Long Winter

 

More cold, more snow. This Winter has pretty much paralyzed everyone, or at least forces a sort of slow motion existence.

 

Terry bought me a puzzle to help pass the time, but I had an indoor project on my mind...

 

 

Here's a kitchen view from the day we bought the house...

 

I just wanted a shelf under that cupboard.

 

Ask, and you shall receive. Terry worked his magic, and I had a shelf twenty minutes later.

I painted it, and it looked like it was always there...

 

Finished my puzzle too...

 

Today, I loaded up the shelf. This is a perfect, little space, over the stove, for all of the things I like to keep at hand while I'm cooking. I still miss having a hood fan (with light) over the stove, but this is pretty cool, and stays true to this older home.

 

 

I remain, obsessed, with this weird "stove in the middle of nowhere" situation. I just want to box it in, make it look like part of a counter, actually add a counter (somehow), I don't know. I will figure it out, eventually... 

 

For now, I am obsessed with cubbyholes and shelves. I want to build stuff in every nook and cranny.

 

I mean... I want Terry to build me stuff.

 

Long Winter.

 

Garbage can be Exciting

 

My new garbage can came today. The box was pretty huge for a kitchen size can, but I soon figured out why... I opened the box, and there was another box, I opened that box, and there was another box.

 

Made me laugh.

 

There she is. I'm in love.

 

So is Terry. He approves of my $100 trash can.

 

I looked for a long time, and finally found one with all of the options I wanted. I really did not want a foot pedal lid release with auto close, and this one has a top bar, just tap it and it opens and stays open. I want it to stay open, while cooking, preparing food, etc. I don't mind closing it.

 

It also has an insert can with a tight fitting liner, no smudge stainless, and can be placed front way, or sideway. Made by Simple Human.

 

I know... big deal about a trash can, but hey, it's Winter in Michigan...

 

Speaking of Winter in Michigan...

 

I woke up this morning to a bright blaring sun. It snowed last night and Terry went out and shoveled very early.

 

This picture is at 10:00 a.m.

 

This picture is at 10:05 a.m.

 

and at 10:10 a.m. it was a blizzard.

 

Too funny.

 

Carry on...

Tile Project

 

Tonight, we finished the kitchen tile project.

 

It was a lot of grout!

 

Thank goodness, Terry helps me with the grouting. This project had raised tile, and a lot of nooks and crannies. I always get impatient during the grouting process, and Terry steps in...

 

This once "dead space" now has some WOW.

 

My new stainless steel garbage can comes tomorrow. I've never been so excited about a garbage can before, and Terry almost crapped his pants when he found out it cost $100.

 

It better be amazing, or I'm gonna hear about it...

Detroit Day Trip

This weekend, we decided to travel downtown. Not a big trip, since we live ten minutes from there... it's just that we tend to stay away from Detroit, due to general "scariness".

 

This picture is travelling down Van Dyke, toward the city. Amongst the burned out homes, sat this gem, and I decided to play tourist from that moment on...

 

My creativity on my latest tile project was stalled, and we thought a trip to Pewabic Pottery would light my artistic fire.

 

Pewabic Pottery is a Detroit historical gem. A century old handmade tile source, it is a must see for artisans, and anyone who appreciates quality pottery.

 

So, here we are pulling into the parking lot.

 

After a nice visit at the Pewabic Pottery Barn, we started down Jefferson, toward the downtown area.

 

It was cold, and snowy, and foggy.

 

We drove past the Heidelburg project, and let me say, as an artistic sort myself, this is not art. This is junky trash. The city really needs to take back this property from the well-meaning people who support it, and mow it down.

 

Now, before anybody has a hissy fit, I have done my homework on this, and the people who are perpetuating this "art" are actually what would be considered squatters. They have taken over abandoned property and claimed it as their own, without paying property taxes.

 

They are carting in junk, and adorning broken down homes with old tires, and grafitti, and garbage, and calling it art. Please... if you want to make a difference in the city, try rehabbing it into a liveable home, for a family who needs it, instead of continuing the "laughing stock" reputation that we have grown to accept from this sad city.

 

We came full circle, drove through the downtown, left, and decided to circle back to Eastern Market, and ended up on Gratiot, heading back toward the city.

 

There's Eastern Market, we could see it, but we had a hard time getting to it. One way streets and no left turns had us pretty irritated.

 

Finally, made it to the center of the Market district. What a freakin' mess !!!

 

The messy roads, and the crazy people, and the awful layout of this place would scare away the savviest city dweller, let alone the suburbanite looking for a city thrill...

 

We kept moving...  

 

Ahh... here's my beloved Tiger Stadium (I mean Comerica Park), cloaked in snow, just waiting for April. But, I did notice that even in the darkest Winter days, the Fan Shop was bustling with business. People love their "Tiger gear".

 

Passed by the Fox Theater. I don't think I've ever been there.

 

Took Woodward Avenue home. This is St. John's Episcopal Church. Just thought it was beautiful. I looked up, way, way up, and took this picture.

 

I must say, Detroit has some beautiful, old churches... correction... a million beautiful, old churches.

 

They are everywhere, on every corner. I even saw a few new ones being built, in between burned out homes and businesses, really? I can't figure that one out...

 

Going past the Detroit Institute of Arts. I have never been here either. Go figure...

 

Busy morning. We were so hungry by lunchtime, we stopped at a crappy little diner (safely back home in the suburbs). Detroit is an adventure, but we still feel safer back across the border.

