while perusing the Houston Press last night, we discovered that Jennifer Knapp will be going on tour with Derek Webb! she's been out of commission for awhile, and I'm SO looking forward to getting to see her play the day after my birthday. as I said earlier, the lady writes songs that reflect mostly unspoken prayers of mine. Bethy, remember when you sang Faithful to Me in the talent show at Rockcleft?! am I remembering that right?!
this is a song off of the Kansas album that has a deep memory for me. there was a point where I felt I'd really come a long way, but had gotten my nets totally tangled in a dating situation that was making me crazy. I was so confused and felt so out there, completely exposed and floundering. I had the clear sense that it wasn't right, but couldn't seem to keep from being involved... the end result being my increasing discomfort and, like I said, craziness. I put this song on while I was in my car and before she got to the second verse I was bawling my eyes out. I pulled over onto the shoulder of the road and sang the rest of the song, crying in the ugliest way. then I called two friends, confessed my craziness and fear of being alone, and asked for prayer to turn away from things that aren't good for me. it was a big deal, let me tell you. those kinds of prayers and choices were crucial for me, because only by learning to say no to certain things I'd let myself grow accustomed to was I able to break free and be ready for so much... well, so much better.
and this one is just great, that's all. it's off of her next album, Lay it Down:
bring it, Jennifer! now I need to brush up on Derek Webb's last album... I really liked The House Show, which is the album I know best, but his latest one is more electronic.
-m.y.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
the power of the voice at the other end of the line.
I just got off the phone with Mrs. Webb at AT&T. I needed to call customer service to get a bogus charge taken off my cell bill, and wasn't looking forward to it because... well, many of us know how frustrating it can be to deal with At&T customer service, right? just a couple of weeks ago I had to call because, in a grand and totally confusing reconfiguration of our modem/wireless service last year, we had no idea what our WEP password ended up being - none of the numbers on the modem were working, so we couldn't help out our houseguests desiring internet use. I thought, 'how hard can this be? I call customer service and they look at the service page and tell me what password their tech assigned it.'
nope.
they had to reconfigure the whole thing again from scratch. I think that's the fourth or fifth time we were assigned a new network name and password, plus it took forever.
so, understandably, I was hesitant to call and attempt to get this last, piddly $2.15 charge taken off of my bill. I've made these sorts of calls before, and the results can be spotty.
enter Mrs. Webb. who, despite computer glitches on her end, managed to remove the charge, verify that further interaction with that service is blocked, and save me $10/month on my cell phone bill. normally I'm wary of the deal at the end of the call... 'by the way, you could be saving this and such if you'd switch to yakkity boo'... but, the way Mrs. Webb blunty put it, 'You wanna save $10 a month for doing what you're already doing? we've got a new plan and you're under the old one'... who wouldn't go for that? she's also from Arkansas, sounds like someone your mom knows, seems as frustrated as you that things don't work like they should, and just thinks people should save money right now if they can. when she asked about her service today, I said something like, 'you were great... I didn't mind the wait as much because you sound like you care, and you sound like you live where I live. it's way better than talking to someone with a foreign accent who mispronounces my name and sounds a million miles away. it really does make a substantial emotional difference and I hope this call was recorded and that AT&T's president listens to it.'
because that's how Mrs. Webb made me feel. you need more Mrs. Webbs, AT&T.
nope.
they had to reconfigure the whole thing again from scratch. I think that's the fourth or fifth time we were assigned a new network name and password, plus it took forever.
so, understandably, I was hesitant to call and attempt to get this last, piddly $2.15 charge taken off of my bill. I've made these sorts of calls before, and the results can be spotty.
enter Mrs. Webb. who, despite computer glitches on her end, managed to remove the charge, verify that further interaction with that service is blocked, and save me $10/month on my cell phone bill. normally I'm wary of the deal at the end of the call... 'by the way, you could be saving this and such if you'd switch to yakkity boo'... but, the way Mrs. Webb blunty put it, 'You wanna save $10 a month for doing what you're already doing? we've got a new plan and you're under the old one'... who wouldn't go for that? she's also from Arkansas, sounds like someone your mom knows, seems as frustrated as you that things don't work like they should, and just thinks people should save money right now if they can. when she asked about her service today, I said something like, 'you were great... I didn't mind the wait as much because you sound like you care, and you sound like you live where I live. it's way better than talking to someone with a foreign accent who mispronounces my name and sounds a million miles away. it really does make a substantial emotional difference and I hope this call was recorded and that AT&T's president listens to it.'
