The Ground Floor

Finally, after many months, I got a haircut yesterday and am I glad I did. Oftentimes, when the subject of hair comes up, well, thick hair specifically, I mention I'm both blessed and cursed with a thick head of hair. Blessed, because it improves the appearance of my hair, cursed, because it is hot and we all know how warm it has been here. The thinning shears came out in a big way! Monica still left it long enough for a pony tail, albeit a thinner one. Once I was home, Bruce was kind enough to photograph me because Lord knows, it will never look the way she styled it again!

While chatting with Monica, the subject turned to FAVO, not on her part of course, but my enthusiasm runneth over and I am telling everyone I know about what a neat place it is. Putting it in her book, she swears she'll be there on February 1. Which will be here before you know it!

Thus, we are getting the space ready--a new look baby. Of course, as is always the case, we are trying to do it as frugally as possible, for obvious reasons. Maybe it was Monday, yeah that was it, I went to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store in search of whatever I thought we might be able to use. I found a lamp for $7.00 which seemed to have possibilities. To date I've been carrying one from my office back and forth, and I could have continued to do so, but, what the heck--let's go for broke!

Surprising me by coming home early, Bruce jumped right on the spray painting job. Using some of the green paint from my bench he got going.

You might be noting the tape and baggies to protect the unpainted portions, as well as the sticks to sit it on. That's my Brucer! The shade had a small area that needed either some gluing, or something cute, we went for both, or I should say he did. In my stash of sewing stuff from his Mother, I found some blue rick rack which he carefully applied, pressing it down with a toothpick. Indeed, details are his forte.

More about the rick rack in another post because I'm in a bit of a hurry this morning. Stay tuned.

The reason for my hurry is that Bruce is taking today OFF, to both help me paint the new space, Room 139, and meet with four fire sprinkler contractors to go over the job, and bid the project. Will asked if Bruce might lend a bit of his expertise in that area; although he's been wildly busy, things should slow down enough in the next few months allowing him to devote a little time to help. Remember the detail business above--that helps a lot when you put together the requirements of construction projects. Although they had a few bids from a year ago, apparently the bidders left stuff out which, of course, will add to the cost of the job. God bless the folks at Park Lake Presbyterian Church for taking on this exciting project!

Following lunch yesterday I went over to clean the space a bit. Sweeping was the first step--the last time the room was used a big glitter project happened in there! Much to my delight the toilet actually works. That same toilet was stained pretty badly, sort of a dark rust color covered much of the interior of the bowl. Using some acid cleaner I bought on a previous visit to Re-Store, by golly, it looks amazing! Now, that would have been an amazing before and after picture, however, I'm sparing you, just as I did with the giant hair balls on the salon floor!

My friends, this is exciting stuff. Our intention for today is to paint the walls, floor, and Bruce will put up some base along the side walls. It is going to look super good, or so I hope. Using some paint from previous projects around our home, I put a bit on the walls to check the colors.

So, light gray on the side walls, blue on the back wall, with a dark gray floor. Sound good? We should know in another twelve hours or so....

Walking around the property before I left, the late afternoon sunlight was pretty:

I received an email yesterday from someone saying they found a farmers market photo online that they liked and it was one of mine. Very nice, however, after some serious searching I still could not find it myself and neither could they for that matter! During my search I came across a photo on flickr of my very first market day, March 13, 2007, which not only showed us, but it showed the emptiness of the market, both on the vendor side and the spectator side.

While talking with Beth yesterday, Beth of the Mr. Roger's daughter in law who now works for him fame, she made a comment about FAVO that really stuck with me--"it sounds like you are getting on the ground floor of something very exciting," which seems like a good observation to me. We got lucky that way at the market. Dana, once she took over the market, was a force to be reckoned with--ideas and more ideas to make the market a happening place. Will seems like the same kind of force, filled with talent and drive. None of the fifteen or so vendors could ever imagine a day when their would be another 60 vendors every Sunday, or the crowds that would fill the sidewalks. So too, we are imaging a day when FAVO really gets going. Making our space nice is a first step for us--we want people to be wowed when they come into Room 139 which clever readers will realize is on the ground floor.

Off we go--it's nearly daylight!