I took a couple of days off last week to paint the kitchen, and I ended up painting for 3 days straight and I still wasn't done. The problem was that I had to prime everything. The newly plastered walls were fine, they were really easy to prime, but the red walls were a pain in the neck. I had to keep going over some areas because the primer just seemed to soak right into the red and it would show through. I also had 7 doorways to paint around. Every doorway but the front door is somewhere in the kitchen or hallway. Seven doors! But I finally got the walls all painted, and then I started with the glaze. It took a few trys to get the technique down and to get it the right color. I finished it on Saturday, and I'm really good at doing a dry brush/colorwash, without any brush strokes showing now. I'm so happy with how it came out-there will be pictures soon. Of course, I haven't even started the ceiling yet. Maybe next weekend.
I'm sorry I have no picture of a reuben sandwich here. I'm quite high on the list at google if you search for 'picture of reuben sandwich'. I'll try to find one so all of you who keep searching can have your reuben sandwich picture at last.
Until I get that sandwich picture, however, I have a few other pictures to share. Here is the journal I made from an old book (I mentioned this a while ago):
So tomorrow is the big day. Finally I get to paint my kitchen. No more country brick red! I'm painting it yellow, and I'm going to try a little dry brush technique with a deeper golden yellow. Two walls had wallpaper (nothing too hideous, a red and tan country check with an animal border, but it was still very 'country', which is not really my style) and when I started peeling it I discovered that it was pasted up directly on the sheet rock, no primer or anything. And the other walls all have a plaster-like texture, so we had someone come in and match the texture for us. He finished last night, and it looks great. The ceiling is going to be a pale Delft blue. Then I can put all my Grandmother's Delft plates on the plate shelf above the windows. Pretty!
Holy Cow, it’s been a long time. I have truly been so busy. Some of the things I’ve done these past 3 months:
Took up knitting (or returned to knitting after starting a sweater 12 years ago, moving unfinished sweater numerous times around the country, considered giving sweater parts to Goodwill, then had a good look at sweater and realized that despite the fact that it’s 12 years old I still like sweater and would like to wear it this winter).
It’s cold at night now, and the leaves are starting to change. Here is the view from our porch. This was on Sunday afternoon, as I was sitting in the rocking chair. I’ll have to take pictures weekly.
We’ve been stocking up on bulbs to plant this month for next spring. Big R (aka Mr. Lucy) ordered a bushel of daffodils. And they came in a bushel basket! I had no idea what exactly ‘a bushel of daffodils’ meant, but it’s one big basket filled with hundreds of bulbs. I also went to a Sweet Pea seminar, and learned that our soil is basically decomposed granite, which is good drainage-wise, but means that there are zero nutrients. So the Mr. has been spreading manure (not that he doesn’t normally, he he), in the back garden which we’ll be turning into a berry patch/fruit orchard. I had my vegetables out there this summer, but I plan on preparing the area outside our back door into a kitchen garden. The pot that I planted with tomatoes and herbs did exceptionally well in that area this summer, and how much more convenient can you get than a kitchen garden right out the kitchen door?
Saturday I’m taking a paper making class with my sister. I’m quite looking forward to it!
~02:46 p.m.|Thursday, October 17, 2002 email
ducks
I was just checking my referral log thingie, and someone found my site because they were searching for 'duck wallpaper border'. All I have to say is, "DON'T DO IT!". Really, I'll get my camera hooked up to my computer this weekend and show you just what a bad idea duck wallpaper border is.
~09:24 p.m.|Thursday, July 18, 2002 email
redesign
I know it's been forever since I've said anything, but I'm really wanting to redesign everything, and my brother needs to send me my dreamweaver cd so I can do not only my site, but his as well. So maybe that will motivate him to send it to me today.
I've been making books for weddings this month, three in the last couple of weeks, so that has kept me awfully busy. That and decorating the porch, which is harder than you might think. So far we have a tile-top table and a couple of old chairs that I want to strip and paint (white or blue, I haven't decided), and a throw rug (made for outside, that you can just clean off with a hose), and a white rocking chair I picked up at Wal-Mart for the great low price of $50 this weekend, and an old desk and chair. I planted a hanging basket, full of lobelia and impatiens, and a pretty pot by the front door that I planted with a fuschia. I still want to find an old day bed or bench sort of thing, that I can make into a comfy spot for reading or napping, and maybe another rocker or other chair and a couple of small tables, and some more hanging baskets. It's more work than I would have thought to decorate a porch, but I want it to be like another room of our home, where we can spend lots of time.
