A to Z Blogging: Z is for Zonked

zonked (zɒŋkt, zɔŋkt)

adj. Slang.

1. stupefied from or as if from alcohol or drugs; high.

2. exhausted or asleep.

[1955–60, Amer.]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

We have reached the end of the A to Z Blogging Challenge for April of 2013.  What a fun time I have had meeting and greeting new friends from all over the world.  I am delighted to have found so many new blogs to follow, and am honored that so many new friends have chosen to follow Zoe Cottage!

Of course other than writing blog posts we have been in a huge push to get our first rental property ready to market, so between writing 26 scintillating posts (tongue in cheek!) and all the painting and cleaning I have been doing at 507, I am ZONKED! (as in exhausted, not high on alcohol or drugs!)

It may take me a year to recover, but you can be sure that if I am able, I will be back in the challenge in 2014, and I have already been considering various themes, so look out!  Happy Z day, and thanks for sticking with me through the challenge.  Love y'all!

A to Z Blogging: Y is for You

There are many ways to say "you" in the English language, but none of them are used as much in this part of the country as "y'all."

Sometimes a person is only referring to one person in which case they may or may not use the plural form y'all as opposed to the singular ya, as in "How ya doin'?"  It seems strange to be asked, "How y'all doin'," when there is only one person to answer, but Okies are cool like that and make sure they include all your imaginary friends and relatives in their query.

If there is a group of two or more, sometimes they will use the term all y'all just to make sure everyone feels included. "Are all y'all goin' to the game tonight?"  I know, it makes you cringe, doesn't it? Sorry.

The spelling is often a challenge for those who use the term, but my spell checker assures me that I have the apostrophe in the right place as y'all is a contraction for you all.  I suppose if you wanted to get technical about it though, if an Okie says ya for you, ya'll would also be correct.

I worked with a woman once who used the term you'uns but that always sounded funny to me.  I am originally from Arizona, and I still slip up from time to time and say you guys when referring to a group of people.  I'm not sure what is the proper way to address a group, but I guess when in Rome... er rather when in Oklahoma do as the Okies do.

How about y'all?  What term do you use when addressing a group?

Weekend in Review: Bathroom Ready to Paint

Friday:
Since we are hiring a guy to do the rest of the drywall repairs for us, we have been able to focus on other priorities.  He will be doing the garage and the remaining cracks in the ceiling and walls inside, but we are still responsible for the hall bathroom.  Ornery worked on that Friday night, and all afternoon and evening I worked on painting cabinet doors for the kitchen and bathroom.  We actually hung the bathroom cabinet doors, and WOW what an improvement!  We still have the drawers to repair and paint, but it already looks tons better.

Saturday:
We started out with a run to Lowe's where we picked up paint for the garage and ordered a over-range vent hood to replace the disgusting microwave we took out.  Then we ran by a building supply store and picked up some new grills for the return air vents.  Even though I had spent a long time cleaning the old ones, they still looked really bad when we put them up next to the freshly painted walls and ceiling.  They weren't expensive, so I am glad we did that.

I painted cabinet doors, repaired drawers and helped Elizabeth with lining the kitchen cabinets with peel-and-stick tiles (actually she did most of the work, I just cut them after she marked them.) She also painted inside all the lower cabinets and cleaned the shelves before putting the tile down.  She only got about 4 cabinets lined, but they sure look nice!

Ornery had two helpers -- Michael and Jeff (the gnome) -- so he worked with them for a while installing the new closet doors in the "blue" bedroom, and rebuilding the water heater closet that Michael took out for us last weekend, and closing off two attic access openings in the garage that were just big holes in the ceiling.  They would have finished it except they didn't have enough material, so we will have to buy more to finish that job.

Jeff has never done anything like this, so while hesitant at first, he was all sorts of excited about using Ornery's tools--the table saw, the miter saw, the cordless driver and the nail gun.  He also learned what a hacksaw was, and used it exuberantly to shorten the closet door rails while Ornery and Michael looked on and laughed at his enthusiasm.  As he was leaving he asked if they (Michael and Elizabeth) would be coming back next weekend, as he wanted to come learn some more stuff! :)

After they all left, Ornery cut the last of the baseboards for the hall bathroom and got them up, then sanded the sheet rock repairs in the hall bathroom.  By the end of the day he just had a small area left behind the toilet to sand.  He also took the cover for the vent fan down so I could wash it, and now it looks like new!

Sunday:
We started out with giving Ornery a hair cut.  Between the lawns (here and 507) and his hair it seems like we are having to mow every little bit! ;)  We worked on a variety of things, but first Ornery sanded the last of the drywall repairs and then painted the baseboards.  All the bathroom lacks to be ready for primer and paint is some masking tape around the newly tiled shower walls.  It would be really sad to get paint on the grout!

While he was working in the bathroom, I was busy with cabinet doors and drawers. I finished the day with six full and three partial doors left to paint, and about six drawers between the bathroom and the kitchen.  Altogether the house has 24 cabinet doors and ten drawers in the kitchen and hall bathroom. Each door has had to be scraped, partially sanded and deep cleaned prior to painting. Some have been primed, most I just put the paint over what was already there. All the drawers except 2 have had some sort of repair needed.