because that's how Mrs. Webb made me feel. you need more Mrs. Webbs, AT&T.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
something to look forward to...
barring any surprises, like, oh, a baby showing up early, we will be seeing the flipping Flaming Lips in Elenore Tinsley Park in early June! this is rad for a few reasons:
happy day. :)
I'm not regular about reading my various meditation books AT ALL, but picked one up this morning and thought this was a very appropriate thought for this week in the wake of Jenny B.'s death, the death of a peer of M's office manager, etc.
The beauty of the world has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder. - Virginia Woolf
Anguish is undoubtedly more familiar to us than the beauty of laughter. We feel anguish over our failings, we feel anguish over our losses; we feel anguish over the attempts to succeed that beckon to us.
Anguish comes of fear. And we so hope to avoid it. However, it seasons us; it enriches us even while it momentarily diminishes us. It is a major contributor to the sum and substance of our lives. The anguish we experience prepares us to help others face their own particular anguish.
Our laughter, too, must be savored and shared. And laughter builds more laughter. Laughter lends a perspective to our anguish. Life is made richer, fuller, by the ebb and flow, the laughter and the anguish in concert.
If only we could remember, when the anguish is present, that it is making our spirits whole. That it, along with laughter, is a healer of the soul. That it lifts our load at the same time that it burdens us. That it prepares us to receive life's other gifts.
I saw that my SIL posted these words of Jesus on facebook... they really are comforting, and whenever I hear or read them they are a salve for my brain, heart, and spirit:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27
a) we like them.
b) one of our first musical commonalities discovered on the set of the short film where we met was this band, specifically the album 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots'
3) I'm staring across into the library at the wall art husband made of the robot/Yoshimi image from the album, long before I met him.
cuatro) their shows are supposed to be an absolute blast, and I've never been before.
so here're two songs that have me pumped up today. Wayne Coyne's not the best singer in the world and their studio songs are definitely cleaner, but I love the energy of these.
the yeah yeah yeah song on Letterman!
and this is the song that I imagined we would have danced to at our wedding, if we'd done that sort of thing. I plan to hold my sweaty, pregnant belly with one hand and wrap the other one around husband when they sing this (I'm just going to assume they will. please, lips??). how fun does this concert look?!:
the yeah yeah yeah song on Letterman!
and this is the song that I imagined we would have danced to at our wedding, if we'd done that sort of thing. I plan to hold my sweaty, pregnant belly with one hand and wrap the other one around husband when they sing this (I'm just going to assume they will. please, lips??). how fun does this concert look?!:
happy day. :)
I'm not regular about reading my various meditation books AT ALL, but picked one up this morning and thought this was a very appropriate thought for this week in the wake of Jenny B.'s death, the death of a peer of M's office manager, etc.
The beauty of the world has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder. - Virginia Woolf
Anguish is undoubtedly more familiar to us than the beauty of laughter. We feel anguish over our failings, we feel anguish over our losses; we feel anguish over the attempts to succeed that beckon to us.
Anguish comes of fear. And we so hope to avoid it. However, it seasons us; it enriches us even while it momentarily diminishes us. It is a major contributor to the sum and substance of our lives. The anguish we experience prepares us to help others face their own particular anguish.
Our laughter, too, must be savored and shared. And laughter builds more laughter. Laughter lends a perspective to our anguish. Life is made richer, fuller, by the ebb and flow, the laughter and the anguish in concert.
If only we could remember, when the anguish is present, that it is making our spirits whole. That it, along with laughter, is a healer of the soul. That it lifts our load at the same time that it burdens us. That it prepares us to receive life's other gifts.
