Moving is the Worst and other Pains

So this past week was tough, my uncle Ed passed away from Pulmonary Fibrosis- he was a machinist and most likely the lung thing was caused by breathing in metal for so many years. Luckily I got to spend a good day with him last friday before he passed. My thoughts are with my Aunt Leona and my cousins- Carol, Mark, & Joey.

Mom and I went down to the funeral and stayed with Marilyn- who took us in late at night and got us off early in the morning. In the meantime she had dug up and divided some of her plants and many of which were from our old house in Marshfield. It meant so much to me. There are peonies even from my grandmother's house in Upstate. Yesterday was neighborhood cleanup in the Knightville Mill Creek area- and after I dug up some of my beloved perennials for the new house. I got back late in the evening after mowing and weed whacking to clearing out a space at the new house to plant all the thoughtful plants Marilyn had sent with me.

I don't think I can lift my left arm over my head from raking oak leaves. In the back the raspberry bushes had also taken over- so I spend a fair amount of time yanking roots out.

I am taking out forsythia bushes that are overtaking the house- if anyone wants some.

Making headway

This image above & below, is of the new opening for the sliders and transom window above. Once we take down the lattice on the deck- it won' t feel so much like a dog crate. But the view....oh it is so much nicer. Compared to what was there- you couldn't see anything but that oak tree and the room was so dark. This will allow for a view out to the pond and bring so much more light into that space- it will truly be a great room.

On top of it- I am totally unmotivated today. I am clearing out the last items from 72 B street. I feel like I have been moving now for 2 months. I think it might be easier to move to another state than 4 miles down the road. I keep finding stuff in the basement. Check out the back of my car- old skis and surf boards.

Right now, I am actually sitting outside the old house in the driveway posting this- since we don't have internet yet at the new place. I might try and get on the neighbors....see if that works?

Well now I have to go put the composter in the back of the car- poor Barty, she is so tired from watching us work nonstop- I'll have to coax her in the front seat of the car she is completely taking up entire rear of the wagon!

Sonya- The sharpshooter

This was a couple weeks ago, Sonya and Patrick called from the Mall wanting to stop over. It was great- perfect timing. They brought over some Prosecco & Allagash Curiou- which is Erik's favorite. We set up a spray painted target in the tree off the deck and each had several shots. Sonya was the best shooter of all of us- she made us all look bad. She also took about a half hour to set up each shot. After we went to Binga's Wingas so Patrick could watch Nascar. How did we all get so REDNECK!

528 Spurwink Ave- Reno-cation Plans

Erik's taken this week off from work, to make some headway on the house. The plans ( photos above compliments of Bill Lee Imaging) are to get the great room/new kitchen to a point where we can get some of the other trades- (that we cannot do) in to do their work, so we can move in soon! So since Friday night, Erik finished ripping off the shed roof that is off the back of great room, putting drip edges on & trimming out the overhangs. I got home from work just in time to lay the ice & water shield with him. Saturday morning, Erik was back on the roof shingling. I ran around getting some supplies and doing necessary errands, bought a washer & dryer off of craigslist (weirdly enough from the broker's wife that listed the house) brought Erik a well deserved lunch. Saturday afternoon, I started cleaning up some of the batt insulation in the great room. Which was disgusting- the whole great room has been infested with varmints. I have never seen so much mice crap. It was so foul.

Then I got sick of it, and decided to start pulling the board finish off the interior walls of the furnace room- so that the spray foam can be installed there. I was dismantling an old potting bench, and there was plenty of acorns and mice poops, when I moved a drywall bucket of old potting soil- when a dinosaur crawled into the wall- it was seriously a reptile. It must have had 4 legs, if not 6, with a very long tail. I took a deep breath and let it go. I decided enough banging around in there- would keep me safe from the ancient mysterious creature. Later, I found 3 dead mice (golf clap) and one was a fresh kill.

When I pulled out the insulation- there was some that looked intact, but then when you peel back the paper- you can see that Nooo, in fact mice, squirrels, or chipmunks have actually been there. I noticed that they seem to poop horizontal. Sorry, I didn't take any photos, I really just wanted it to be over.

I was telling Erik about my findings- and I asked him "how do squirrels shit horizontal?"

He said, "3...2...1...TAXI!"

(inside joke)

Anyway, Monday Erik took out the window where the "girthy" tree was and framed out the opening for the slider & transom above. He also took out the door into the great room and reframed the wall. Kevin Silva (who is awesome) came over and helped cut the studs and the plywood to patch where the entry was.

Today, Erik took out the window into the driveway- to frame for the new kitchen window. Kevin came over again, and chopped wood, again the kid is amazing. The fact that he could go home to his nice clean hotel suite and watch HGTV, but instead he comes over and chops wood!! Truly Awesome. Thanks Kevin!

When you are in the great room, you can begin to see how great the space is going to be.

I'll try and take some photos next time I am over there. Erik says "from the outside the house looks like it's been condemned"

Honestly, it probably should have been.