It has been lovely here today so we got outside and trimmed some trees so mowing around them is easier. We still have more to do but we only work for as long as JET is able. Too much and he does more harm than good to his already damaged muscles. Then, we have to pick up all the cut branches which is my least favourite job of all. We have to take them to the brush pile to burn. He cuts up anything that is big enough to burn in the wood stove and the rest we just burn on the brush pile.
We mow about 5 acres out of our 20 and we have hundreds of trees. It is not pasture land but it is hilly, rocky and has an abundance of trees. But we have over the years managed to establish quite a lot of grassy areas which we keep mowed.
We got more varnish on the desktop and shelf yesterday but it just didn't seem to want to shine much. The first desktop has a lovely shine but even after 5 coats this one is still dullish.
Well, the saga continues. We think we have misplaced the original can of varnish and are using an old one which is only semi gloss. Hence the no shine.
I have searched all over the shop and the sunroom where we did the first desktop and I can't find another can anywhere but it seems the only logical solution.
So tomorrow, when in Columbia for another hospital appointment for JET we will buy another can of full gloss.
This desk will get completed.........one day!
Monday, February 29, 2016
Saturday, February 27, 2016
The desk top is progressing.....
We have been out to the workshop several times this week to work on the desk.
We did have to go to Columbia one day for hospital appointments and one day was way to cold to go out there.
JET put the fourth and final coat of varnish on the desk top today so that part will be done.
He is making a shelf also to sit on the desktop at the back to put the monitor on. He has a 55" TV as his monitor because of his eyes so he wanted to have good support for it. It is a little wider than the desk and just sits atop it at the back.
It needed cutting to size, staining and varnishing too. It needs just one more coat of varnish and it will be ready.
Then we have to attach the top to the frame from underneath. We bought better screws to do it so it shouldn't be a problem. He will also attach a piece of wood underneath across the middle for extra support. (JET always builds thing you could drive a truck on lol).
So early next week it should all be done and in situ in his office.
This has taken much longer than it needed to but it will be worth it in the end.
We did have to go to Columbia one day for hospital appointments and one day was way to cold to go out there.
JET put the fourth and final coat of varnish on the desk top today so that part will be done.
He is making a shelf also to sit on the desktop at the back to put the monitor on. He has a 55" TV as his monitor because of his eyes so he wanted to have good support for it. It is a little wider than the desk and just sits atop it at the back.
It needed cutting to size, staining and varnishing too. It needs just one more coat of varnish and it will be ready.
Then we have to attach the top to the frame from underneath. We bought better screws to do it so it shouldn't be a problem. He will also attach a piece of wood underneath across the middle for extra support. (JET always builds thing you could drive a truck on lol).
So early next week it should all be done and in situ in his office.
This has taken much longer than it needed to but it will be worth it in the end.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
The desk saga continues
The desk renovation took a turn for the worse.
This is the story of doing what should have been a simple project.......
Plan A. My husband (who will be known as JET from hereon in) had this desk from years ago. It originally had a glass top which sat in the metal frame but along the way the glass got smashed. The frame sat out in the workshop for years. He decided to renovate it and use it again. He made a top for it a couple of years ago but had never bought it in from the workshop as we hadn't made room for it in his office. Last year was very humid and this top had warped a little bit.
Plan B. After we had sorted out his office we had room for it. He thought he would just add the new top on top of the warped one then edge it but the edging was a problem because the sides of the frame were deeper than the front. The new top was cut so it was the exact size of the external frame. He tried several different types of wood edging but nothing worked quite right. (there's a lot more to this but won't bore you with the details).
So onto
Plan C. Remove the warped top, cut down the new top and seat it into the frame and attach. That way it wouldn't need edging as it sat in the frame. That was a good plan except when he ran it through the table saw he hadn't locked down the guide and it moved when cutting and now there was a gap! Also, we had bought the table over to the sunroom to work on as it was warmer for the varnish to dry but it was difficult to work on when he had to turn it upside down on the floor to attach the top to the brackets. We did attach it but the gap looked horrible.
Plan D. Start all over again. We took the table back to the workshop. (It has warmed up a bit). We had to clear off some stored lumber off of the saw horses and clean off the piece of OSB we use as a work surface so we could put the desk on it when he needs to attach the new top.