I saw that my SIL posted these words of Jesus on facebook... they really are comforting, and whenever I hear or read them they are a salve for my brain, heart, and spirit:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
fresh start
it's amazing what a little new color on the walls can do for your spirit. we had an ambitious work day set before us last Saturday, hoping to get the living/dining room, hallway, and front and back bedrooms painted. shots from the day:
to allow her mama to get some work done and dad to help paint, E.McD allowed myself and M's mom to entertain her for the day:
nobody trip! I'm just touching up the low VOC living/dining room paint! VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound, if you didn't know. I couldn't believe how pregnant I looked in this picture - you should see the one M took of me sideways.
and after the second coat, our bedroom came out very warm and tranquil with a green/blue vibe.
we still have to put up crown molding in the rooms and of course the baseboards will go back on and trim painted after we get the floors refinished after everything else in the house is done. steps, people, steps. the hallway has been touched up and gotten it's second coat, and the baby room is awaiting one more coat of paint but is turning out to be a lovely, sweet, almost-robin's-egg-blue. the big bears lay ahead - I'm referring to the kitchen and bathroom - plus we still need to paint the skylight room (prolly our office area), work out some wonky wiring in the living room, and prep the garage for the arrival of our washer and dryer, but we're movin' right along and are so thankful for the help of friends and family.
C.McD and husband applying the first coat...
and second coat, while our world traveller architect friend looks on.
to allow her mama to get some work done and dad to help paint, E.McD allowed myself and M's mom to entertain her for the day:
Miss Linda's 40 years of teaching was evident and most welcome.
the art gallery.
nobody trip! I'm just touching up the low VOC living/dining room paint! VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound, if you didn't know. I couldn't believe how pregnant I looked in this picture - you should see the one M took of me sideways.
I really like the pretty calm of the front rooms, there's sort of a blue/gray thing going on:
and after the second coat, our bedroom came out very warm and tranquil with a green/blue vibe.
we still have to put up crown molding in the rooms and of course the baseboards will go back on and trim painted after we get the floors refinished after everything else in the house is done. steps, people, steps. the hallway has been touched up and gotten it's second coat, and the baby room is awaiting one more coat of paint but is turning out to be a lovely, sweet, almost-robin's-egg-blue. the big bears lay ahead - I'm referring to the kitchen and bathroom - plus we still need to paint the skylight room (prolly our office area), work out some wonky wiring in the living room, and prep the garage for the arrival of our washer and dryer, but we're movin' right along and are so thankful for the help of friends and family.
-m.y.
Monday, February 22, 2010
new paint color can wait.
I intended to post pics of our work day this weekend and the pretty new colors in our house, but just found out that a very sick young woman we've been following died this afternoon. I'm imagining what life would be like if M or my brother were suddenly gone today, or anyone else close to me. in my current state of joy at expecting my first child, the thought of having to leave both her and my husband before I'd choose to breaks my heart, and I grieve for Jenny's husband, daughter, and family. grant your peace, Lord.
Friday, February 19, 2010
renovate: to restore to a former, better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding) - merriam-webster
the house steadily moves forward, not super-fast-like but in a manner in which we're happy with what's getting done. to start, let's take a look at gadgets and products that are topping our favorites list:
pink ceiling paint! this stuff RULES... you can easily see where you've been and don't waste paint going back over places you're unsure of.
double whammy shot: pink ceiling paint and the shop light! thanks to the handy shop light, we could work into the night in rooms in which we'd removed the lighting fixtures... we also used it to figure out which outlets were on which breakers so we could label them.
these paint can lids are a wonderful invention. not only does it make pouring a snap, it's so much less messy than opening and closing the can lid all the time.
dollar store rubber spatula (photo not available)
thanks to this little guy, we're able to scrape cans/trays and save a lot of paint that otherwise would likely be wasted.
one day last weekend (they're all running together), we embarked on the Great Lighting Fixture Caper, which involved multiple trips to Home Depot/Lowe's to hunt down which fixtures we wanted, purchase them, get them home, put them up, decide we didn't like them, take them back, get them home, discover the ceiling fan hangs down too far, take it back, etc. in the end, tired but thankful for Lowe's no-questions-asked return policy, we were very happy with what we got:
one of my FAVORITE fixes... we really liked this fan and the price was right, but the globe was white. those globes over there in the dining room are amber-ish. who cares, right? me. I do. so I started brainstorming how to match them a bit better, took the globe outside, and rubbed dirt on it. boom! behold the designer look! (and if we ever change our minds, it all comes clean with water and a rag):
another fun fix... we found these smaller fans and thought they'd be perfect for the bedrooms (they actually match the initial fan we'd bought for the living room - the problem was that the larger fan couldn't be mounted to hug the ceiling... it would have hung down low enough for a tall person to whack themselves in the head while crossing our living room). anyhoo, these still seemed like a good choice for the bedrooms, apart from the gold/bronze band around the middle. observe:
it just looked a little dated to me, a little saloon-y. I purchased a $1.16 tube of raw umber acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby, tore a corner off of my kitchen sponge, and went to town:
I know it's a tiny thing, but all of our fixtures are starting to look like they live in the same family now.
