A Silver Lining

I thought this day would never come--we have a start date for the kitchen!  Yay!  I'm so relieved.  It's taken us so long to get to this point, but we met with our carpenter and September 5th is the day.  Soon the dream kitchen will be a reality and not some distant figment of our imagination.  That also means that we will be moving in soon.  FINALLY.  I am almost afraid to believe it because so many things have gone wrong.  It's looking like we will be moving in by the end of October.

We're making good use of our weekend by getting some things accomplished.  A new slab of Valley White granite has been shipped from India and we went to the store to approve the selection.  We got a sample of the slab so we can match up paint colors and decide on a backsplash.  We chose a stainless D-shaped sink and are considering two different edge profile upgrades.  Although the rarer granite itself that we chose wasn't as expensive as I originally thought, the upgrades are much more spendy than I thought so we will have to weigh our decision carefully.  I want to be budget conscious, but I also do not want to regret any shortcuts we take. 

We have selected paint tones for the kitchen, dining, and living rooms.  We still have to purchase small sample cans of paint to make the final decision.  I've been scouring Ebay for good deals on lighting.  I'm bidding on a vintage chandelier from the 1920s that would be perfect in our house of the same age.  I really hope I win the auction because the piece is so unique; I've never seen anything like this.

Another Flood

Well it won't be too hard to move into the new house if we stay here much longer--we may have nothing left to move!  Two floods in 3 months while living in this rental.  This time it wasn't the garage, but the basement.  We've been having plumbing problems and the landlord was here trying to fix them when a pipe sprung a leak.  What a pain in the you know what.  There is an air leak in the system (which means the water pressure was pitifully low and the water would cut off while we were showering).  It also made us have to run dishes through the dishwasher 2-3 times. 

Thank goodness it wasn't worse than it was.  So I had to unpack boxes.  AGAIN.  Now I have to get more boxes again, spend time recovering my poor back again.  I couldn't reach Jeff on the phone to come home and help me, so I either had to let the water further seep into the boxes, or move them out of the flooded room and epmpty the contents and dry them off.  What a mess. 

On a positive note our carpenter is able to start the kitchen work in the middle of September rather than later.  Yes this is good news.  While Jeff was comparison shopping he picked up other jobs so he couldn't start Aug. 1 like we had planned.  I can't wait to get the heck outta here!

Faucets

Buying a faucet for your kitchen sink is more complicated than I thought.  After research I have decided that a candy cane style faucet will work best for me.  I like the style of this one:

Photo from faucetsdirect.com

I want to buy one that is great quality, but I would like it to look similar to this one.  We want to protect our investment in really high quality cabinetry.  I want one that has a pull-down sprayer held in place by a magnet, a single control, and an arc that swivels.  One hole to put in the granite will be nice too, and this will be easy to clean around.  The faucets where I am now have all the components all crowded together and it makes cleaning reallyt difficult.  I've actually used dental floss to clean them, which isn't ideal. 

I like the polished nickel finish--this will match the cabinet hardware and other accessories in the kitchen.  I am still deciding between a single basin rectangular sink or a D-shaped one.

Tree Trouble

Remember the gigantic tree in our new yard?  The historical registry White Oak tree dating back to the Civil War?  The one I was so proud of?  Bad news. 

We noticed that it wasn’t looking as healthy as it should be, so we called two different tree experts to have a look and offer their professional opinion.  Both concurred that the tree is dying from the inside out and it must come downL  I am so sad about this.  This tree was the major curb appeal of this property, and it was the first thing I noticed when we made an appointment to see the house.  It’s such a shame. 

Since the tree is so colossal it poses a grave danger should any dead limbs fall on the street or in the yard--or multiple neighbors' yard.  In fact, they will have to hire traffic controllers to stop traffic on the road just to remove it.  We got two estimates—one is about $5,000 and the other $8, 920.00 

Disappointed in People

Why is it so hard for people to keep their word these days?  Dishonesty seems to be a trend that many people are battling lately, and I don't like it.  Perhaps I was born at the wrong time, but words should mean something.

