Meeko and Renovation News

Some of you have been asking about Meeko. He is much better and there hasn`t been a reoccurrence of his Colitis. We`re watching his diet and making sure he is getting what he needs.

Over the weekend it was cooler and Meeko has been enjoying the great outdoors. He enjoys being outside when a nice breeze is blowing.

The above photo is a rare one where he is looking directly at the camera. It seems when I aim that he always turns his head away. I`m hoping this can be clicked on to enlarge it, as it clearly shows his eyes. His right eye is blue and the left one is brown.

Here he is resting comfortably in the cooler weather. He so enjoys laying on the veranda and keeping watch over the yard.

As most of you already know, the plumber was to come Monday. Well, he did and he was here from 9 am to 4 pm. He changed the pipes for the upstairs bathroom vanity but when he began working to install the toilet, he found that there was two hairline cracks down the pipe and he had to take that out and put in a new one. I`m certainly glad he found that because it would have spelled disaster in the future. It was quite a bit extra work for him and that wasn`t something we had planned on. However, we are aware that when you begin renovating old houses that you never know what you are going to find. Thank goodness this was found before it broke open, which wouldn`t have been long from the looks of the old pipe.

For years when we`ve done laundry, our bathtub (this is in our apartment) gurgles and so does the kitchen sink. Well, the plumber found out that nothing in the upstairs bathroom was vented and that is why everything gurgles when the washer empties. That is now fixed as well.

So, the renovations continue. The plumber can`t come back until next Monday because he has a big job to do. That is okay because there is still lots of painting to be done upstairs.

Take care and have a great Wednesday. Blessings, Mary

Renovation Update

This week the neighbor's son has been coming to lend us a hand with the renovations. He is an excellent worker.

Remember when the small bedroom looked like this? Well we had the lath and plaster taken away a couple of weeks ago.
Today the small bedroom looks quite different than it did back then. The sub floor is good and so we don't have to do anything but lay carpet over it. We've washed the walls and it's ready to be painted. The vacuum was humming in there all afternoon. We were trying to get all of the dust off the plywood floor, which I think is impossible. This dust seems to reappear as quickly as the vacuum sucks it up. What a job!

Remember when the bathroom walls were nothing but green water resistant wallboard? Well now it looks like this. It's all primed and ready to paint. Two coats have been applied and we used an entire gallon of primer. It should be well sealed. The wallboard absorbed the primer quickly and by the time the neighbor's son had the first coat applied, it was dry enough to begin putting the second coat on.

Remember this large black wall unit. It was in pretty rough shape but made of solid wood. It is very heavy and it needed a lot of work. We took it apart, used a bit of wood filler and some Kilz and this is what it looks like now.Quite a difference and it is already to come downstairs and replace our small wall unit. This will give us so much more room to store things and display knick knacks and such. We are always looking for ways to add more space.

As you can see, the living room needs some work. We haven't got that far yet. We've skimmed the wall on the left and sanded it and now we need to wash everything so we can paint. It's all beginning to come together. I'm going to see if the plumber can come next week to install the tub, shower and vanity. I'm hoping he can. We may just have the work all done by the end of July. It's been a lot of hard, back-breaking work but we are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

In other news, I received the above award some time ago from Violet Lady and then again from Storyteller. Thank you, Ladies. I'm honored.

And now the rules:

1. Please put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. You must nominate 7 fellow bloggers for this award.

4. Add links to the recipients.

5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.

I always find it difficult to choose who to give awards to, as each is equally deserving. That said, I am going to give it to all of my friends and visitors who have stopped by and commented during the month of July. Please feel free to take a copy and post it on your sidebar or on your awards page. Enjoy! ~Blessings, Mary~

Thankful Thursday

Today is Thankful Thursday. It is a day when we list the things we are thankful for. If you would like to participate, be sure to stop by Sting My Heart and pay Iris a visit. You can find all the information there.

It's been awhile since I participated in Thankful Thursday. Mostly because I've been busy and keep forgetting what day of the week it is. Here are some things I'm thankful for this week.

1. Getting the plaster and lathe out of the smallest bedroom in the rental apartment at a good price. The man who put up the gyprock also gave us a very fair price.

2. For my mother who is in fairly good health for her 81 years. She has had two mini strokes in the last 5 years and is still going strong with no negative results. She drives, helps family and is very independent.

3. For grandsons who are willing to learn about renovations and lending a helping hand. They are good boys and did a great job.

4. Food on the table, a roof over our heads, central air in the summer and heat in the winter.

5. For good neighbors who will lend a hand and expect nothing in return, though we try to return the favor whenever possible.

6. Nature. Some of my greatest joys are found in the animals and birds that frequent the area. A blue jay has been stopping by and so I put out some peanuts-in-the-shell for him to enjoy. He is a gorgeous creature. We also have raccoons and squirrels that delight us with their antics.

