Tantivy

Let me say that dinner was cooked in the new kitchen but not without a few consequences. The old disposer decided it had given us its all and quit, interrupting dish washing for quite a while. Dean did a temporary repair but that failed after a while and water leaked out all over the floor. But today the new machine was delivered and is being or is now installed. Wonderful.  Do you think this quilt needs repair? It wasn't really sturdy enough for the dogs to jump up on it for years and has given way is several places. I have plans for a new one, but then again I have plans for many things. Can't decided whether to go ahead with new or do some patching on the patchwork. I am trending towards the latter in my thoughts. It would be handwork during the evening.  "One of these things is not like the other," they sang on Sesame Street. "Can you tell me which one is not like the other?". I once had four of these beakers. Long ago Dean took a cup filled ...

I not only have a drain, I have running water - hot and cold. I have a dishwasher that washes dishes. I have an oven that heats. A new cooktop is being delivered and installed tomorrow. The disposal people are sending a new garbage grinder that works (the old one is frozen). Most of the outlets and switches are "live". Some things are already moved back in the kitchen. Life is good. Still waiting for : some drawers, some shelves, some doors, some energy to get it all done, the day when there are no more extension cords snaking around my floor, a finish to this disorder and mess. I have decided how to rearrange the living room (again) and the dining room. I am looking at what I really need and what I can give/throw away. You work on one room and suddenly everything needs a little loving attention. I feel like I should be spring cleaning, but it is November! The leaves are falling fast - especially since we have had some rain. Here is the view as I walk out to the street...

Just when I think that things are going well, we hit a roadblock. The latest is that the now installed oven doesn't heat. The repair man is coming tomorrow, but if it is a part that has to be ordered you know what that means. AND, the cooktop was ordered or delivered or something wrong - that is to say the wrong one and a new one hasn't yet arrived although I have hopes for today. However, I  HAVE A DRAIN! Who knew how wonderful that would be until I was without one for quite a while. I don't have water and my plumber is on a trip to Columbus, Ohio to pick up a car, but I do have a drain. That means that when I finish washing dishes I can pour out the water instead of lugging it to the bathroom to pour it out. Luxury. Wonderful. This makes washing dishes a much less onerous task. I have some photos to show you. I am just getting over a migraine and em evidently still rather shaky because they are not well focused. Please accept my apologies. Things are still messy because...

I am in the middle of moving things into the kitchen. The microwave and oven still have to be installed, the plumbing done for the sink, and the stovetop was the wrong one but the new one should be here in the middle of next week. I also moved the furniture around in one end of the living room so that the heat vent wasn't covered.  It has been quite cold here for the last few nights although seasonal (read "mild") weather should return soon.  Here are a few pics and I promise that there will be more soon.  This is the countertop in the pantry when it was first installed and was still dusty. This will be the winter studio until the outside studio is insulated, etc.  The hole for the (larger than was delivered) cooktop. The countertop has been wiped with baby oil.  The white is natural veining. The countertops will be grey and will eventually, through use, darken. I will oil them about twice a year.   I think that when the shelves an...

I have worked a little on ERI. but still need to do more. I will put a black paper behind her, tri miming it to show just a little, then mount the figure on a sheet of green, bordered with a gold stamped border using a stamp I just carved. The stamp was  made from the border of a piece of scrapbook paper with a few minor changes.  Elizabeth doesn't look too happy  ---- maybe she is listening to a  courtier spinning some story about what she should do. I think that I might try to do her again although I might use another version.  Then again I might just go on to other, imaginary, people and see who they turn out to be. More TV art. I am having fun with colors and keeping occupied while the TV is running. These are small pieces, 3"x5" or so. I don't know what I will do with them but I might mount them and display them in the house or even try to sell them.  Today we went to Lowe's to purchase some electrical outlets and covers and I elected to ...

I thought that I would share what I see every day.  You don't always have to go far to be astounded by the beauty of nature. That said, I think that without Kodachrome and tripods our pictures of leaves will always be just suggestions. Can you see all the buds on the dogwood outside my bedroom window? Beautiful red leaves now (almost gone) and promises of lots of blossoms next spring. Dogwoods are lovely all year round.  This Nandina offers bright red berries. And if you hit it just right you get glimpses of a brighter red. The red"T.A.R.D.I.S. "   The company that own this and rents it does take care of it, emptying it regularly, thank goodness. Although it is a good example of its type of architecture, I will be glad to see the last of it.  The sunlight glints on the copper flashing and cap of the rebuilt chimney.  Across the street a maple is so bright that when the light is right it almost seems on fire.  This one is across...

I am cautiously optimistic about the kitchen. I think it will be finished before the year is up and will be usable before then - I plan to cook Thanksgiving dinner there! Next week the stone people are coming to measure for countertops; the appliances should arrive later in the week also. I am so excited. If I can just get my plumber to quit going off in different directions I will also have a sink soon. Today he installed a light at the back door. It was nice to come home to a lighted porch, but the project, which he said would take an hour took much longer. Then he had to go over to the shop because one of his buddies gave us his old camper. I haven't seen it. Maybe I will use it as a studio - it has running water, a bathroom and heat after all! See the lovely light? Right now it has a 100 watt bulb because that was all that was handy, but with that white reflector it will give plenty of light with many fewer watts. There will be one on the garage just like that one.  I hav...