Month: May 2007

It is progressing, sometimes at a snails pace.

The texture is on the walls, now it is time to paint.

The whiskey barrel pot by the front door now has some cilantro, peas, onions, marigolds, pansies, chocolate mint, and most importantly, strawberries. In the center is St. Frank (known as St. Francis of Assisi) and the spiked leaf plant behind him to add flare.

The trees in the yard, many still bearing witness to the St. Patrick’s day storm in ’03, look better now that I took clippers to their undersides and pruned the branches up removing some twiggy dead stuff. I am looking forward to making the landscape better which in my world includes roses. But first, we must finish painting the inside. Paint, paint, paint. And then carpet. I am looking forward to being able to unpack boxes and actually truly move in.

We were at my parents’ house last weekend for Kelly and Amanda’s luau shower. It was good to see many of the old neighbors from the area I grew up in. Very few of them live there anymore, but they are still neighbors in more of the adopted family sense. We did have a good time, but it was pretty interesting.

Hurrah! The last piece of drywall is up and mudded. Sand, mud, sand, wash any existing old walls to get old grime off, texture anything needing texturing, remove old doors and replace with new doors, and then paint ceilings and walls and new doors. And then, we can get new carpet. The end is in sight! Hurrah! A home improvement that morphed into a home remodel.

I met him when he was two. He was wearing a red shirt, and was in pin striped overalls- a train engineer complete with cap. “Hi… I’m Kelly.” The six of us grew up in the back yard, and were called by my mom the “ABC Kids”. Amy Brian Christy. Kelly was the youngest, and ended up being the strongest.

Fast forward 25 years, and now he is getting married this summer. In typical backyard neighbors fashion even though no one lives in the old neighborhood anymore, let alone next door, there is going to be a party in my parents’ back yard- a Luau for Kelly and his beautiful gal in honor of their wedding. I am glad I have a new flower shirt from the Buffett concert to wear. Perhaps we should bring that peanut sauce and the stuff for Mai Tai’s… “Breathe in, Breathe out…” Anyone have a beach ball?

Ron & Michelle invited us over on Saturday to watch their son play soccer and to go to church and dinner. We had a great time, and enjoyed going to Jose’ O’Shea’s which sounds Irish, but is very much Tex-Mex margaritas included. We had not gotten the chance to just go hang out with anyone in the last several months due to the house, moving, and the home improvements that have “feature creep”-ed into a basement remodel.

I am proud of Doug and I. He has worked so hard on the drywall and the new doors and their frames. It is a learning experience for both of us, and thanks to Ron and Lee, they have taught us both more about how to move walls, hang drywall, and frame in new doors. Doug has pulled cable throughout the house so now it is wired for internet and tv. I have done various tasks from replacing shower heads to weeding the front lawn by hand. The house will be a whole new place after this major improvement project is done. I am looking forward to getting it all finished, and having people over for a party.