Men with Tools

There have been some serious changes at the Osbornes - all thanks to the Forced Remodel.  We've spent the summer fixing everthing.  Decisions, Insurance Money, Construction Dust.  Our stuff in Boxes.  I'm happy to say that we are nearly back to normal.  The china is still boxed in the garage and I'm still looking for a few things which have been misplaced while moving things around for the construction, but nearly. 

I'm getting hardware for the kitchen cabinets today.  Husband and Step Son had a good time drinking beer, listening to Beetles music, arguing with each other, while installing my new door pulls and drawer knobs. 

I can't update the oak cabinets, but hardware should help.

And this mirror.  Really hate it.  Have for a while.  It's the gold.

Considered getting rid of it, but I have a really hard time getting rid of things.  That's another story.

I should buy stock in a spray paint company.  Old joke, but I've spray painted a ton of things.  This is copper metalic.  I'm hoping it will look similar to a finish on a lamp I've got in the living room.

The oak cabinets look a lot less dated and sad with the hardware, don't they? 

Oh, and the mirror.  I hate it a lot less with the bronze paint.  It's hard to take a picture of a mirror, so you'll have to trust me. 

I have to wait for Men with Tools to hang it.  It is heavy and the biggest nail I have doesn't seem big enough to me.  

Now off to Dianne's Produce.  I need a few things. Tonight, a big pot roast and garlic roast potatoes.

Remember to stay busy.

Talking to myself again.

I'm talking to myself again, and somehow that's liberating.  So here goes

Remember this room?

It looks like this now.  We move our worldly posessions from room to room in preparation for the next day the carpet guys are coming.  The granite guy measured our countertops on Thursday, so we'll have granite again late this coming week.  No more plywood.

I'm madly in love with my new stove.  I'm trying to teach myself to make jerky.  This is the last of the elk.  I've researched the seasoning I plan to use.  More on that later.

Since I'm talking to myself, I don't need to mention that the step-son shot an elk and I've been finding ways to cook it ever since.  When do I get my next one, kiddo? 

And off to work.  I'm so lucky to be working on payroll tax returns on a fine warm Saturday afternoon.  Lunch for Husband - left over pork tenderloin and left over green beans.  Lunch for Wife - Corn soup, a piece of pita, carrot sticks and hummus.

Remember to appreciate life and live in the moment.

Payroll tax purgatory / Rosemary & Corn soup

My work day finds me in payroll tax purgatory.  No, nothing is wrong; everything is fine.  I just have a lot of work and some tax returns due the end of the month.  Most of my business career, I've avoided accounting, considering it boring and mundain work to be done by others.  Bad attitude, I know.

But my business has required careful cost control over the last couple of years and too much accountant time just wasn't in the budget.  So here I am.  Promising to have a better attitude about pretty much everything.

In my home life, we are beginning to get moved back into our house after being gone for about a month during some major repairs.  Since many of the kitchen things I look for are still packed, I'm limited.  Still I dream; and we eat as best as we can.  Corn soup with Rosemary from the herb garden.  Worthy of the dream, but I'm going to work on the recipe a bit longer before I post it.  Since I'm talking to myself again, it doesn't really matter.

French bread with hummus.

My tomatoes are starting to ripen and I'm dreaming of tomato salads, salsa, and sun-dried tomatoes.  My pea crop wasn't much, but I should have a good crop of beans.

Oh, and there is carpet in my living room.  I'm very happy.  Life will go back to normal soon.  Remember to dream.

Our Flood / Our Renewal

I don't want to get into a rant.  Well, maybe I do.

Late in May, a pipe broke in a bathroom on the second floor of our house.  We were gone for hours while water poured in our house.  When I came home, the garage was flooded with water pouring through the ceiling and out from under the door to the house.  When I went through the door into the house, there was literally water pouring from the can lights on the first floor.

We've been through some interesting challenges in the last month and a half.  Let me first say, thank God for good insurance.  The current tally is around $34,000 damages to our house.  All repairs were covered.  In addition, we've stayed in a motel.  I could not cook.  We basically lived out of the vehicles, the motel room and our business.  The insurance covered our motel and 70% of our eating out bill.  We've had some lovely meals.  I've eaten my fill of my favorite foods.   

But it is times like this, you see what you are really made of.  You also see what the people around you are made of.  I had a couple really good break downs, but we are coming back strong.  Many but not all of the repairs to the house have been made. 

Here is what our kitchen looked like just a month ago.   

And other areas of my house.

And more

 You have to stop and wonder what all the stuff in your life is really worth.  Don't you?  What's important?  And what if it's all gone.  What will you do?

We are coming back soon.  Believe it or not, we live here again.  Have I said thank goodness for good insurance recently?

We are not 100% yet.  We have a ways to go.  We are calling it the Osborne Re-boot.  Check back for more.  Remember not to worry.