Today's Wildlife Moment
We were eating the other night, out on the porch, when we suddenly heard much flapping of wings, and chirping behind us. When we turned around we saw an owl carrying away a small bird in a flurry of feathers. The saddest thing, however, was seeing the parents of the small bird flapping around the owl, all upset. I know all that 'circle of life' stuff, but it was so upsetting to see the parents, knowing that they watched their little baby being carried off. I wish the owl would do something about our gopher population, instead of snatching little baby birds from our porch while we're eating dinner. Rude owl.
~12:53 p.m.|Wednesday, July 17, 2002 email
clouds
I'm now a commuter. It's a good 45 minutes each way between home and work. I never thought I would drive so far to get to work, but it's actually not been bad. The best part in the morning is coming down the mountain. It's been sunny and beautiful at our house in the morning, while the rest of San Diego suffers from 'June Gloom', which just means that a thick marine layer envelopes the city every night. Sometimes it clears up the next day, and sometimes it doesn't.
As I drive down the mountain, I can see the top of the clouds, like a churning white sea, below me. Various mountain peaks pierce the surface, it's a stunning site. As I descend, I reach the cloud layer and drive into it, and it feels like I've entered another place.
And now, some helpful information:< >
Drugstore Reviews< >
I've never really noted any differences between razors. Sure they can add that lubricating strip, and throw on another blade, or make a non-slip super grip handle, but does it really make a difference when you shave? Not really. So I wasn't expecting much when I bought my brand new Venus razor. I almost didn't buy it just because the commercials are so annoying, but it came with 2 more blades and a pumice stone/nail brush combo thingie. I'm a sucker for free stuff like that. I'm suprised to say that I love this razor! I've never had such a close shave, and it just glides over your skin. So, if you're in the market, I highly recommend it. /end of commercial plug.
(I am not affiliated in any way with Gilette or Schick or whoever makes the darn thing, btw).
~08:24 a.m.|Friday, June 28, 2002 email
Thanks for the cattle
This is one of the greatest things ever. You can add your thanks to the people of the Masai Village for thier most generous gift. I saw something on the news since this happened, and I believe they have given us even more cattle, and the women are also donating some of their beautiful beadwork as well.
~10:23 a.m.|Wednesday, June 19, 2002 email
sandwiches
You know what my favorite kind of sandwich is? Besides tomato, I mean. A big fat Reuben, with extra sauerkraut, and heavy on the 1000 Island dressing. I just picked one up for lunch at Jimbo's, a nearby health food store. When getting a Reuben, I don't think you want to go to the health food store. They had some kind of low-fat pastrami that was a little on the dry side. Togo's is the place to go for a decent Reuben, except when you get one of those sandwich makers who doesn't understand the joy of the perfect Reuben sandwich.
This is a true story: I went to Togo's one time and ordered my sandwich. "Do you want that on rye or would you rather have white?" "Rye, of course, it's a Reuben." "Mustard? Mayo?" "Mustard is ok, but no mayo, and heavy on the 1000 Island." "Do you want the sauerkraut?" "Yes, of course I do, and throw a little extra on there, would you?" "What kind of cheese?" "Uh, swiss, of course, I ordered THE REUBEN." He asked me about every single ingredient. I ordered a reuben, I wanted a reuben. Not a reuben with tomato and lettuce, no sauerkraut, oh, and put it on white bread. If that's what I wanted, I would have ordered the PASTRAMI you nitwit.
So, our little town in the mountains doesn't have cable internet access, or DSL. Not that I expected they would, but I hoped. So I've got to pick up a modem and install it so we can get ourselves all connected. It's dial-up for us!
I'm hoping to make it to the computer store tomorrow or Saturday. Not that we have a lot of time to spend in front of the computer, but it would be nice to check email from home and do a little online banking (not that that's a huge issue either, considering that the checkbook was MIA for a good week).
~01:52 p.m.|Thursday, June 13, 2002 email
one more week
For the past three weeks or so, I keep telling myself, 'one more week and things will be better and calmer and more organized and less tiring.' And a new week starts and there is still so much going on and I'm feeling harried and exhausted and disorganized. This week, however, I really think it will just be one more week and then things will really settle down.