There are more drawers in the bedrooms, two in one and either 8 or 12 in the other.  I am only painting the two, the others are file drawers and other than put the handles back on, I don't intend to do anything to that.

Ornery had to remake the face of two drawers so I can't paint those until they are assembled. He was able to make them almost exactly like the faces of the other drawers using his table saw and router table. Between the amazing job he did on the baseboard trim in the hall bathroom and the drawer faces, he jumped another notch or two in my esteem--and he was already over the top there!

I also lined all the drawers I had finished and touched up paint on several places I thought were already done as well as painted the face of the cabinet below the counter-tops. Things are looking mighty spiffy in there!

This week we will begin bringing things back home that we won't be needing any more.  The bulk of what is left requires elbow grease and a paint brush or roller. Other than paint we still need to block off the fireplace, finish the water heater closet and install all the new light fixtures and vent hood. A big cleaning inside will complete the work.  We could conceivably be done in a couple more weekends!

Thursday and Friday I will have to be at 507 all day with the drywall guy.  I am not concerned that I will be bored!  I hope to get all the cabinet parts finished and the bathroom painted this week.  In the evenings we will work on finishing up the kitchen and the details in the hall bath. 

We are excited to be getting so close to finished!  Our bodies are telling us in many ways that we are overtaxing them, and I am looking forward to a spa week at home once we are done!

A to Z Blogging: X is for X-acto Knife

The X-acto knife is one tool I have never really mastered.  I have cut plenty of things with it, but to me it is akin to my brother-in-law's experience with the belt-sander.  A slight cut and I have to redo everything around it.

My daughter is quite good with this cutting tool.  She has done a lot of work using masks made from contact paper and cutting out tiny sections of a drawing with the knife.  I would have made a hash of it, but she seems to be quite handy like that.

How about you?  Do you ever use an xacto knife?  If so, how did you do?

Craigslist Craziness

My advertisement on Craigslist reads:

LIKE NEW Almond color Champion Juicer for sale. I have had it about ten years, but only used it two or three times.
ALL ORIGINAL PARTS and original instruction manual come with it.
Also includes two used "cook books": _Juicing for Life_, and _The Juice Lady's Guide to Juicing for Health_, both by Cherie Calbom, MS
New, this model sells for around $265., asking $150.00 cash. PRICE IS FIRM.
Call or text to (my phone number)  Serious inquiries only, please.

In addition to the text, I have posted two pictures of the item for sale, one which shows the model number and serial number of the product.

I have gotten two phishing emails and texts from five people.  Without fail, all five people have asked if all the parts are with it, how long I have had it, and whether I would take $100.00 for it.  Did the ad not answer all those questions?  How did you know who to contact if you didn't read the ad? If you read the ad, how did you not get the answers to the questions?

I will admit it is hard not to be snippy when people ask stupid questions!

(edited to add: I sold this today at full price to a woman from out of town.  They must teach them how to read better out in the panhandle of Texas!  I just love Craigslist!)

A to Z Blogging: W is for Wind

On our honeymoon, Ornery and I walked past a display in a window of a clock shop and discovered at that moment our mutual love for clocks--the wind-up kind.  It has always been a dream of ours to have a house full of clocks, and it doesn't matter whether they work or not.

Two years ago, Ornery got a notion that he wanted to make some wooden gear clocks after seeing some YouTube videos featuring amazing kinetic art pieces and really fun clocks.  So, he bought a scroll saw. He subscribed to some wood working magazines, and his new hobby was born.  He has actually only made one clock, and he couldn't get it to run at all, but the other wood working skills (and tools) he has acquired since then have made him extremely handy to have around. 

Ornery's first attempt at a clock.  This is from a kit.  Wind the clock by pulling down on one of the strings.  The weight on the other string is supposed to pull against the other end so eventually the heavy weight is at the bottom.  Yeah, that doesn't work on this model. :)

 This kit is from wooden gear clocks.com

Once he started working with wood, he built this case for his scraps.  He has since outgrown it...

Some of his first scroll saw work.  He cut the wood, I embellished with paint, paper, glitter, fabric, etc.

These basket/bowls are actually fairly simple to make, just time consuming.  Another scroll saw project we have loved!

Now, back to the wind up clocks... We have a very small collection, and only one works, but Ornery has faithfully wound it every Sunday for 25 years!  We purchased it from the AAFES catalog when we were on Kwajalein as our 8th anniversary gift to ourselves.  It still chimes every quarter hour and keeps all our guests awake at night.  :)

Do you have any wind-up clocks? 

A to Z Blogging: V is for Variety

They say, "Variety is the spice of life."

I am inclined to agree.  I have noticed that I am almost ADD in my method of performing tasks.  I will paint a while on a door, then move to the kitchen and clean out the refrigerator, then put on some outlet covers, then go back to painting another wall.  Nothing seems to get done, but I am working fairly steadily.  Eventually I stick with the project long enough to finish it, because I am a stickler about finishing things before moving on, but I often have a half-dozen or more projects going on all at once.

