26 November 2014

Of Remodeling, Creatures Great + Small, the Garden + Gratitude

As in my last post,
this one is also being written to the sounds and sights
of cooking shows so you all know what that means. LOL
 
My wonderful Chef son texted me his Thanksgiving menu earlier this week...
just reading it had my mouth watering! I cook fairly simple meals at home now,
because that is what Farmer Boy prefers,
 but I confess to having a never-ending love for gourmet and international foods.
(In fact, I could go for some good tempura or yummy nikujaga right now.)
 
DS's menu sounds like something you'd find in an upscale restaurant --
"herb infused",
"pate au choux"...
I will share photos and the full menu in an upcoming post
(that is if I don't devour all the food before I get some photos. Ha ha!)
 
By the way, speaking of Thanksgiving--
do you know I have something in common with a certain Flying Nun?
Tis' true--
But will get to that in another post.
Maybe.
 
Remodeling update: 
there's new sheetrock above our heads and on all the walls in the bedroom now
(except for the closet, that is, where we kept the old drywall).
 
 
My new "best" friend and tool!
Do you know why I LOVE him so much?
Hint: he helps me bear burdens I can't bear on my own!
I named him after our youngest son who has done his own share of remodeling
and would love to be here to help us if he could.
So -- do you know what 'burdens' this 'friend' helps me bear and why I love him so much?
 
 
Drywall installed (I have a whole new appreciation for screws).
Next step: taping.
You can't really see it,
and I didn't want to bore you with a lot of remodeling pictures,
but sheetrock panels are not the same thickness everywhere.
The tape is applied over the 'valley' and where two panels come together. 
It has a self adhesive backing.
BTW, did you know you can't keep rolls of fiberglass mesh drywall joint tape forever?
I do now. Fortunately we had some that was ok and we had bought more recently.
 
 
Are you seeing spots?
Yep, and it's a good thing--a very good thing!
You see, all those lovely screws and taped areas have to be covered with lovely 'mud'
(AKA joint compound).
The trick to using this stuff, per Farmer Boy, is using multiple thin layers to
 blend the sheetrock panels together. All this is necessary before you begin the texturing process.
If you want to learn more about the process,
 there's some good DIY websites out there which will explain it a lot BETTER than I!
 
And now to some prettier stuff...
(although I was thinking, after all these years of looking at studs,
 that the new sheetrock is BEAUTIFUL).
 
 
A through the window shot...
one day the birds were most entertaining!
I can hardly wait to visit a NWR and see some BIG birds.

 
Lots of kiwi still.
Hopefully my hubby will keep giving it away.

 
Ah! Those beautiful ever changing autumn leaves...
 
 
 
A little something (or should I say a little someone) special we saw while driving in the hills.

 
Somehow even the ordinary looks pretty special with a few raindrops on it.

 
Parrot's feather and floating leaves.

 
Water lily leaves and a resident bug:)
 
So last time we 'talked',
I was thinking of blessings and how this world would be SO much better if everyone would live daily being a blessing to each other.
This week, I've been thinking of gratitude and thankfulness...
lately I've been grateful for the little things of life ---
heat, indoor plumbing, a walk in the garden and the wonder of nature!
 
Sometimes, when times are hard and the news is depressing,
it's good to "Count Your Blessings" as the old hymn says.
I know I have a lot to be thankful for
(some of which are pictured above).
 
In closing, a few lovely gratitude quotes for you...
 
Thankfulness is the tune of angels.
(Edmund Spenser, reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert,
Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 290.)
 
A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.
(Cicero, Oratio Pro Cnæo Plancio, XXXIII)
Thanks are justly due for things got without purchase.
(Ovid, Amorum (16 BC), 1, 10, 43)
And the WORD for Wednesday
(since it's after midnight now)...
 
Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness,
and for His wonderful works to the children of men.
Psalm 107:31 KJV
 
Blessings, Aimee
 
Links:
"Count Your Blessings"
Awesome lyrics!
 
Gratitude quotes can be found here:
(please refer to this site for terms of use, etc.) 
 
Nikujaga: a Japanese meat and potato stew that I am crazy about.
I've only had it once, at a restaurant, but keep telling myself I have to make it---
or talk my oldest son into doing so:)
 
And now, time for a snack...
 

16 comments:

Betsy said...

Good Morning Aimee and Happy Thanksgiving a bit early. :-). Yep, I know what that thing is for. We've put drywall up on many ceilings through our years of home ownership. After wearing hats stuffed with socks on my head to make myself a human "Sheetrock holder" through several projects, we finally started using one of these. Whew!!!! What a relief!

