I'm still around and the bloody kitchen....

just been busy and didn't think I had anything really to talk about.

Dh has been off this past week and has spent most of the week in the kitchen .  What started out as me wanting new counter tops has turned into a major kitchen reno!!!  When we took out the counter tops there was no drywall behind them, or behind the cupboards themselves.  So we decided to pull out the bottom cupboards and get them sent away to be professionally painted. This is the colour we are having them painted.  That was a cheaper alternative than having to install new kitchen cupboards, as remember, all we wanted to do is replace the counter tops; so hadn't budgeted any money for a full kitchen reno.  The kitchen cupboard with the blue tablecloth on it would not go through any of the door openings at all.  So the end was pulled off that needs painting along with the doors and they went with the rest of the cupboards.

Where the hole in the floor is, underneath that we found some rotting wood.  So that has all been replaced and sorted out and we found some "new" wood for the hole in the floor that matches the rest of the floor.  All the electrics have had to be replaced as they were wrong.  The plumbing has had to be replaced.  New pieces of wood have had to be installed to make the wall straighter, so when we install the counter top it will fit properly.  All new insulation has had to be installed, along with a proper vapor barrier.  Then new drywall .  The window ledge is having to be replaced as that had rotten wood on it.  Then of course everything was covered in mice dropping...........icky, icky, icky.

Once I get the cabinets back, hoping for the end of next week, we'll get them installed and I am hoping by August/September to be able to have the upper cabinets taken down and have them sent away to be refinished.  When we take down the uppers we know we are in for a lot of trouble again, so again poor dh will be spending his vacation in September in the bloody kitchen again.  We went up to the place on Friday to pick out new hardware; even that was an issue and we were there for an hour trying to sort that out.  Everything the guy we bought the house off has touched is an issue it seems.

Meanwhile I have been trying to keep up with the grass outside, as it's on bloody steroids and is growing as fast as I am cutting it.  There is so much to do outside it's crazy, plus I am super tired and still not 100% well at the moment.  Keep thinking I need to go back to the doctors but keep putting it off.

We did have a day out on Tuesday to St. Jacobs and on Thursday we did some running around, so it hasn't been all work and no play.  We are off to dd today, so that will also make a nice change, and are at ds tomorrow for a BBQ; so a lot of family time also this weekend.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

For anyone in the Alliston/Barrie/Orangeville, Ontario area, this is the place we are getting our kitchen cabinets refinished, they do beautiful work and we will be using them for other things as well.  The do custom kitchens and all/any wood work.

Busy, busy, busy..

What a week it has been and a fast one at that.  Dh has been on vacation and I don't feel as though we have stopped all week.

Monday we were at home doing "stuff," around the house; which for dh means he was down the basement.......poor dh.

Tuesday we had our yearly appointment with the bank.  Funny thing is although we were in there with her for well over an hour, half of that time was just general chit-chatting on a personal level.  Oh well it's always good to see her.  After that we ran errands, got home for lunch time and then in the afternoon had a run down to Ikea as I wanted a small chest of drawers for the attic.  We called in at Deblin's Linen's and I picked up a couple of queen sized sheet sets, two bath towels and two hand towels, over $170 with taxes.  I was shocked at the price of bedding and towels.  By the time we got home it was supper time.

Wednesday we had to go to Brampton, for a couple of appointments.  Plus I broke the screw on my sewing machine where you change the foot; that cost $7 just for that????  Also ordered the counter top for the laundry room, managed to get that for $220 cash......with it being 30 inches deep it's having to be custom made, so did save at least $100 on that if not more, as it should have been $320 plus 13% taxes.  Once again by the time we got home it was supper time.

Thursday we went to the market at St. Jacobs.  We had a wonderful time and I stocked up on a pile of veggies.  I got butternut squash at $1.25 each, a huge cabbage at $1.50, even picked up two bunches of leeks for $1 a bunch.  The only thing that puzzled me and maybe you know the answer.  People were wandering around with huge bags of red peppers, what are they going to do with them?  Met a woman from church which was so funny, as everytime I go to Zehrs I seem to meet her as well!!!  Once again it was supper time by the time we got home.

