It has been a very cool, grey and rainy, nondescript kind of summer here in Vancouver. I think it was July 10 or so the last time it was warm enough to go for a swim. Jim has been very busy this summer because there are no salmon -- apparently the less fish there are the hard he must work - LOL!!
I have done very little of anything quilty wise since returning from holiday. I have worked a fair amount in August and it seems they were mostly night shifts. But I think the biggest reason for my lack of energy and enthusiasm is the house. We moved all the living room furniture into the middle of the room back in June to have the new windows and door. First the doors came - remember they couldn't find the window for a few days. Then the window came and then we had to leave everything because the window moldings needed to be stained and installed and Jim was going to do this himself at some point during the summer -- which was really busy as it turned out! First he painted around the doors - so that is done. Then he stained all the wood for the windows. And then about 2 weeks ago he decided he could get going on installing the molding. Well - they don't fit, there are some issues with something. There are a few uneven areas - molding too narrow etc.
The window guys came back today. Mostly it is just a bigger job than Jim was "aware" it would be. I don't want to say "capable" Because he probably is capable and feels it is something he should be able to do - as a guy. Well - I said "you have other things you're really good at - making beer, for example. Not every husband is a carpenter". Moldings are a lot of work -- fiddly work. I really would like him to just hire a real carpenter to come in and slap up the darn moldings -- penny wise and pound foolish!! I told him even quilters send out those big quilts to be quilted -- something quilters are capable of doing themselves but sometimes the time saving and fact that it will actually get finished is worth the money!!
So -- this is what my living room has looked like since the middle of June. And the disarray just seems to spread to other rooms. The dining room has stuff in it that belongs in the office - which is full of stuff that Jim needs to sort through before it can be put away - but he has been too busy to deal with. The birds and their cage is still in my sewing room -- spitting seeds all over the carpet and taking up my ironing board space. My ironing board is in the small entrance room - taking up space. And the whole thing just makes me a bit out of sorts!!
As you can see one of the windows in the background -- they aren't even very big windows!! The molding that are around the windows in this picture are the old moldings from the old windows, they have since been removed. The sliding glass door on the other wall of the room is finished now.
So, hopefully this gets finished some time this month -- although it will be still a very busy month for Jim at work. I am going to ask the neighbour - who is getting some work done at her house if she knows of a good carpenter.............
It is easy to see why you are out of sorts. I hope that soon your window/molding situation is taken care of and that you can settle in before the long winter hits you.
ReplyDeleteHere we have hot days (very hot) and I'm crying for some refreshing autunm days. Would you like to change with me? :)
ReplyDeleteHey come on down here. Yesterday it was a crazy 100 degrees and today the same. You can swim to your hearts content. Course we dont have any water cause we are in a draught! The first time in over 50 years. But if you can land swim, well we got the heat you need and the dry grass to keep it interesting! LOL
ReplyDeleteI sympathize with your feelings of being at loose ends - nothing seems quite right when that feeling shows up. I hope that when your windows are done you can get snuggled back in and your energy will come bounding back!
ReplyDeleteHum... all I can think about is removing that wooden magazine thingny from the table, sitting down on those blue chairs and having a cold beer with you! Okay, I've had a rough evening! I really should try to get to bed. I do hope you get a sense of balance! I realy don't know where the summer went! Hope it all gets resolved for you!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam,
ReplyDeleteI love the color of your living room furniture- there is something quite serene about that color blue. It really is a pain when everything is in upheaval around you - I can relate - I live in a small house that the clutter builds up quickly-
If you know a builder that works in Alberta - do I have a house for him.( Maybe we can get a cheaper rateLOL We need new windows and doors too-VBS
I hope that Jim gets time to finish for you soon..
Regards,Anna
Oh Pam, I do hope you'll be soon out of that. I know how it feels when you're waiting for some things to be done/remodelled at home. Don't worry, dear everything will come in place sooner or later. In the meantime... just focus your mind on something else seems the best solution.
ReplyDeleteHugs & smiles,
NADINE
I can understand ur frustration....our kitchen is desperate for a reno, im waiting for DH to go on a business trip, so i can call the professionals lol hope u get some order back into ur gorgeous living room soon!!!
ReplyDeleteYou feel out of sorts when things around you are out of sorts. Try to look past it all and settle your mind on something fun. :-)
ReplyDeleteI can understand your frustration. My house has a lot of unfinished projects in it too. I just wound up putting all the furniture back - I figure I can set it back aside when I am ready to do the painting or whatever work that is planned for it. Somehow UFO quilts are much easier to accept than UFO housework. It will get done eventually.
ReplyDeleteLem always got bogged down changing the oil in the car. It became a major event. Finally he listened and we take it to Jiffy Lube.
ReplyDeleteIt really is hard to get anything done when the house is in a waiting state.
Oh Pam, I feel for you...it's hard to function when things are a mess and one messy room leads to the next. I hope things will get better for you soon.
ReplyDeleteCiao Pam,
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll be able to get out of this frustration as soon as possible.
I understand you because when the home is a mess I'm a mess too......but then everything turn right.
ciao ciao
Oh I can understand your feelings. I would be feeling the same way. I hope things turn around soon and the Livingroom can be put back.
ReplyDeleteOh, the joy of remodeling - even a "small" job such as you are doing. It just seems to go on and on forever - disrupting your entire life. We did admit that we didn't have the time or skills for our big remodeling jobs. Both started in September and were to be done by Thanksgiving. Both took until January of the following year. You've never had Christmas disruption until you have your bed, chest of drawers and dresser in the middle of the living room at Christmas - so the only place for a tree is a tiny one on the top of the dresser. Or going through the following Thanksgiving and Christmas both with your refrigerator in the garage, and your only way of cooking is a choice between the microwave or toaster oven -both on top of the dryer. Look at it this way - you can still sit in the chairs in your living room LOL!
ReplyDeleteI know this doesn't help at all - it sounds like a "mine was worse than yours" sort of post. Not what I mean - just letting you know I can really commiserate with you because I think I know how you feel.
Ever since my husband decided to drain the radiator in our only car - years ago - and managed to turn the wrong things and thus destroyed the transmission - I've always just called someone else to do things. If I mention something needs done to him he will try his darndest - usually with much less than satisfactory results. Good thing he's such a prince in so many ways!