This week alone Jeff & I have been dealing with several people like this.  First, the granite dealer.  Last week we asked for a sample of the slab we put a deposit on so we would have something to carry with us when choosing paint and tiling.  They told us to stop by over the weekend.  We did, but they couldn't give us the sample they promised, offering a sketchy excuse of "It's been sent to fabrication, and So and So doesn't have a key..."  So we wasted a trip down there for nothing more than a "Call on Monday and we'll get you a sample."  Jeff called Thursday and finally got the real scoop:  THEY SOLD OUR ROCK OUT FROM UNDER US.  We are furious.  It's not a common color that we can just go and find, particularly when they have 50% of the total cost of the project that we will have to get back.  They said they will get more of that color sometime in August (as if I now trust anything they tell me).  Even if we happen to like the slab (rock has so much variety in movement and color that it is impossible to just order a color and be sure you will like what you're getting) it's putting our kitchen on hold even longer.  We've had so many setbacks because of other people wasting our time. 

My brother in law broke our tractor, and my sister let her untrained beasts... eh, dogs, claw up the paint on the side of my car.  No apologies either.  Great.  

I spent an hour over the weekend listing our old appliances on craigslist, and was excited when we got several emails of interest.  We altered our sunday plans and made an appointment for Sunday evening to sell our refirgerator.  We had to go over to the house and clean it really well, and then we waited for our appointment to show.  And waited, and waited... no show.  No call.  No email.  Nothing.  I'm really tired of people like that.  If you changed your mind, fine.  That's ok.  Just let me know so I can offer the fridge to someone else, and especially so I don't sit in an unairconditioned house waiting for an hour and 45 minutes for your idiot behind.  Insult to injury:  Jeff said I was being judgemental about these people because I don't know what happened or why they didn't show.  Uh, yeah.  I judge those who take advantage of others.  How can I not?  Look at everything we've been through.  I really wish that I could be more accepting and generally happy like he is.  It's part of the reason I love him so much. 

And if that weren't enough we are still dealing with the months long saga of the angel statue that we bought and it arrived damaged.  The company (Neo-mfg) siad they would send another one and they never did.  We finally filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and the crooked company had until today to respond.  Of course they never did.  The day is still young, but I trust no one anymore. 

A Little Birdie Told Me...

Somehow amidst all of the chaos in life there can come little subtle reminders that life is meant to have joy, and that diligent effort pays off.  It’s ironic how you can see reflections of yourself in the most unlikely places.  This week serendipity has visited me in the form of a little bird nest and the daily visitor working so hard to build it.  My heart has been heavy with worry, so this unexpected happy surprise has given my weary spirit a break, a welcomed re-focus on something other than this colossal renovation that has Jeff and I very taxed.  Watching birds is something that has always brought me great peace, and I needed this tiny visitor especially now.  But I never expected to learn so much from what this little birdie told me. 

It started the other day when I noticed some random leaves and pine needles collecting in the kitchen window.  I shrugged it off of debris from the cluster of summer thunderstorms we’ve had.  But then each subsequent day there was more and more stuff placed in there, strategically it seemed.  Everything started taking on a sort of domed spiral shape, and more artfully each day. 

Please excuse the dirty window:-)

Then as washed one of my favorite stainless steel pots one evening I saw a surprised little bird face pop up in the window to glare at me.  She was a mere 15 inches from my face, and the look on hers was a cross between, “Oh my goodness I didn’t see you standing there!” and “Oh it’s just you.  I shall carry on with my business.”  She’s building her nest right there in our window.  I’ve enjoyed seeing her expert building efforts, and being the perpetual science/biology geek that I have always been I wanted to identify her and learn all about their habits and learn everything I could about them.  I went to a wonderful site I discovered some time ago called Whatbird.com  to help me classify her.  I learned that she could be one of these:

This gorgeous photo from bigdogsbirdblog.wordpress.com

  
I think she's a Carolina Wren, but I am not 100% sure.  She looks a little longer than this bird but still has the downcurved beak and similar coloring.  She may be some variety of Thrush, which was my first guess.  I'm still doing my research:-)

I’ve always marveled at birds’ nests.  How can these little creatures know how to build such structurally sound and functional nests?  It’s as if each little one is a designer, architect, and construction expert.  Most humans can’t claim that!  They just know what to do.  It’s instinct.  They construct these amazing feats that are stable and tough enough to weather storms, yet are gentle enough to cradle in comfort their offspring to continue the beautiful cycle of life.  And they do all of this without arms!  That is amazing to me.

