Finally! Beginning this week, I started the long anticipated job of work that will no doubt take weeks, if not months, to complete. So, if I am not posting blogs you will know I'm up on the ladder, painting!! Back in August, when we had our home's foundation work done, I've been waiting for temps to cool down outdoors so I can open the house up, patch up wall cracks that were created from the sinking, and then take pictures down off the walls, patch holes, etc. Preparing for an entire face lift of a new coat of paint throughout. And this time, I'm doing away with each room a different color...I'm going with an light off-white thru the entire house. The paint strip tells me it's called "Blank Canvas". Hey, I liked the name of the paint color. Just think of what all you can do with a "blank canvas". LOL
So I got the patching done in the kitchen, and Monday morning I started painting! Bud is rewiring the light switches and outlets to "match" the wall color as best as possible. I used to paint over them, and of course the "old colors" were standing out like a sore thumb. Now, they blend in pretty well. Wednesday I finished...one down and nine more to go! Plus the hall way. I will no doubt do the hallway next. I am also rearranging frames of my art, and photos. The one entire wall in the kitchen is of my sketches and paintings [the same wall extends into the dining room by the hutch, so that part is done also]. I now call it my Wall of Frame. [before is image above]
Once again, since I've been staying home for the most part to stay out of the heat and getting caught in heavy rainstorms most mornings recently, I have made do with playing on the phone [a jigsaw puzzle app], watering plants on the patio, reading, and drawing some. The other day when I was out checking my flower crops, I noticed the incredible clouds that were storm clouds brewing...the higher up in the sky they go, the more moisture will fall...somewhere! I had my cellphone in my pocket so I snapped some photos. Also, once again, I took photos of some flowers blooming in the yard [and bushes]. When I got back indoors I thought I'd attempt getting a very short video of the newest 'gift' I bought for our daughter, Irene. She collects pigs [she has a hutch in her home filled with pigs, pigs, pigs!] This one I couldn't resist. In fact, I've been tempted to keep it for myself...but, I won't. I have enough collections going as it is!! Need to get it to UPS so they can package it and ship it to her!! In the meantime...this is just a few seconds long:
here is a still in case the video doesn't load and 'bobble'...
The morning sky:
Recently, after I uploaded and installed a new puzzle app on my phone...when it starts to get too hot outdoors, I come in to cool down and I usually end up reading my book [a new one I found on Olivia de Havilland -Melanie on Gone With the Wind from 1939] She recently passed away at the age of 104. Speaking of collections, I have tried to find over the last 30 years or so, biographies on all the main characters from that movie...I have Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Hattie McDaniels, and have been searching for a couple of good ones...one on Olivia and another on Leslie Howard [Ashley]. I finally found Olivia's Biography-Autobiography published just after her death. It's a good book. Full of Hollywood gossip and tidbits of her early acting career at the age of 16. Okay, where was I? Oh ya, puzzles. Our puzzle table was torn down and stored for when Erik came to Corpus in May. We probably won't put it back up in the library until all our yard work is done. So, with this app I can get my 'puzzle fix' and I can choose the grade of difficulty. I choose 275 pieces. It's a VERY GOOD app. Many, MANY free puzzles to choose. Altho, it eats up a lot of battery! Maybe 3 to 4 puzzles before the phone's battery is near exhausted. Here are screenshots from the phone's app...
Same ol' flowers, different days from the last time I posted:
To close off for the day, I have to mention that we decided to do some electrical work ourselves. Luckily Bud did this kinda stuff in the Navy aboard ship. But, that was 60 some years ago!! Give or take a few years. A lot has changed. Arthritic hands and knees, eyesight not so good, etc. etc. But, we conquered the job and saved ourselves over $300. We [mostly Bud] tore our fluorescent kitchen light apart and replaced the ballast behind the bulb casing!!! An hour's job for a professional electrician, it took us 3 hours of up and down the ladder, trips to Lowes in the rainstorms, sore neck breaks often...etc. etc. But, it's now done. I haven't put the light fixture's cover back on yet as I need to get back to Lowes for a new light tube. One's very weak and needs replaced before I put the cover up...why put it all together when another job will come all too quickly!!
...and to continue showcasing my Trolls...
