sparklepuppies Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Muriel, I'm a order/pattern person too. I have a hard time with random. But at least you have it in rainbow order!! But what you've posted doesn't look too random. That's a neat idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Muriel, that's totally pretty and tell Chris it sort of reminds me of a fractal; that should shut him up for a second or so... It has been 20 years since we last did this moving thing, and the realtor handling our purchase had a team come in nd clean it first, so it has been more like 35 years since I have had to clean a house I was moving into, and that was literally half a lifetime ago! I got the front two bedrooms and guest bath and vestibule and the hall swept and vacuumed and it wiped me out! (I also had to scrub the microwave and both kitchen sinks to make them usable, and help DH unload the truck and put away a couple of boxes' worth of goodies). I took my paint chips around to hold against the walls in the daylight to decide on colors and so far I have the livingroom, kitchen/ dining/ utility room & hall decided. DH checked out the dishwasher and unloaded all the heavy stuff including the kayaks and began checking out the yard (the former tenant dumped a lot of household trash into the woods). Oh, and I repaired the county's garbage can until they can get us a replacement. Then we checked out the little convenience store around the corner and found out they'll fix us "thank you" food for all our friends who have offered to help us to move all our big, heavy stuff (bedroom furniture, diningroom and bookcases, etc). Having to buy new appliances has been depressing. I dislike the glasstop electric stoves, and I despise a stove I have to reach across burners to access the controls. Then I found the perfect stove, an elderly GE with all the controls across the front and all newly replaced elements on the cooktop & in the oven for less than US$200! It's at the same Habitat for Humanity ReStore we found our diningroom table & chairs! We have to wait until we get back with the hand truck to pick it up next Monday, but I'm doing a happy dance. Tomorrow we're headed into Pensacols to do some more shopping for the fridge, washer & dryer I want. DH has agreed we're both too old to get everything done as fast as we could 35 years ago, and one of our neighbors knows a painter, so I'll be finishing checking my paint chips tomorrow as well as sweeping and vacuuming the master suite and, hopefully, the livingroom, dining area, kitchen and laundry room. We were supposed to hear from the electrician by yesterday afternoon, so I guess we'll shop for another one on Monday. This is fun, in a morbid sort of way. BTW, the microwave looked as thought it had never been cleaned and it took more than an hour to get most of the petrified bits of food unglued. I'm still using a toothpick to unclog ersatz cheese bits from off the holes in the grid covering the light. At sometime something overheated and the bottom of the microwave is bubbled & peeling where the turntable track fits, so when something is heating it hangs up and wobbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapchap73 Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Oh, Holly, you sound like you are having fun but exhausted as well. I think you should just treat yourself to a new microwave Tracy, just think of all the room you'll have when all her stuff is out. You might have to make a dollhouse or two just to celebrate :thumb: Heat wave finally broke here Monday; last night we even got to sleep with the AC off! Heated up some today, probably because I decided to do some heavy furniture lifting. I managed not to drop anything and only put one small hole in my hand with a nail. That is a record for me. I'm having a little trouble starting anything since I get interrupted every 5 minutes to take the puppy out. The big dog has to come too of course, then we come back in, then play a little, then chew something, then it's time to go out again Then we all take a nap so we can repeat the cycle in an hour(or less) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Sounds like you have a lot of "fun" to do Holly, moving is a chore but when all is said and done most often it is a great feeling, right??? Have been painting the window trims on the RL house green, so that is a minor but still major change going from dark brown trim work... Still needs to paint the walls though so I am out the door to prep for that in a minut or so... Hugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 We scheduled with an electrician (the one in Foley hasn't bothered to call!) and then dropped off the ruined window screens and on the way to check appliance stores DH & I spotted a new thrift store we had to check out; we found THE perfect sofa table there and that was the end of checking appliance stores! I forgot to mention the couple who opened an auction barn on US90 a couple of miles from the new house. He holds auctions every other Saturday and DH went this past Saturday evening after we got home from running all over Pensacola (I stayed in the camper & SOGGED). So yesterday AM when the neighbors from across the street brought the painter over we got admiring looks at the sofa table and also the desk and chair DH got at the auction, plus the gorgeous dresser with mirror hutch we bought when we went to pick up the desk! The auctioneer also has several dollhouses (I already know "NO"; I still don't have room for all the kits I've still not built!) and dolls in his stock. Anyway, the neighbors brought over their pastor who is also a painter and I showed him my paint chips from Ace Hardware and which colors I want where, and he'll be back Monday to give us an e$timate. While he was there the septic tank folks showed up to pump the tank and drain fields. Our