one of the things I've been doing a LOT of is simple cleaning. weird how much better cleaning something makes it look and smell, and makes you feel. the old linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom was pretty gross, so I gave everything a once-over with the mop and it really did make everything feel better, even just to work in. our hopes for the kitchen are to paint the walls and cabinets, replace the countertop, sink, and refrigerator, notch out and install a dishwasher over there to the left of the sink, and someday replace the stove:
even clean, the floor's not in great shape and portions of it are cracking, as seen in the next photo. underneath it is another layer of older linoleum, and then concrete floor:
we weren't sure what we were going to do about it, then decided to just scrape it all up and paint/seal the concrete like I did in this room way back when:
it's a pretty cost-effective fix for now, until we get the foundation done someday and entertain notions of real tile and whatnot. we'll likely repaint the room above, the kitchen, and the bathroom floor all with a $25 5-gallon bucket of OOPS! paint I picked up the other day.
I continue to find new holes to fill in and sand down in preparation for paining the walls. I'll say it again... our sweet renters never met a nail they didn't want to make out with. :) we also found this busted kitchen drawer that'll need replacing:
I've been prepping, prepping, and prepping for the walls to be painted in the hall, the bedrooms, and the living/dining room this weekend. yesterday's task was to fill in the rest of the cracks/holes, start washing down walls, and remove the baseboards. let me tell you, it was a dusty mess. my little hand broom was worth it's weight in gold to me as I tried to get everything clean and labeled so we can recycle by painting and put them back in the end after the wood floors are done. I also used the hand broom to go around the window and door trim to get everything nice and neat so the people who paint have an easy time. look ma, no baseboards!
what's that? pregnant ladies shouldn't be around all of that dust and whatnot? oh, dear reader, never fret... I'm being as careful as I can, and I work with as many windows open as possible. I LOVE that you can open every window in that house! M and I have missed the open window (most of the ones at 406 have been sealed). see, here's me being thuggy with my mask:
and taking an end-of-day breather with Chino, who seems a bit confused at going between the two houses right now. I like taking him with me to work over there, though - he gets to exhaust himself stalking the yard and sniffing at neighbor dogs through the fence and I get to feel safe and enjoy his quiet company.
today's skeleton of a to-do list:
fold laundry
get my act together
go to yoga
go to Woodfin: finish sanding and wiping down walls, stock the 'fridge with beverages for the weekend, um... I know there's something else.
go to do some voice work later
come back to Woodfin to watch husband install the baby room ceiling fan (he has to anchor it in the attic first).
I can't wait to see some new color on the walls. :) the kitchen and bathroom are going to be pretty big projects, but it's nice to see the easier rooms being transformed already.
-m.y.
pink ceiling paint! this stuff RULES... you can easily see where you've been and don't waste paint going back over places you're unsure of.
double whammy shot: pink ceiling paint and the shop light! thanks to the handy shop light, we could work into the night in rooms in which we'd removed the lighting fixtures... we also used it to figure out which outlets were on which breakers so we could label them.
these paint can lids are a wonderful invention. not only does it make pouring a snap, it's so much less messy than opening and closing the can lid all the time.
dollar store rubber spatula (photo not available)
thanks to this little guy, we're able to scrape cans/trays and save a lot of paint that otherwise would likely be wasted.
one day last weekend (they're all running together), we embarked on the Great Lighting Fixture Caper, which involved multiple trips to Home Depot/Lowe's to hunt down which fixtures we wanted, purchase them, get them home, put them up, decide we didn't like them, take them back, get them home, discover the ceiling fan hangs down too far, take it back, etc. in the end, tired but thankful for Lowe's no-questions-asked return policy, we were very happy with what we got:
one of my FAVORITE fixes... we really liked this fan and the price was right, but the globe was white. those globes over there in the dining room are amber-ish. who cares, right? me. I do. so I started brainstorming how to match them a bit better, took the globe outside, and rubbed dirt on it. boom! behold the designer look! (and if we ever change our minds, it all comes clean with water and a rag):
another fun fix... we found these smaller fans and thought they'd be perfect for the bedrooms (they actually match the initial fan we'd bought for the living room - the problem was that the larger fan couldn't be mounted to hug the ceiling... it would have hung down low enough for a tall person to whack themselves in the head while crossing our living room). anyhoo, these still seemed like a good choice for the bedrooms, apart from the gold/bronze band around the middle. observe:
it just looked a little dated to me, a little saloon-y. I purchased a $1.16 tube of raw umber acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby, tore a corner off of my kitchen sponge, and went to town:
I know it's a tiny thing, but all of our fixtures are starting to look like they live in the same family now.