~08:51 a.m.|Wednesday, June 12, 2002 email
All moved in (sort of)!
So I've spent the last week scrubbing and packing and loading things into cars and trucks and scrubbing and unloading and unpacking and whew! I'm pooped! But we are mostly in our new house, and will hopefully be able to clear the last remaining junk out of our old place over the weekend. I can't believe we made it!
Never before have I experienced the stress that was *Going Through Escrow*. Now I just have the stress that is *Home Ownership*. I spend my lunch hour at Ace Hardware, I have daily to-do lists and projects that must be completed. Not that I didn't ever have a to-do list or projects before, and I did occasionally visit the wonderful world that is Hardware, it just seems to be a constant thing right now.
Now I can talk about just how cute our new house is, I daren't before, because I didn't want to jinx anything. We've moved from a tiny, cramped beach house to a little town in the mountains east of San Diego. We're actually in the Cleveland National Forest, and the elevation? 4000 feet! We haven't left San Diego County, and yet we will have four seasons instead of two (the cool, sometimes rainy season and the warm, sunny season), and even the occasional snow! We have lilac bush! And three gigantic, ancient oak trees. Here is a picture.
All those trees? Ours. Those two little out buildings? Ours. One is a guesthouse, one is a workshop.
Once we have internet access, I'll take more pictures, including the infamous ducks in the living room, and our 'country' kitchen, which is the first room that will be painted.
~10:11 a.m.|Friday, June 7, 2002 email
A quick recipe
Malika, of Nobody's Fool, made some delicious sounding sweet potatoes. Her recipe made me remember my favorite way to cook and eat sweet potatoes:
Throw a whole sweet potato in the oven (at about 400 degrees), and bake it until nice and soft. When it's done, slip the skin off and mash it up with a fork a little bit. Add some finely minced fresh ginger, and mash some more. Then drizzle with cream. Stir and eat!
This also makes me realize how much I'm looking forward to a real oven in two weeks! Or 13 days, actually (not that we're counting down, oh no). Our current oven is the oldest, smallest thing I have ever seen. It's avocado green, and there is no thermostat, we've just got a thermometer inside that I watch carefully. After nearly four years, I've pretty much got the hang of it, and I only forget and let it heat up to 500 degrees every now and then. I've cooked a couple of tasty turkeys in that oven, and finally managed to make a decent batch of chocolate chip cookies after countless failed attempts. I'm going to miss many things about living where we do, but I am not going to miss that oven.
Oh, and Malika? I used to hate sweet potatoes too!
~09:31 p.m.|Thursday, May 16, 2002 email
tomato sandwiches and other happy things
I made myself a tomato sandwich this morning for breakfast, and my day has gone well thanks to this happy start. You do it like this:
Take two slices of bread (today's selection was shepherd's bread, but I also like a nice chewy whole wheat-type bread too), slather generously with mayo. Slice a tomato up nice and thin, and layer the slices all over one of your slices of bread. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Top with large, fresh basil leaves. Put your other slice on top, cut your sandwich in half, and eat up.
My brother sent me the link to this website. Very cool!
~02:38 p.m.|Monday, May 13, 2002 email
a site to make you go 'oooh'
Updates will be sporadic at best over the next couple of weeks, because I have so much to do. When we get all moved and settled there will be much updating and pictures, and I'm sure a new section all about the DIY projects I have planned.
Meanwhile, visit Bembos Zoo, and ooh and ahh as the words become animals. I think the quail was my favorite. You need Flash to view it.
So, I did manage to download a picture of the house, but I don't want to post it until it's really ours, but if you can't wait, drop me a line and I'll send you a link so you can see it :o)
~09:02 p.m.|Friday, May 10, 2002 email
planning and packing
So far I've managed to pack six boxes of cookbooks. I think I have to pick up the pace a little bit, but I find myself easily distracted. Friday night, when I had big plans for packing and doing laundry, I instead organized my bookmarks on my computer. I feel like a new person. I was looking for gardening sites, and I found just the climbing rose that I want to plant at the corner of the wrap-around porch on our new house. I also found a source for lily of the valley, which I want to plant under the big oak tree in the center of the circular drive.
~09:40 p.m.|Monday, May 6, 2002 email
more house stuff
After the hell we went through to find our house, escrow is going suprisingly smoothly (fingers crossed, knock on wood). We may even close a week early, which means that we could move in on Memorial Day weekend!