neighbor got inspired and had them schedule to do his, too. About the time we were ready to eat lunch the gentlemen from the awning factory arrived to measure our windows. After breakfast today we head back into Foley to get the color number we want onto the order form, and our new bahama shutters should be ready to install next week. After lunch the electrician we scheduled Saturday showed up and installed our livingroom ceiling fan, repaired the dangling smoke alarm and then went around all the house hooking up the yellow wire that actually activates the smoke alarm... Last he went into the garage and covered the bare wires with insulation so the door can be activated by the wall switch as well as the remote. He'll be back one day next week to install the chandelier, since he had no chain with him. After everyone left it was only 3 PM, so back we went to Lowes, where we found chandelier chain and DH picked up a container of insecticide in a sprayer can so we can spray the exterior foundation for ants. Then we went nextdoor to Home Depot and I found lovely new house numbers to install over the garage to replace the peel & stick numbers that are coming unstuck and peeling off. Today after getting our shutters color onto the work order we're headed back to Pensacola to the appliance stores, and then over to spend the afternooon in Pace and Milton, FL, and meet with our hiking friend for supper at our favorite catfish house. Back to Havana tomorrow AM to wash & dry all our dirty clothes and load more stuff onto the truck and come back either Saturday or Sunday. Yes, it's tiring, but SO much fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Sounds like fun hard work Holly! We've got our moving truck coming in 19 days, still plenty to pack! Done most of the books and hundreds of dvds, also my many elephants and other decorations. Packed two little houses contents and half of my miscelaneous little house contents, two more houses to do. When Chris packs his study some more I may actually be able to get to my hobby shelves to pack the other stuff! Have also sorted through all my clothes, so that was a task well done. We went to the new house last Sunday and took measurements and had a look at what needs painting. We've decided what needs doing, but may only get the house after the weekend when we'd wanted to do most of the painting, so it may have to be a little at a time rather than most in one go! The house has horrid 70s wallpaper on all the walls. When I lived there before, (parents own the house and I lived there 8-9 years ago) I stripped the walls in my room, but was quite hard work. Would love to do that with the rest of the rooms, but again think it'll take much too long - it only comes off a tiny bit at a time. Wonder if they have fancy machines that can do it, and how much that'd be to hire... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapchap73 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Muriel, I feel for you with the wallpaper :angry: I've had good luck with vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Wet the paper enough, let it sit for a few minutes, then scrape it off with a rubber spatula. That only works if your walls are sheetrock under the paper; if they are plaster, you should probably just paint over it. Holly, I wish I had 1/4 of your energy! My house would be spotless, gourmet meals every night, multiple dollhouses shining from every available table.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 I have been off and on sick with a stomach virus. Natalie has it too. Her Dr said you just have to let it run it`s course. So I have been doing not much of anything on the bad days. On the good days I have been picking blackberries. I have been freezing them for I want to make blackberry jam with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kabrina Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 All this talk of moving, organizing and cleaning makes me want to leave work, go home, and start tearing the house apart and decluttering everything . Must work...must work... Heidi, I'd love to learn to make jam or anything of that nature, I just don't think right now I'd have the time. At least in the fall we have an October Fest and they usually have booths where people are selling their homemade jams and jellies. YUM I've gotten the best Prickly Pear Jelly there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapchap73 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Kabrina, if you have a bread machine there are some wonderful jam recipes out there for them that don't make 5 gallons. I use mine for that because my family only eats strawberry jam and I like different kinds sometimes I know what you mean about getting inspired to clean. This thread made me move furniture around my rl house again this week :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Well once more we got distracted by thrift stores, instead of appliance stores, but the shutters and their surrounds are being made, we picked up the new window screens and we survived some horrendous storms driving back East to Havana, and now I've got the washing machine going full bore! It didn't seem like we could wear this many clothes in just one week! We repapered a 70-year old house with sand plaster walls when we lived in OH and the warm water & vinegar worked very well. We didn't use a rubber or plastic spatula, either, but a plain old metal putty knife. Once you hit it with the vinegar solution you can use a laundry sprayer of water to keep dampening it to get it all off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Muriel, If it's just the older paper kind of wallpaper, the vinegar solution or a fabric softener spray can work. But if it's the kind with a heavy vinyl coating, you usually need to score it with a putty knife to let the liquid seep in under. They