Yuppers. That's the forecast for tomorrow. Ed (the painter), called this morning and said it'll be Tuesday... or maybe Wednesday... depending on the weather. We're getting close enough to Tour Day that I am getting nervous. Did a little painting of my own just to feel like I was making some progress. I know he'll get done in one day what it would take me like, a month, but still...
See, I painted the window...
So, I did some more pruning, raking, trimming back vegetation so that when Ed does arrive, he can whiz through like a painting dervish.
Here you can see where I pruned back the bougainvillea so Ed can get to the soffit and the trim. I can't believe that Mom thinks all those wires and power boxes and stuff look tacky. I mean, what's not to love? Ha ha. Just kidding, Mom. I'm gonna remove some of the more unsightly wires before tour.
If it's truly raining tomorrow, I will focus on the inside and maybe do some painting in the garage (on stuff like the mailbox for the garden tools - not the actual garage).
I'm just waiting for it to warm up a little before I venture outside. I'm kind of a weenie that way, only I'd better get off my butt soon 'cause it is supposed to rain again Tuesday (i.e., tomorrow) night! Barely time enough for the paint to dry. No, oh no, I'm not panicking, not at all [break to refill coffee cup with vile instant 'cause I'm too lazy to brew an entire pot. Note to self: get press.]
Mary is working like a banshee on the trailer. She's taken it through the car wash so she can get a handle on what really needs to be cleaned, buffed, waxed. She's putting new trim on the tongue box and painted the tongue, yesterday. She's already replaced the tires - we had a rather nasty blowout when we were on our way home from "Diva Camping" but it's all better now.
Oopsie
So, sneak peek time and them I'm puttin' on my pants and heading outside (actually, I am already wearing pants but I need to put on my other pants!)
Microscopic Master Bedroom. It took me two days to assemble that bed and it's not moving again... ever. The duvet and bolsters are from LL Bean. The limbs on the wall are a lovely red Manzanita, wrapped in copper wire, from my parents' property in California (and will likely be embellished if I have extra time). The rocker is of oak, as is all the furniture, which is hand-made by Steve (except for the rocker). The photo, by Thomas D. Mangelsen, is of Elk Antler Creek in Yellowstone National Park. Denise created the fuzzy pink afghan, which 'Clem (le chat) just adores. This room features a cove ceiling with picture rail (pictures are hung from the rails on hooks so one wouldn't have to put nails into the walls, which are plaster), and sash windows. (The house, itself, is slab on grade with double brick construction.) Try to contain your excitement!
"What, oh, what, was I thinking?" (And I've been having that thought quite frequently as of late.) Nonetheless, on February 14th, the little house will be open for the our neighborhood's Annual Home Tour and Mary's super cute vintage pattern teardrop trailer will be camped under the pergola, and the garden will be open - all as part of the magic of the experience for, oh, 3,000 people or so who cough up about $15 each to see what it's like to live inside a toy house in an historic district.
We've got Geologists meet Valentine's Day with a dash of Cowgirl. Lots of planning and more planning and furniture shuffling, pruning, and, OMG! Painting! I've called in the Big Guns (that would be Ed and his father, Ed), and he swears we'll be done in time. Of course it's been raining nearly non-stop for a week so I'm starting to panic. Well, just a tad...
At least the pruning is well in hand (Big Shout Out to Julie, Mom, and Dad!). Now, I've just got "trimming" and general tidying up in the garden... get some more bark, fresh flowers, vegetables, a lobotomy...
Stay tuned and experience the thrill of preparation right along with Mary and me. I'll even provide "sneak peeks" of what others are gonna actually pay money to see! (Oh, yeah, disclaimer time: the proceeds from the Home Tour go into the coffers of the Neighborhood Association which is a not-for-profit association to benefit the Historic District. The Home Owners - that would be me - receive no monetary compensation for this event - but we do get to go to some totally awesome parties!)
The microscopic bathroom has original tile, bathtub, and cabinets.
(And, as I have previously mentioned, I can sit on the toilet AND throw up in the sink at the same time!)
The entry way has been painted - very nice...
Mary's Vintage Pattern TearDrop Trailer.
The Kitchen in the Trailer
Come back soon as we continue our frenetic, headlong rush of insanity towards TOUR DAY!