Friday we had planned on having a day in the house, but dd called on Thursday night to say her wedding dress was ready, could we come with her to pick it up.........of course we would be there.  As the store was in the "Greek town," part of the city and we had no idea how long it would take us to get there, we set off after lunch.  We had a look around the stores, as it is a very interesting part of the city on the Danforth until dd came.

Anyway dd picked her wedding dress, gorgeous but too big.  So we then went to the dressmakers to give it to her to alter; the bridal store does not do on site alterations, which was a bit unusual.  However the alterations store had a number of bridal dresses from the same store there waiting to be altered, so I guess that's a good thing?

Went to drop dd off at her home and then headed home, which was a total pain, as Friday night at rush hour is a nightmare.  Finally got home at 7pm.  I do not know how folk commute along the 401 everyday, it would drive me potty.  We didn't even go up the 400 as that is normally a parking lot, so went up the 427, which wasn't much better but at least it was moving.

So here we are on Saturday morning.  We, or at least I am not leaving the house today.  I need to catch up with laundry.  The house looks as though a bomb has dropped in it.  I need to cut the grass and generally take a breather.

We have another busy week ahead of us this next week as well and although it is all planned out what we are going to do, I should watch out for any unexpected things to happen!!!

Enjoy your weekend,

Gill

Lots of photos.....

So we headed off to a place called Elora, hadn't been in years and it's very pretty, but boy was it chilly, and then most places were closed?  Anyhow, there is a big river with a gorge and a mill on the river.  Here is a couple photos of the river, notice the ice!!

There is a small 'mall" with half a dozen stores in there, and I took this photo of how they decorated the where the windows of the building.......

We then decided to head to St. Jacobs, where there are a lot of Amish and Mennonite families.  This is an Amish farm but look what they have:

Not sure what I am talking about, here is a close up:

They are obviously harnessing the wind, and believe me it was flying around when we passed by.

Picked up this little chap, it's a boot cleaner:

And you can't go to St. Jacobs and not call into Picard's Peanuts:

So of course I HAD to buy something, so got these:

I am quite sure they are both fat and calorie free?

On the way back home we passed by this:

I know you're not supposed to take photo's of them, so that is why I took it from the back.

When we were first in Elora we called into an antique store and I saw this bowl.  The guy reduced by $20 for me to $65.  I wasn't too sure about it, but on the way home I decided to call back in and bought it. It is called Waterlily, and features Lotus and Poinsettia flowers, it is a 9 1/2 inch footed bowl.  However I have ran into a problem as all bowls seem to be 10 inches and there is a chop bowl that looks like mine that is 11 inch and is worth a small fortune, like $4,500......shame mine isn't it!! 

All in all we had a super day and wished it could have been longer as we didn't get to see as much as we would have.  The only downside of the day was a stone flew up from a passing car and chipped dh's windscreen on the truck.  Otherwise we had a lovely day....

Photos.......

Dd sent me a photo of the cake she made for her boyfriends birthday.  This is the first time she has ever used fondant.  For her first attempt I think she did a fine job.  She is going to make one for her dad for next Saturday (18th), so I'll take photos of that as well.

We went to a place called St. Jacobs on Friday for a look around, as it's been a few years since we have been; and goodness me the place has changed an awful lot.  Including the building of the restaurant below.  We had lunch there and I have to say it was really good.   Here is a link to the restaurants website  I felt a bit guilty dining there though, as we normally eat at a family restaurant in the town called Harvest Moon, but have to say we really did enjoy Jack's.

It must have been laundry day around St. Jacobs on Friday, I know it was at The Acreage, but I had no where near as much laundry on the line as this person.  By the way I took this from the car as we drove by.  It was a Mennonite farm with no electricity.

All these pumpkins were for sale on the side of the road, again I took this from the car.  I must look in my pumpkin patch to see what is happening there.

We had an enjoyable day out and we were home by 4pm.  After doing my ironing though, we went and did grocery shopping, basically just to get it over with.

My poor tummy is suffering from taking the pain meds, so me and the toilet are very close companions at the moment.........don't think I will go into anymore detail!!  Roll on Wednesday when it will all be sorted out!