This has been an action packed week, especially since my brother Bill and Sister-in-Law Char came to town about 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. They came in, unloaded their truck, and got busy tearing up my kitchen linoleum, which happened to have 2 layers down. They worked until dinner time. I was the rubbish gatherer, with them working at opposite ends of the kitchen. We had to take out the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. Good thing I pre-cooked some meals so we could just use the microwave.
I took the lace curtains off the kitchen windows and I might just leave it like this until winter time when the leaves fall off the trumpet vine, and it gets really hot in the kitchen. This is the area I love to sew at, it is really sunny I use the kitchen table.
This is where we are now. Char is grouting this area, and Bill is laying the tile out to the window. They are doing this after working all day. But it is Saturday evening, and they are leaving on Tuesday, so they want to get the job done.
Meanwhile, Char mostly, and I have been dismantling John's last sailboat. It never got out of the side yard. After he built it, he realized it was too short for him and his back was giving him a lot of trouble at that time. It has sat in the yard pretty much completed for at least 12 years. It had dry rot, some water in the hull that had a happy neighborhood of frogs, which I rehomed to another part of the garden. We started sawing it up and I didn't think to take a picture of it before we started. This was John when he was building the boat. I remembered John had a notebook where he took pictures of the boats he built step by step.
This is what we have left after our two woman destruction crew has worked on it for two days. That red thing is the centerboard or keel. It fell in the dirt after we took its housing apart. John was very thorough and Char thought he was laughing at her as we were struggling to get it apart.
This is the pile of wood and other stuff I need hauled away.
At one time I had a garden in this area, and I think there are still sprinklers underneath, though not hooked up. I had the greatest tomatoes that one year.
Katie and the kids came over before she headed out to Arizona where the kids are spending 2 weeks with the other grandparents. She gave Char and Bill their Christmas presents. They were supposed to come for Christmas, but because of Covid and Char being a teacher, they didn't come. Char painted Bill a lighthouse picture. I think it is a lighthouse in England. They love lighthouses just like I do. Char and Bill and I and Klara. Bill is my baby brother, 10 years younger.
Bill and Katie my youngest.
Klara and John-John getting ready to board their flight for Arizona.
Before Char and Bill got here, I worked on two more of the lighthouse blocks for the quilt that is my payment for them doing my tile work in the kitchen. I still need to sew down the birds and stars but I had to take my machine out of the kitchen.
Also last week before they got here, I had communicated with Kim @Sara Lizzies about cutting hydrangeas and bringing them inside. Following her directions I picked three bouquets and I am tickled pink! By the time I get the heat of the summer here, my hydrangea flowers pretty much look like crispy critters. I am so happy to bring them inside and enjoy them. Thanks Kim for the excellent instructions!
I put the third one in my bathroom, where it is so lovely in the afternoon sun. Second one is in the kitchen where it is amongst a bunch of temporary clutter on my counter due to the tile redo.
I never got my sunflower quilt basted last week before my company came. I went to look for my half-done knitting project tonight in my disorganized sewing room due to relocating a bunch of stuff for the renovation, and I can't find it or the stitchery I was working on.
So for my Slow Sunday Stitching, if I get any, I will work on my hexie project. I had to set this aside when John got ill.
Head on over to Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching and see what everyone else has been up to!
I probably will continue to be busy the next couple of days. We are finishing up the boat, and sorting through the garage while they are here. Char lined up a couple of roofers for estimates to fix a couple of bad parts on my overhangs/gutters, and she helped line up a painter to paint my house who will start next week. Hopefully Monday we can line up someone to fix the roof/gutters before they go. They are leaving Tuesday morning, and I will surely be sorry to see them leave.
Thanks for stopping by!
