Happy Father's Day Big John!!

I hope all the Dad's out there have a wonderful, relaxing day. Believe it or not, I had to think about how to word that sentence because my Dad rarely relaxes in the traditional way- he's always doing something- ALWAYS.  Rumor has it that when my parents were first married, Dad couldn't read a ruler. My Mom's dad taught him and from there, there was no turning back! Their first house, was a standard Cape, that he transformed into the home where they raised 4 children and still live today.

He could do anything!! He finished the upstairs, basement (complete with a bar), built a garage and porch, created a massive retaining wall so we could have a backyard, installed a pool for the kids, build a sweetheart swing, shed, garden, installed a wood burning stove and chimney...the list goes on and on and on.... Including working side by side with my sister as she personally gut and rebuilt her house in the city.  The renovation was massive and the results are stunning. He was in heaven while working on this project but that is a story for another blog. 

There are pictures of my siblings as toddlers, sitting on saw horses, essentially being used as ballast, so he could cut a board. As kids, we were always involved in whatever the project he happened to be working on- much to our dismay. He felt strongly that we needed to know how to do things so when we had our own homes, we would know how to take care of them. Just this week at work I was able to astound a coworker with my knowledge of flux. 

When there was nothing to do at our house (ha!), he took his show on the road to help whoever needed it. We'd go to visit an uncle on Cape Cod and upon arrival he would present my Dad with his list of "mini-minor" or "mini-major" projects. He did this because he needed the help but mostly because he knew my Dad wouldn't be able to sit still for an entire weekend like most people. I recall installing bulkheads and wiring kitchen fans and taking some joy in the fact that my uncle was the one being instructed for a change.  For the record, those lessons never stuck with my uncle but it was fun to watch! 

Need a tree taken down? Call Big John- a family nickname picked up somewhere along the way. He would offer to take down a tree for free on three conditions (aside from the obvious fact that he wouldn't cut pine trees- too much sap and as a result creosote):  he got to keep the wood, he could store the wood in your yard for a year so it had time to season (dry out), and probably the most important, you provide beer when the job is done. He has NEVER purchased wood for his wood stove in his entire life. He probably still has some stored waiting for pick up. 

So back to relaxing... His idea of relaxing was some project he could work on at night. There was a brief ship in a bottle phase. He completely refurbished an old player piano-which became a fixture at  any party held at our house.  I remember him tinkering with the air bellows and cutting and fitting small pieces of flexible plastic tubing so the air would move the keys. He built an amazing dollhouse one year when I was in grade school.  How jealous was I that Mr. So and So asked him to build a dollhouse for his daughter as a Christmas present.  Every night for months he would cut tiny pieces of trim, design a widows walk, obsess about access to the attic, make tiny shutters for the windows and railings for the porch. When he had questions on design he'd ask me for my opinion. I got help select the wallpaper and pick the tiny stone for fireplace. Finally it was finished and it was the of delivery day. Off it went to the lucky daughter of Mr. So and So. Hope she likes it.  Imagine my surprise on Christmas morning when it was waiting for me under the tree!!!  He build a fort, complete with drawbridge for his godson, Stephen, and many years later, another for his grandsons. He built wooden toy car carriers but his most recent project is building decorative toy soldiers for use at the holidays. I've lost track of how many sets he's built but people love them!! He should start a business- he'd be a hit a craft shows.

I could go on and on about my Dad- his generosity and kindness but he'd hate that and this is turning into a very lengthy post. I'll wrap up with this...Tomorrow is June 17th- the anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. My dad grew up in a house practically across the street from the Bunker Hill Monument. Boston and it's history has always been a part of our family and he is going to be spending this Father's Day watching the Bunker Hill Day parade.

  So Dad, I hope you have a good time today. Love, Pal

Divide and Conquer/Relax

The rain has subsided for the time being, so off to the beach we go! As we're getting settled we realize we forgot the screw-thingy that goes in the sand to hold the umbrella. Husband offers to make the trip back to the house to fetch it. I stay on the beach eating my breakfast pastry and sipping iced tea- complete bliss!  Upon his return we start talking about how to furnish our back room and his idea is to move furniture from our home in MA-today. But...but what about the beach??  We agree to divide and conquer. He'll head home and load as much as he can into the truck by himself and I will enjoy a day at the beach.  Works for me!! Pack up and head home, divide the lunch I had packed earlier and go our separate ways. I head out to a different beach and settle in for what turns out to be an amazing day. Around 4:00 I get a text saying he's back and that is my queue to call it a day. 

 I can't believe that he was able to load an oversized chair and love seat onto the truck by himself. We get it all into the house with practically no harsh words exchanged. The furniture is in but final placement is still being worked out. 

Now it's time for our weekly trek to Lowes/Home Depot. We picked up a rug and a few other times that added up to an astronomical amount. Then we each toasted our day with a scorpion bowl for two. We just need the Bruins to win to make the day a complete success!

