirping at us in a tree and collected pinecones.  Next time we will pack a picnic!  

We have had more fires in our fire pit this summer than we have had in the last 5 years in High River. I LOVE it!  The days are still warm (HOT this week!) but the nights cool off a lot so sitting out at the fire is absolutely perfect!!

The renos in the basement are continuing.....this was a pic of the drywall hung but our drywall taper/mudder Steph has been here since Sunday getting things all patched up and is doing a great job!!!  She is a hard worker!!!  Here before 7:30 and steady until after 3!  She said she will be done Thursday...........then paint, flooring, trim and I can move my sewing stuff in!!!!!!!  I hope I have enough room!!!!  LOL  With drywall up the room looks so much smaller!  I'll make it work....there's a room down there we will use as a spare bedroom....it might also house some cupboards of craft supplies and stamping stuff!  :o)

When we bought this house the previous owners left a BIG wall unit.  We realized it could come apart and once we got rid of the carpet also realized the pieces were on wheels (bonus!).  It was solid oak and built very well.  When I was up in HP I bought some Country Chic chalk paint originally to do our kitchen cupboards but thought I'd start out on these bookcases that were part of the wall unit.  THREE coats later (why didn't I prime first????  That paint is not cheap!) they are done.  

Before:

After:

I haven't painted the desk Hubby made.....I'm still deciding if these will stay here as the color is more yellow and kind of clashes with the wall color......I know I can use them in my sewing room.........but we will see.  This is how they are staying for now...........I had originally wanted to make curtains for the shelf area so that you wouldn't be able to see all the office stuff on the shelves....but until I decide where they will go I will hold off even filling the shelves.  

A gal I knew from HP posted a pic of this Baileys on FB the other day............I haven't tried it yet but I will!!!!

It has been six years today since this amazing woman passed.......ending her pain and suffering from that damn disease called cancer...she fought a long battle...and fight she did!  As painful as it has been to lose her, knowing she was pain free was a comfort.....but I miss her every day....wishing she was here watching her great grand babies, and just being here.......being my mom  <3 

Less vs More

Well, I am taking a break from painting....this time a couple of small bookcases.  I need to get them done so I can organize some office stuff.....there are things I need but have no idea where they are.  Being unorganized is not my thing!  hahaha  I have to paint the desk too but haven't decided on a color....or if I am going to stain it.......I can get organized with the shelves so they are the most important.

Last weekend we loaded up the dogs and headed north.  Our dogs are really great travellers....I'm thankful for that because it is a long drive!  Here they are, curled up on their bed snoozing away! :o)

We were at my Dad's the day of the eclipse.  As you can see, we had cloud coverage and even though it felt like the lighting changed, we couldn't see anything (this picture was taken on my cell phone on selfie mode lol....it was taken over my shoulder....I did not look at the sun!)  It was pretty uneventful really.  Some of the pictures off the internet are beautiful.  We were no where near "totality" (that's the phrase right?) so it wasn't that big of a deal.

Here is the shelf/towel holder I ask my Dad to make from the picture off of Pinterest.  It's perfect!  Smells a bit like the finish he put on it but over time that will wear off......now to pretty it up a bit.  

We also picked up a tiller that was my Mom's.  After Blair did a minor repair it worked great!  My garden is all tilled and ready to relax over winter and be raring to go next growing season!!  I'm sure it will be worked up a few more times beforehand.  I'm excited to have a bit of a garden again.

I was thinking today (as I often do when I'm painting) about a friend of mine in High River.  We worked together for almost three years but she had never been to my house.  When we knew it was sold, and before I started packing, I invited her over to see it.  I had never been to her house but I knew it was smaller than ours.  She loved our house and kept asking if I was going to miss it.  I said the one we were moving to was so much smaller.....a lot less house for sure!  People are always asking for pictures of our new house.....of course I would like it a bit more finished before I send pictures.  Then I catch myself feeling a bit embarrassed (is that the word?) because it's sooooo much less house then the one we came from.  Are we programmed to think that we should always be "moving up"?  Bigger, newer, better??  That as a couple in our 50's we should be living the dream and in our dream house with everything perfect and high end? This house is a third the size of the one in HR.  This house is decades older than the one in HR.  This house needs some updating and renovating.  But I do know one thing.....the house in HR never felt like home and this one does.  We haven't had the whole family here for a holiday meal or special occasion and I know it will be a lot more "cozy" than the one in HR!  Once the basement is finished here I hope we will have space for everyone to sleep, even if that means bringing out the air mattresses.  Not sure what we will do to fit in enough seating around some sort of tables to eat our big family meal.  But we will make it work.  Our house may be less but so is our mortgage payment.  Our house may be less but so is the time it takes for me to clean it.  Our house may be less but it's one that Hubby can come home to every night after work because it's a shorter distance to travel.  It is our home......and that makes it so much more.  