 

Lot's to see there, but an underlying fear for my life keeps me from enjoying myself too much.

 

This suburbanite feels like she's been in another country when she crosses over the border. 

Wish I Could Do This For a Living

 

First things first... The basement still leaks, but the mopping has eased, as the ground freezes up again, and the leak turns to a slow trickle. Estimates for waterproofing have scared us straight. $7000 is money we don't even have. So, we will try to figure out this mess ourselves, and carry on with other stuff.

 

My latest tile project is coming along nicely... 

 

Terry removed all of the paper backing for me. I get irritated with these mundane tasks, and he takes over for me. He says it's not that bad. I disagree.

 

Here's the beginning of a design. We went downtown to try to find special tiles for this (more on that in my next post), but we ended up at Lowes, and found some cool specialty tiles on sale.

 

Terry mapped out the center of the square for me (thank you sweetie), and I have been working outward. Every night, I do a little bit.

 

It's almost done now. I was really sad about this wall. We wanted to knock it out, for a more open space, but there are pipes in the wall. So, lemons... lemonade. I am pretty excited about it now.

 

A couple more nights, and this "dead space" will be transformed into more than just a wall.

 

 

A Fireplace in the Kitchen?

 

Still mopping up water in the basement. We have a couple of people coming on Thursday to give estimates and ideas on how to fix this leaky basement...

 

Meanwhile, I've decided to work on another tile project.

 

We really wanted to remove this wall, which separates kitchen from dining room, but it turns out the wall is full of pipes leading up to the upstairs bathroom.

 

So, I decided to continue the backsplash tile onto this wall.

 

I have so much of this tile, I might as well put it to good use.

 

(Thanks to Bob).

 

I am going to do a design in the center. For now, I am working on the framework.

 

As I was working, I thought that it looked like a fireplace...

 

Ha ha, and there it is.

 

Carry on.

Water, Water, Water

 

After two glorious weeks in the deep freeze, we woke up to 40 degrees and rain.

 

We've gotten used to this drill, in project house. Down to the basement, to try and keep up with water pouring in through every wall.

 

 

I am going to call some basement experts, and get some ideas and estimates for fixing our water issue. I'm afraid that if I don't take care of this problem, we will be floating away in the Spring time.

 

Forget our own water issues, a call from mom sent us to her house to unclog a kitchen sink.

 

Unfortunately, it was too big for a guy with no tools.

 

Called a plumber, and waited.

 

While we waited, we did mom's shopping, and had some dinner.

 

Still clogged, and the plumber finally showed up at 8:00 at night.

 

I swear to God, I am buying an auger. These guys come in, and use their fancy auger thing, and charge $100, or $200 for ten minutes work. I've witnessed it at least four times in the last couple of months, and I'm sick of it !!!

 

And, I'm sick of all things having to do with water...

 

Oh well, back home to mop up basement water.

 

Carry on.

Winter Hibernation

 

Terry built Kevin a shelf to match his new computer desk.

 

Icicles hanging off the back window.

 

Look at that giant one...

 

This is really all that's going on at Project House these days. Winter has taken over, and we are all hostages until March. The buzz of the holidays are over, and there is just a lot of eating and watching TV going on, and that's about it.

 

We are having a lot of meetings though, about all of the grand things we are going to do in the Springtime...

 

New roof (architectural shingles) with over-sized gutters

 

New windows

 

Basement waterproofing

 

Tuck pointing and chimney repair

 

Refinishing hardwood floors

 

A deck off the back of the house

 

New bathroom downstairs

 

New bathroom upstairs

 

I could keep going, but the list is never ending.

 

I guess, Winter gives us some time to rest, reflect, and plan...

 

Spring will be here soon enough.

 

 

 

 

 

He's All That

 

Alright, I sat and watched out the window for 45 minutes... the neighbor across the street, trying to get their car out after being plowed in.

 

Why didn't they park in the drive last night?

 

Did they not hear about the snow emergency?

 

Didn't they know that the plow would bury their car?

 

Did they not care?

 

Where did they need to go today?

 

As I sat, and watched, and pondered these questions...

 

There went my honey. He strolled over with his blower and cleared them out.

 He blew the snow away, and pushed the car out of the icy tire ruts, formed by their attempts to get out of heavy snow drifts.

 

He had already been out, plowing in -10 degrees. He had already gotten up at 4:00 o'clock in the morning for work (and shoveled then).

 

He's my honey.

 

I wish I was more like him...

Happy January

 

Big snowstorm coming tomorrow, so we went out to get things done today. The dogs needed food, so here's our first stop, at K-9 pet store. The line reached all the way to the back of the store.

 

Dogs gotta eat during snowstorms too...

 

Next stop... Moms. Terry did a little shoveling, but turns out she did not need anything...

 

Off we went.

 

Oops, turns out, we needed some doughnuts to make it through the blizzard...

 

and some pizza.

 

Funny... it's not snowing yet, but we thought that this might get us through the storm.

 

Got home, and Sandy had ventured outside to build a mini snowman. I laughed pretty hard at his tininess, and his blueberry eyes and buttons.

 

Maybe I'll help her build a bigger, better version after tomorrow's storm.

 

Mom gave me some wooden blocks. Actually she gave them to Sandy, but Sandy was disinterested.

 

I played with them quite a bit, and found them fun. Challenging to come up with sayings, with the given letter combinations.

 

Thanks Mom.

 

Happy January.