I guess the reason I do this is because I get bored (or tired) of the same task and want to add variety.  That is what I love most about being a homemaker--there is always something new and different to distract me!

Do you like variety or are you a same-ol' thing kind of person?

A to Z Blogging: U is for Uncover

Are you tired of hearing about our rental property yet?  It seems like I am living, eating, sleeping, and breathing (cough, cough) 507 all the time.  Well, today's post is still along that theme... U is for uncover.

We have uncovered quite a few dishes of awesome sauce in our renovations.  These are things that make you mumble, grumble, do a little cussing, and a lot of head scratching when they appear.

For instance, when we removed the fiberglass tub surround in the hall bathroom, we uncovered two blank electrical plates.  Beneath each plate was a mass of "hot" wires.  Mind you, this was behind a shower enclosure, about five inches from the shower head.  Not good. Not legal!

In the process of moving these electric boxes to a new location above the bathroom door, it was discovered that the house had been parallel wired, so each light was wired into two (or more) switches at the breaker box.  The parallel wiring caused the guys to lose almost an entire day while trying to figure out how to connect everything back the same way (after discovering that the colored wires don't mean the same in this house as they do in every other house!) Now all electrical repairs or renovations take place with the outside  main breaker in the OFF position.  No taking chances with the inside breaker box!

When the guys took out the upper cabinets by the sink in the hall bathroom, they uncovered a Stag beer can in the soffit.  The can had been there for 50 years (the house was built in 1963) and was the style before pop-tops.  In other words they had to use a can opener!  They threw the can away before I got to see it.   I would have taken a real photo to post here, because I am a blogger...

This past weekend, we reached the point where we needed to remove the toilet in the hall bathroom to do some sheet rock repairs on the surrounding walls (and level the toilet).  When Ornery got the toilet out, he discovered the wall behind the tank was covered with black mold. Yuck!  He cut out the sheet rock there and put in a new piece of green board.  Supposedly the problem was that the wall had not been painted, and CW assures us that once we put a good coat or two of semi-gloss paint on the wall back there, we won't have any more problems like that.  Hope so!

Our most recent undercover mess was in the kitchen when we removed the microwave.  I couldn't begin to describe how disgusting and nasty this appliance was, but let's just say there was enough oil and grease on it (and behind it) to lubricate a large engine for a few months.  Eeeeew!!  When we finally got the beast off the wall above the stove, we discovered that the vent pipe above it was stuffed full of insulation and the wall behind it still had 50 year old Formica anchored to the wall.

Each item uncovered has ended alright but they sure eat up our time!

Have you ever discovered an unsettling surprise in the midst of a renovation or project?

A to Z Blogging: T is for Tornadoes

Last Wednesday night was a wild weather night for us here in the Tulsa, OK area.  I had worked hard all day and was really tired.  I usually sleep really well in the rain, but around midnight and again at 1:00 the tornado sirens went off.  Between the sirens and the thunder, I didn't get much sleep.

I have lived in Oklahoma for over 30 years and for all the times I have heard the sirens, I have never actually seen a tornado.  We have driven through the paths of a few tornadoes, and witnessed the devastation they can bring about.  I am glad I have never seen one up close and personal.

Have you ever seen a tornado?

This post is part of a blog hop.  Check out other participants by clicking the link on my side bar.

A to Z Blogging: S is for Sorry Slacker

With only seven posts left for the A to Z challenge, I am sad to say that my enthusiasm is waning.  Not that I haven't been having fun because I have enjoyed meeting new people as well as the motivation to actually write something of substance besides, "Today I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Not much else happened."

I certainly would not have been writing that this month, at any rate.  My life, which before March 6th was so placid it was almost boring, has become too fast and furious for me to keep up with.  I am not really too old for this, but some days I sure feel like I am!

So, my S post is to offer an apology to all those wonderful new friends whose comments truly keep me going throughout the day as I am slaving and sweating over at 507.  There is no internet there, and replies via my phone are just too complicated and exhausting.  By the time I get home at night, all I want is a shower and my bed.  So I have become a slacker on the comments and reciprocating reads.  I have the best intentions, and I do manage to read a few posts each morning before I head over to work, but I don't think I am giving all I should.  So for that I say I am sorry.  I will be better in a while--hopefully not too far into the future.

For now, however, I have all the rest of my posts scheduled and will finish the challenge, even if I have to limp to the finish line! Thanks for being here with me, and I promise I will be back to your blogs as soon as my life is my own again.

Weekend in Review: Wowser Bowser!

Ornery decided to take a couple vacation days to work on 507, one this past Friday and one this coming weekend.  So, with a three day "workend" we managed to get a fair amount done.

Friday:

• went to Lowe's to get some supplies
• picked up the "free" trash bags (we get four rolls per year from the city)
• cut all the baseboard trim for the dining room and part of the living room 
• painted and hung all the trim; caulked it
• painted the last of the living room and dining room
• primed the 'green' room
• started working on the kitchen cabinets
• clean-up around the house
• met with the property manager and our old realtor

We got really good news from the property manager.  She loved all the changes we have made so far as well as the ones we have planned.  She will be asking $250./month more than what the former owner had rented the property for, so that is a huge bonus we had not anticipated.  

