Work Week

Talking to Nancy this morning, she mentioned that I've not posted lately about our work over at Bill's place. Believe me, we are still at it. Bruce, more so than me, but I'm pitching in where I can. Mostly, I'm the pool girl, and the painter, however, on Monday, I wielded the pressure washer on the house before....drum roll please...the exterior paint is applied!! Bill and Fallon chose some colors over the weekend, buying samples and painting various places on the outside to make sure. Sure, they are, and later this week, Lord willing and the creek don't rise, the painting will begin. So long pink, move over for taupe!!

Bill has chosen a super week to take off as the weather has been lovely for working. Remember last week when I said it hadn't rained much. Well, that was premature. The very next day, the sky looked like this,

with those storm clouds producing a bunch of rain, and I mean a bunch. It kept up for several days, but then, those stormy skies turned to this,

and pretty much have stayed like that for the past week! The market on Sunday was beautiful. Here's a little shot taken to show off my NEW FRAMED CANVASES!! I am so thrilled with them and am getting loads of compliments that I've passed on to the framer.

I'm going crazy picking out colors for the frames--so much fun!

The big news around these parts, the reason Bill took a week of vacation is that the cabinets were ready for pick up on Monday afternoon. While I painted crown molding, Bruce and Bill rented a truck, drove to the warehouse in Longwood, returning with twelve cabinets and trim boxed securely.

Once they were open, Bruce dreamed up a way to store them before installation day.

It's a good thing it's a big house! So yesterday was the beginning, which went very well. I was kind of a third wheel for most of the day, leaving early, so I only have photographic evidence of the first cabinet to go up, but not before a method had to be dreamed up by the carpenter in the family to attach the crown molding. Bill is using Herbert's nail gun for the top wood.

Herbert used the nail gun later to install crown molding throughout the house. What a big job, and that's what my agenda looks like for today. Re-painting all that molding, except this time on a ladder. One thing I did do yesterday was arrange to have a pool guy come out for a diagnosis.

In spite of all my efforts, I have NOT been able to maintain blue water. Well, now my earlier suspicions have been proven correct--the previous owner installed a woefully under-sized filter. The pool is gigantic, and the filter just cannot keep up. $500 will fix it, making the pool useable, which would be nice this weekend as the temperature is predicted to soar to 99!! This seems impossible, but I suppose time will tell.

After doing some surgery, or that's what I'm calling it, on the wall behind this, the first cabinet went up,

with the door removed for the install. It has been 30 years since Mr. Bruce hung cabinets, but once a cabinet maker, always a cabinet maker. He'd tell you differently, it was not without some pain involved, but he made it happen, and that is what counts. Adjacent to this cabinet is where the stove and big range hood will be. It is all such a process--don't believe those shows on HGTV--this is hard work and takes more time than you think!

In my last post, I mentioned that I'd gone to Winter Garden to meet up with Bev and Bonnie, but what I didn't tell you was why, aside from friendship. Miss Bonnie, now that she is retired, is exploring her love of art, painting in various mediums. Here she is in front of her very first piece in a gallery!!!!

Bev, a life-long friend, is understandably proud of her, and is capturing the moment. Her piece is just above her head. It was an exciting moment to say the least. Beforehand, I roamed down the main drag, seeing these in the window of the History Museum.

The original juice box--or orange, as it were. Winter Garden, before becoming the trendy little city it now is, was a mecca of orange production, as well as cattle. How times change...

Indeed they have at the market. Our long time afternoon performer, Joseph Martens, has moved away, and Dana is hiring various new folks, including this terrific duo who performed on a glorious Sunday afternoon.

Called Lucy Iris, this girl is terrific--wow, were we excited! When she sang Patsy Cline's "Crazy," I just about went crazy! Here's a video of her performing "Walking After Midnight," which is pretty darn great. Booked for every other week, I can't wait to hear her again--it sure made the day more fun.

So, it's back to work for me, or at least at Bill's place. Aside from writing this morning, I've gotten our place in shape, and the laundry done. Time to pick up the paint brush.

Gail

p.s. For those who've been wondering, Angela's husband Matt has done so well during his chemo therapy--things are looking good.