The Big Squeeze 2017

It's been a continuation of the whirlwind called renovations but I had to take time out to have my annual mammogram.  I was really trying to keep my mind calm.....I tell others not to worry about things until there is something to worry about so I was trying really hard to heed my own advice.  The requisition from my Dr doing the Brachy Therapy (sp? I can't remember how to spell that!  LOL) gave me the request for the mammogram stating to also do an ultrasound 'if necessary'.  I went back to the radiologist in Okotoks who found my spot last year......why mess around and go to someone who is NOT the Dr with the highest breast cancer detection rate in all of Alberta??  When I went in for the mammogram the technician said that more often than not, once you have had a diagnosis you will need an ultrasound after the mammogram (wow, does that mean most people get "it" back again??) so I was prepared for that.  After the big squeeze, which once again wasn't near as bad as I had imagined even in the boob with the scar tissue, the tech went to find the radiologist to make sure she didn't need to take more images before I went for an ultrasound.....so I sat and waited.....knowing that an ultrasound meant there was something there they would want a better look at.  When the tech came back, with a big smile on her face, she said Dr Lo said there was no need for an ultrasound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He would send his report to Dr H (at Tom Baker who I will see this week.)
  I wanted to jump for joy!!!!!  

Because my appointment was early Friday morning I went and stayed at my friend Sue's the night before.  We had a great visit and she brought me to my mammogram because afterwards we were heading into Calgary to go to a quilt shop (turns out we went to three!)  I celebrated my "victory" by doing a bit of shopping and treated myself to a few goodies!!  LOL  

When I got home Friday I was expecting the flooring, trim, etc would be getting finished and we could get the main floor of the house back.......nope.  But the one guy came back yesterday and it is all DONE!!!!  (I'm supposed to be cleaning so I can get started on painting our bedroom but I haven't started yet....not that it will take me long to clean this tiny house!  LOVE IT!)  So we took the dogs and went for a drive....and went to the Dickson Dam.  I didn't get many pictures but it is freaky driving on a road where the water is high on one side and waaaaaaaay down low on the other.  Here's a pic of the actual dam and the low side.  

I have finished painting the living room, kitchen, hallway, kids room and bathroom.  I had a vision and sent my dad a picture of a project off of Pinterest and voila it's done!  We will hang our towels on the pipe and decorate the rest! Can't wait to pick it up this weekend when we head north.

Saturday we went into Red Deer to Home Depot and found a light fixture for the bathroom (I love it!), a new ceiling fan (I love it!) and a fixture for the back entry (Love it).  (they aren't hung yet because nothing is simple around here!) We still need to find a few more light fixtures to replace the dated ones here and a ceiling fan for our bedroom.  Slowly but surely it will all come together.....ssssslllllooooowwwwwlllllyyyyy!

Drywall hanging should start in the basement soon.  Some drywall was delivered yesterday........I might bring out a sewing machine, etc and sew at the table in the sun room soon......once the remaining two rooms are painted.  :o)  I need to feel fabric and hear the hum of my machine!!!  Soon!!!!!

Renos....Can We Be Done???

As promised I have some progress pics for you.  (This will be a long post!) This seems to be taking forever but the guys doing it come after work so instead of taking two full days they are doing a few hours here and there.  Besides helping these young guys out with some extra money and the fact they are doing a very nice job as they are fussy, it's a bit of an inconvenience because they arrive here at 5:30 and, up until after yesterdays shift, I wasn't able to use the kitchen then which is when I would be preparing supper for Hubby.  They are here until 8:30 pm and afterwards there is clean up for me which is not what I want to do at 8:30 pm.  Whining aside, it is coming along and should be 100% done by Thursday night! Tonight is the rest of the hallway and bathroom and then trim.  

   In the listing for this property it said there were hardwood floors under the carpet...fir. I am so thankful we decided to change the floors instead of refinishing because, yes there was hardwood under most of the living room and down the hall, but there was a HUGE patch job and plywood in front of the stairs to the basement and the kitchen.

What a mess.....self levelling stuff was needed and our carpenter even did a bunch by hand...literally spreading it with his hand.....then it had to be sanded.......well....THE DUST WAS EVERYWHERE!!!  I seriously wanted to cry............I'm sure I will be finding dust in nooks and crannies for awhile......

