Bathroom Remodel

S. did the final paint touch ups over the weekend so it is now complete. Penelope will miss Howard the contractor as he brought her treats every day. It is still a tiny master bath but now all new and fresh with a heated floor.

The before photos show the old vinyl floor and the ugly base cabinet with the banjo countertop over the toilet. The old brass shower door was a hard to clean slider and the old shower base was white vinyl and equally hard to clean. The old shower tiles were small and had no pattern. 

The after photos show the new tile floor and base cabinet with a centered sink incorporated into the countertop. The shower door is clear glass and opens in or out and a new ONYX brand shower base that matches the tile color. The new shower tiles are larger and look like stone and have a diamond pattern.

We love it.

Now on to getting new carpet upstairs to replace the rippling old carpet. I guess the backing has stretched out over time as there are now ripples in every room big enough to trip over.

Lou

Blog Reading Holiday

It’s killing me but I have put myself (after promptings from the Holy Spirit I think) on a blog reading holiday for Lent. Protestants do not really observe Lent as the Catholics do by abstaining from meat or giving up bad habits, but this year it seemed appropriate for me to rein in my blog reading. I guess I am just an information addict at heart.

I remember when CNN was a new thing on TV providing 24 hour news coverage. I quickly became hooked on watching the continual news flowing in from all over. The latest live courtroom or a live report from a war zone. Strangely though I’ve never been addicted to any particular TV show. As the CNN system was bought out by other interests and changed over time into more and more political commentary and celebrity gossip I lost interest. Fast forward to today. Today my appetite for information is fed by a variety of websites and blogs. When I last counted I had 43 that were bookmarked on the left sidebar of my computer (note the before and after on the photos.) I used to check in on them daily or even multiple times a day reading the new postings and the comment sections. The internet still amazes me, that all this information is at our fingertips. Science news especially hooks me in.

It starts with one or two interesting sites that in turn link to other sites that are equally interesting and the bookmarked lists grows and grows. The internet is endless and if one has very little self-discipline (and the weather is cold and snowy) it can suck you in and consume all your time. I guess young people are finding this out about social networking. When it starts to take you away from things you know you should be doing then it is turning into a vice. The old adage “everything in moderation” comes to mind but why is it so hard to determine what moderation looks like? How much blog reading is just staying informed? How much blog reading is just feeding a bad habit?

Going on a blog reading holiday (it’s been a week now) has its benefits. I’ve re-discovered books and I am also getting to the things on my to do list and crossing them off much faster. I am not currently reading any of my favorite websites and blogs and am reading only the news that comes in on my home page. A few minutes and I’m done.

The one blog I do allow myself to still read is my daughter-in-law’s blog about the pregnancy of course. I also check in on Facebook. Since E#2 is doing her semester abroad and doesn’t have a phone we rely on e-mail and Facebook to keep track of her so I can’t give that up.

When Lent is over I will re-evaluate and decide how to pare down my bookmarked list and become a much more moderate blog reader I hope. Besides, the weather is improving and the outdoors is beckoning for gardening and walking.

Lou

PS This blog is not required reading for anyone either. Ha.

Quilting Projects

Lest my family think that I haven’t been doing any quilting lately, here’s an update. I finally finished the binding and hemming on the Celebration quilt (on the bed in the top photo) that has been in the works since last Fall. My quilting mentor quilted it on her long arm Tin Lizzie quilting machine months ago, so I am glad to have it completed now. I really love the vibrant colors and patterns although it doesn’t match anything in my very muted home, oh well.

Another project that has been in the works for a long time is the Twisted Nine Patch quilt. I keep setting it aside to work on other things. I now have the top completed and since it is a little too big for my machine to quilt, I will be paying someone else to quilt it. Some people specialize in custom quilting and have mastered elaborate machine feathering and other designs that are “drawn” freehand. Quilting is not a cheap hobby! Custom quilting costs between $100 and $200 depending on the density of the stitching desired. My mentor gives everyone in our quilting group The Prairie Piecers a discount though. The Twisted Nine Patch quilt is on the table in the middle photo and will probably be a throw or lap quilt for the family room eventually.

There are also some future projects displayed in the bottom photo. A couple table runners and several wall hangings. Spring and summer are shaping up to be busy, exciting times with the arrivals of first a granddaughter and then a grandson so my quilting may slack off a bit until the fall.

I also have a somewhat secret project going on and another baby quilt to start. I have a pattern on order for a collection of fabrics called “On The Move” by Northcott Fabrics that I think will do nicely. It has cars, trucks, boats and planes with cute animal drivers.

All these things should keep me busy. I’ve also just gotten started on my spring cleaning which is badly needed since the bathroom re-model. UGH.

Lou

Twelve reasons why my children will be great parents

1. They are not sixteen years old. Having gone through the college years and lived as self-supporting adults they have maturity and experience in their favor.

2. They are married (well except for E#2 and she is not contemplating parenthood yet). Having the legal protections of the state where they live is in their favor.

3. They are not criminals. Having no arrest warrants outstanding and no stints in prison is in their favor.

4. They have faith in a higher power. Having a sense of humility and believing that there is One greater than oneself is in their favor.

5. They have a sense of humor. Having the ability to laugh at the absurdities of life and just for the pleasure of laughing is in their favor. Did you see the YouTube video of the baby laughing hysterically while his dad tore up a sheet of paper?

6. They have a support system. Having parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, coworkers and a church family to talk with and to pray with and for encouragement is in their favor.

7. They have a roof over their heads. Having a home and a yard for a child to play in is in their favor.

8. They babysat for others a time or two. Having been paid to be responsible for children is in their favor.

9. They have owned pets. Having to be responsible for feeding and caring for another living creature is in their favor.

10. They have jobs. Having to be accountable to an employer and to be to work on a certain schedule is in their favor.

11. Billions of other humans have done this successfully. Having a long human history of parenthood behind them is in their favor.

12. There are two of them and only one child per expecting couple. Having the baby outnumbered is in their favor. Think of the poor Octomom and her brood.

Dad and I have complete confidence in you (both couples)! Do not fear. Pray. Take advice from experts with a grain of salt. Relax and enjoy the ride, don’t over think it. My list is a bit tongue -in- cheek to show you that you have everything going for you. Not that it will be a cakewalk, but that you can do this and do it well. We can’t wait!

Lou