Archives: July 2009

31 Jul 2009, Comments (5)

Glass Block and Other Bits

Author: Linnea

Thanks for the encouraging words, I passed them on to Ryan since he’s doing so much of the work. This house is a big project, but it can be fun too. Ry and Dan got the glass block installed, and the bathroom is already changing! The light is so great in there now, even when it was cloudy yesterday. They also added insulation since they found that the entire north side of the house had none. (!?!)
bathroom-glassblock
I added one of the cracked pipes (2 vacant winters with no winterizing) to the collection of things found in the house. (Note that the horse shoe is now turned!)
split-pipe
Last night, the woman who came to measure for flooring turned out to also be a decorator with great ideas! She even had an idea for reusing the chimney brick so that it could remain part of the house rather than getting dumped in a landfill…
brick-pile
And finally, because it was just.so.cute… Last night, I found that Riana climbed into bed with Amelia, and Amelia crawled over to cuddle up. All six of Amelia’s teeth are now through. Thank goodness! Overnight she went from totally restless and upset, to sleeping THROUGH the night!!!
girls-sleeping

Coming soon…all things blueberries (I actually baked this this time since the first ones went so quickly!)…a family wedding tomorrow…and hopefully a little Sunday trip. Happy weekend!

29 Jul 2009, Comments (4)

House…drywall and glass block

Author: Linnea

Just checking in for an update on the house. This week, the big projects are 1. mudding and sanding drywall in the upstairs room that became 10 feet bigger after the chimney was removed 2. the bathroom (I hear creepy music each time I even think about this space. Here’s why:
B2. Bathroom from doorway B3. tub and toilet space

Not only is this bathroom cramped, it’s so dark and gross right now! The first step is enlarging the window space to install the glass block panel that we had made.  The panel came in two pieces and also includes a screened vent window, since there was no steam control before.  The tub seems to be in good shape, but pretty much everything else has to go.  Before the chimney removal, the tub wall opposite the faucet was slanted maybe 40 degrees because of the chimney.  Now that we have a full tub, we need a new surround.  We are working on a fun, kind of quirky idea, so stay tuned on that.  We have ideas to change the door, we ordered a new toilet, and still need to tackle the big closet (which goes under the stairs).  We are well on our way in this small space, hoping that we can make it feel much less cramped, even though it is a small space…

Meanwhile, it is time to take the girls blueberry picking again. Last week’s sixteen pounds are long gone. Plus, I’m not sure they can handle any more home improvement stores today!

28 Jul 2009, Comments (5)

Joy in the Moments

Author: Linnea

joy-in-moments

Blame it on the lack of routine during these summer months…or the troubles of teeth, or the nights lacking in sleep because of the teeth… but I have failed to reflect on joy for awhile.  And then a sweet, simple song reminded me, so here we are.

I like to think of joy as the light the seeps through the cracks in our souls (not through the cracks in our non-winterized  pipes). So on a quiet morning, when not many have yet woken, I sit with steam rising from tea, and I think of the moments from this past week that simply seep through and bring joy to the surface.  It’s in the lovely flowers in my Grandparents’ yard…little toes covered in sand…blueberries for every meal…birds singing in the tree….little sighs, heart laughter and sweet smiles from the girls (even as they break in teeth)… these moments, however brief, can go unnoticed, or can be celebrated.  It’s really just a choice.

26 Jul 2009, Comments (2)

Quotable Sundays: taking flight

Author: Linnea

Flying

::: I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things :::

:: Antoine de Saint-Exupery ::

24 Jul 2009, Comments (4)

This is why.

Author: Linnea

Today was one of those days where I struggled to gain perspective.  A bunch of little irritants piled up, I was restless, and now both girls have teeth wanting to break through. I asked myself of those loud nagging questions about the point to being in Michigan…the point to putting fourth effort that is sometimes unappreciated…the point to filling in annoying holes in walls… the point seemed difficult to find today, and then, in the quiet of the night, I wandered away from the sounds of (finally) sleeping babes, took some pictures off my camera, and this is what I found:

gpa-mia

Okay, so Amelia still doesn’t look so sure, but she crawled (can you see the red knee?) across the room, climbed up to stand on my Grandpa’s knee, and he giggled a boyish giggle.  He never picked her up, but waited, visit after visit, for her to come to him. And she did. And this is why enough for tonight.

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