My, my, I’ve been remiss in posting my monthly updates. My only excuse could be that I’ve been very busy (no surprise there) but also that I’ve really been trying to concentrate on using any spare time I have this year for reading, so these posts have gone by the wayside. Time to tidy up!
The original kitchen with particle board cupboards. Ugh!
The big news is that I’ve started a major kitchen renovation. With my newly-learned construction skills, I’m able to do most of the work myself with a little guidance from my associate. One of the downsides has been finding a rat hotel in my attic (which luckily seemed vacated) but all the excrement had to be bagged and removed. Ugh! I need to have the roof replaced in spring/summer so I’m going to remove all the insulation then and blow in new. It will be a mental relief! As to-date, I have insulated the outer wall, replaced some drywall, altered some plumbing, changed the aluminum electrical wire to copper, added receptacles, replaced my pot lights, installed most of the floor and am ready to paint. I hope I can start installing the cabinets next week. It’s lots of work but it’s been fun.
Where the fridge was, an enormous Sub Zero that had been unmoveable for years. Ugh! Disgusting! Even Finn is staying away!
And finally a clean photo! The kitchen floor install in-progress over a new sub-floor. My “contractor” is doing a great job at keeping construction moving!
After such a consistently cold winter, the weather has turned and yesterday it was 22ºC. These major temperature fluctuations are disturbing. I wish they would do a gradual increase (or decrease, depending on the season) but I suppose that’s a useless hope with climate change. I’d like to get at my garden and actually get some things planted this year but we’ll see what happens.
Snow and lots of it!
As for reading, after a good start to January, I’m struggling but still have been able to fit some reading in. I’ve finished three Agatha Christie books …. The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Secret Adversary and Murder on the Links … for the Perpetual Agatha Christie challenge. I’ve also read a Newbery book, Along Came A Dog (just wonderful!), The True Saint Nicholas and Why He Matters to Christmas and Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women, which was perhaps my favourite.
My present reading includes another Christie which is a compilation of Poirot short stories called Poirot Investigates and The Divine Comedy which I’m reading with a friend on Goodreads. We just completed Inferno.
My future reads are certainly less clear. I’m mulling over reading The Vindication of the Rights of Woman for Ruth’s April Read-Along. I’ll continue with my next Christie mystery, The Man in the Brown Suit as well as visit Purgatorio in The Divine Comedy. I also should finish up New York by Edward Rutherford, as it belongs to my friend’s father and I’m sure he’d like it back. 🙂
So that’s it for now! I’m going to rush off as I need to do some painting and I’d like to arrange to do some skiing in the next few days before the season is done. That’s me, once again late to the party!
In any case, I hope all my readers are healthy and happy and reading up a storm!
A Walk Along the River
Busy, busy, busy….
Yeh. Does it make you dizzy, dizzy, dizzy ……? Lol! 😉
Nah, it makes me feel bad for you. But since you continue it, I probably shouldn’t as that’s your lifestyle 😀
Lol! You try living in the city! I try to escape it but no matter how much you do, you’re still caught up in the whirlwind. I’m actually less busy than many people I know. Which is really rather alarming.
Wow! Doing the kitchen yourself! I’m amazed you got any reading done at all!
Ha, ha! I retreat to my bedroom at night, the only room in the house that is not in disarray (perhaps escape is a better word than “retreat”) and make sure I read a bit. I think it’s kept me sane. 😉
BRAVA!!!
I am emboldened by your boldness this spring. Wunderbar! Best wishes on your household renovations. Do celebrate with posting lots of pics!
Ken and I have lots of renovations on our doorstep. We had to hold off for a couple of weeks due to household disasters and the like, but we are in step behind you.
Still snowshoeing with more snow tonight. Hmmm…skiing, are you? Just guessing at the spots where you might be located.
Oooo, if you need any renovation support, you know where to turn, lol! 😉 I will try to post some more photos next month’s post; I hope you’ll share some of yours when you get started. Oh, I was thinking of taking the dogs snowshoeing soon. I must get out before the mountains close. I’m close to Vancouver so lots of mountains to choose from. We’ve very fortunate!
I am in awe of your home remodelling skills!! The new flooring looks fantastic!
Thanks, Marian! I’m endeavouring to forget about the mess and have fun!
I knew that home construction adventure you had would come in handy someday. Look at you!
