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I planted a garden. . . and it grew! I owe it all to one friend who mapped out where to put what, two friends who helped me dig and plant, a toddler who likes mud, dirt, water and shovels, and a very rainy June. (I think I need a punctuation refresher. . . I use ellipses way too much and I just had like a billion awkward commas in that sentence.) Hoping all these tomatoes can eek just a little more heat out of the low October sun. Ok, the big one is a ringer, but all the others are legit.

I think she's bored with me. . .

. . . that some yard work takes very little work. I guess that's one of the benefits of an old home with an old garden, some things just bloom and grow out of habit. . . or thanks to someone else's years of hard work. Or maybe I can just be grateful that Mother Nature is a better gardener than I am. The other good news, is that for the part that does take work, I found that "neighbor kid with a lawn mower" that I'd been searching for. . . two of them, actually, and they're coming back till we get a lawn mower of our own. What a relief!

Before . . . After . . . I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Suffice it to say, hubby now has a rival for my affection. . . I think I'm in love with my kitchen.

We moved into the house over the weekend! Wahoo! Major accomplishments include: all dishes are unpacked, all lights are in and working, laundry room is running (nonstop, for the last 24 hours, btw), fridge is stocked, first meal cooked in new kitchen (chicken taco salad), wireless and connected again, garden planted. Things not yet done: before and after pictures to post, bathroom, curtains, wall-hangings, lawn mowed. Incidentally, I posted this ad in the local Craig's List today. . .

My parents were in town last weekend for mother's day and to help us move. . . Mother's Day happened, the move didn't. So we put them to work helping play with Lucy and tame our crazy yard, or was it the other way around? Thank goodness I come from a long line of excellent yardworkers, hope those green thumbs are a dominant trait. Here is my dad up in a tree where he also hung a rope swing for the nephews: And Gramma Gwen trimming back the hedge in front: And me trying to save the lilacs from the ivy that was choking them. Don't look at me, look at the lilac: Here is my mom playing with Lucy, don't they look alike? Or does Lucy look more like me? Anyhow, we got a lot done. Thanks, Mom and Dad and Gramma! Are you busy next weekend?

Well, progress is being made upstairs at the house, slowly but surely. And pictures of drywall and primer and unfinished floors aren't all that exciting, so I'll wait till you can see a little more to show pictures. But we do have ceilings and walls and doors and cabinets and hard wood floors by now. This week floors are being finished and then left alone for three days that noone can walk on them while they dry/cure/set? Then the painters need to finish up. . . then the light fixtures get put in. . . then the window coverings need to go up. . . then the locks need to be changed. . . then the countertops can go in. . . and when the rest of the tile comes in for the bathroom (yours truly WAY under-ordered) the tub surround can be finished. . . then the bathroom walls can be plastered. . . then the toilet and sink can go in. . . what am I missing? Oh, when all that is done, THEN we can move in! The photo above is of one of the doors downstairs. . . one of the only surfaces in the...

No cute pictures today. I'm sans computer and sans internet. . . thank heavens for the Public Library, eh? ( April did a cute job describing our local branch , where I'm sitting right now.) Here is what's happened and what's happening over the last couple crazy weeks: Last week: Wednesday - Drywallers finish mudding and taping, floor guys do prep Thursday - Drywallers prime walls, floor guys lay wood floor throughout Friday - Cabinet installers build cupboards Saturday - tile guy lays tile in bathroom, Saturday - WE MOVE! Phase I, from condo to garage at new house Sunday - First night sleeping on mattress in basement This week: Monday - Finish cabinet installation Tues-Sat - Paint and trim All week - clean and touch up condo Thurs - renters move in to condo May 1! Next week: Monday - My mom arrives to help with Lucy Mon-Thurs? - Floors sanded and finished ? - Countertop installed Appliances arrive Friday - My dad comes in town to help Saturday? - Phase II of the move, f...

I didn't do a great job with before pictures, but here are the after pictures! The downstairs apartment is done! New paint, new flooring and carpet, new electrical, new lighting, original 50's tile, original doors and knobs, old green trim which I grew to love and couldn't paint over. . . Loads of thanks to my helpers, Analeis and Annie , and of course the people we paid, but they have their reward. . . Upstairs is looking good, too. Pictures next week.

So, like I said, we bought a house. A beautiful, little old bungalow with loads of charm and space and room to grow. But it also has room to improve, so we're knocking down some walls to open things up and updating kitchen and bathroom and, well, practically gutting it. Hubby's been hard at work all week doing demo. . . and being incredibly rugged and masculine. Give the man a sledge hammer and a crow bar and he can bring the house down. . . bet you never knew a guy who even irons his clothes to go camping would enjoy getting this dirty.