A Banner Day

We are experiencing a heat wave in New England. It's been in the 90's since Thursday. I couldn't wait for the weekend- if the weather held up, it would be our first warm (hot) weather trip to the beach. Friday night was HOT. It was 86 degrees when I arrived at 7:00pm. I generally don't mind the heat. I grew up sleeping upstairs in a pre-air conditioning era Cape. Upstairs, we had one white metal box fan, with extremely sharp corners, to keep us "cool" in the summer. The house in Maine has windows of various shapes and sizes, none of which will accommodate a window unit AC. This heat wave was going to be a true test of both us and the house. Oh, did I mention that the screens in the bedroom needed repairing so we couldn't open the windows? We did OK our first night- I made an executive decision to remove the electric blanket (which we used just last weekend) and with the ceiling fan and a fancy oscillating fan, we slept comfortably. 

We were up early on Saturday. I was packing beach bags and my husband started screen repair. But before we could head out we had a meeting with a contractor. He was finalizing details to replace two sets of French doors that lead out to our back deck and pricing replacing wood around the perimeter of  the house that was showing signs of rot. This was the biggest finding at our home inspection and we really want to get this taken care of and be done with it. I think the paint and whatever glue they sprayed into one corner of the door is all that's holding them in place.

I had talked to the contractor several time over the phone and I couldn't wait to meet him. He had a real hard core Maine accent. Just like the radio spoof, Men From Maine. He even said, "ahhh-yup." He was a great guy and will begin work on Monday! Yay!

Off to the beach. What can I say? It was a fantastic, first time as a home owner, trip to the beach. We got to skip the whole receipt on the dashboard exercise thanks to our town resident beach sticker. It was low tide so there was lots of beach available. We  set up our chairs and umbrella and walked to the water. After regaining circulation in our feet, we bravely waded knee deep in fifty degree water and loved every second! I'm so happy when I'm at the beach!! We had lots of sun screen this time and I left the beach as pasty white as when I arrived. I hope the rain holds off so we can do it all over again tomorrow. 

Not Your Typical Memorial Day Weekend

The forecasters had predicted a less than stellar weekend from a weather perspective.  That was OK by us- it had been a hectic week and we were just looking forward to some time off. While out to dinner on Friday night we ran into the local celebrity- Luis Tiant. He lives on a nearby golf course- according to the commercials on TV- and we've debated whether or not he ever spends time here. Apparently he does!  

My husband was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and got to work on the bureau. He reassembled it and put on the first of what would be three coats of stain. 

Late in the afternoon, my husband was looking out the window and spotted a hummingbird feeding on the bleeding heart plant near the garage.  Last summer in Indiana, we stayed at a resort that had several feeders and plants near a huge window. There were dozens of hummingbirds buzzing around all day- my first ever sighting of a hummingbird. It almost doesn't count though. They designed the area to attract them. The one we saw this weekend, was "in the wild." I'm counting that as another first. 

We woke on Sunday to news of snow in NH and ME!!! Are you kidding me? SNOW? On Memorial Day Weekend? I know this is New England but never in my life had I heard of that happening here.  One ski area in Maine got 10 inches and opened for free skiing. The Lakes Region in NH got flurries and some areas had accumulation of varying amounts. Forget cookouts and BBQ's, I made a pot of soup and baked some bread. Yup, I made bread. It was a super simple recipe I found on Pinterest and perfect for a rookie bread baker.  The recipe is on pinlavie.com. And she wasn't kidding, this really is the easiest bread to make. I got two small loaves and I was as proud as a peacock. Web address is below- try it. You won't believe how easy and good it is.

http://pinlavie.com/the-best-and-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make/

We had a quick visit with friends in the afternoon. How long has it been since you built a pillow fort? Or had genuine fun using a vacuum?? 

Monday morning was clear but cool. We missed the parade but made it to the beach in the afternoon. I was wearing a true New England ensemble: flip flops, jeans, sweater and a down vest. It was comfortable but windy.  Based on the burn on my face, it was both sunny and windy. Note to self- you burn easily and should NEVER go to the beach without sunscreen. Sigh...this is a lesson that I can't seem to learn.

Next weekend is supposed to be in the 90's!! Hopefully the bureau will have dried by then so we can move it out of the garage. It looks awesome. Here is a before and after:

It was stained, scratched and broken.  The top was cracked and split, held together by one nail. The drawers didn't work either. It was a bigger project than we realized.  Now it's solid piece of furniture. We can't believe it came out so well. It just needs to dry...

Now we jam five days of work into four and look forward to our first real trip to the beach next weekend! My burn should be better by then.

A New Lease on Life

OK folks I'm going to experiment with adding pictures where I want them rather than at the end of the post.

Our family celebrated a big event this weekend. My nephew joined the ranks of college graduates on Saturday.  As many of us as possible were in Connecticut to watch him receive his degree. Congrats Bren!! 

We trucked on up to Maine after the ceremony and in the back of the truck we were hauling an antique bed. Several years ago my aunt cleaned out her parents house and her parents bedroom set found its way down the street to my sister's home. She has been storing the bed frame in her basement for years. When, after first checking with my cousin, offered it to us, we jumped on it- not literally of course.  My husband assembled it early this morning and it is perfect!

