I miss my blog...with so much to do, when is there time to write?

Having the second contractor to cancel their visit to provide an estimate to fix the damage from the leaking roof (finally fixed after 1.5 years) and paint the room and believing the estimates received so far to be overpriced, I've decided to do it myself.  I've watched plenty of DIY projects completed by my parents and having DIYNetwork as the most watched channel in my home, I should be able to pull this off.

I spent all weekend, scraping, kilzing, joint compounding, sanding, paint sampling, and priming....


Main damage from leaking roof


Main work area


Trying to decide which color blends better with furniture and curtain panels I plan to convert from window scarfs.


Once getting handle on knockdown patch...painting room will be next task. First try...too wet

things happen for a reason

We may not understand why events occur when they do. So many of them shape our lives in preparation for what we must one day face and conquer. We must accept them as blessings to a more divine end.

For two years non-continuously starting the summer 2006, we searched for a new home. We dealt with non-responsive realtors, over-priced resale homes, non-spacious new construction homes, and many homes in fair to poor conditions. Twice invested in home inspections. I say invested because critical problems were found in each.

When son started kindergarten his behavior problems occupied much of my time, the home search time was drastically reduced. A year later we started to actively search again when a home was offered for sale on the same street as my mom. This sparked out interest again. Eventually we found a new realtor who worked with us until the end.

We never suspected to live so far from town (job, school); we sought a location where hubby could park the tractor part of his truck (over the road driver). We found a lot in a great neighborhood close to what is known to be best elementary school in county. Two months after moving in, hubby was offered an opportunity to make shuttle runs and to be home daily instead of bi-weekends. He took it.

Now, as of last Friday, unfortunate circumstances has led my niece to be living with us until at least to the end of the school year. It is a true blessing that we are able to provide her a stable, productive environment where she can make achievements in academics, physical and emotional health, and personal well-being.

We soared over a major hurdle already, fractions. She started with a frown and "I hate fractions!" to a glowing grin when she finally understood. She is as proud of herself as I am of her.

There is not much concern for the kids behavior towards each other. Since both have had limited interactions with their half-siblings, they have always treated each other as such.

It is amazing to me how the daily occupants of this household has doubled in just three months time. Adjustments will need to be made from all of us, we are willing to give this honest try.

Not sure how much time I will have for blogging, but I suspect writing, which is new to me, will be my vice for peace of mind.

So the saying is true, "Things Do Happen For A Reason"

crack-sitting

Reduced to watching their every move, I spent two days baby-sitting contractors as they correct their screwups. 2nd to the the worst screwup was the incorrect grout in the backsplash. Number 1 was the incorrect wood stain on ALL cabinets, kitchen and bath. Plumbing had to be removed and new correctly stained cabinets installed.
Perched upon my kitchen table, I pondered whether I should feel guilt or sympathy for the young man who was scraping out the existing grout with hand tools.
NOPE! No guilt happened in the 6 hours he worked that day.
It was not my fault the shop owner suggested SAND shaded grout to me and I took his recommendation.
It is not my fault that the contractors put in HOT CHOCOLATE shaded grout.
It was not my fault on two separate repair jobs that the workers continued to use the HOT CHOCOLATE grout.
It was not my fault to insist of receiving what I ordered.

In all I do love the house. Still have a lot of unpacking to do, a few more contractors to deal with. Maybe the next group will actually use belts with their low-riding pants and I won't have to spend my days crack-sitting while they work.

only a man...

I took Lovebabz's advice and focused to locate my Charger plates. Traversing from room to room, visually scanning unloaded boxes, it became obvious they had to be in the one place a woman would never place them. THE GARAGE.


Now there is an abundance of appreciation for all the hardwork, hubby, JM, Cowboy, and Telly performed that day, but when you have been relentlessly searching for an item and you finally locate it in a place where it NEVER should have been, it places a minute damper on the successfulness of the daunting task of the move.

In the pic above, there is a small gap behind-left of the basketball base and the in front of the double-stacked speakers. Upon closer inspection...
Understandably, it was late in the evening and this was box was in the last load removed from the truck. But why in the middle of the garage? The other 6 CHINA/FRAGILE boxes of the same physical dimensions were placed in the kitchen or dining room. Why not this one?

In addition to locating the charger plates,


the collection of china bequeathed to us by my mother-in-law was in the same box. The collection is petite, but it was all she had left, other than her rings she wanted to be given to my step-daughter but somehow "disappeared" following her funeral and after hubby inquired to their location AFTER he saw them on a cousin's hands. (another post someday?)
I digressed.
I am a happier soul. My wedding china collection has been safely unpacked and shelved.

If only I could locate the VCR and the can opener.

impossible, but true

For the first time in 38 years, 8 months, 2 days, and unknown hours, the thought impossible has occurred. The vivid imagination of SistaGP has stalled. It is understandable that traumatic and lifestyle change events occuring within a short amount of time of each other can have a significant affect on the psyche. Stormy weather, travel to graduation 300 miles away in the middle of the night, and move to a new home in three back-to-back weekends has physically drained this unique collection of brain cells.

12-foot ceiling.
Thankfully, we had the intellect to spend a weeks vacation for the unpacking process. Days were spent from sun-up to almost midnight daily in the tasks of locating items that had been in storage for 4 years, 9 months, and "too tired to count" days/hours. Hubby returned to work 4 days ago and I was left with a dining room and garage full of stuff that mostly will added to the county's landfill.

Since there has been no "power of reproducing images stored in the memory under the suggestion of associated images or of recombining former experiences in the creation of new images directed at a specific goal or aiding in the solution of problems", here is a list of the ten most popular ramblings during the process of re-aquainting myself with my personal belongings.

• I know I saw that somewhere!
• Why did we pack that?
• "Label: Misc" Translation: I'm so tired of packing; just stick in this box.
• Oh, I remember this!
• I know I saw it, but where is it now?
• WOW, it still works!
• How do you turn it on again? (hubby's rigged stereo equip)
• Did I raid a Tupperware party?
• Why did he (hubby) put that there?
• WHERE ARE MY CHARGER PLATES?