summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Saturday, April 29, 2023

day #3....oh my goodness.

I'm old.  Three days in a row of working all day long...I'm taking tomorrow off.  Sonja, Charlotte Claire, and Camille joined us this fine rainy morning.  We got so much done, then they stopped at McDonalds on the way home.  Paul and I stopped at Aldi for seltzer, coffee cream, a package of chicken drums (89cents a pound, a huge package for five-something!)(they're marinating right now in Cornell Chicken sauce, for tomorrow).  

We brought the pups with us today.  They were so good, not sure they loved it though...they were unsure of where they were.  Kathryn stopped in and brought us coffees, then Sam and Grace visited, they live across the street.  Their friends from Virginia, their old next-door neighbors came to NY for the weekend, they stopped in to meet us, so nice.  The doggies were quite friendly with them right off the bat, which is nice. 

That side porch entrance, wow, it's getting there!

It had raw plywood walls and broken windows...

The floor looks so much better!

The front porch...the step boards will be replaced, the porch repainted.  I've been working on the railings.
The door...
Paul put new glass in it...it looked awful.

We needed a stove vent, and no over-the-stove cabinets, so we bought this...
I think it looks nice...we're thinking of tile or something for behind the stove...
A closet door I was painting...yesterday and Thursday I painted doors outside, but today was rainy.
The messy "stuff" counter, with all of our drinks, Yetis, tools, paper towels, ect.  Paul is such a hard worker, and a good sport.  He's pretty excited that it's almost done.  He's been working full time on his regular job, and going up after work a few days, then on Saturdays and Sundays.  He took Thursday and Friday off this past week.
The cabinet doors are still here, I sanded, primed, painted them, soon they'll get new hardware and go back on.  

This brown place is the other house we own, Paul is there in the front mowing the lawn, this was before he picked up their garbage...these are the people who haven't paid rent in well over a year...but we still have to mow and pick up garbage, or we'll get fined by the city.   
Sunny...
Suri...

Anyway...it's been a busy few days.  Instead of focusing on my aching back and hands (holding that paint brush!), I'm working on being thankful that I can do what I can do.  I use a chair for whenever I paint anything lower, so I don't lean over, and to rest my knees...alternating standing and sitting as much as possible.  I'm still quite beat.  phew.  Physical labor is not my thing, although it is very rewarding and satisfying to see the changes.  Once, years ago, one of the girls said, "Imagine working."  I cannot remember the context, but it's been repeated frequently here through the years...imagine working.

I'm distracted...Miss Char is studying history, out loud...Camille is folding laundry.  Paul is here, the dogs are snoring...so bye for now.


 

4 comments:

Kristi said...

Is there a reason why you don't evict them? We have rentals and are going through an eviction right now. We weren't allowed to do that in California during Covid, but starting 2021, it became an available option.

Mary said...

It is so unfair that your tenant gets to live rent free. In Massachusetts it takes forever to evict a non paying tenant.

Anonymous said...

I am wowed by all you have gotten done!! You've worked so hard!
Valerie

Terri D said...

You are inspiring me to think about painting my kitchen. When we moved to this house, we hired a painter to do the living room, dining room, hallway, and the master bathroom but the kitchen is all white and very boring. Hmm... Have a good week ahead and rest those bones!!