We cut a new top from a new piece of OSB board that we already had. This time we were quite meticulous in measuring and cutting. We measured about ten times and marked where to cut and measured again. This time he cut it with his circular saw. Gingerly, we tried it in the frame. It fitted almost perfectly so we were very happy.
Next step was to sand it as it had the stamping on the smooth side.
As you can see it isn't as dark yet as the first one so another coat of stain today.
So that's where we are on this desk renovation.
During this process we have made several trips to town to buy edging, brackets, screws etc for this project. We already had the OSB but we had to buy it at one time. Truth be told we could probably have picked up a used desk cheaper but it has become a challenge and we are suckers for a challenge.
Will update as we progress.
This is the story of doing what should have been a simple project.......
Plan A. My husband (who will be known as JET from hereon in) had this desk from years ago. It originally had a glass top which sat in the metal frame but along the way the glass got smashed. The frame sat out in the workshop for years. He decided to renovate it and use it again. He made a top for it a couple of years ago but had never bought it in from the workshop as we hadn't made room for it in his office. Last year was very humid and this top had warped a little bit.
Plan B. After we had sorted out his office we had room for it. He thought he would just add the new top on top of the warped one then edge it but the edging was a problem because the sides of the frame were deeper than the front. The new top was cut so it was the exact size of the external frame. He tried several different types of wood edging but nothing worked quite right. (there's a lot more to this but won't bore you with the details).
So onto
Plan C. Remove the warped top, cut down the new top and seat it into the frame and attach. That way it wouldn't need edging as it sat in the frame. That was a good plan except when he ran it through the table saw he hadn't locked down the guide and it moved when cutting and now there was a gap! Also, we had bought the table over to the sunroom to work on as it was warmer for the varnish to dry but it was difficult to work on when he had to turn it upside down on the floor to attach the top to the brackets. We did attach it but the gap looked horrible.
Plan D. Start all over again. We took the table back to the workshop. (It has warmed up a bit). We had to clear off some stored lumber off of the saw horses and clean off the piece of OSB we use as a work surface so we could put the desk on it when he needs to attach the new top.
We cut a new top from a new piece of OSB board that we already had. This time we were quite meticulous in measuring and cutting. We measured about ten times and marked where to cut and measured again. This time he cut it with his circular saw. Gingerly, we tried it in the frame. It fitted almost perfectly so we were very happy.
Next step was to sand it as it had the stamping on the smooth side.
Then stain it...
 |
| the new top compared to the scrapped one |
So that's where we are on this desk renovation.
During this process we have made several trips to town to buy edging, brackets, screws etc for this project. We already had the OSB but we had to buy it at one time. Truth be told we could probably have picked up a used desk cheaper but it has become a challenge and we are suckers for a challenge.
Will update as we progress.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
A bit of an ugh day
It's dull and dreary today. We had plans to go out and get a few things done like buying lime to spread and pick up gas for the mowers etc. but our day has been thwarted with my husband having internet problems.
It all started with him getting his new phone. He had backed his other phone up to the Verizon Cloud. He wanted to bring down some items off it to store on his PC but the Verizon Cloud app for the PC has totally messed with his wifi and it is driving him crazy.
So our plans are put off until tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a bit brighter day.
It all started with him getting his new phone. He had backed his other phone up to the Verizon Cloud. He wanted to bring down some items off it to store on his PC but the Verizon Cloud app for the PC has totally messed with his wifi and it is driving him crazy.
So our plans are put off until tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a bit brighter day.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Valentine's Day for me way back then was......and now today is..........
When I was a teenager in England, where I was born and lived for the first 46 years of my life, Valentine's day was about romance and love.
A Valentine's card was sent to someone a person romantically liked but had never told them, like a secret admirer. It was so wonderful to get a Valentine's card. Well, I think it was, I don't really know as I never actually got one from a secret admirer. Every Valentine's day I would be on tenderhooks all day at school, waiting to go home to see if one had arrived. Next day girls would bring theirs in and we would try and guess who sent it from the handwriting but nary a one ever showed up through my letterbox. But I know if one had, it would have been wonderful.
Lover's and spouses sent them to each other too but the real excitement was getting one that you didn't know who sent it.
It wasn't about Mums and Dad's sending their kids a card or about you sending one to everyone in your class, it was just about romance.