I love antiques and being able to pull this family piece out of storage and put it back in service makes me happy! 

My bureau refinishing project is progressing. It's hard to make real progress when we're only here a day or two at a time. Today we sanded everything but the legs, and did some repair work on the top, and now we're fixing the interior so the drawers will slide smoothly. We picked out a stain and will probably attempt that next weekend after another round of sanding. I'm not gonna lie, the idea of staining makes me nervous but I think it'll go nicely with our new/old bed when all is said and done. 

I think I figured this picture thing out!! 

The Bruins have what appears to be a healthy lead in the 3rd period so I think I'm going to stop blogging and start watching. Have a great week everyone!

Mother Nature Was Working Overtime

We spent Friday night supporting the performing arts. Translation: attending the annual dance recital for two pretty amazing girls in our lives. They work hard all year for this night and it's fun to see them on stage having fun with their friends. After the performance ended we headed north and arrived around 11:30. Instead of collapsing into bed we ran around the house flipping light switches on and off. Funny how something like the miracle of electricity never fails to amaze us! Our electrician extraordinaire worked his magic and we now have working lights throughout the house! A big thanks to Heather and the Poirier family for providing us a list of various local contractors.

Mother Nature is amazing. Last weekend we put down some mulch and gave the "plants" a long drink of water. I say "plants" because at this point we weren't sure what was a plant and what was a weed. So we crossed our fingers, prayed to the perennial gods, and hoped for the best. What a difference a week makes! We pulled into the driveway and the motion sensor lights lit up an explosion of pink and fuchsia. What was a short green stem last Sunday exploded into a gorgeous bleeding heart plant. I've never seen them in a landscape. They've only previously existed in hanging baskets on Mother's Day. The other surprise was something that looked like an azalea but it was clearly something more sophisticated. This plant had pretty pink buds in a star shape- for all I know it is an azalea. I spent sometime between rain showers taking pictures of various plants and trees in the yard and plan to ask as coworker for help identifying them.
Before heading to an early Mother's Day celebration, we began repairing and sanding a bureau. I also started another batch of spice jars- ginger and rosemary want to join the party and I need make some room.

I'm posting a few picture of the yard including the deer buffet ( all still present and accounted for) I planted last weekend. If you see something you recognize, PLEASE let me know- although I am aware we have 3 apple trees in the back yard. And that is only because when we looked at the house in the fall, there were actual apples on the tree.

A Window, a Bed, and a Buffet

Another jam packed weekend in Maine. The electrician showed up on Saturday morning to fix the non-working lights in various locations throughout the house. We have no way to turn on five different lights in the house. What he thought was going to be a quick fix turned into a more involved job. Apparently someone cut the wires, capped them and stuffed them up into the wall. So we gave him the contractor key and he'll take care of it during the week.

While the electrician was here, my husband took razor blades to the exterior of the bedroom windows. When the house was painted at some point in the past, the spray gun got residue on the windows. Not a big deal but just something the former owners never dealt with. Now we'll have an even clearer view of the Red Sox from the fire pit.

The only other scheduled chore was to replace the octagonal window in the mud room. The window was cracked when we bought the house so we covered it over with plastic and waited for nicer weather. The local glass company replaced the glass, and touched up some of the rot and we were good to go. Fairly painless window removal and re-installation by us which is always a plus. Chores done, we decided to pick up a mattress and box spring for the second guest room. It's a smaller sized bed so we had no problems with the pick up, transport or set up. Hang some curtains in the mud room and in the small first floor bedroom, rake the front yard, a little laundry, head out for an early dinner and call it a day.

Sunday morning and we're planning our excursion to Home Depot, a few towns away. Along the way, we decide to stop into what turned out to be a rather scary flea market. For whatever reason there were several vendors selling an unusually large knifes. I overheard a patron say, "I wouldn't be afraid to run into someone in a dark alley if I had one of these." The knife was essentially a machete- time to go.

We had an easy trip to Home Depot that did not involve any dark alleys- thank goodness. We stock up on screen repair materials and head to the garden center. This wasn't on our agenda but we still came out of there with a small fortune in mulch and flowers. On the way home we stop at an antique store and come out with my next project- an oak dresser that is begging for refinishing- picture below. This has turned into an expensive morning. I need to get all my plunder home and unloaded.

Gardening is big in our new neighborhood. Really big! When we met one of the neighbors last week she identified other neighbors by the plants in their yards. I can't play this game. They are going to have to deal with whatever God and the former owners graced us with in terms of perennials and flowering trees. I'm armed with too many flats of begonias and impatiens and ready to fill the gigantic planter in the back yard. I spend an hour or so filling the backyard with this flowering greenery and listening to some interesting noises coming from the woods behind the house which got me thinking. Our back yard has a small grassy/ mossy area that leads to pretty dense woods that extend back for at least a half mile. I know there are animals back there because some hungry, no longer hibernating animal recently mangled a bird feeder hanging on the back deck and dined on the contents. The realtor said she saw a buck eating apples off the tree last fall. Too bad I didn't remember any of this when I was at the garden center. I'm pretty sure I just set out an expensive, high end buffet for the local wild life.