can be much harder to remove. I have also used a gel type application that doesn't run all over the place. It works quite well. I think it was called Dif or something like that. They do make a wallpaper steamer that you can rent (at least here in the US). Again, scoring it first (carefully so you don't hurt the plaster underneath) and then apply the big steamer to it, and scrape with a putty knife. Often the top layer comes off and leaves a thin gluey layer that you have to go back and do a second time. I have never had good luck trying to paint over wallpaper. It always seems to loosen up the wallpaper as it dries and creates a peeling mess down the road. I usually touch up the plaster areas afterwards and sand nice and smooth. Then prime it well with a Kilz type primer to seal in and odds and ends of residue before painting with your beautiful colors. I know that all sounds like a lot of work but it is so worth it after you are done. I just love home repair and redecorating projects like that. I'd come and help you but it's a bit of a hike and I'd have to bring all three grands with me too. Although the eldest is quite handy with painting and papering, I should add !! Good luck. Sounds exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Holly, Wowzeers !! Sounds like you are full of energy and having a blast with your RL house projects. I love doing home repairs and such and wish you good luck. Take care to rest in between though so you'll be can enjoy your new hobby area and minis after you're settled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 OH yum yum yum !! Blackberry jam is the best. You can strain it if the seeds bother you but I rarely bothered with that. I haven't made that for years. I used to make tons of it cuz I had a back field full of them. Made lots of pies and frozen them for winter time too. They are great in coffee cake and cobblers too. I've never heard of the bread machine method. I'll have to read my instruction book and see what mine says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 When DH was in bootcamp at Parris Island his family invited me to stay with them and they had just moved into a rental house in Mobile, AL, just off US90; the back yard was absolutely thick with blackberries and I remember my BIL hitting the back door coming home from high school and immediately heading out to pick me a bowlful, as a not-subtle hint to make a pie from them. I nearly got sick of blackberry pies!lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I got up this morning at 2:30 for a trip down the hall and strayed into the computer room on the way back to bed. And two hours later, I'm still here. Yawning, but here! A few minutes ago I got a message reminding me that this is my 5th anniversary in the forum. My goodness but the time has passed quickly and so very pleasantly. It has been a couple of weeks since I dropped by. One of those weeks we drove to near Chicago to visit my sister and her daughter, who had knee replacement surgery and is recuperating. Most of my time has been spent in working in the garden or doing genealogy on line. The heat has kept us inside several days. The Pierce Bohemian tavern/inn is crying to get started, but I haven't found any blocks of time to devote to it. Before I start it, though, I need to check my stash for a suitcase dollhouse like the one I finished for my granddaughter. My niece will be teaching kindergarten in the coming year. I may have two of them ... if so, I'll finish up both, one for each of the two K rooms in her school. I did one semi-creative project that didn't take long. We have a plywood angel about 40" high made to be mounted on a wall outside. The body and wings are layered. There is a string of white lights behind it that casts a lovely light/shadow effect at night. They were all the rage here in Marshall about 5 years ago. Only a few left on display now. Anyway, for one reason or another this one never got mounted outside. I decided she ought to live on our screened porch. It is a somewhat protected area, so I decided to paint her up in a sort of Mexican-inspired manner. Lloyd convinced me to put some diamond dust on parts, which gives her a lovely shimmery look. Not at all as gaudy as I thought she might become. She turned out very well and is waiting to be put on the wall tomorrow. No photos yet ... will post when I have some. Holly, your move sounds like it is rolling inexorably toward a happy ending albeit on a rocky road. Think how happy you'll be when you're settled. And how fortunate to have the Little House on the Highway for housing while you're spiffing up the place. What have you learned about internet access? Looking forward to visiting! Muriel, I don't envy you the wallpaper challenge. I stripped the (not vinyl) wallpaper in our bedroom so we could repaper. Plaster walls. I used fabric softener in warm water. Spray on, let sit a few minutes, used a wide metal putty knife to scrap off. Some areas needed to be gone over twice, but most areas rolled right off when pulled. It was work but worth the effort. The new paper lies smoothly on the wall with no lumps beneath it. A wide knife = less chance of gouging plaster with a corner, at least in my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Hi, Kathie! I see we aren't the only busy bees! Was it your sister or your niece who had the knee done? We haven't found out yet about internet for the house, but there's a Bright House cable box on the outside (there's also a small satellite dish mounted on the roof over the master bathroom that's going to HAVE to go, as there are definite signs of a leak with water damage on the ceiling in there). The campground where we've parked the Little House on the Highway put us on a site slap beside the wifi "live" spot, so we have pretty good access most of the time while we're there, but we'll