Saturday, February 6, 2010

At least it isn't raining.

That was my first thought when I opened my eyes and saw snowflakes passing by the window. There were fat flakes and tiny flakes. Some dropped quickly. Others floated lazily to the ground. They all melted as soon as they touched any soaked surface. It's 36 degrees.



I'm planning to work inside today. As soon as the house warms up from the overnight drop that happens as the wood fire burns down, I'll be painting again. I will finish painting the kitchen today. I mean it. Seriously. Or something like that.

It's snowing again. Ugh.

10:54am
- The wall behind the fridge has one coat of paint on it. I also scrubbed the floor again. That smell is back. It's nasty, like a combination of feet and garlic. I have no clue what causes it, but I'm thinking it's the glue they used to attach the original floor coverings. It's horrible.

I've also put a third coat of paint on the beadboard on each side of the stove. I'm going to move on to the small room off the kitchen. I've got some plaster work to fix this morning and will hopefully sand it later this evening once the kitchen paint is dry. If the sun comes out, I need to split some firewood. So the kitchen may go on hold, again.

It continued to snow for over an hour this morning. No accumulation as it's 37 degrees. The sun came out for two seconds at one point. It was beautiful with the falling snow.

I'm longing for summertime.



1:02pm - The kitchen paint is done. At least until I install the countertops and have to touch up every wall. I can't wait to get the small room finished, too. I did get up the old vinyl floor. Its paper backing did not come up. That's fine. I'm going to have to install tile over this part anyway. So I'll use the steamer to get as much off the plywood subfloor as possible. The hardwoods under this are nearly ruined from water damage thanks to a leaky door. I can see that in the basement.

I'm really starting to love this green.











There's still plenty left to do:

Countertops
backsplash behind stove
quarter round
toekicks
floors
and many tiny details, including an over the range microwave and dishwasher.

It's 39 degrees outside. I need to get some wood split.

16 comments:

Darla said...

Kind of like I am NOT going to finish painting the bathroom today. Actually it's painted now I have to do the stenciling and such! We got 2 inches of rain yesterday, today it's breezy and cool...your kind of gardening weather I'm sure!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Our temperature is dropping once again, and will get down into the 40's tonight.

Enjoy your indoor day. It sounds like a good day to paint.

I just read your post to my posting of today, and it touched my heart. You were my first response and I really didn't know what to expect after writing what I did. Sometimes we don't see the simple beauty that surrounds us, until we see it through other's eyes.

You are going to have wonderful places in your gardens Tom, it just takes time. We've lived here since 1973 and I didn't even garden at first, I probably didn't start until the early 80's. You are young, you've got some great ideas, and it's always a treat to read about what you are doing inside and out.

Ok, I've got to head off to work. I look forward already to getting back to our little haven.

Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

The word verification for this is:
mystable.

Tom - 7th Street Cottage said...

Darla, I can't help but understand. This kitchen has taken way too long. I need to stop working an hour here and there and just get it done. The weather today is forcing me to stay inside, so why not?

FlowerLady, sometimes it helps to hear what others think. At times I have wondered if people were just being nice in their comments, but then they keep coming back to see what else is going on. Jim says my work here has changed the sunsets in Hillsborough just a few hours away. If I can have that sort of effect, I'm happy to do it. ;)

I meant what I said. I have serious envy of your space and your roses. We garden differently, but the result is the same. We love our spaces and our plants. We try to create a little piece of heaven in our own yards.

Tina said...

Maybe that's Jimmy Hoffa under the floor?
Actually, that'd be pretty awesome...

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Oh wow, Janis is one of our old time favorites. The guitar runs are great too in this piece.

Yes, we do try to create our own little heavenly spaces here on earth.

Later I'll list what seeds I've planted. I had to use some older soil from last year, so I hope they come up in spite of that. I need to take a cutting or two from my one brug, from the tarragon, and maybe a couple of other things too.

We have 1/4 acre on a busy 5 lane road. When we moved in it was a little country 2 lane road, and it was so much quieter than it is now. The neighborhood has changed from elderly homeowners to be more transient, here today and gone tomorrow. It's creepier, but we keep to ourselves, and keep working on our haven from the crazy world that we live in.

I wonder how on earth you can get rid of that smell? Things like that are so dang aggravating.

Enjoy the rest of your day. Keep those dreams of spring and summer in your thougts. Pretty soon they will be reality.

FlowerLady

L. D. said...

I got all of the floors cleaned today and the last of the Christmas decorations toted to the basement. I watered all of the plants and feed the four cages of birds. I know what you mean that your intent is great. It is easier to have a project go until it is done, but when you can't it is hard to get back into the flow again. I am jealous of your kitchen as that is where I need to start next.

Stephen said...

Well done blog... great photos & observations. Handsome guy! I will be back. Best wishes from warm, but very wet Portland, Oregon.

Darla said...

I am loving the way your kitchen is turning out! Well, I planted some Liatras bulbs, moved some sedum around, dug up some grass, potted up some seedlings and went to the store and bought a lottery ticket, lol. If I win you can quit work and you and I can play in our gardens and chat gardening all the time!!

Kris said...

The kitchen is looking great, Tom! I really love the bead-board and cupboards. The colors work really well with the rest of your decor. Can't wait to see what kind of countertops you install. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more pics.

Jill-O said...

Okay, lovin' Janis Joplin plus green(possibly avocado) walls - equaling a flash from the past! - I'm reliving 1969 when I used to sneak into my older brothers bedroom to listen to their Janis Joplin album.

Tom - 7th Street Cottage said...

Tina, it smells worse than a dead gangster.

LD, redoing the kitchen has been a dream since I bought this house. I'm glad it's coming together so well. There are parts I need to attend to, but the whole is nice. It's so bright, and clean!

Thanks Stephen. Come back anytime!

Darla, I'll sow some seeds for you if you win. I'll be your gardener.

Thanks Kris. You've got a lot done lately too. Great job!

Jill, avacado. That's a great description of the color. Seems I overshot the 1940's era, but I still like the color a lot now. I hated it at first. It grew on me.

Wendy said...

This looks fantastic. I love the green - it looks great against the bright, clean white.

Betty819 said...

"Curiosity killed the cat!" What is that half moon spot not painted around the corner from the kitchen cabinets?

We rec'd 24 inches of snow and there's no place to put the stuff! I'll take snow over rain anytime though.

The kitchen is really shaping up nicely. I love the windows in your house. Were they there when you bought the house or you had them installed?

lynn'sgarden said...

Loving the progress on your kitchen reno. Tom! A true handy-dandy you are :)

Tammy said...

I really like the green. The kitchen has a nice fresh country charm. By the way, you must have sent your portion of the snow up here. We got 8"yesterday. The power was out all day.
Tammy

Tom - 7th Street Cottage said...

Thanks Wendy. Green seems to be my signature color in this house.

Betty, that's an arched hallway that leads to the main hall. The ceiling is curved, so I painted it white just like the other ceilings and inside of the arches. It's a weird bit of space created by the builder due to the attic stairs passing above. The windows were installed in 2001, before I bought the house. No clue what the original ones were like, but probably similar.

Thanks Lynn. I'm trying not to enjoy the work too much. ;)

Tammy, we got a few flakes. I'm just glad it's all gone now. The sun is shining and it's a beautiful morning. Maybe we can dry out a little today.