more updates on house renovations

Well we got the cement poured and the floor level in the Master bedroom. We are now getting ready  to rip out the shelves and stuff in the closet then pour cement in there to level the floor. We also have to rip out part of the wall to repair termite damage. Then we move to the bathroom, we need to rip out the vanity and the shower stall, the pan under neath the tile has a leak, so it has to all be replaced. I figure we will be working on this the rest of the summer. Dale is getting old and worn out, he has to stop for a few days to rest his shoulder.

We have also been cleaning up the yard, we have a bumper crop of poisin ivy this year and some kind of vine that looks like a grape vine but it isn't. The goats will eat the poison ivy so we don't have to burn it but they won't touch that ivy vine. I thought at first it was possum grapes but it isn't it does have little purple grapes on it in the fall but it grows fast and will smother and kill whatever it grows onto. I HATE THE STUFF! The neighbors across from us love it, they call it their privacy fence. The electric company has came out and sprayed it but it just slows it down. It's not Kudzo, I have seen it when we visited Georgia, not the same vine but I guess the same principal anyway. So anyway we have been pulling weeds off the fences......well Dale and Josh have I am allergic to the poison ivy. I had a really bad case of it when I was about 16, now all I have to do is look  it and I''ll get it........really I gave Dale a hug to thank him for pulling the darn things and I got poison ivy on my arms.......Dale and Josh did'nt get it and they were the ones pulling it!!!

Anyway, Dale has been working in the barn from time to time, mostly he has been cleaning. Picking up wood scraps which he has a lot of, tossing it to the burn pile, and rearranging his work space. He has cut out some spindles but nothing is finished......so when I re-open on Monday there may not be any spindles. He plans on working in the closet this weekend........

He did make me something......I bought some old sewing machine drawers with the idea of making a small table out of them. He wasn't sure about the idea .....so they have been sitting around for some time now. He finally made it and surprised me with it last week. These are over 100 years old, the warranty for the Minnesota Model A, sewing machine was in the drawers....no sewing machine just the drawers. The warranty says September 3, 1903.......I plan on framing it and hanging it above the drawers. The top is the actual top of the sewing machine cabinet. One of the handles is missing but I finally found a replacement for it.....it came today so we have'nt had time to put it on the drawer. The legs are store bought to save time and Dale stained them to match the wood.......here is a photo of my new/old table.

They are in my one room that is almost finished, I need to finish hanging pictures and stuff. I call it my sanctuary, it keeps me from going crazy when I get tired of looking at a torn up house full of boxes.The walls are called Peach Surprise but it is more of a pale apricot, the carpet is pumkin spice which is a darker apricot.....it is very relaxing to me. The trim on the doors I did in a paint called Sandstorm.....so a lot of pale colors.

Come sit and spin awhile with me ..................

I plan on filling the walls with shelves and stuff that I have made through the years.... I used to paint, that is Sparky a cockatiel we used to have. He/she died long ago......it began as a he but after it began laying eggs it became a she.....and the name was changed to Sparkles... LOL! sorry colors are a bit off had to close the blinds too much light....then not enough. :(

Some beaded bags I used to make and sell, hanging on the wall. I also made and sold teddy bears...Paw Print Bears......that was me. They all had, hand sewn either suede or embroideried paws on the hands and feet. I made them from one inch tall (I had better eyes then) up to 36 inches tall. The little guys on the table are from 5 to 7 inches tall and made of mohair. I also made some out of alpaca, so I was into fiber before I knew how to spin.....LOL! Anyway that is what we have been up to and why we may not have spindles ready by Monday when we re-open the shop.........