Your nature photos are amazing. So beautiful. I hope your day tomorrow is a wonderful one, filled with thankfulness for His provision.
Blessings,
Betsy

Teresa Kasner said...

I'm happy for you that your room is coming along. I dearly want to have our master bath redone.. but hubby isn't much for such projects. I'd love to see a bigger shot of your koi pond.

*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*:._.:*~*:._.:
*H*A*P*P*Y* *T*H*A*N*K*S*G*I*V*I*N*G*!*!*
*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*:._.:*~*:._.:

((hugs)), Teresa :-)

My Dog Sam - Ruptured Disk said...

Hi Aimee, we haven't had Nikujaga but my peeps have had sushi and other Japanese items many times before. Thanks for the beautiful photos and the short overview of your reno. Wait until the sanding part :( dust everywhere and you could end up looking like a ghost. Boo...

Linda W. said...

Glad your remodeling is going well. Pretty pictures, especially of the fall leaves. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the yummy meal with your son. :)

Lorrie said...

Good morning, Aimee. Your photo of the parrot feathers and leaves is stunning. The depth and color of the water is lovely.
Glad to hear the renos are proceeding apace. You'll be glad to have them done.
Happy Thanksgiving from a northern neighbor!

aimee said...

@Betsy~
And a good afternoon to you! LOL--your comment had me laughing:) I am just glad we finished the cathedral ceilings years ago. Thanks for your sweet comment about the photos. I do love this time of the year because of the colors. Wishing you a very blessed Thanksgiving!
Blessings, Aimee

@Teresa~
Thanks--me too!!! Remodeling is very stressful, but it's so nice once it is done. Yikes! Our garden is such a mess right now--hence all the close-up shots:) I will try to get some once it looks a bit better--ok? Ah, thanks! A very blessed Thanksgiving to you too:)
Blessings,
Aimee

@Sam~
Your peeps know a good thing! Japanese food is one of my favorite types of food. LOVE it! Hopefully someday your family can try Nikujaga--the one I had was to "die for". LOL about the sanding. My DH has perfected the technique,so, hopefully, there'll be no appearances of a ghostly Aimee this year:)
Blessings, Aimee
PS: Thanks for your kind comment about the photos. I wish those autumn colors would last for a much longer time then they do.

@Linda~
Me too and thanks! Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving also and then lots and lots of snow on our fav mountain!
Blessings,
Aimee
PS: Hope you are healing well!

aimee said...

@Lorrie~
A good day to you also! Thank you! I really liked that photo too! Thanks! I will be SO happy to have this bedroom done. We've been using the other one of our kid's bedroom as a storage unit and I am eager to have use of it--and my treadmill again:) Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes!
Blessings, Aimee

Bethany Carson said...

Good message on thankfulness! Your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner really sounds like something to look forward to. You seem to be keeping pretty busy!

aimee said...

@Bethany~
Thank you! Dinner should be very yummy:)
Have a very blessed Thanksgiving Bethany!
Blessings,
Aimee

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

Nice photos and thoughts on being a blesding to others. Count my blessings daily. Made two apple pies tonight, one out, other one cooking a wee bit longer. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

aimee said...

@Becky~
Thanks! Yum! Apple pie sounds fabulous! I've been craving one for a few days now:)
Hope your Thanksgiving was a good one.
Blessings, Aimee

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Thank you so much for visiting my Blog and for helping a charity in the process.

May you have a Blessed Advent and a Joyful and Happy Christmas.

God bless you always.

aimee said...

@Victor~
You are SO welcome! It was definitely a pleasure to visit your blog and to help in a very small way! Wishing you a most Blessed Advent and Christmas also:)
Blessings,
Aimee
PS: My apologies for the lateness in posting your comment. I haven't been on my laptop as much as usual.

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Thank you once again for visiting my Blog today.

May God bless you and your family.

sallie (fulltime-Life.com) said...

I actually love seeing your remodeling pictures, maybe mostly because they are YOURS and not mine ;>). But I've been there on the end of that holder-upper stick thing more than once. Yup. I feel your pain (and happiness too -- it will all be worth it eventually!).

Beautiful Autumn photos too -- so pretty; am glad we got to experience the season!!!

aimee said...

@Victor~
Thank you for your most recent post! It was a very timely one for me.
Advent Blessings, Aimee

@Sallie~
Your comment made me really giggle today:) Only former (and current) remodelers can truly empathize with those doing remodeling! Thanks! It was a most exceptional autumn here in the PNW, wasn't it? I was happy you got to stay for the best part of it too--otherwise I would not have been able to see (and thoroughly enjoy) your stumps in the lake pix.
Blessings,
Aimee

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