one of the things I've been doing a LOT of is simple cleaning. weird how much better cleaning something makes it look and smell, and makes you feel. the old linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom was pretty gross, so I gave everything a once-over with the mop and it really did make everything feel better, even just to work in. our hopes for the kitchen are to paint the walls and cabinets, replace the countertop, sink, and refrigerator, notch out and install a dishwasher over there to the left of the sink, and someday replace the stove:
even clean, the floor's not in great shape and portions of it are cracking, as seen in the next photo. underneath it is another layer of older linoleum, and then concrete floor:
we weren't sure what we were going to do about it, then decided to just scrape it all up and paint/seal the concrete like I did in this room way back when:
it's a pretty cost-effective fix for now, until we get the foundation done someday and entertain notions of real tile and whatnot. we'll likely repaint the room above, the kitchen, and the bathroom floor all with a $25 5-gallon bucket of OOPS! paint I picked up the other day.
I continue to find new holes to fill in and sand down in preparation for paining the walls. I'll say it again... our sweet renters never met a nail they didn't want to make out with. :) we also found this busted kitchen drawer that'll need replacing:
I've been prepping, prepping, and prepping for the walls to be painted in the hall, the bedrooms, and the living/dining room this weekend. yesterday's task was to fill in the rest of the cracks/holes, start washing down walls, and remove the baseboards. let me tell you, it was a dusty mess. my little hand broom was worth it's weight in gold to me as I tried to get everything clean and labeled so we can recycle by painting and put them back in the end after the wood floors are done. I also used the hand broom to go around the window and door trim to get everything nice and neat so the people who paint have an easy time. look ma, no baseboards!
what's that? pregnant ladies shouldn't be around all of that dust and whatnot? oh, dear reader, never fret... I'm being as careful as I can, and I work with as many windows open as possible. I LOVE that you can open every window in that house! M and I have missed the open window (most of the ones at 406 have been sealed). see, here's me being thuggy with my mask:
and taking an end-of-day breather with Chino, who seems a bit confused at going between the two houses right now. I like taking him with me to work over there, though - he gets to exhaust himself stalking the yard and sniffing at neighbor dogs through the fence and I get to feel safe and enjoy his quiet company.
today's skeleton of a to-do list:
fold laundry
get my act together
go to yoga
go to Woodfin: finish sanding and wiping down walls, stock the 'fridge with beverages for the weekend, um... I know there's something else.
go to do some voice work later
come back to Woodfin to watch husband install the baby room ceiling fan (he has to anchor it in the attic first).
I can't wait to see some new color on the walls. :) the kitchen and bathroom are going to be pretty big projects, but it's nice to see the easier rooms being transformed already.
-m.y.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
'hey, wipe my nose!'
I may never march in the infantry
ride in the cavalry
shoot the artillery
I may never fly o'er the enemy
but I'm in the Lord's army, yessir!
this little gem was sent to me Friday night by my brother... I think the mic gets covered for a little bit, but hang in there for the big finish. our precious niece is wrestling with a bout of bronchitis right now, so any prayers for her and her family would be appreciated.
we love you, MoMo!!! get better soon!!!
ride in the cavalry
shoot the artillery
I may never fly o'er the enemy
but I'm in the Lord's army, yessir!
this little gem was sent to me Friday night by my brother... I think the mic gets covered for a little bit, but hang in there for the big finish. our precious niece is wrestling with a bout of bronchitis right now, so any prayers for her and her family would be appreciated.
we love you, MoMo!!! get better soon!!!
be mine, valentine! but give me the stretchy pants because I'm going back for seconds.
valentine's weekend was absolutely fabulous this year. aside from the fact that the Browns were in town visiting and sleeping in our guest room, we had a great time feasting and playing with all sorts of friends. a common thread was my expanding waistline, and it had nothing to do with my growing little spaghetti squash (we're about 11 inches long at 22 weeks!). girls night started it off Friday with sushi - in preggo-speak, that was a seaweed salad and 2 orders of cucumber rolls - and dessert of chocolate fondue with goodies to be dipped and s'mores at Whit's. I lumbered home happy as a clam.