7. For a husband who knows how to tape and mud drywall. The job will soon be done.

For all blessings received, I am thankful. It seems there are so many positive things in the world and I try very much to focus on each of them. Remember to count your blessings and look for the silver lining in every cloud. ~Blessings, Mary~

The Weekend

I enjoyed the weekend, except that my camera wouldn't work and so I didn't get any photos to post. Grrr! It is being cantankerous again. I'm not into buying a new one right now, so will have to put up with its moods.

Saturday hubby and I worked on the apartment. He put the first coat of drywall mud on and embedded the tape into it. He didn't quite get it all done, but most of it. It will take at least two more coats, maybe three. It has to be sanded between each coat. The tape has to be completely covered and then the last coat has to be feathered out to blend in with the wall. When it is all done, no one should be able to tell where the seams are. He's done this before and I can't forsee any problems.

Brandon was to come and spend Saturday afternoon and overnight with me while Jordan attended a birthday sleepover. Jordan called about 2:30 pm and said that the party had been cancelled. He wanted to come to sleep overnight as well. I told him the only way he could come was if he promised to work without complaint. He agreed.

The boys arrived at about 3:30 pm and I immediately put them to work upstairs. Brandon stripped wallpaper and Jordan swept stripped wallpaper off the bedroom floor. Now this was the room where the stucco paint had been applied over the wallpaper, so the pieces were big, stiff and awkward. Jordan swept it all into a corner with the broom and then scooped it up and put it into a garbage can. He did a great job. Brandon did a great job stripping wallpaper. Neither of the boys has ever done anything like this before and they both enjoyed it. I was very thankful for their help and so was hubby.

The boys and I went out and about after dinner, which was BBQd burgers. Of course that's always a treat for them. We went and had an ice cream cone and then stopped at the video store. We didn't get anything, as this is a new store and not to our liking. We will continue to rent games and movies from the older store. It was a great disappointment to see the way they're running the new store. Ah, times are changin'.

This morning the boys let me sleep in and I didn't get up until 9am. It seemed like the day was half over. I never sleep so late, but I guess I was tuckered out. We had breakfast and then they just played together until their parents came to get them at 1pm.

After they left, hubby suggested we drive to Port Dover for a foot long hotdog. The Arbor has been around for years and years. It is the home of Golden Glow, which is a lemonade. Hubby and I ordered hamburgers and Cherry Glow. We always enjoy eating at the arbor and you can see a photo if you click on the link above. The place has changed a lot since I was young. The food is delicious and it is not far from the beach.

After spending some time chatting with another couple from our city, we headed home. It was nice to get away for awhile and enjoy the nice lake air.

I hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed the great outdoors. Have a wonderful week. ~Blessings, Mary~

The Envelope Please...

The envelope please... and the winner of the contest to guess what I had done that I had never done before in my life is............................

Yes, I was tired of my thin, gray hair and I dyed it. When I was young, dying your hair was all the fad, but my parents would never allow it. I guess they ingrained that into me and throughout my adult life I just never did it. Besides, I loved my thick mop of auburn. However, after my accident in 1988, I began to loose my hair and it got thinner, and thinner and... well, you get the idea.

When I got my hair cut the other day, the hairdresser, whom I've gone to for years asked me why I didn't dye it. She told me it would look a little thicker and would look fuller with a bit of color. So yesterday I went to the drugstore and bought some hair dye. She was right. It does at least look like I have hair now. See below. I'm quite pleased, though I don't look forward to having to dye it every six weeks or so. But when I had to choose whether to look bald or like I still have a little hair, I choose the latter. Even Jordan noticed. He kept looking at me oddly and then asked me if I'd dyed my hair.



So Anni, in the next few days I will send your gift off to you in the mail. I will send you an email when it's on its way.

In renovation news, the lathe and plaster are still upstairs. In yesterday's post I explained that I had called 1-800-Got-J*unk. They had quoted me a price of $215 to $300 for removing all the garbage. They were to be here at 2pm.

About 1:45, the man called and said he would be about one hour and a half getting here, as they were halfway between here and Niagara Falls. I understand things happen, so that was fine. When he did get here, he looked at the mess upstairs and told me it would be $750 to remove it. No way was I paying that much if I have to carry it downstairs myself. So I sent him on his way and called the company. I heard every excuse in the book from them. The only thing I have to say is that I will never call them again nor will I ever refer anyone to them.

So, the plaster and lathe is still upstairs and we can't paint a thing until it is gone because of all the dust. We can tape and mud though, so we will get that done. This afternoon another man, an independent, is coming to give us a price. If that is too steep, we will end up doing it ourselves, but that will cause things to be delayed once again, so am keeping my fingers crossed that this man is reasonable. Oh, the joys of renovations, but at least it is moving forward, albeit slowly.

Take care and have a wonderful Friday. And to all my American friends and readers, Happy Independence Day.~Blessings, Mary~

What I'll Be Doing Today

Good Saturday morning to my friends and readers. I haven't been online as much lately because of all that's going on here. We're gearing up to start rebuilding all that we've torn out. Once we get the bathroom wallboard up, we should be well on our way. Then there is the taping and mudding and then the plumber will come in to put in the bathroom, toilet and vanity/sink. When he is finished, we will prime and paint. In fact I might prime before we get him to come. It would be much easier and I don't want primer and paint all over the new vanity/sink and tub. I wish that the painting could be done before it goes in, but am not sure about that. I'm still thinking about it. It would be a lot easier. What do you think?

