Laundry Anyone??

Much to the chagrin of parents, children often have more fun playing with the box than the item inside the box. I know as kids we could spend days with a giant box that held the new dishwasher or TV. We'd decorate the boxes with crayons, cut out windows and we'd beg to be allowed to sleep in our new fort. I'm experiencing something similar at the house in Maine. We have a clothes line!!

I've never had a clothes line in my forty plus years on this earth.  Growing up, my friend's mom used one regularly- even used one inside in the winter. Summer vacation rentals had the obligatory metal structure for wet suits and towels which we used. In Maine, our back deck anchors one end of a clothes line, which stretches across the yard to a tree. It was there when we bought the house and I never gave it a second thought. Friends commented on how helpful it would be to hang beach paraphernalia to dry. Whatever.  Then we had a week long heat wave and as you may recall, we don't have AC. I needed to do laundry but really didn't want to add a single degree to the already sweltering first floor. My husband suggested using the clothes line and it was life changing!!! I've always heard people talk about sheets fresh from the line but didn't get it. I do now! The first load dried in no time at all due to the outrageously high temps. I folded each article of clothing as it came off the line- no more laundry basket full of clothes to fold.  After posting my "discovery" on Facebook, friends sent me tips on the best types of clothes pins to get and how to put the clothes on hangers attached to the clothes pin for fewer wrinkles. I can't get enough! I had a blast working through the suitcase of vacation clothes, beach towels and some sheets this afternoon. I must have done four loads of laundry without thinking about it.  I completely understand that this new found laundry joy is going to be a fleeting obsession- I mean, it's laundry after all. By Sunday, I'm sure I'll be over my fascination but I'm going to strike while the irons hot (ironing is NOT life changing, by the way) and wash everything in sight.

Beach Observations

1.  There really is no better place to people watch than the beach. Get yourself settled in and watch the show.  Observe the newly arriving folks selecting a spot- most often they chose their spot based on how tired they are from lugging their stuff from the parking lot.  Watch them set up camp. Exactly how much stuff did they bring? Chairs, towels, umbrellas, sun shelters, water toys and wet suits? What's in their cooler? Are they spray on or lotion sunscreen people? It's amazing how much spray on sunscreen is lost in the breeze. Swimmers or sunbathers? Are they here for the duration or just a quick stop? I'm surprised how many people haul tons of gear to the beach, only to leave an hour later and the whole process starts all over again. It never gets old.

2.  Since when are beach umbrellas a requirement? I'm not complaining, in fact, I'm a fan of beach umbrellas. We spent a lot of time at the beach as kids and there were no umbrellas anywhere in sight. We sat there and baked for hours each day with no relief from the sun.  When we began hitting the beach as adults, the first thing I noticed was that everyone had an umbrella. We picked one up and haven't looked back- it's become a necessity.

3. It's really quiet at the beach.  In the past, one of the key factors that determined where you'd plant yourself for the day was based on who your neighbors were. You didn't want to sit next to the people with the giant radio because odds were they'd be blaring music you hate. Then the guy behind you would try to drown out that music by cranking up his own boom box. Earbuds have eliminated the dueling radios. Teens and adults are listening to iPods and the only sound you hear is the occasional crying baby, laughing child, murmurs of conversations depending on how the wind is blowing, the waves and seagulls.

Funny thing happened to me last weekend while walking the beach by myself. I am passing by a family group- most members sitting down chatting but the Dad and a walking but not talking toddler were  playing with sand toys.  The toddler, a boy, makes eye contact and then he makes a bee line for me. He is grabbing my leg and indicating he wants me to pick him up and get the sand off his hands. Dad is 3 feet away and he and I are laughing at how the child thinks he knows me. He calls to his wife and says, " look at your son.." Everyone in his family laughs but this kid really doesn't want me to leave. He is desperate for me to pick him up and is about to start crying. I manage to break away and resume my walk. He chases after me until his Dad scoops him up and returns him to his toys. The whole thing was extremely cute and then I noticed the little guy was wearing a Yankees t-shirt. Maybe he wanted to be adopted into a Red Sox household???? :)

Simple Pleasures

We all run around at a frantic pace- it's the way of the world these days. I've never been a gardener and house plants in my care are essentially on death row awaiting their execution date. Lately, however, I've taken to spending a few minutes each day with the flowers- not smelling them necessarily, deadheading them.

A few years ago, we did a major overhaul to our backyard, including lots of plants and flowers.  We watered them faithfully and most of them survived. Last summer we got two large hanging baskets along with two large pots of flowers for the steps. I managed to keep those flowers alive well into the fall. I spent 15-20 minutes most nights pulling the faded blooms from the plant. It was oddly therapeutic. This year we replaced the hanging baskets and pots and I find myself out there in the wee hours of the morning plucking the deadheads.

In Maine, we can't keep hanging plants, they require too much water and being here only on the weekends is a recipe for plant disaster.  However, I still manage to get regular doses of plant therapy. We found a seasonal coffee shop that has 3 enormous baskets of petunias hanging out front. On the way in and out, I pull off as many dead flowers as possible- much to my husband's dismay. The young owner of the shop saw me one day and thanked me for helping out. It had been pouring rain for a week and she was afraid the plants were done for. We chatted a bit and she gave me the green light to deadhead the plants to my hearts content. We stopped by today and I was happy to see the flowers were making a spectacular comeback. I could happily spend an hour with those flowers. It's a good thing being at the beach is it's own kind of therapy otherwise I'd be applying for a job as a weekend gardener at the coffee shop. 

Check, check and check

I like lists. They help keep me organized and I get a good deal of satisfaction when I can cross something off my list. We've been busy the past few weeks. Well, technically our local contractor was busy helping us cross things off our list.  

In the past 2 week he has removed and replaced significant amounts of rot on the out side of the house. Check! 

Then he removed and replaced the two sets of rotting French doors with sliders that lead out to our deck. Check!

 We then purchased the ultimate summertime requirement- a grill. Check!

Check out our new doors and grill.

My sister and her husband helped us test drive all three new editions this weekend. So good to see them and we got a bonus visit from our cousin who lives in the great state of Maine. 

Looking forward to spending a stretch of time in Maine over the holiday next week. I already have a list for the upcoming weekend, it's short and I'm pretty confident I'll be able to complete it with no problem. Beach- check!

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.