Day 2 and Gracie's good news!

Things are coming along.  We're behind but it's all good.  I got a call this morning and the floors may be delayed a day, so a little rearranging of the task list.  It's all good!  I can use the extra day!

Monday's list... all but one thing complete!

• Buy paint and primer.
• Choose new sink faucet and get Doug's approval.
• Choose new kitchen lighting or ceiling fan and agree on what we want to buy.  Chandelier
• Empty China Cabinet.
• Deliver cabinet to Denise.
• Empty Hall Closet.
• Prepare garage for furniture.
• Take kitchen furniture to garage.  
• Clean and dejunk the kitchen drawers in prep for stain.  
• Finish staining the kitchen drawers.
• Dejunk Cookbook cabinet.
• Remove the Wall Vinyl
• Hang rod in garage for clothes and coat from coat closet.
• New shelf in upper pantry.
• Cup hooks hung for china cups.

Tuesday's list:

• Paint the kitchen with Primer  (Started just to see what it was going to look like.  WOW!)
• Remove the Swamp Cooler Vent
• Paint the kitchen/dining room and hall ceiling.
• Clean the levelors 
• Buy the faucet
• Decide on the light or ceiling fan.
• ETA:  removed hardware from window treatments
• ETA: Packed away scrapbooks and some of partyware from party closet

Wednesday's list: 

• OOPS!  Left off the main task yesterday!  REMOVE THE KITCHEN FLOOR COVERING!!! That had to be done before any painting could take place!  It took all evening!  CHECK!!!!
• Closet doors off
• Finish yesterday's list!
• Remove staples and carpet tack strips from subfloor in hall and kitchen
• Buy the new chandelier!  Decision made!
• Put the hardware onto the cupboards, if UPS delivers!
• Study my Sunday School lesson
• Pack the Hummels from the entry way cabinet

And so... it's obvious that every thing takes longer than planned.  Removing the carpet was nasty! It's always so surprising to me that we think we are so clean until we pull a big task off like this or move. You find all sorts of nastiness.  EEWWW!  There are still a ton of carpet tack strips to be removed.  Another nasty job...painfully nasty, if you aren't careful.  I'm just glad that we started a week early and didn't think we could do all of this on the weekend!  So far, though, I'm happy to say, I've been very happy and calm through the mess.  We are keeping on top of the mess, which helps!  Ask me how I am when the rest of the furniture is being moved out on Friday!  Doug and I even had a nice little chat and counted our blessings, last night,  in our echoing.  I am loving this project so far!  And holy COW!  The kitchen looks so different without that nasty carpet!!!  "Awesommmmme!", she says in her best singing voice!

Other ramblings from the day:

• BIG HAPPY NEWS!  Grace was recognized as Student of the Month at her school!  She was quite surprised by the nes.  The letter that is sent home to the parents acknowleges her willingness to learn, helpfulness to others, friendliness and good attitude.  Since only four students are chosen per month in quite a large school, this is quite an honor.  Quayd's teacher told me, at his High School Planning meeting, that Quayd was as excited as Grace was because he was so proud of his sister!  We thought it was pretty special.  She gets to go out for lunch with the principal.  Wonder if we'll see them at Chili's? ;)
• I had to laugh at my husband.  Only Doug!  Yesterday morning, I told the kids that this floor would be gone tonight.  It had seen it's last family meal, it's last snowballs from Go-Go and it's last vacuuming.  Wrong.  As we were ripping the flooring up, Doug grabs the vacuum.  I asked what he was doing and he said, "It's so much nicer to haul out without stuff shedding all over you.  So, it got one last vacuuming and then was rolled up and hauled out to his trailer.  Only Doug.  No complaints here.  He likes the job done right!
  
   
• Honestly, I think that an extra $10,000 would make this project really really fun!  Every time I walk into Lowes, I think, "Oooo, we need to do that!"  That store is farrrrrrrrr more expensive than any decorating store I've ever been into!  Let's put it this way... the iPad is now being postponed again because my priorities have changed this month!
• Speaking of priorities, I received an email from a blog friend yesterday, asking for thoughts on being "self-reliant".  Times are hard!  Money is tighter than ever for most everyone, due to the economy.  I thought I'd ask here on the blog for any thoughts on being self-reliant.  My first thought is:  If ever there were a time, to be prepared for emergency, to be self-reliant, it is NOW!  Please, if you have any thought, feel free to comment or email them to me today.  I can read them during my paint breaks!
• My knees are surviving this, so far.  Doug's been pretty adamant that I take things slow and take lots of breaks.  I get the last injection in my left knee tomorrow and then begin the right knee next week.  I think that they are helping.  I'll be glad to be done with them!

Life is good and I've GOT to get busy! 

Be adventurous!

Comments

[susan]

I don't think anyone will be self-reliant until they get their wants under total control. When I see who is on Welfare or Assistance and brags about it,,,then brags about their satellite dish, their fast speed internet, their amazing smart phones, I am always stunned. Because along with all these things they have to have, they complain that they can't pay their bills, pout cuz they can't have more, and always say there's no food. Hmmmmm...so my suggestion is instead of going out to eat, that those few dollars and put food/cans on shelves. Skip the wants right now...think a whole lot smaller...and do what you need to do...The first won't keep you long until you are robbing someone's home...the latter will make up for all the loss of the 'things' you give up in order to be self-reliant.

[Rebecca Reschke]

money saving tip: make your own laundry soap. It costs just pennies!

[Debra Guerrero]

Self reliant, after surviving the fire and lack of any utilities for a week, I can now say the most important thing someone can have on hand is an adequate water supply to meet your families needs. Pets, family and neighbors - all need water and in todays world, water is a valuable commodity. We odered Life Straws from Amazon, kinda pricey at 25 bucks a piece, but considering they can last for about five years in storage - well worth the cost. We also have two 250 gal containers to store water, if not needed we use the water for the yard and garden. I have since moved to the desert and feel much more comfortable knowing I have that little safety net. I have also always had electric and gas cooking appliances - so if the electric went out for any reason, my stove has always been gas. During the fire, we lost everything - so outdoor cooking is a must.
The funniest thing I noticed about the loss of utilities was my husbands ingenuity. When everyone was scrambling for batteries, candles and oil lamps - my hubby walked outside and pulled up all my little solar lights from the front yard (I had just decorated the yard with them to light the way at night for the dog). He brought them in every night and took them back out every morning. Talk about saving money and it got to a point that if you left the town to go get supplies - sometimes they wouldn't let you back in because of the fires in the canyons.
Last, but not least - learn how to make you own stuff, candles, soaps, lotions, grow your own food, learn how to survive on what is available in your area. Know where you live and what is available to you. Our Grandparents knew how to be self reliant, sad to say, we have forgotten or thought too much of modern conveniences and didn't think we needed to learn - so much info lost - so if you have the opportunity - talk to your elders, they are a wealth of information.