Re Do x 3

Greetings,

Well, the kitchen counter tops are in....

and sadly to say.... they do NOT match the walls.

First, I painted the walls a Disco Ball grey, which looks like Fairy Dust Purple or something.

So I tried to go a little darker.... a Metallic Greyish color.

Way too dark and metallicy.

So I repainted the walls a 3rd time...

Moonlight Grey.

I think I am going to stay with this color. 

I do not have the strength or resolve to paint again.


Blessings,

Memorial Weekend

Greetings,

Instead of a nice day out at the beach, park or golf course...

Harry decided to bring a little outdoor enjoyment to our front yard. 


With Zoysia.

Harry had to school me on the various types of grass this weekend.


This is what I found out....

It is a low growing, creeping grass, heat resistant, wiry, possibly uncomfortable under the bare foot. Zoysia is slow to establish but aggressive and competes with weeds for its own space.

It makes one of the most beautiful, carpeted lawns when fully established.

Because they can tolerate wide variations in temperature, sunlight, and water, these grasses are among the most widely used for lawns in temperate climates. They are used on golf courses to create fairways and teeing areas. Zoysia grasses stop erosion on slopes, and are excellent at repelling weeds throughout the year.  They resist disease and hold up well under traffic.


A zoysia grass lawn is frequently touted as the cure all for the homeowner’s lawn cares.

He cultivated and reseeded a small patch of the lawn. In 4 - 6 weeks our front lawn (at least a small section of it) will look like a golf course.


I am curious to see Harry's putting green in the next few weeks.

Blessings,

Hamptons Roads

Greetings,

I realize our life has revolved around home improvements... and unless you are into that sort of thing... you might be a little bored with our last 3 months worth of blog posts. 

So Harry and I are going to make an effort to "get out of the house" so to speak and enjoy what Virginia has to offer. 

We are starting local... Hamptons Roads area.




Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk-Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and hundreds of miles of waterfront property and beaches, all of which contribute to the diversity and stability of the region's economy.


Hampton Roads is home of the world’s largest naval base and world’s largest shipyard. All five military services’ operating forces and major command headquarters, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the only NATO command on U.S. soil call Hampton Roads home.


Our goal is to visit our new city (it's not really a city though) and see what it has to offer, see if it has anything of interest...?


Blessings,

I ♥ Bob Vila

Greetings,


If it were not for this man and his plentiful online "Do it Yourself" videos...

my life, which includes only home improvement right now, would be significantly more stressful.

Thanks Bob Vila.



And thanks to Bob Vila... I have removed (ripped out) the old sink in the spare bathroom.  Anyone in need of a 1950's possible older bathroom sink?

It was actually quite easy...

Hopefully, installing the new sink will go as smoothly!


Blessings,

Preschool graduation Ideas??

Greetings,

For starters...

I do NOT have a preschooler and with the thoughts of attending a preschool graduation ... I feel the hives already forming.

But...

I have a niece how is graduating from preschool and it just so happens to be the daycare / preschool that my parents bought last year. 

Not sure I  told you guys how my parents decided to buy a bankrupt daycare very close to their retirement... but they have been on a mission to turn around the daycare and create a booming profitable "Education Station" (that's its name).  They have had a year of renovating an old dilapidated building and restoring outdated teaching techniques. 

So this will be the 1st preschool graduation ceremony Education Station debut. 

And we are in need of a few ideas...

I was called.. because I like productions and like doing them BIG! (will have to tell you about some of my Christmas productions, but later)

So I am enlisting the help of you guys...

I need graduation ceremony / production / songs / attire / gifts / whatever folks normally do for graduation ceremonies...

but BIGGER!!

So let the suggestions fly...



oh, graduation is in a few weeks.... in true Taylor / Hansen style LAST MINUTE!!!


Thanks,

Dangerous up in Here

Greetings,


While installing the cabinets (last week) Bob the Builder (seriously... his name is Bob) found something very interesting hiding in our wall....


Behind the wood paneling.. (obviously, before this picture was taken... )  Bob found this...

the bottom wires were the only wires visible and exposed for Bob to see...

So he chipped and broke away the wood ...

to find....


...



Exposed.

Hot.

Electricity raging through.

Not taped off.

Not capped off.

Totally a fire hazard.

Completely ILLEGAL.