Saturday:

• we got the toilet out of the hall bathroom
• Ornery worked on sheet rock repairs in that bathroom all day
• Michael earned hazardous duty pay for removing the old microwave
• He also took out the water heater closet that was damaged
• He also removed the deadbolt from the old kitchen door so we can dispose of it
• Elizabeth helped me remove contact paper and paint in the kitchen cabinets

By the end of the day (which we admittedly chose to happen much earlier than we probably should have) we had most of the upper cabinets and a few of the lower cabinets painted and the bottom shelves of several lined with peel and stick tiles. I did quite a bit of scrubbing in the kitchen.  It was a very unpleasant job cleaning up such a disgusting mess.  

Sunday:
... was a complete deviation from The List.  It was a great list, but we did not ONE thing on it!  Instead we

•  went to Lowe's and bought a new over-the-range microwave--it was $50.00 cheaper than the only vent hood they had in stock for a 36 inch opening.
• tore out the cabinet above the stove and rebuilt it; in the process we removed the useless vent pipe that went into the attic and was filled with insulation, and put a "ceiling" in the cabinet to match those of the others.  The new "floor" of the cabinet is a solid piece of wood instead of a piece with several different holes in it.  In short, we made the non-functional cabinet functional!
• painted that cabinet inside
• lined a shelf or two
• tidied up the garage and took a large pile of trash to the curb for tomorrow's pick-up
• tacked up the vent pipe in the (now non-existent) water heater closet
• removed the hardware and sanded the three cabinet doors for the hall bathroom
• repaired the face of the upper cabinet around the kitchen sink where we had cut out the "decorative" trim that was so popular in the 1960's
• cleaned the oven (not nearly as bad as the mircro since it has a self-cleaning feature)
• brought home a few more tools we won't be needing -- we hope
• mowed our yard
• planted 1/2 a little bag of onion sets in one of my raised beds.
• sent an email to the property manager and told her we would let her know when we were ready to show the house, but it would NOT be May 1!

We were supposed to meet with a guy Sunday evening to discuss the possibility of him doing some drywall work in the garage for us, but he cancelled so we cut the day short at 507 to tend our much neglected yard.  The grass is just now greening up, but the weeds like to get a jump on things and they were growing with enthusiasm after all the rain we have had this month.

Despite our list avoidance, we did get a lot of stuff done, and had fun doing it.  Ornery says any day that is a three saw day is a good one. Throw in a job for the Paslode nail gun and that day is fine indeed! He used the circular saw, the table saw and the miter saw today, plus the finish nailer.  Even better; he didn't use any drywall mud! ;)

A to Z Blogging: R is for Raised Beds and Waskally Wabbits

According to an article I read, raised garden beds were supposed to help deter rabbits from invading your garden.  The theory is that jumping into something would make them more vulnerable to prey. 

I'd like to know how high they should have been raised, because it sure hasn't done much to keep them away from mine!  At our old house Ornery was doing something in the 12 inch raised bed we had outside the back door when the leaves began moving.  He uncovered five newborn bunnies in the bed.

This spring when I went out to look at something in the back yard I noticed my 18" high strawberry pot had been disturbed.  And when I say disturbed, I mean half the soil was gone.  A rabbit had made a cozy little nest inside.  I am guessing my strawberry plants won't make it this year.

I am grateful we live a ways into our neighborhood instead of on the fringes.  Less than a half-mile away is a large open field where deer have been frequently spotted.  At least I only have to fend off the bugs and bunnies!

Do you garden in raised beds?

This post is part of a blog hop called A to Z Blogging Challenge.  More participants can be found here. Thanks for stopping by!

A to Z Blogging: Q is for The Queen

 This post is in memory of our little dog, Twyla.  She was a rescue dog who adopted our family.  She was mostly Skye Terrier, and had some definite ideas about how she was to be treated--specifically as royalty.  We nicknamed her "The Queen" because she was so regal with her demands. 

She had Ryan and Ornery trained as her footmen.  They were expected to take her for walks, let her out, etc.  I was the culinary person, and was counted on to prepare succulent meals for her dining pleasure.  Yes, I actually cooked for the little beast!

When anyone came to the door, she would bark to make sure they noticed her, then walked to the treat bowl, expecting a little snack for being such a good little guard dog. :)

She was actually quite camera shy, so getting any photos of her was quite tricky, but we never gave up trying!  She was really quite funny with her little quirks, and she gave us much enjoyment just being her sweet self.

We only had her for about four years--they said she was about five or six when we got her--before she began exhibiting very strange behavior. 

She had developed cognitive disorder--similar to Alzheimer's disease in humans.  At the end she got very sick and apparently had a stroke.  Having her put to sleep was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. 

She has been gone four years this month.  I still miss her every single day, and while I thought I might want another dog, really, I just want The Queen back.

This post is part of a blog hop.  For the list of participants, click on the link on my sidebar that says, A to Z blogging challenge. 

A to Z Blogging: P is for... P

Publishing the perfect P post posed a pestilent problem. 

