New Year at Home

Goodbye, December.  Welcome January!

Aren't these calendar pages wonderful? My friend Kate does a new calendar every year for our annual sale and I'm wild about this year's (ab0ve). And last year's! (Below)

We had an odd New Year's Eve. For the first time in decades -- since before this photo (below) taken at the turn of the century -- Rick and I were in different places. He had volunteered to babysit the Toddler Twosome at their home and I was still recovering from my Christmas Eve fall on a slate floor in Livonia on scattered toys from the toy box. (And on the beginning of a period still going on of being sick as a dog.)

It was a good move and we talked on the phone but I wasn't quite up to the car ride or the activity! And, it got me to bed at a decent time!

We celebrated on New Year's Day. His bread, French Onion Soup, salad, all good. At home.

Home. That's my "word" for 2020. And that means the physical house here and the cottage as well as my personal "home" -- body, mind and soul.

For Christmas Rick and the kids are giving me a kitchen re-do. Well, Rick calls it a kitchen enema. I don't like that, though it might be closer to the truth. New paint, new stove. Clean slate! Counters will have to wait; the 1964 "ants and gold speck" counters will be here a bit longer.  Home.

So, I emptied all the dish and food cupboards for painting inside and cleaned off a shoebox-plus-more of photos, recipes, eyeglass prescriptions and who knows what else off the fridge. We'll keep the old cupboards, which I rather like with my knotty pine family room adjacent. But if you're going to do it, do it!). Home.

Everything was taken to the guest room (and the family room, and the dining room table and the coffee table, and the hall) -- unless it made it to the basement (things I need to keep but don't use regularly) or to charity (several bags already).  There's a pile to take to the cottage, too. My junk drawer doesn't look like a junk drawer anymore!

So, along with this, some of you know that a few days before New Year's we had a huge rain and since the ground was frozen, it rained in through the basement windows. Well, that was a mess -- not as bad as last year's spring basement flood -- but enough.

So between that and the kitchen, guess what? New lawn grading and replacement windows will be required for the basement. Home.

Christmas is still up. To be fair, it always stays up till Twelfth Night but this time it might be a little longer. And to tell the truth, it's beginning to bug me! But till some things get moved back to the kitchen and I'm feeling a lot better than I am right now, it will have to wait.  I want to bring up the snowfolk. Preferably before spring! Home.

After Christmas I was recovering from a fall. On the 29th of December I started having low grade fevers and after a week of feeling progressively worse, I finally went to the doc. Antibiotics, Xray and hopefully no pneumonia. So, I'm sort of dragging. But listening to others and taking care of my personal "home," my health.

Rick is getting ready for his first official concert with his trio on January 12. They had a dry run at an assisted living center the other day that went well, Rick said. Then the public concert. If you're anywhere near Lansing, MI, ask me for details! It's free (and snacks, too!)

He's pretty excited. If you are into 45 seconds of listening, enjoy the video from a rehearsal.

Then we'll be headed to Dallas for a few days for the memorial service for his stepfather, who died the day after Christmas. It will be good to see the family again, most of whom I've not seen since the reunion in June. Then, back home.

The kitchen was in full power-mode this weekend and is nearly done. I was banished, my primary job being runs to the hardware store and to pick up lunch. Kevin, Molly and Rick worked their tails off and as I write this, we just need half-a-wall and the chair rail painted and hardware replaced on the cupboard doors. Most of the food and dishes are back in place. There will be another post with more photos when it's all done -- and about the lessons I learned about myself during all their hard work. (See, I can be productive when I'm sick.)

I'll tell you one thing -- I need to "dig out" more often. While they were under the sink they found a set of shoe-related things from the previous owner. This box of shoe polish was 38 cents at Kresge. Kresge hasn't been around in decades, and the 38 cents might be closer to the vintage 1963 of the house.

Just keeping it real! So that, in a nutshell, is January. And, my Word of the Year. It's as ambitious as I make it. So, we'll see!

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Kitchen, Part Two

For those who have followed this blog for a bit, you may recall my kitchen painting escapade! Well, it wasn’t that much of an escapade, but mighty exciting and – thanks to my friend Kate – mighty fun!

I’ve not dared to pound a nail in the wall yet, and thought I might do a shelf to display teapots. And I’ve been painting another shelf I took down where I’ll put some of my Hall china.

Look, Mom! I have drawers and a storage shelf!

But that long shelf – just hadn’t bought one yet, despite two trips to Home Depot to check them out.

Then my neighbor said she was moving. To San Francisco. And selling her furniture.

I remember the day I saw her come home from a yard sale with this great baker’s rack. I thought “I never get deals like that. Oh, well.”

My yellow bunny on the micro makes me happy!

You got it! No, I did! I bought her terrific rack for only $20 (and it was already assembled and I don’t have to pound anything into that wall till I’m ready!)

It was up and decked out by Easter. I will change what’s on it periodically so those teapots in the basement can make a return appearance to my kitchen!

Oops! Forgot to put the teapot back in front of that basket after breakfast!

AND, I have a drawer for dish towels (as opposed to the pottery bowl on top of the fridge). Yes, I had only two drawers – silverware and junk. Now I can put the towels away and get some of the clutter counter down.

My happy bunny is filled with flowers. In the kitty memo frame to its left, is a tag by Beth of Doors are Everywhere. I think I'll use this area to show off some of the fun trades and inspiration pieces I receive from blog friends!

Can you tell how happy I am?

Yellow Walls!

This was a terrific weekend, made possible in part by my intrepid artist friend Kate, who is MOST skilled at painting walls! What is daunting to me -- painting my kitchen (and, fairness requires that I add I have a very small kitchen -- we're not talking about painting the Sistine Chapel here) became a glorious afternoon (OK, day) of fun!

Here's the start (after the taping and spackling!) -- beautiful yellow paint, which Kate called the color of lemon yogurt. We did the half-wall pictured here, and the wall behind the fridge, at the backsplash and along the side. I don't have the things on the wall yet -- I'm being pretty careful before I put nails into my fresh paint! But I'm looking to put a shelf for my teapot collection above the microwave soon enough. And, by the sink I'll probably put back my rack with the Hall crocus collection.

Best of all, it was a great day, topped off my an intermission -- Kate's husband Mike made terrific spaghetti and it was the perfect break.
Here is the sink corner (where the Hall collection will go) after painting (Why didn't I clean it up first?!)

And the shelf with the teapots will go above the microwave. (The wine rack goes on top of the thing at the left.)

Sunday I hit Home Depot -- bought new trashcans and clean white switchplates! Then I started putting things back. Being an over-clutterer (and not necessarily liking it!) I am trying to be careful and not do that!

Such a nice time and good job done! Thanks, Kate!