Surely without a permit. 



WIRES.

Even more CRAZY...

this electrical nightmare was just above this...

The gas line. 


Seriously?

Harry said the previous owners should have their "Home Depot card" revoked.

And I am beginning to agree.

Thanks Bob for saving our lives when we did not even know we were in danger!


Blessings,

P's and Q's

Greetings,

One of the many thoughts passing through my mind when our Nosey Neighbor informed us of our legal infraction....

I thought...

he needs to mind his P's & Q's.

Knowing, yet not REALLY knowing what this expression meant...

I Googled it:



"At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to watch the customers and keep the drinks coming.

She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in pints and who was drinking in quarts.

Hence the term minding your "P's and Q's."



I thought it meant minding one's own affairs... when it is really seems to be a term of attentive service. 

Maybe my Nosey Neighbor was being helpful??


Blessings,

Manic Monday

Greetings,


1.  Spent the weekend with our neighbor from Greece Paul... so nice to catch up with our friends from Greece. 

2.  Miss Peabody squealed and cried at his feet when she saw him.... she did the same thing for her "other father figure" Matt last week. 

3.  Its finals week ... and if you have not already noticed... I have pretty much given school the boot.  Not sure how to resurrect myself out of this mess, but somehow I will.

4.  I will not graduate in May.  Obviously!

5.  I do not like to talk about 3 and 4... I find avoidance best.

6.  Kitchen is a mess...

7.  There is not a single room in this house that does not have some home improvement project in various states of disarray or repair.

8.  #7 is starting to wear on us.... we need at least one room of tranquility.

9.  Had another visit from neighbor / previous owner.  Must go into detail later... it is a long, yet interesting story.

10.  I have reinforcements coming to my rescue.... my family is coming the first week of June and bringing their tools with them!


Blessings,

Not up for the task

Greetings,


I am ashamed to say.... today, I did not have the energy to church hop. 

I took the easy way out and watched a service online. 

I have become a little discouraged with the hunt. 

If anyone has any ideas or recommendations....



please send them my way!!


Thanks,

Nosey Neighbor

Greetings,

I am not sure if our neighbors like us?  Considering we have taken out the cable for the street, have numerous construction projects going on all the time (during business hours mind you), and slowly ripping out the front lawn... maybe they are just a little annoyed with us.

While our counter tops were being installed, we had a visit from a 'concerned' neighbor.

It seems the guys were cutting the counter tops from the back of their truck...

and according to our Nosey Neighbor.... it is illegal to cut in the street. 

Nosey neighbor informed us he is a cop.  (I guess he is up-to-date with the cutting granite in the street law??) 

So to appease Nosey Neighbor.... the guys moved their workbenches out of their truck and a few feet into my yard. 

Same equipment.  Same noise.  Same procedures.  Just not inside the back of their truck??

Thanks Nosey Neighbor for keeping us law abiding citizens!
 
 

Blessings,

Small victories

Greetings,

It seems odd to get SO excited about home improvements.... but when something that has taken ...what seems like forever finally takes shape... I get excited. 

Like counter tops in the kitchen.  We have been in the house 81 days as of today. 

81 days and we now have counter tops.

81 days and we still live among boxes.

81 days and we wash the dishes in the bathtub.

81 days and we are still waiting for the installation of the sink faucet, garbage disposal, and dishwasher.


Maybe one day soon it will ALL come together!


Blessings,

Expressions of Interest

Greetings,


I got to thinking about what I said earlier... I was on cloud nine.  Months ago... I was reading a follow bloggers blog and ran across old familiar saying and where they actually came from. 

So I began thinking... where in the world did the expression "cloud nine" originate.

I found several different possibilities, but these two seem plausible in my mind...

The 1896 edition of the International Cloud Atlas which defined ten types of cloud. The ninth cloud was the cumulo-nimbus rising to a height of 10 km, which is the highest a cloud can be.

and

The expression originated as one of the classifications of cloud which were defined by the US Weather Bureau in the 1950s, in which 'Cloud Nine' denotes the fluffy cumulonimbus type that are considered so attractive.


So just in case you were wondering where the expression on cloud nine came from... now you know!

Blessings,

Counter tops tomorrow

Greetings,

I am on cloud nine...

my counter tops arrive tomorrow and all the confusion about my slab has been resolved.