That perfidious Peter Piper proclaimed he picked a peck of pickled peppers. Perhaps he meant pickling peppers since the process occurs post-picking?  His potent pretense produced profound puckers, but it was hardly perfection.  He was proud of his particular prize, but his poem was a park perambulation when put against my piece.  Perhaps he should be puzzling over a peckish plant with pesky pink particles pacing the perimeter?

I would rather be painting panels at our pretty new property, but presently I am prostrate, paused for pacification of my poor pounding patella and pink patches proving peanuts are poison for me. Piffle... (Pause to pray.)

I could probably play a pittance longer, but I am pooped.

Post-post, I present a Patriotic number for your pleasure. :)

This post is part of a blog hop, blogging through the alphabet in April.  If you want to read more, you can click this link and see the list of participants.

A to Z Blogging: O is for Ornery

 Across the internet I am known as Ornery's Wife.  Today's A to Z Challenge post explores the infamous Ornery himself.  It's a long post, but hopefully you will enjoy getting to know this character.

Ornery in his skunk hat--a Christmas gift reminiscent of how he got his nickname.

His given name is David which is what his mother still calls him. Most people call him Dave or Ornery Dave, but to me he has always been "Babe" or "Lover" except, of course in my blog posts. He seems to be quite attached to the moniker Ornery, as he does all within his power to live up to it daily. He has a vanity license plate that reads ONERY because I had a blonde moment at the tag agency and forgot how to spell it. Fortunately you can get by with that on a license plate!

He was born 54 years ago in a small town in the Oklahoma Panhandle. He was the first born of three, but he was an only child until he was almost 8 when a sister was added to the family. His brother is 16 years younger.

Ornery in his farm-style work clothes getting ready to trim some trees.

He was raised on a wheat farm/cattle ranch, and learned to drive a pick-up at about five years of age, so his folks could feed cattle and move irrigation pipe. He drove tractors from about the age of 8, when his mom relinquished her seat due to carrying his sister.

He still loves to drive trucks... here he is with his first Toyota Tundra.  Now he has a red one.

He was a fairly average student, receiving comments in the early years such as "Inclined to Mischief" and the like. His favorite classes were math and science.

In an effort to build a bridge in a troubled relationship, his dad offered to join Ornery in taking flying lessons. Together they studied regulations and rules, shared instructors and air time, and eventually had their shirts ripped from their backs after their solo flights.

Checking out an airplane on the ramp at a local airport

Due to his interest in Math and Science, it is not surprising that he chose Computer Science as his major in college. He was a better student in college, especially after we got married, when he began making straight A's. He completed his BS at Oral Roberts University, and a Masters Degree in Computer Science 20 years later at Oklahoma State University. 

On the last day of work at MCI/WorldCom, some of his co-workers gave him a little orneriness back by moving the walls and closing off his cubicle.  Here he is looking into his cube from the former doorway.

He has had a variety of jobs in the computing field, one of which was with a company that did R & D work for the government, specifically aeronautical and weather related projects. The job was ideal for him with his pilot background and his love for science.  About five or six years ago, he ended up at Flight Safety, International programming instructor station modules for flight simulators. Hopefully he will stay there until he retires--many of the engineers have been there over 25 years!

Making stew in his Dutch oven--a skill he learned as a Scout Leader

Ornery enjoys outdoor pursuits almost as much as I dislike them. While Ryan was in Boy Scouts, Dave discovered the heretofore undiscovered pleasures of camping, back packing, bicycling and kayaking. He and Ryan enjoyed a 50 mile wilderness trek at Philmont Scout Ranch, taking a 50 mile bike ride for Ryan to earn the cycling merit badge, and a five day canoe trip down the Arkansas River with the local Venture Crew they were involved with. After Ryan left to join the Air Force, he gave it up for lack of a hiking buddy.

Hiking with Ryan at Lake Weddington

Ornery likes to travel, but prefers to have his wife with him when he goes. I am not a big travel fan, but I am trying to enjoy it more for his benefit. His current job gives him chances to travel about 4 times a year, on the company's dime, which is just enough to keep his wanderlust satisfied.

Ft. Walton Beach on one of our many trips there for his job.  One year we were there 16 weeks--not all at the same time, but throughout the course of the year.

Ornery is a family man. He has always been on the sidelines cheering or out in the middle of our kids' pursuits. He is a good listener, and a wise leader. He is an intelligent conversationalist, but is often just quiet when he has nothing important to say. He also knows when to inject a bit of comic relief into our day. He really does have a mischievous bent, but he is never mean or degrading. He is generous with his time whenever any of us want it, and will cease whatever activity he is doing to accommodate us.

Proud new papa in August of 1980. I think this was the last year of his mustache.

Holding his first grandchild

Ornery is a godly man.  His heart is soft toward the Lord and willing to obey whether his mind understands or not. He lives out the verse that says men should love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave His life for it. He understands that submission on my part does not mean he lords over me and squashes who I am, but instead that I am free to use my gifts and talents, leaning on him for direction. He understands that being a Christian does not mean we have it all together, but that we are forgiven and forgiving of those whose lives are a mess. His heart is tender toward the hurting and the lost. He's the kind of guy you'd love to have for a friend. He's MY best friend!

He is camera shy, and I had asked him for a photo and he ran away...