The house is basically move-in ready, but I don't like the wallpaper or paint in any of the rooms, so once we are settled, I'll be going through one room at a time with paint. The living room has a wallpaper border of ducks. It's quite hideous and I don't know why someone with such an adorable house would ever put ducks in the living room.
Did I mention that this house has a laundry room, dishwasher and disposal? All luxuries I have lived without for nearly four years. I hope to make my last pilgrammage to the laundromat this weekend. I'll buy new underwear if I have to, just to avoid going ever again.
~02:13 p.m.|Friday, May 3, 2002 email
where i've been
So, I haven't been around for a few days because I was busy buying a house. The dream house, as a matter of fact! The seller sent a counter offer to our original offer, we countered, she countered back, we said screw it, we'll just buy it. So she came down a little, we went up a little, and in the end, we're all happy. Although I would be happier if she had just accepted our original offer.
Now we are in escrow, so I don't yet believe it is actually going to be our house. I'll celebrate when we have the keys in our hands :o).
~01:09 p.m.|Tuesday, April 30, 2002 email
First Lines
Here's a very fun site for all you readers: First Lines. I was surprised by how many books I could actually identify by the first line.
One of my favorite books ever: "The Signora had no business to do it," said Miss Bartlett, "no business at all. ". And the source of my nickname 'Lucy'. Any guesses what book it's from?
~09:39 p.m.|Tuesday, April 23, 2002 email
Operation OFB
So I've joined Operation OFB, which means that I've committed myself to walking up a hill at least three times a week for the next 4 weeks. Lately my walks have consisted of little more than taking the dog out for a ten minute walk by the bay. I'll let you know if I end up with 'OFB' after these four weeks, but frankly, I think it's going to take a lot more than 4 weeks for my butt to be anything other than the monstrosity it currently is.
~09:01 a.m.|Friday, April 19, 2002 email
creative therapy
I didn't mention that my bookbinding class on Saturday was really great. I made 3 different open spine bound books. I want to take pictures and post them, but my digital camera isn't cooperating lately. I can take pictures, but I can't download them.
I spent the evening yesterday working on a new journal for myself. I took an old book, called 'Cherry', and gutted it, then cut new pages out of Arches text wove to size. I stitched through the spine and strung some round red beads and green leaf shaped leaves on the exposed stitching. Then I used Italian cherry-printed paper for the end papers. I really like my new journal :o). I'm going to fill it with art.
~10:40 a.m.|Thursday, April 18, 2002 email
therapy
I'm still feeling just awful about the house, but a mud pie blizzard from Dairy Queen has eased my pain a little bit.
I just got a new muffler put on my car, yet it is now making more noise than before. Did they skip the definition of muffler in mechanic school?
~11:15 p.m.|Wednesday, April 17, 2002 email
house hunting redux
We found our dream home this week. And then we made an offer on it. For the asking price. And then the seller decided to raise the asking price by $30,000. I hope the karmic boomerang smacks her in the head. I am truly heartbroken, we don't have another $30,000.
~11:19 a.m.|Wednesday, April 17, 2002 email
making books
I recently joined San Diego Book Arts and now I know about all kinds of exhibits and workshops and stuff around the county. Saturday I'm taking a bookbinding class at an art center in Fallbrook. I had no idea such a place existed. I'm so excited-we're making three different types of books. I'll post pictures over the weekend!
~10:44 a.m.|Thursday, April 11, 2002 email
house hunting
So, we're house hunting. I knew that buying a home is near the top of the 'most stressful things you may experiance in life' list. But I didn't know it was going to be this stressful! Once we find the perfect house and our offer is accepted, I think the rest will be easy, but so far we've attempted offers on two different houses and waiting for counter offers and making phone calls and trying to decide just how high we're willing to go is giving me an ulcer. Maybe not an actual ulcer, but my stomach hurts and my neck is all stiff and I'm not sleeping so I'm just exhausted and unable to concentrate or accomplish anything.
On the brighter side, my incapcitation has led to hours of fun playing all kinds of games.
~10:28 p.m.|Wednesday, April 10, 2002 email
yippee
Isn't this snazzy? Now I can quickly add an entry whenever I feel like it, without a lot of work.
~09:04 p.m.|Wednesday, April 10, 2002 email
previously...
out of 5 stars