↓ My 18th Troll Share ↓
TROLL DOLL COLLECTION
Holiday Themed Mr. and Mrs. Christmas LARGE Soft Scuplture
ONE: Bud and I had finished dinner around 7 pm, and I was taking the recycle out to the recycle bin. Well, I heard this awful ruckus and pans dropping in the kitchen from outside. Pretty soon, as I neared the back door, I could hear a few swear words. Well, at least my dishwasher of a husband was still standing but none-the-less disgruntled. To say the least. I had no idea what had happened, until I saw him rushing out to the garage and coming back in with tools. All the while he was doing this, the water from the faucet was still running at full speed. Grumbling he said "Why tonight?" By that time I had reached the sink and was going to offer to help in what I could, but I then saw the problem. While Bud was rinsing off the dutch oven in the sink [I cook, he does the dishes]...and the lifter-upper thing on the faucet head [the part that controls the water flow - like this kind -link-] had broken off completely. I wanted to laugh, but knew I shouldn't. But, trust me, I was laughing on the inside. You see, I wanted this replaced a long time ago. Joe the Plumber Bud is not, but we both know our way around replacing these because of all the remodeling we have done throughout our married life. Okay, but still, he couldn't get the water shut off without a control. Knowing him, I wasn't going to suggest shutting off the water at the shut-off valve under the sink in the cupboard either. Bud had returned with his handy-dandy tool that he can't do any project without...a vice grip pliers. Okay, I saw now what he wanted to do. He wanted to reach into the open part of the faucet head and shut the water off from there AFTER he got the dishes rinsed and in the automatic dishwasher. I couldn't take it any longer and blurted out "Shut the water off at the valve". Okay, his response was "I'm gonna want running water in the morning for making coffee...I'll shut it off here. It'll work." "Whatever cranks your gears sweet cheeks" I say. And leave the scene. The water finally was shut off. All the while I heard faint curses.
So next morning, I found out that Lowes opened at 7am, and Home Depot opened at 730 am. We drove to Lowes first, found one faucet to our liking on display, but they were not in stock. Figures. If it weren't for bad luck Bud'd have no luck at all. Or perhaps 'cause he's Irish!! I don't know which. To continue, granted, I mentioned above that we have done our share and more of remodeling kitchens. We do know our way around [a bit] the plumbing...at least sinks. I can't tell you how many times we've replaced faucets. Both in kitchens and bathrooms. But...and that's a big but---we're much older now, and Bud's hands are quite arthritic. And he's stubborn as a goat!! Or mule...which one is more stubborn? The goat or the mule? Crawling 'round under the sink, water residue dripping slowly out of the disconnected water lines, he tried his bad luck again, and his bad luck was still with him. One of the nuts that hold the threaded pipe to the faucet wouldn't budge. I offered to crawl under to see if I can pry it loose. Of course, the 'he man' in him wouldn't think of it. So, I waited. Patiently. More curse words and more straining. Nada. He crawled back out of there to return to get another tool from the tool box out in the garage. Aha!!! Here's my chance. I got under the sink, reached up and twisted. Tho, I must admit, I strained a lot, but it broke loose, and by the time he returned to the kitchen, I had the nut off. LOL We then worked together somewhat; he relinquished his 'he man attitude'. And to end this saga, what should've been a 30-45 minute job of work, it took two and half hours. I finally got that nasty old faucet out of the kitchen and replaced it with another sparkly one. And you probably are asking yourself "Why didn't they have an expert do the work?" Okay, I'm gonna tell you why. This happened on a Saturday night...I did call a plumber and they told me "We are done for the evening, we can come out and do the work for you, but it's after hours, this isn't an emergency, you could wait until we set up a time for Monday to fix it for you, or you can pay double rate." Nah, but thanks anyway. Can you hear the phone being set back down? $150 an hour, plus parts and labor vs. an $90 faucet that we replaced ourselves. What's a backache? That'll go away in due time. And so goes another day in our nearly 45 year relationship.
TWO: Watching the latest episode of NCIS [my favorite program] online, Canary, the program is getting back to being acceptable. The one program before this was a little "iffy" for me, the one with Abby and her past. There isn't another episode of NCIS 'til February 19th, and I read it's gonna be about Director Vance's past. I don't like the stand-in acting director after the death of Leon's wife; I would prefer Director Vance to return. He has balls....more like a director should be in my opinion. Also, reading info on the program, CBS has renewed NCIS for an 11th season. The program will run in 2013-2014. Cool.
THREE: Now, can't wait for GRIMM to return from their hiatus. The last program really left all of us fans hanging. And I found the preview of its return program coming up on March 8th. What's gonna happen to Nick? And Juliet? And the captain? The countdown begins:
FOUR: We got a small amount of precipitation this week; on Wednesday. Need more please.