How Ornery got his name:

When I looked up the word ornery, I thought, "That is not his personality at all." He is SO not mean or cantankerous! He is, however, quite mischievous, not in a mean way, but more as a means to entertain.

He first acquired the moniker in the early 80's. We had been married a couple of years and found ourselves living in a cheap old rent house in a run down neighborhood in a not-so-stellar part of town. There was an ancient black cat who wandered through from time to time scrounging for food that the neighbors called "ol' One Eye"--a reflection of an on-going eye infection that kept one eye perpetually closed. 

One evening, Ornery found the cat jumping out of a dumpster and decided to bring him in and feed him some tuna, thus we became cat owners. We bathed (exciting!) the cat and took him to the vet to get his eye fixed up, then gave him daily vittles so he no longer had to forage for his sustenance. He was extremely laid back, and very affectionate. 

About nine months later, Ornery lost his job due to a downturn in the oil industry. He filed for unemployment, went on job interviews and had LOTS of time at home. We had some white shoe polish leftover from those baby shoes they used to always insist you spend a fortune on when your kids were little so they would learn to walk correctly. (Do they still do that? I am so out of the loop!) Ol' One Eye must have been his typical cat-self and been sleeping in the middle of Ornery's papers on the desk, so Ornery decided that since he was such a "stinker" he'd help him out with his image.

The double white stripe down his back was quite authentic looking.

When my sister caught wind of this abomination, she dubbed him Ornery and it has stuck ever since. 


As a side note, today marks my "Blogoversary."  Five years ago I wrote my first post, and have written thousands of posts since then.  Blogging has sure opened up my life and introduced me to many new friends.  Thanks for reading my long post today!

A to Z Blogging: N is for Neighborhood

(Somehow after I wrote this I put the wrong date on it.  When I published it I couldn't find it... then I did find it and changed the date and thought that would save it for later, but lo and behold, it put the new date on and it showed up like a time-travel post (hence the comments dated days ago!)  Trying again for my N post!)
 
Ornery and I have lived in a few neighborhoods since we were married, but recently we have noted that the more expensive the houses (and higher the income of the residents) the less inclined toward neighborliness the occupants seem to be.

After sixteen years at our last house, we hadn't really made any friends--which was one of the many deciding factors when it came time to move.  We walked a lot there, and even tried to befriend several people, but for some reason no one had any time or inclination to socialize.

The house before Miller Manor was in a fairly new neighborhood, but by the time we moved out we knew the names of every resident in all fifty homes.  We had block parties and entertained friends from the 'hood on a frequent basis.  The homes were less expensive, and the residents less affluent.

When we moved to Zoe Cottage, I had hoped we would make some friends, but for some reason (maybe we are just really strange?) those we have met and made overtures toward have not reciprocated in any way.  Oh, they wave when we drive by or are outside, but no neighborhood bar-b-ques have come close to happening!  I even took homemade caramels and a hand-made ornament to each of the four closest homes our first Christmas here and didn't even hear a "thank you" or receive a card in return. Hmph.

The reason this came to light is because once we bought 507 and started working over there, I noticed how friendly those neighbors were toward us--bringing over donuts, visiting through the fence, etc.  It is a much older neighborhood and the homes much less expensive than the one where Zoe Cottage is planted. In many ways I envy our future renters, for no matter how lovely my home is, sometimes it can be pretty lonely.

What is your neighborhood like? Do you have lots of friends and acquaintances there or are you isolated?

This post is part of a blog hop called A to Z Blogging Challenge.  There are many, many other participants, and you are invited to hop over here and check out some of the others.  Thanks for dropping by!

A to Z Blogging: M is for Motto

Wow!  Who woulda thought I would have made it through the first two weeks without a missed post?  I wondered considering our work schedule at 507, but here I am, ready to go with week 3--almost half-way through the challenge!

Back in the insane years of homeschooling my children, I was involved with a group that was devoted to providing interesting opportunities for the kids and support for the moms.  One woman, a neighbor of mine at the time, was especially good at taking a simple idea and making it into a huge successful production.  Her motto was, "If it is worth doing, it is worth over-doing."  She ruined me for working with anyone else in the group since we shared the same mindset on organization and planning.  It was a long association filled with some amazing field trips and other activities.

Well, Ornery and I tend toward something similar for our motto, although we are trying to avoid the "over" part and think if a job is worth doing it is worth doing well.  Which is why the rental property we purchased is taking us so long to complete.  There is something that grates against my nerves to leave things unfixed or just slapped together. I hope our renters will appreciate the labor, but whether they do or not, we will feel better about the job we did.

So, what is your personal motto?

This post is part of a blog hop.  There are hundreds more participants.  Please check them out here.

Weekend in Review: Sibling Helpers and a LOT of Progress

We got a ton of work done this weekend at 507. 