First, I chose a slab Blanc Noir (white black) it's a grey ish color.

Then, unbeknownst to me.... they changed my order to Platino Azul (blue platinum).

I was not happy having a blue ish grey counter top.  For those who know me and my household aesthetics... I am a black and white kind of girl with occasional shades of grey and khaki, but never blue counter tops. 

Yesterday, the counter top people called to inform me I needed an additional $190.00 for installation. 

Typical, everything has had an additional cost.

After haggling with the counter top people... (conversation as follows)

"I have to pay additional charges for a color I did not chose and you arbitrarily assigned to me? "

To which he replied confusingly, "The color you chose is no longer made."

"But I bought the slab 2 months ago... it should still be there even though it is currently discontinued.... I bought it back in March!"

At this point... he wants to call me back.

The return call ended with me and my original slab.

Imagine that? 

So I am on cloud nine because my original order is actually coming into fruition.  The granite I selected, paid for, and was anxiously waiting is actually arriving tomorrow. 


Imagine that?


Blessings,

It's All Here

Greetings,

The second and final shipment from Greece has arrived. 

Needless to say ... after the last debacle I am a little apprehensive about opening these boxes.

Another four crates stuffed to the max with our junk....

Just when I thought the house might be somewhat livable... another shipment of boxes adds to the already mounting piles....

Supposedly, it's all here...

No more shipments.  No more boxes.

Hopefully, it's all here. 

I need Mary Poppins again.  I need her to pull a few bookcases, a master closet unit, bathroom vanities, electric garage door opener and a few more things out of her never-ending bag. 


Blessings,

Manic Monday

Greetings,


This is my top ten Manic Monday list this week....

It's #1 - #10... all need to skip the customer service representative and go directly to the big guy. 

I am thinking the manager will help me sort the rest of my week out!


Blessing and prayers,

Church hopping Part ??

Greetings,

This Sunday was not good...  still on the lookout.

I have lost count.... I do not even know how many churches we have been to.  Is there a statistic on how many churches one goes to before finding the right one? 


Right now life is frustrating me... finding a church would be nice.  I wish I could find a "normal" church.  My kind of  "normal".


The church we visited this past Sunday... had the kangaroo hopping worship leader. 

I kid you not.... the lady jumped up and down for almost 30 minutes.  From one side of the stage to the other. 

Like a kangaroo. 

In high heels...?

I kept waiting to see if she was going to hop right on off the stage.  She kept her face pointed upwards (not looking where she was hopping) the entire time.  It was definitely by the Grace of God she stayed on that stage. 

I was oddly fascinated, yet completely not provoked into worship. 

Another rock concert style worship. 

And not really sure what the sermon was about.... I tried to follow.  Tried to see the point of the message.  Then found myself thinking how Harry would have preached using that same scripture.  Then tried to catch back up with the sermon.... then just gave up and started creating a to-do list.

I am tired to making to-do list in church. 

I need a church and a better attitude.  Hopefully the two are synonymous. 


Blessings from a disgruntle church hopper,

No Words

Greetings,

I cannot find the right adjectives for how extremely mad / upset / frustrated I am right now. 



Now that I have a kitchen that is almost finished.... I have started unpacking kitchen items. 

The boxes from Atlanta (that were in storage for over 2 years) are amazingly all intact.


However, when I began unwrapping the items from Greece....

and happened across this box.  As you can see from the outside... it's a little smashed

I was apprehensive to see what was inside....

well, it was bad....

and another....

and another...

and some more broken dishes...

and some more...

and it kept getting worse....

3 giant platters ....

all in pieces...

thousands of pieces...

and some more...

after I finished unpacking... there were slivers of ceramic and porcelain everywhere

I was at a loss for words...


until finally....




I just started crying. 


There is not a single set of anything left. 

Crate and Barrel destroyed.

Pottery Barn shattered. 

Even the Villeroy & Boch smashed to smithereens...



And  weirdly I am a person who has to have all things "matchy".  Even though only half are unusable... to me the entire set is worthless.

I don't even know what else to say.  It may seem trivial to get so upset over broken dishes....it's just this constant state of disarray.

And...

This place is not Atlanta.

It's not Greece.

I am not sure I even like this place...

Some days... I just wish things could go back to normal.


Blessings,