Here is the flooring we have chosen.  I need to do a lot more painting (I'm finishing up the second coat on the hallway today and will do a second coat in the kitchen when I am done this post) then the bathroom.....then two of the bedrooms as I haven't found a color I like for the spare room.  I can then paint some of the furniture......the oak wall unit and bookcases and then the kitchen cupboards.  Oak be gone!!!!  HAHAHA! (I've never really painted furniture before...yikes!)

My accent wall.....where the two bookcases and "desk" will go.  The floor is done there now.

I will be so super happy when this painting is done.  My poor carpal tunnel hands and arms are taking a beating.  Drywall for the basement will likely happen next weekend....then taping, then more painting and more flooring!  Will I be ready for Thanksgiving????  :o)

This little dude went to his Daddy's stylist and had his hair cut.....pretty fancy!

This little princess came for a visit last weekend.  She loves her car!

She LOVES her quad rides with Papa!!!!!

Yesterday afternoon I popped into Olds to get paint.  Before I stopped at the paint shop I went to a quilt shop.....I was looking around for a bit (for fabric for a valance in the kitchen and curtains for the bookcases as they will be holding office stuff, etc....I'm sure I have suitable stuff in my stash once I can get to it!!!).  Anyway, I was going to take one more look around the front of the store, came around the corner and there were two gals I knew from my old home town!  They were coming back up from their trip to Montana and Idaho (I believe).  We had a quick visit because they were going to be driving all the way home yesterday and I knew they wanted to look around the shop.  It was nice seeing them and catching up on a bit of hometown news.

When I got home I had a headache (NOT from the visit....I was starving and hadn't drank any water all day!).  The guys came and were sawing and pounding so I wanted to find a nice quiet spot......well, I tried here but it's on the side of the house where the sawing takes place!  I ended up going way out to the "pond" and had a nice sit-down with a couple of magazines.

When Hubby got home we had supper outside at the back of the house, had a fire in the fire pit then decided to take the dogs to the river.  Of course I had to look at rocks and these are what I found!

This one is so neat.....I could not get the small rock out of the big rock!  I wonder how long it's been in there and how it got there and got stuck!!!!  

Off to paint.........*sigh*  One day it will be done but it won't get done unless I do it!  LOL!

Grandparenting, a Furball and Some Work on the Weekend!

Good Monday morning!  Well, afternoon now I guess.  I'm still in my pjs....had a late start to my day and one has to clean in their pjs or it's just not right!  LOLOL!

Haven't accomplished much as far as the house goes.....Thursday I went to pick up Miss Lyla from High River.  I made a day of it and stopped to do some shopping in Okotoks (I had gift certificates to use up!)  I stopped at the thrift store and found these 'vintage' goodies!  Who can pass up vintage Tupperware?  I remember my Mom having the sugar bowl.  It is now washed and filled with sugar in my cupboard!  I keep my sugar in a big (new) Tupperware container and when a recipe calls for a tsp it was a pain!  Now I am all set!!  The little pitcher is so cute!!!!!  I'm sure I will find a use for that too!  Had a nice lunch and visit with my friend Sue as well.  Not sure how often I will get back there now.......it's not too far I guess!  

So this little monkey came and stayed with us for the weekend.  She kept us on our toes!  She slept in every morning......not up at her usual 5:30 am which I was thankful for!  Saturday she spent the day with her other grandparents who have a lake lot about 15 minutes from us!  Hubby and I got a lot of things done around here while she was there having a blast!

On Thursday I also picked up this furry thing!  Twix will be living with us now....she is 10 or 11 months old (Daughter2 couldn't remember!) and is so small!!!!!!!  And skinny!  I don't know if her dogs ate all this cats food or what???  Of course WE have to have her spayed!  That will be done soon!!!!  I'll let her get used to the place first.  She is my shadow today!

My electrician!  LOL  He worked very hard in the basement this weekend.  Tonight we will rip up the carpet here on the main floor and flooring should be installed starting tomorrow....I hope!  Shouldn't take too long (fingers crossed!!!)  

Here is Son1 on the weekend with my other little monkey!!!  I am hoping they decide to come down on the weekend!!!!!!!!  (not on the motorcycle!!!!)

Driving her home to her new place yesterday.  She didn't sleep a wink and Grammy should have sat back there with her......I don't know how many times I had to contort my body to grab a water bottle or something else she dropped!!!  Papa was driving!!

Lyla LOVES rocks and of course with having a gravel driveway it provides hours of entertainment.....I asked her if I could have this one though.......thinking of you Erica!  <3  

Hope to have some progress pictures on my next post!!!!!  Have a great week all!!!!!

So Much To Do....and I Need Motivation!!!