• The hall trim has all been replaced and painted once, caulked and awaiting its second coat.  
• All the trim in the dining room and one wall of the living room was removed. 
• The den area of the living room (next to the fireplace) has been painted, walls and ceiling
• The hall light fixture has been replaced and the attic fan switch disconnected and covered with a blank plate
• Two door frames in the hall were replaced
• All the patches that were ready for painting have been primed, and most have been painted
• A new door stop was affixed to the wall in the master bathroom so the knob won't hit the tile
• Both hall closets (linen and coat) have fresh new coats of shiny white paint
• Some of the door frames in the hall have been painted
• Both closets now have doors on them-- all painted white
• The hall bathroom tile around the sink has been removed and the surface covered with the first coat of drywall mud.
• All the switch and outlet covers have been washed
• One of the three return air vent covers was removed and cleaned (fifty years of dirt?  maybe!)
• The garage side door has all its trim on it now

The place looks like a hurricane hit, but here are a few photos of the progress...

Ornery's brother is in town visiting and came by for a visit--and to help!  He took out the old tile around the sink, sanded off all the goop on the walls, then applied the mud.  This will look a lot different with paint on it, but what an amazing improvement!

Another view of the hall bathroom

The entry hall with fresh paint!

The hall with new paint, crack free walls and ceiling, and new light fixture!

The den area of the living room. When Ornery pulled off the old baseboards a lot of the paper from the sheet rock came off with them, so he had to patch them--otherwise I would have gone further with the paint.  You can see hints of the orange around the edges.  I am really glad to see the end of that color!

 Needless to say, we are worn to a nubbin and ready for the work week to relax a little!  We were sure grateful for all the help!  Not all the work listed was done over the weekend, but a fair amount of it occurred between Friday morning and Sunday evening.

Next week Ornery will begin work on the hall bath and I will continue painting trim and doors... Eventually I will work myself out of a job, I hope!

A to Z Blogging: L is for Lists

Magnetic Mini-clipboard to keep lists on my refrigerator.  I sell these in my Etsy shop when I have time to make them...

There are few things I like better than lists.  I am by nature an organizer, and list making is the only way for me to keep track of things.  I am a tad OCD as well, so my lists must be neat and orderly.  I have been known to rewrite a shopping list so the top of the list reflects the first area of the store, and so forth.  I don't do that very often, though. :)

Lately, Ornery and I have spent a lot of time making and crossing things off lists as we work on our first rental property.  In addition to the main list of all the things we have to do, we break that down into smaller bites and try to list just the things we want to accomplish in a day.  We also always have a list for things to buy from Lowe's (an almost daily trek) and things to bring from home (although the items left in residence at Zoe Cottage are few and far between!)

How about you.  Are you a list maker?

A to Z Blogging: K is for Kindness

Ornery and I met the neighbor to the east of us at 507 a few days ago.  He is very nice, and quite chatty.  He came over to ask if it would be okay to pay a professional tree service to take down one of the branches on a big oak tree in the back yard.  It hangs several feet over his fence and he had asked previous owners to cut it down, but they never would do it.

We would have done it eventually, but since he offered... I thought that was very kind of him, even if it was to his benefit as much as ours.  He could have insisted we pay for it!

I think kindness is one character trait everyone should cultivate.  It is so easy to get caught up in our every day lives and forget that others are struggling just as much as we are--maybe even more so.  I know this man's kindness made our day!

A to Z blogging: J is for Just

Just is a handy word to have around... I have had a lot of fun lately with it for sure! According to thefreeditionary.com just has two uses in the English language.  It can be an adjective or an adverb.  Here are the meanings for the adverb, which is how I use it all the time. (I modified the sample sentences to reflect my life today...)

adv. (jst, jst; jst when stressed)

1. Precisely; exactly: That project turned out just right.

2. Only a moment ago: I just finished painting that wall so don't touch it!

3. By a narrow margin; barely: You just about took out the neighbor's fence getting out of the driveway.

4. At a little distance: You missed a spot just below the knob.

5. Merely; only: It is just a little crooked.

6. Simply; certainly: The redbud trees are just beautiful!

7. Perhaps; possibly: I just may have to change that up a bit.

Ornery and I have had a great time with a phrase CW trotted out while he was here.  It started with an email someone forwarded to me about various tools and their uses.  It is hilarious, (I have reprinted it below without the photos) but one definition is for a belt sander.  CW mentioned how appropriate that one is, and that every time he thinks "I'll just nick that with the belt sander," he ends up having to do a full fledged restoration project.

Now when anything needs a bit of rough knocked off, Ornery or I say, "Just nick it with the belt sander," and we both giggle. :)

And here, for your giggling pleasure, is the email sent to me.  I wish I knew the origin of this, but you know how it is with emails, anyone from anywhere could have written it so just be aware that it is not my own prose.  

TOOLS EXPLAINED

Common sense explanations most handymen will verify:

• DRILL PRESS:   A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your drink across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.
• WIRE WHEEL:  Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh crap.'
• SKIL SAW:  A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short. 
• PLIERS:  Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters
• BELT SANDER:  An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.
• HACKSAW:  One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.
• VISE-GRIPS:  Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.
• OXYACETYLENE TORCH:   Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing brace. Its best use is for igniting new seat covers.
• TABLE SAW:  A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.
• HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK:  Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.
• BAND SAW:  A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.
• TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST:  A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.
• PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER:  Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.
• STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER:  A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.
• PRY BAR:  A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part. 
• HOSE CUTTER:  A tool used to make hoses too short.
• HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent to the object we are trying to hit.
• UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. It is especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.
• Son of a biscuit TOOL:  Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a biscuit' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need, and at times must be retrieved from across the room.