only be there for a month. I can't wait to see a picture of your angel in place. The painter called DH with his estimate yesterday, so if he can get the paint hopefully he'll be ready to start next week. One of our friends loaned us his utility trailer so we can start moving large/ heavy stuff, and pick up the stove Monday. We're loading up today and attending a party tonight (paddling club's monthly birthday celebration, all the members with birthdays this month) and heading back in the AM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 This has not been a good week for me. After meeting with my primary care Dr and getting cleared for the (hopefully) final eye surgery next week I went home and it hit! The dreaded summer cold!!!! Cough, Cough, Cough, That is all I have been doing for the past 5 days and I am weak as a kitten. At least my ribs are numb now and the pain has subsided. I have had to reschedule the surgery for the following week. Hopefully with the medicine prescribed, I will be healthy enough to proceed. I have not been able to do any housework (so disappointing!) and my cooking has been a headache (so sad!). I tried doing the laundry and that took three days with lot of breaks between loads. But the worst thing of all has been no miniing!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 :hur: , Beverly. Get to feeling better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 The people living in 'our' new house are able to move out a little earlier than originally thought, so we can go up next weekend to do the painting as we'd hoped. We've got 6 or so college friends along to help us. Leaving a couple rooms as they are (painted wallpaper) so I can slowly work on removing the wallpaper. Never been able to design rooms like this, it is good fun! Ultimately the aim is to remove the carpets and sand the hard wood floors, but again that'll take some time and doing. Will have to take some before and after pics Thanks for all the wallpaper stripping advice Sister and niece are visiting this weekend, mummy is coming tomorrow. Helping pack up the kitchen and take down shelves. Haven't been able to sleep well the last few nights. Natasha is beeing good and sleeping through mostly, or not staying awake long if she does wake up for a feed. My rib cage area really hurts suddenly. It happens during the night. First night was just for an hour or so and then got better and I could sleep again. Next night was two hours and co-codamol/ibuprofen seemed to relieve it after a while. Last night was really horrible and painkillers didn't touch it. I couldn't lie, sit, walk, anything! And it wouldn't go away! Eventually after an hour of horrendous pain I was able to sit on the floor cross legged with my head resting against the bed and didn't have to cry with pain. Stayed like that for 45 mins or so, when it seemed to be getting better. Tried lying down and it just got worse again. Finally got to lie down at 6:45. Normally the next day has been fine, but this morning it came back around 8:30. Had already decided to go see the out of hours doctor at the hospital to see if he had any ideas on how to prevent/treat it if it happened again tonight, but when it came back we went straight in. I think doctor was a little stumped, but suggested either gall bladder related (but that should be constant pain rather than coming and going) or acid/reflux. Haven't suffered acid or reflux, but said I'd give his medication a go (though not convinced - wasn't that much worse lying down, and a couple times has come when I've been upright rather than lying at that moment). Talked to mummy and she said she had a similar thing a few years ago and it was acid that caused her pain, though with her it felt more burn-y. Have all fingers and toes crossed that tonight will be better! Felt so sorry for myself Really looking forward to seeing your angel Kathie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapchap73 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Muriel and Beverly, I'm sending you both big get-well soon hugs :hug: :hug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Muriel, acid reflux usually presents as a burning pain under the sternum, since the acid's burbling up into the esophagus through the pyloric valve. I found that OTC ranitidine would help, but definitely changed my diet in a major way, too. Do you have a recliner chair you can sleep in with your body elevated above your stomach? We loaded the floor-mounted and bench-mounted tools and stands onto the loaner utility trailer. We're off in the AM and unload tomorrow afternoon, then use the trailer to pick up the stove Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Today is judgment day! On the laundry, and housework, though I would rather be working on dolls! So I'm working on planning my day - dividing it into parts so I can get more done. Of course that probably won't happen, and I'll just work on dolls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 I am in the midst of making some tomatillo salsa for canning and I was thinking about doing strawberry jam today but it is way too humid for me. Maybe tomorrow. I am still picking and freezing blackberries for those to be jam. I make large quantities because we eat it all fall, winter, and spring. I also have people that want some also. It is going to be a lazy Sunday. We had a brunch that could be classified as a late lunch! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Heidii, I just love blackberry jam! I grew up in Southern Oregon in between the two chains of mts and we had the wild berry bushes all over the place including down at the back of our horse pasture. We would pig out on them nearly all summer. Nothing like a sun warmed berry, sweet and juicy!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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