Forget the chocolates

Happy Valentine's Day to meeeeee:

Happy Valentine's Day toooo meeeeeee:

Happy Valentine's Day toooo  Aeyonnnnnnne.......

Happy Valentine's Day to Me!

Who needs baubles?  I have a working and beautiful kitchen sink!  

(and an almost-ready dishwasher!)

Thank you, Husband.

The Kitchen Sink

My husband has divided affections.  Yes, it's true.  What?  No, our marriage is intact -- I'm talking about a sink.  Sheesh.

The Hubs found an old enameled cast iron sink and has been rehabbing it for the kitchen.  He loves it.

It was chipped and worn and rusty and a little grody, to be frank.

how old is that thing?

after it was washed, before it was re-enameled

after it was re-enameled along the rim

TA-DA!  Installed today!

Wanna know a secret?  I kinda love it too.  It's old... in our new house.

Could 2014 be THE Year?

A bold question, but I'm feeling jaunty and reckless just now.   Also: the lamest person on earth for calling myself "jaunty."

You may feel optimistic with me when you see what's been going on at The Log House this week:

Well, looky there!  Kitchen floor being installed!

And then today?

The Hubs and John installed the last pieces of flooring in the kitchen this afternoon!  Even The Boy proved useful, pushing against the end of the row to keep it tight.

Do you know what a kitchen with a floor needs?  That's right:  appliances.  Next stop on the Progress Train?  A dishwasher.   Toot Tooooooot!

Here are a few more pictures, just because I'm feeling - you know - jaunty.

Note to self: wait longer to take a picture after saw cuts.  That dust is mighty reflective. 

The Girl ponders how she will scale the new kitchen cabinets searching for snacks.  

I once said that as soon as we had a functional kitchen and bathroom I was moving in.  Well, I wouldn't say I'm packing my bags yet, but I do have a strange urge to see what our cardboard box situation is...     

Oh, wait.  Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit.  *sigh*  The master bedroom and bathroom still need a touch of work.  Just a smidge.  Right?

Snowy logs

It's winter all right!   We trekked up to The Log House to show off Its Royal Loggyness to my sister and an old friend and I snapped a few pics to atone for my blogging laziness.

The view into the snowy woods behind the house, as seen from the master bathroom.

Isn't the sight of a stone-faced chimney enough to make you weep?   No?  It's just me, then.

Bob and Old Friend Rob

My sister EllieBellyJellyBean lives in far-off P.A., and hadn't seen the interior of the house in a while.  She was pleasantly surprised.  It's hard to imagine what it'll look like when all you have to go on is: "... and over here will be the kitchen, and imagine that there's a wall here...." etc.

The Girl pretends to sweep the floor as she dances with a broom and kicks up dust.

We priced front doors the other day and when I recover from my heart attack and we decide which organ to sell to pay for it, I'll have that progress to show you.  Plus, after the turn of the new year, The Hubs will start in earnest on some kitchen work.   Stay tuned for a fabulous 2014-in-Logs!

Making memories

This afternoon, as we holed up during the ice storm, we decorated the Christmas tree that has been waiting in the cold on our front porch since we hauled it out of the woods on Wednesday.

Some decorations are new, some are old, some...  ended up in the trash this year.  Seriously, why were we keeping those things?

One of the old ones that I have kept is this little stocking ornament:

It was a gift from my piano teacher when I was about 10 or 11 years old.  I love the continuity that hanging it -and a select few other oldies- on the tree each year provides.

Hopefully the bairns will cherish some of the memories we made today as well.

Joyous Advent and a very Merry Christmas, everyone.  

Will not miss

One thing we will NOT miss once we move out to The Lake?     This:

Handing out Halloween candy to 600 trick-or-treaters.   600.   In our small town.  It. is. insane.

So, we did what every crabby pants would do:   stuck our children out there for the first shift. Rule Boy was diligent in enforcing the "Take ONE piece, please" and Surly Girl grudgingly muttered "Happy Halloween" as if kids were taking her own personal candy.   And yet?  Didn't deter the floods.  The Husband gave out about 300 pieces of candy just between 6-7pm.  We ran out and turned the light off at 7pm...  but there were still trick-or-treaters out there, so we could have given out even more!  

On the other hand, we'll get NO trick-or-treaters out at The Log House, since it is delightfully tucked in the woods.  I suspect I'll feel cranky about that too.  *sigh*

Hope your Halloween was not too hot and not too cold... not too soft and not too hard... just too much fun! How many ghoulies and ghosties descended on you last night?