Two Rooms Finished!

I had hoped we would be finished with the master suite at 507 by Sunday night, but since we took some time off to work on the back yard we ended up dragging out the inside projects a little longer.  However, we spent time yesterday afternoon and last night on the details and with what we did today we are now done-done in those two rooms.

Here is a photo of the bathroom from the door.  I haven't figured out how to post a before photo of the vanity since the only one I have is in the appraisal document.  First a before (since Ornery got the job done...)

And the finished vanity area.

We replaced the light above the sink, installed the tile, (had to tear out old shower surround and level walls, re-sheet rock, etc.) replaced an ugly vanity and stained sink with the pedestal sink, put up the hook by the sink for hand towel or wash cloth, installed the GCFI recep (there was no place to plug anything in once we took out the old light above the sink).  We took out the medicine cabinet and put up the mirror.  We added a curved shower curtain rod since the tub is only 23 inches wide.  We replaced the ceiling fan with an exhaust fan/light combination, put new hinges on the door, repaired cracks in ceiling and walls, painted the door and all the walls and ceiling, replaced the baseboards (which were too short since we took out the vanity).  The cabinet on the wall was dirty and the door didn't close properly, so we repaired that and painted it inside and out, replaced the hinges and handle with new brushed nickle hardware.  We had to rework the plumbing in the wall a bit which meant making a hole in the master bedroom wall. We replaced the tub stopper with a toe activated style.

I got it all cleaned up today, and Ornery hung the last two doors in the master bedroom (there were four closet doors plus the passage door) so that room is also finished.  Woot!!

We started the bathroom on March 14th. Of course we have gotten other things done too, but this was the biggest job.  We are so glad to be done with it!

A to Z Blogging: I is for Interesting Ingenuity

It seems like every word I came up with for this letter was negative--impossible, infuriating, inept, ignorant, etc.  My daughter suggested ice cream, but that is not really on my mind much--I mean it is great on warm pie, but that is about the extent of my excitement for that topic.  In which case this would be the shortest blog post ever!

Since we are working on a 50 year old house that has been through who-knows-how-many owners, we have discovered some interesting repairs done through the years.  I would say most of them tended toward some of those negative words I listed above, but I decided I might be looking at it all wrong, and I should consider how ingenuous they must have been to come up with something so crazy to "fix" a problem!

For instance, some previous owner installed a new bathroom counter and sink.  Apparently this counter top was deeper than the cabinet beneath, so they split 2X4 boards and used screws to install them all across the front, making all the cabinet doors and drawers 2 inches further from the back of the cabinet.  Lovely, eh?

Perhaps if a tiny bit of finesse had been added to the detail... Anyway, we are having to use some of our own ingenuity to fix the problem.  It is one of the next things on the list.  It is a good thing we discovered water putty!

This post is part of a blog hop called Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  There are almost 2000 bloggers participating, so please check out some of their offerings as well!

A to Z Blogging: H is for Hinge

One of the thousand or so tasks I have found at 507 (our new rental property) to occupy my time is cleaning off the paint from the hinges.

First let me say that if you are ever inclined to simply paint over the hinges on cabinets or doors in an effort to "save time" just don't. It is not pretty. The paint does nothing to enhance the property (which is what painting is supposed to do). It is NOT a time saver, because somewhere down the line some OCD person someone is going to have to clean all that accumulated paint off the hinges.

Really, do yourself a favor and just say no to painting the hinges!!

In case you are wondering how such a task might be accomplished, I can tell you that a Google search led me to understand that the best and most efficient way was to cook the little buggers in a crock pot overnight in a solution of water and either vinegar or dishwasher soap.

Well, I didn't have either of those at 507, but I did buy a crock pot for the sole purpose of disengaging the old yucky paint from the hundreds of hinges around the place.  I had some Dawn dish soap, so I used a bit of it in the crock pot which I allowed to simmer for about 4 hours.

It is true that the paint sort of falls off, but not all of it, which necessitates a lot of scraping and rubbing, but eventually I managed to get all the cabinet hinges washed off.  Unfortunately my OCD tendencies would not allow me to leave the screws painted, so those are a work in process.

It is truly enough to unhinge an old gal! :D

A to Z Blogging: G is for Garage

I am always amazed when driving through various neighborhoods to note how various people use their garages.  Our cars have been pampered through the years as we have almost always had a garage and used it for the purpose of housing vehicles.  From time to time we would leave them out for a few days while we were getting ready for a garage sale or in the process of moving, but otherwise, the little beasties have kept their youthful appearance out of the harsh rays of the sun and other brutal elements.

When we moved to Zoe Cottage a couple of years ago, we were looking for a home with a three car bay--not because we have three cars, but because Ornery is a wood worker and we wanted to fashion a "man cave" for him.

I think we did pretty well...

There is still room for two cars to park (although at the moment we only have one vehicle) and plenty of room for him to work.

How about you?  Do you park inside a garage? Or is it used as storage?