If you can make the read along, that would be awesome, but I totally understand. The good thing is if you cannot make it…you’ll learn soon enough if it was worth it or not; then you can decide if you want to read it in the future.
I was sure the construction knowledge would come in handy too. It’s fun …. most of the time.
I’ve picked up the book today and will get an early start. That way I hope I don’t fall behind. Thanks a bunch for the invite! 🙂
BTW, I read your comment on (I forgot whose blog…Marian’s maybe?) about reading the intro and finding it not as offensive (my word) to men, and I agree. I have found (thus far, after a little research) her arguments to be commonsense. But I imagine that to be obvious for an early “feminist.” We had a long was to come, but now I think we may have gone too far ahead.
My reading has gone a little by the wayside but I hope to catch up soon. I’m not even sure the terminology is “too far ahead”. Some of the feminist rhetoric seems somewhat nonsensical at times and their philosophy can seem against their best interests. Again, when you put identity before humanness you can have some dangerous outcomes.
what a beautiful house! it looks a lot like ours, except we have a mobile home instead of a stick built… and more trees, i think… major renovation there; it’s going to look great when it’s finished! and that looks like the Fr—-r river if i’m not mistaken? spectacular photo…
The photo of the house is actually our neighbour’s house; it was a winter wonderland for awhile. But of course, kitchen photos are mine. Great guess about the river! The award goes to Mudpuddle! 😀
My commiserations on your renovations! Not really, just speaking from the experience of being without a kitchen for 6 months – we did this about 10 years ago & took out a load-bearing wall & put in a metal beam with the help of family & friends. More recently we did our laundry & then two bathroom. We used a company for the bathrooms & it blew out for 10 weeks, during which my husband & I camped out on the tiled floor downstairs. I ended up with a pinched nerve in my neck from sleeping on a piddly bit of foam during that time. However, it all looks great now!!
Glad to hear your ordeals are over! Since a friend is helping me with the renovations and is probably the most dedicated, precise, detailed person I’ve ever met, they are going well considering. My only complaint is that I have a bazillion tools and supplies all over the house. When you have to not only clear the kitchen but the dining room for cabinet assembly and a closet for a new washer & dryer (another addition and the downstair rec room to have a clear walkway to the electrical panel, etc. everywhere else gets super crowded and messy. I started some clean up last night so I’m feeling much better!
Wow, what an awesome job to get done, although I sympathise about the rat hole. That’s the sort of sudden surprise that puts us off doing big renovations like that 🙂 Happy reading as you head into Easter and beyond.
Thanks for your wishes, Paula. The roof being replaced is the next task which will hopefully get rid of any rodent access and give me new insulation. Looking forward to that!
Lovely pictures! Good luck with the renovations. I have been on some snowshoeing trips with family this winter (and the dog)! We bought some little boots that are supposed to protect his paws but they would not stay on. He enjoyed it anyway. 🙂 I am looking forward to The Vindication of the Rights of Woman. And wow, The Divine Comedy — are you really going to read the whole thing??
I’m reading Purgatorio now, so yes, the whole thing! I’m enjoying it even more my second time round. I’m a little sad to see the end of winter but spring is here bringing some other fun pursuits. I hope you’re enjoying Wollstonecraft’s treatise. I’m a little behind but hope to catch up soon!
You’ve been busy! With such a major renovation, I’m surprised you’ve had any time to read. I hope you’re still enjoying the Divine Comedy – I remember reading it years ago and Purgatorio was probably my least favorite, but Paradiso has some lovely passages. I’d like to reread the whole thing someday….but given my reading list, it will probably be a good long while. 🙂
I’m enjoying The Divine Comedy but since it’s my second time, I was hoping to get more out of it. I wish like crazy that I knew Italian. I know Dante uses words like a master but without the original language you miss so much. There’s a read-along of it in the summer if you’re interested (Roofbeam Reader) but it may be too soon given your book list. In any case, at least books wait for us, right? 🙂
I know just enough Italian that when I read it the first time I tried out the first Canto in the original, but it was really slow going. But I’d like to get better at reading in other languages (I’m working on my Spanish right now), so maybe some day. I didn’t know about Adam’s readalong (wow, I’m feeling really out of the loop!), but alas it probably won’t fit in my year. Though, it may prove too great a temptation not to participate!