ONE YEAR LATER

FINALLY--it has taken me this long to get back into my blog to make a new posting, even after having all kinds of directions to help (there was a goof). A lot has happened in the meantime:
1. My closet was finished with cedar only to discover that I couldn't breath when trying to sleep in the bedroom connecting to it so-o-o it was all torn out, hauled to the landfill, and the
closet refinished with plasterboard then painted. Needless to say it was slightly upsetting. Neither of us like having to do something over.
2. The next job was to fix the basement door to the outside so we didn't have a waterfall every time it rained. We also changed it to open out so we don't have to go up or down steps to use it. Getting the new guttering installed also made a big difference.
3. Then we could finally get started on the new kitchen. It has been a long slow job even after hiring a young friend to do a lot of the grunt work. A lot of pictures of the progress have been posted on my facebook if you want to see what we have been doing. The only thing we saved from the old kitchen was the old sink with the double drainboard. We gutted the two back rooms, added insulation in the outside walls, took a wall out to make a bigger kitchen, put another one in to create the new bathroom downstairs, moved two doors to allow better traffic flow into adjoining rooms, plus fillling in and refinishing the original red oak floor was the structural work. Installing new cabinets, a dishwasher, an exhaust fan, new wiring and plumbing has brought the kitchen up to date. We also added a simple cove molding around the ceiling. Left to finish: the granit tile countertop, baseboard on the bottom of the cabinets, lights over the sink and counter work area, and the display shelf over the wall cabinets, and the building of my "floating" work island and my recipe bookshelf unit. I gave up on the dust created by all this until I can now finally get to it. I am having fun unpacking everything and deciding where to put it. I am finding all my "treasures" that I have not been able to use since moving here. At last a kitchen made to my specifications!
4. The all new downstairs bathroom is almost done. just a little finish work left. All of those extra trips up and down the stairs are not missed in the least. Of course the stacking washer and dryer are still sitting in the garage in their cartons. After 36 years two stubborn people have met head on with neither giving in: I want to put them on the second floor where 90+% of the laundry is generated. I want to use the cubbyhole in the first floor bathroom as a storage and cleaning closet. David says he'll take them back before he'll put them where I want them. (I measured, they will fit and the plumbing is right underneath.)
5. The second floor bathroom has just a little finish work left. We kept the the clawfoot tub after giving it a new coat of paint on the outside and a good cleaning on the inside. The years of lime buildup was really difficult to remove but it looks great now. We also turned it around so the plumbing wouldn't show. We installed a new console sink and a built-in storage cupboard. We also added beadboard wainscoting and oldstyle black and white tile flooring in both baths. By adding a corner shower stall downstairs we were able to eliminate the makeshift one upstairs. Putting up another towel bar, the tissue holder, the border print and touch-up painting is all that is left. Davids sister Evie gave us some old style posters of children that look darling on the walls.
While all this was going on we celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, Debras retirement, a new
granddaughter (nine grandchildren to date), James return to Kansas, and Davids retirement
from his job at the school (David continues with his preaching) and made trips to Virginia, Iowa and Minnesota. No wonder we're tired!
Next on my list (please note the my) is room by room insulating, painting, refinishing the woodwork and the hardwood floors downstairs and fixing the floors upstairs. At the rate we are going it will be years in the doing, but it is the fixing of our own house and not somesone elses. What a joy! God has been so good to us and I thank Him daily for it all! God bless you all!