Today is Griffyn's birthday. For anyone who doesn't know, Griffyn is my great-nephew. His mother, Melissa, is having a birthday party for him. He will be one and that is reason for celebration. So this afternoon, we will be heading out for a couple hours of relaxation and fun with family. I will be try to remember the camera so I can get lots of photos.

Have a terrific Saturday. Just touching base. Maybe next week I will have some photos of how the work is progressing. ~Blessings, Mary~

Progress on the Apartment and an Award

It's Saturday morning and today hubby and I are catching up on household chores instead of working on the apartment. It is exhausting and with his bad heart and my bad legs and back, we need a break.

On Friday, Jack, Melissa and Griffyn came. When they arrived Dwight had already ripped the bathroom vanity out and was starting on the walls. They got the sink disconnected and then they tore out the wall that has to be removed to get the tub out of the bathroom.

Let me tell you that the vanity was pieced together. It has been there since we moved here 15 years ago and when Dwight pulled the doors, the whole front fell off of it. LOL Whoever put it in there pieced it together. I'd never really looked at it closely before. So it needed to be replaced. I don't expect my tenants to live in anything less than I would want for myself. I don't need fancy things, but do want them to be stable. I'm surprised it lasted this long.

So now the bathroom is down to the joyces, except right behind the tub and it is down to the lath. The bathroom has been there many years, as it is horsehair plaster in there. That was the old fashioned type of plaster and I would think it's been there since the house was built in the mid 1800s. I was hoping to find some old newspapers, but not so far.

I would like to present all my readers, visitors and those on my blogroll with the award below. I treasure your friendship. Please feel free to take a copy.

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and support as we are taking on this project. This is huge for us for two reasons. One, we both have issues - Dwight's being his heart and mine being my back and legs. Two, it is something we've never done before. We've painted, put up wallboard, but have never done much plumbing. So far, so good. We are going to learn a lot with this project but it is going to look super when it's all done.

I will post pictures while some of the work is in progress, but once we start putting it all together, I will wait until it is done to show you the new look.

Take care and have a wonderful and safe weekend. Be sure to take some time to spend with family. Go to the park, the zoo or take the kids out for a bike ride. Enjoy those around you and have a good time. Laughter is the best medicine there is. ~Blessings, Mary~

A Hectic Day

Good Thursday morning.

Wednesday was a hectic day. Hubby and I both had errands to do in the afternoon. I got home first so I phoned for prices on carpet etc. Then we had to go and do some business and it took longer than we thought. By the time it was done, it was time to get something to eat. By this time we were both exhausted. Guess we are getting old. We can't do all the things in one day that we used to. So no physical work got done in the apartment today. However, we do know where we can get the best deals on some of the materials that we need.

Hope everyone has a good day. I will try to post a little update when I can.

In other news, they have called a halt to Aunt May's therapy for the time being. She went Tuesday to be marked for radiation on her spine. There is a lump of cancer there as big as a baseball. They feel it is more urgent to take care of that at the present time instead of chemo. Please continue to pray for her. She is in good spirits and is taking all of this in stride. She is a remarkable woman.

My blessings for this week:

1. May's positive attitude and inspiring motivation.

2. My MIL, who gave us an awesome gift to help with the renovations.

3. For Jack (and Melissa and Griffyn) who are lending us a hand with the renovations.

4. For all my wonderful blogging friends who prayed the tenant would move out without problems and who are still praying for us.

5. For songbirds that sing me awake in the morning.

6. For all of the blessings too numerous to mention here such as food on the table, a roof over our heads and all the other common things we often take for granted.

7. For the Power of Prayer.

Take care and have a wonderful day. ~Blessings, Mary~

What's New with Me

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I am fine, just busy. I usually post everyday, so wanted to let you know what is happening here.

The tenant moved out on Saturday, as promised. He left the apartment fairly clean and vacuumed and swept before he left. I was glad when he handed in the keys about 4 pm. Then we went to take a look and there is a lot of work to be done. We have to paint every room plus the downstairs entrance. The bathroom is pretty much totalled. We haven't done anything to it since we moved in 15 years ago, so it's time to spruce it up a little. I am going to take some photos and after it is all done, I will take more. Then I will post before and after photos. I'm not sure how long this is all going to take. Neither hubby or I am up to doing a lot of heavy redecorating or renovating. I'm hoping it won't be too long. We need to get the apartment finished and rented out. Though I dread renting it out again, it is a necessity.

Today Melissa, Jack and Griffyn came. Jack pulled up all of the carpet upstairs. It was a mess and has to be replaced. He will be back on Thursday to give us a hand again.

If I don't get to visit you as regularly as I have been, I apologize, but there is much to do and I will keep you all updated on our progress. ~Blessings, Mary~