For days I’ve been watching her scouting locations to build her nest.  She chose well.  Our screen is stuck into a 2” open position and we haven’t been able to fix it because of the location.  Pretty smart bird to build in a nice dry, secure area.  I’ve seen her dutifully selecting just the right materials from all around the yard and in the surrounding woods and fly back into the window with her found treasure.  She’s quite particular, too when she’s picking out nesting supplies!  She’s thinking ahead and planning the perfect little home for her impending family.  She’s just a tiny little thing, and some of those twigs are pretty large for her to be carrying around in her little curved beak. 

She's quick, and it's hard to snap a picture.  My husband managed to capture this photo this morning.

I know that it’s hard for her, but she does it.  When the storms come, she stops to rest and let them pass, but she never fails each day to build upon what she has already done.  And little by little she’s making her nest and looking forward to her new life.  That’s what I need to do:  mind the storms, but don’t let them discourage me.  There will always be storms.  It’s how you deal with them that matters.

In the evening after the construction toils of her day she flies away to wherever her current home is to rest for the next day of preparing her new one.  I relate to her.  We’re trying so hard to build our “nest.”  It’s been such a difficult couple of years with so many unexpected bumps in the road with finding the right location, right home, and right way to plan this renovation that is taking forever.  I feel sometimes like we’ve run out of steam.  I’m carrying some fairly heavy twigs in my beak, and my wings feel tired.  I long for the time that we can just pitch down in the evening like all the birds living around our space now.  It seems far off, but I still plan and I still work at something each day to get to our goal.   I’m doing the same thing she is—maintaining one home while preparing for life in our new one, being particular about all of the little necessary details, and building the vision day by day.  She has the right approach:  you just keep working and doing what you’re supposed to do and never quit even when the storms pop up.  Things start to take shape.  You eventually see your vision come to life.  I’ve learned by watching her that the best structures take time and hard work, but eventually all of that pays off. 

Her beautiful nest is almost complete and it’s an intricate structure that will be perfect for her to lay her eggs.  I’m so excited to see the eggs in the coming days and then to see the hatchlings that she has so lovingly prepared for.  I’ll be able to watch her feed and nurture them, and eventually witness her teaching her fledglings how to fly so they can go out into the world and repeat this nest-building process on their own and continue the amazing cycle of life.  I’m not as far along in my housing plan, but there has been so much inspiration I have drawn from this little bird; she inspires me to keep working hard to create my perfect nest—little by little, twig by twig, for all the little creatures who will need to be rescued and housed in a safe and loving home with us.  It’ll all come together!

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This bird looks very much like a Canyon Wren.  If that is true, she is a long, long way from home.  I really want to know what she is so I can learn more about her.  Stay tuned.

Waylayed Again

Instead of celebrating Independence Day Jeff and I are sitting at home.  We're not in the mood to do anything.  We're just about at our wits end dealing with problems that others put upon us.  We were supposed to have a quote from the carpenter on Monday.  He cancelled a meeting we had scheduled Friday and said we'd have the quote on Sunday.  It's Monday.  We're still waiting.  Why can't anyone be true to their word anymore? 

We really need to move.  Our landlords have decided to list the house for sale and we had our first showing yesterday.  The buyer wanted a showing from 8 am until noon.  A four hour window--on a holiday weekend.  After going back and forth with the appointment setting company (and them never getting back to us to confirm) Jeff hounded them by phone a few times to find out they scheduled it for 10:30 am.  Well, what would have happened if Jeff didn't call them to see what was going on with the house we are still living in?  I know--3 people would have come through the house without our knowledge while we were sleeping in.  Good think Jeff called them.  Apparently they cannot do the job they are paid to do.  If you ever need a service like that do not use Showings.com

Having showings and the house listed is a huge intrusion on our privacy, and it's stressful.  We're doing the best we can by keeping the house looking really great for potentil buyers.  We have to completely alter the way we live right now, and we're paying a lot of money to live here.