Taaaaa Daaaaaa

So, here it is so far.... my kitchen.

I am thrilled. Now if I could just get back into prepping the cabinets. I am thinking maybe tomorrow or over the weekend, there will be more going on in that department. I have my paint blocks, and just need a sunny day to actually see what the real colors look like in the room.

Need to post some Clessidra pics, but haven't gotten as much done as I thought I would. I am almost at the heel. Since you all have seen the pics of Clessidra #1, there isn't much point in showing you #2. As soon as they are a pair then there will be a pic.... I PROMISE!!!!!

Loving the fact that my home is filled with music everyday these days ... love having Matt here with us. He is a good influence on me. I am getting more and more accomplished every day. :)

We will be able to 'see' in our Kitchen

Hi All!! Yes, I did go knitting and YES it was wonderful to get out and see everyone, and laugh, and and have a lovely salad for dinner, and the itching didn't start until the end of the event. As of today I have been told I am "officially severely allergic to poison ivy". Went back to the Doc, and since the rash, and itching and red hotness are returning, he decided that I am going to have to wait this one out, because the oral steroids are not working for me. They worked for 2-3days and then the minute the dose was decreased, poof - there went the effects (except for the extra 5-6lbs they have left me with) :( So, the next time (which could be NEVER - as far as I am concerned!!) I get poison ivy, I have to tell them to give me a cortisone shot. Oh Boy.

But on to better things. The electrician was here today and on Sunday he is going to come and re-wire and install all new lighting for our kitchen, and because DH is willing to work with him and do some of the work as well he is charging us a reduced hourly rate. YIPEE SKIPEE!!! I envisioned a week of electrical work and a bill to match - hence double what I am trying to keep this renovation to. Alas Karma is coming in our favor. The island is all in place and we are already liking it. Once I am totally back on my feet (or using my hands and arms- as the case may be) the cabinets will be finished being prepped, and the painting will begin.

As for knitting, have not made as much progress as I would like. The stopping to itch, and just "not feeling like it" has slowed that down quite a bit as well. Tonight I go back to work, so maybe there will be some progress then.

Until then...Knit Well, Be Happy, and STAY OUT OF THE POISON IVY!!!!

I am going out Knitting Tonight!!!

I know you all think I am a bit nutters at the moment, but can I tell you I am thrilled to be going out to join the world again. I am being brave enough to take my funky looking self out in public, and KNIT!! I am not sure how long I will last, but I am doing it. Don't get me wrong - I absolutely LOVE my family to death, but am ready for some new faces. DH has be very patient and very tolerant over the past weeks. My sweet Matt acts as if my nasty arm and such doesn't even phase him - Bless his soul.

With that said, tomorrow there should be some updated knitting photos. I even got back on the treadmill - mostly to help process out all these nasty antibiotics and steroids that I am hurling at my system - and after finishing a lovely book called Twenty Wishes by Debbie MacComber I actually started knitting on a dishcloth for my second bout on the treadmill this afternoon.

Catch you all later....after knitting :)

Cheryl Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events...

Yep, we went from being a 42yr old klutz falling off my feet to covered in poison ivy all up the arm that was already not quite healed from the last event. Of course the poison ivy spread to the other arm and neck (but only a little bit). The next event was the poison ivy caused a cellulitis of my arm...
As far as I am concerned I am done now with my "Unfortunate Events"!!! Enough is enough. I have a kitchen that I am in charge of remodeling. Oh, btw - I am right handed, and where were my klutz wounds?? Right arm and hand.... and where has the poison ivy taken up residence??? My right arm - wrist to 1/2 way up my upper arm. Do you see where I am going with this? My time on the kitchen has been pretty nil.

Bless Rick's heart soul and knees!!!! With only a little somewhat able bodied assistance from me, the kitchen floor is now complete. He did an absolutley FANTASTIC JOB!!!!! In all fairness my wonderful young son, Matt, (who staying with us for a fairly good portion of the next 5-6wks) also helped his Dad with some of this event. In fact you will see both he and his trumpet in some of the following pictures.

First we have the floor as we have known it for 8yrs:

Then we have what all the floors have been for the past 40yrs:

Finally we have the finished product - of the floors that is.

The paint and cabinetry work will come soon. But alas we have to wait on some of it due to needing an electrician to come and evaluate and then rearrange some of our electrical stuff - you know, more than 4 outlets, and better lighting placement and so on.

Last but not least, here is the rest of said Wonderful Young Son...and his trumpet. He was supposed to be practicing.
May be once the swelling goes down a bit more on my arm there will be more knitting to be done. I can only do about 3 rounds on Clessidra before I have to stop.

On to the wall paper fun...

Hey Everyone, just thought I would brighten your day with some interestingly historical pics of what my kitchen once was.... or at least how it has been wallpapered over the years. Have I mentioned that I believe whoever invented wall paper should be shot?? Oh to have to remove that stuff...
So here we have the lovely 'chicken and duck country thing going on the border that was above the chair rail and around the entire soffit above the cabinets. The little pink heart stuff was below the chair rail and covering the soffit under the border.

The off white small flower motiff Contact Paper! was under the pink heart paper on the soffit, and under the chair rail section behind the fridge.

Need I say? THERE WILL BE NO MORE WALL PAPER IN THIS HOUSE... at least while I am still Queen.

It is all gone now, (until I move into the dinning room)

...and finally we have the historical paper that is behind the soffit above the cabinets:

I did say historical (or was that hysterical), anyway it was a timely find, Liberty Bells, Colonial Drums, Oil Lamps, and Tea Kettles. It all looks very 'Birth of our Nation-y'

As for the knitting front. Not getting as much done as I would like, but still making nice progress on Clessidra #2. Will try to make some major progress today and tonight, as I am a bit stalled in the kitchen.

DH is doing his part and getting the floor in place. I try to stay out of his way unless he needs my "able bodied" assistance. Speaking of 'able body', mine is healing fairly well from my spectacular concrete event. The palms are still painful, but most of the arm is fairly well on its way to be just lots of new pink skin. I am truly amazed that I did not actually end up breaking or seriously injuring my wrists. The only thing I can figure is that because I was holding things in my hands, and was going forward as well as downward - the force caused me to continue skidding forward and therefore I did not jam my hands directly down onto the ground but more of an angle. Rick said, but you said you wanted some time off... my response was that I still wanted to be able to knit comfortably, and if I had ended up in wrist casts, I don't think that would have been possible.

Have a GREAT holiday weekend everyone.

OH and btw, I am now the proud owner (or partial owner of a share of yarn from Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm). Rachael has said she would like to share in it with me, and if anyone else is interested I will gladly accept any offers of partial ownership.