It's so hard to believe we got possession of this new place three weeks ago today!  It was a hot sunny day and we would be unloading the U-Haul truck and trailer right now.  A flurry of activity!  Today is quiet....as I sit in the sunroom with my lap top and coffee.  Not a sound to be had.  :o)  I have so so so many things I could be doing....and I know that all of a sudden I will be kicking myself for not getting these jobs done!  Painting....I have so much painting to do.  I know I should be painting the living room while the old carpet is there but I can't decide on a colour.....I think it will be easier when the floors are done.  But I have three bedrooms and a bathroom I could be doing now!!!  I may have colours picked out for them.......I need to get the painting done up here so that when the basement is done (more painting down there later) I will be able to organize my sewing/craft stuff and I will want to get busy doing those kinds of things instead!

On Saturday I headed into High River, bright and early, to grandparent this little monkey!!!  Here she is telling the dogs to "shhhhhh".  Her and her parents will be moving closer on the weekend....to north Calgary.....so it will take an hour off the commute!  We get to bring her here for the weekend to keep her out of the way.....and it will be so much more fun here for her!  Just have to figure out when to get there to pick her up.  I thought nothing of a two hour drive years ago....but now!  LOL!  

While in High River I went to Chinook Fabrics' Christmas in July sale....and to have a quick visit with Mavis.  Then I stopped by my friend and former neighbour Deb's house....she is packing for her move next week!  It was weird to drive by our old house and not park in the driveway!  LOL  

This dog is in her glory.  Every day she is outside roaming around.....looking for squirrels!  I have seen her sit at the base of a tree watching (and listening to a squirrel chirp at her) for a long, long time!!!  She must think she sees/hears something here as she is ready to pounce!!!!

It's funny how you can tell by her personality how much happier she is here.  Likely because she can roam and also because her Dad is home every night.  I think all the dogs are happier!  I'm happier because it took me maybe an hour to clean the house yesterday!!  (as opposed to 3 at the old house!)  I'm happier because it's so quiet and peaceful here.  I'm happier because Hubby is home every night.  But I think it could get lonely if I don't get myself busy.  Talking to dogs all day is okay but......hahaha!  Thank goodness for the internet and text messages and emails!  Again, I do have enough things to keep me busy.....I just have to start!  Off I go!!!!!!

A Tiny House, BIG hail, and Renovations

Well, we are here.  :o)  I've hardly heard the dogs barking...it's been nice.  We were not able to move in early so we had to entertain all the kids on Canada Day weekend.  Son1, Jenna, Jude, Hubby and I all walked to George Lane Park in High River on July 1st.  There was music and events and we stopped for pie at Evelyn's Diner.  We could see the fireworks that night from our backyard.  Sunday we played cards outside and just relaxed.....I twisted or pulled something in my back Saturday and it was not fun!  I had a hard time getting comfortable or doing anything.  Daughter1 took another week off and continued to pack while the guys moved things....we have a utility trailer and rented a big U-Haul truck (for only one day but in hindsight we should have kept it for at least two days!).  Monday they were both loaded right up ready to go bright and early Tuesday morning when we did get possession.  Long story short....it all got here.  Hubby's shop is almost all organized and the other garage is FULL of my stuff.....mostly quilting.  This is where some of the renovations come in......the unfinished basement will be finished....a bedroom, bathroom, utility/laundry room and the rest will be left open...so basically half of it lengthwise.  That will be my sewing area.  Hopefully there will be room for a bit of a sitting area on one end and a tv.  The framing is starting next weekend.  Flooring upstairs will be replaced.  Off white carpeting does not work for us and the dogs although it is nice and cozy!  LOL  Light fixtures, painting, and little things here and there to make it our own need to be done.  Nothing major upstairs!  This is a (bad) pic of our little bungalow on a rare cloudy day.  (the sunroom is on this end...my favourite room)  We haven't had many cloudy days since we moved but we have had a couple of thunder storms.......

 ....which included HUGE hail last Sunday.  Thank God they weren't all this big but I have never in my life seen hail this big!  The sound on the roof was awful!  Hubby and I wondered if we were jinxed as far as the weather goes!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No damage...can you believe it but I think it was because of the direction it came from and that we are really well protected here with trees.

At the end of the week we moved, it had been so hot so we took the babies to Little Red River...lots of people were floating down the river...it's shallow (where we went), warm and sandy.  The babies LOVED it! (I think Son1 and Papa loved it too!!!!)

Here are these two digging in the driveway!  We will have to get a sandbox one day!

Jude turned one year old this day!  Oh these two are growing up way too fast but are getting more and more fun!!!!  

So one day, when I can get my sewing/quilting room all set up and all the major renovations are done and I'm done painting....I'll be able to really relax!  (and SEW!!!!)