More scraping and painting. The two bedroom windows on the west side of the house have been completed and the screens cleaned and replaced. There are more cactus and crushed stone, as well. And the screen door is installed! It turned out so nice! The porch will get its new coat of paint soon!
On to the garden (the garden?). Yes, the garden! As the entire house and the garden will be featured during the tour, I need to start work out there now - the inside can wait but the plants need tending to keep them looking good - or at least mostly alive - for the next two months.
There was also a goodly amount of "junk" festering about the place. You know, those scraps of wood that might be used for "something" and about six hose nozzles in questionable condition. I found, as well, a lovely piece of travertine in the alley and, voila! it is now the top of my potting table. Moved the rain gauge... There always seems to be something more to do.
My hope is that when all is said and done the garden will be more productive in addition to being beautiful. It's so restful to work in the garden - rewarding, too, especially when we actually eat something delicious fresh from the soil.
I painted the back gate and we added also a wee little door for 'Clem to use - bottom right. Can you see it?
There it is! We leave it open for him and he just hops right on through. I am always fearful of him tangling with all the cactus I planted along the fence - this way he can come through the gate and avoid the stickers.
My travertine-topped potting table. Very nice.
The shell chair and gate painted to match the house.
Don't faint but I've started painting, again. This week I tackled the west gable - the hot side of the house. And it was hot. This gable is much larger than the gables on the garage and there is a pepper tree, lantana, and several cacti that make it difficult to maneuver the extension ladder.
I'm fortunate I'm not afraid of heights. Climbing that ladder with a bucket in my hand was like the uber stair master! Scraping, sanding and brushwork do nice things for arms (after they stop hurting, anyway!). Lots of time to ponder while I'm up there, too.
I'll take it slow and go in stages so that I've completed one "area" entirely, before I move on. The house may be two colors for yet a little while longer but I don't think it will be terribly obvious. Not really. The front of the house, facing north and being spared the relentless sun, looks nice still, and so it shall be last. In all likelihood, the front gable the shutters and window boxes will wait until after Home Tour, as I don't want to cut away all the honeysuckle to get at them - they won't have adequate time to recover. I'll do the trim, though - for continuity. And the front porch - after the security door is installed.
Tomorrow will be the windows on the west side and then I shall plant more cactus and rake the gravel and call it good! The weather has been simply lovely and I am looking forward to more time outside.
Painting has stalled but in the interim, I've traveled to Idaho, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah... and I've learned about myself, which is always a good thing.
Our charming little home was violated on my birthday. Windows smashed, drawers turned upside down, items were stolen, our sense of security was shaken. I was in California, so Steve was forced to deal with the mess - and he did so, beautifully, magnificently, calmly... he is my rock.
We decided to proceed with our travel plans and although the trespass lingered in my mind there was beauty and wonders, dear family and friends to enjoy along the way. But I returned changed.
Most of our belongings were recovered and I was relieved that irreplaceable treasures were secure (Jack's watch, my grandmother's bracelet, my mother's cameo...). The damage was minimal and so an intensive tidying put most everything to rights.
As I was returning our possessions to their rightful places (a place for everything...); however, I was struck by just how much "stuff" we have. Putting it all back took days. This is ridiculous.
What did the thieves think when they broke through that back window? A treasure trove or, more likely, what a bunch of worthless junk. There truly isn't much worth pawning in our house. What they thought was worthy could be hauled away in a couple of pillow cases: a DVD player, some screw drivers, chisels, and my garden shears. Animated movies. Some of my jewelry. The old pickle jar of loose change that Steve kept on the dresser top. My Toshiba laptop that still runs Windows 2000. My bike (okay, the green beach cruiser is cool). But it's just stuff.
My real treasures can never be stolen: My loving family. My wonderful neighbors and friends who helped clean up the mess, put plywood over the windows, checked on the house while we were away. My beloved kitty. The love and support of the people that matter most.
I still have my stuff. I still enjoy my stuff. But my relationship to my stuff has been altered. Now, I need to take time to show the people in my life that they are more important than my stuff.
My mom made that cute little wreath. The painted plywood covers the former window. We might just leave it that way. Who knows?
i am an earth and environmental scientist living and loving in the southwestern desert. i share my space with my geologist spouse, two felines, desert tortoises, and some very tiny fish.