Saturday night we went to dinner at BT's house with some other friends and absolutely gorged ourselves on good food and great company. she'd prepared a sensational shrimp bisque to start, then we moved on to homemade crab cakes, then steamed mussels in a delicious broth with bread for dipping, then the main course of paella, scallop casserole, beet and citrus salad, and fruit. when I crawled into bed I could barely breathe.
we also came home with sweet valentine's cards and a gorgeous, longlonglong-stemmed rose courtesy of PRice, which made the ladies all feel so special. mine went into a gorgeous bunch of wildflowers given to us by the Browns. here's Bethy and I before church showing off our bumps and maternity wear (see, sister-in-law - your clothing is being used! and getting compliments, I might add!):
Sunday was officially V-day, so we took part in our annual Sweetheart Banquet at church, a celebration honoring our older members. it went off really well - the food all turned out great, and my little cupcakes ended up being gobbled up. they were supposed to be red velvet, but I didn't use quite enough red food coloring. oh well... they were really tasty, easy to make, and looked so pretty on the platter Aunt Paula gave me and YaYa's cake stand:
other snapshots taken:
I was trying to get clear photos of E & M playing, and finally gave up and embraced the energy and happiness of two little girls having a giggly blast:
as for Mr. Bell and I, we ended up going to the house to work for a bit, then going and price-shopping at the hardware store, then finally came home to share some sparkling water, pizza, and chocolate-pecan-covered granny smith apple whilst watching Castle and Mad Men. heady love-stuff, indeed.
s.w.a.k.
-m.y.
Saturday night we went to dinner at BT's house with some other friends and absolutely gorged ourselves on good food and great company. she'd prepared a sensational shrimp bisque to start, then we moved on to homemade crab cakes, then steamed mussels in a delicious broth with bread for dipping, then the main course of paella, scallop casserole, beet and citrus salad, and fruit. when I crawled into bed I could barely breathe.
we also came home with sweet valentine's cards and a gorgeous, longlonglong-stemmed rose courtesy of PRice, which made the ladies all feel so special. mine went into a gorgeous bunch of wildflowers given to us by the Browns. here's Bethy and I before church showing off our bumps and maternity wear (see, sister-in-law - your clothing is being used! and getting compliments, I might add!):
Sunday was officially V-day, so we took part in our annual Sweetheart Banquet at church, a celebration honoring our older members. it went off really well - the food all turned out great, and my little cupcakes ended up being gobbled up. they were supposed to be red velvet, but I didn't use quite enough red food coloring. oh well... they were really tasty, easy to make, and looked so pretty on the platter Aunt Paula gave me and YaYa's cake stand:
other snapshots taken:
I was trying to get clear photos of E & M playing, and finally gave up and embraced the energy and happiness of two little girls having a giggly blast:
as for Mr. Bell and I, we ended up going to the house to work for a bit, then going and price-shopping at the hardware store, then finally came home to share some sparkling water, pizza, and chocolate-pecan-covered granny smith apple whilst watching Castle and Mad Men. heady love-stuff, indeed.
s.w.a.k.
-m.y.
Monday, February 8, 2010
facelift underway
a few shots of our first afternoon spent working on the house...
LBell and husband, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!
see those water spots above his head? a trip to the attic revealed that they almost assuredly came from the A/C runoff pan. which is a little odd, since it's a pretty new unit, but is way better news than a leaky roof. husband is about to Killz that whole ceiling, as there are also black tape marks all over left from a Halloween party.
Chino and I mostly supervised the activity and did whatever odd jobs we could without inhaling paint fumes. I spackled more holes than he did. fyi, the window in this photo was the one totally covered by greenery... look at the wonderful light!
making friends. Chino actually knew Fluffy and Charlie from when we lived here before... their owners, the Fletchers, are really wonderful people. they even kept Chino sometimes when I had to travel. C. Fletcher, a New Orleans native, assured me that the Christmas decorations on the front of his house were coming down but that, since the Saints were winning, they had to stay up until after the super bowl. I guess it worked. :)
-m.y.
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