But since living in North America I have been drawn in. Not completely, but a little bit. We send out Jacquie Lawson e cards to our children and grandkids and of course we buy each other cards and little gifts. I also put a Happy Valentine's Day message on Facebook but that's as far as it goes
My husband always buys me a teddy bear and I buy him a little stuffed toy and usually a mug. I have lots of teddy bears, even the 4 foot one. I love them all.
Here is this year's bear.
A Valentine's card was sent to someone a person romantically liked but had never told them, like a secret admirer. It was so wonderful to get a Valentine's card. Well, I think it was, I don't really know as I never actually got one from a secret admirer. Every Valentine's day I would be on tenderhooks all day at school, waiting to go home to see if one had arrived. Next day girls would bring theirs in and we would try and guess who sent it from the handwriting but nary a one ever showed up through my letterbox. But I know if one had, it would have been wonderful.
Lover's and spouses sent them to each other too but the real excitement was getting one that you didn't know who sent it.
It wasn't about Mums and Dad's sending their kids a card or about you sending one to everyone in your class, it was just about romance.
But since living in North America I have been drawn in. Not completely, but a little bit. We send out Jacquie Lawson e cards to our children and grandkids and of course we buy each other cards and little gifts. I also put a Happy Valentine's Day message on Facebook but that's as far as it goes
My husband always buys me a teddy bear and I buy him a little stuffed toy and usually a mug. I have lots of teddy bears, even the 4 foot one. I love them all.
Here is this year's bear.
Friday, February 12, 2016
A Valentine's Day shopping trip
Today we went to town to shop. Usually I go alone but as it is Valentine's Day this weekend my husband came along so he could get me a card and a gift. We pottered around and bought each other cards and gifts and a few groceries we needed. Also got a perfect size Red Velvet cake for Valentine's day, my husband loves red velvet cake and this one is just the right size for the two of us.
Had lunch at Macdonalds which is great now as they do all day breakfast so I had sausage and pancakes. Hubby had a big mac and fries.
We went to the hardware store to get some edging for his desk top and some more stain and took a peek in the pawn shop just for fun.
When we got home we ordered the new cell phone by phone. It should be here by Tuesday. We could have got it done in town but the lady from Columbia who gave us all the info had been so helpful we ordered it through her so she would get the credit for the sale.
Maggie always comes with us when we go out as she can't be left unsupervised yet. She actually loves to go out in the van, we have a large kennel in there for her with a nice thick bed and toys in it and let her out to potty when we stop. Again, she can't be left unsupervised in the van as she still looks for anything to chew.
Boris is happy to stay home and he is such a good boy, he has free run of the house and doesn't get into an mischief. One day Maggie will be like him......hopefully lol!
We are waiting for Maggie to go into her first season so we can get her spayed. It seems it is better for female dogs to have a season so they get all the benefits from their hormones (or something like that). It should be any time now.
Not much planned for the weekend, it is the start of Nascar so we may watch that. Might need a quick run into the small nearby town tomorrow as the edging we bought for the desk top wasn't quite wide enough.
Have a great weekend!
Had lunch at Macdonalds which is great now as they do all day breakfast so I had sausage and pancakes. Hubby had a big mac and fries.
We went to the hardware store to get some edging for his desk top and some more stain and took a peek in the pawn shop just for fun.
When we got home we ordered the new cell phone by phone. It should be here by Tuesday. We could have got it done in town but the lady from Columbia who gave us all the info had been so helpful we ordered it through her so she would get the credit for the sale.
Maggie always comes with us when we go out as she can't be left unsupervised yet. She actually loves to go out in the van, we have a large kennel in there for her with a nice thick bed and toys in it and let her out to potty when we stop. Again, she can't be left unsupervised in the van as she still looks for anything to chew.
Boris is happy to stay home and he is such a good boy, he has free run of the house and doesn't get into an mischief. One day Maggie will be like him......hopefully lol!
We are waiting for Maggie to go into her first season so we can get her spayed. It seems it is better for female dogs to have a season so they get all the benefits from their hormones (or something like that). It should be any time now.
Not much planned for the weekend, it is the start of Nascar so we may watch that. Might need a quick run into the small nearby town tomorrow as the edging we bought for the desk top wasn't quite wide enough.
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, February 11, 2016
The reason we had a bit of re-organisation
Facts: Our house doesn't have as many closets as we need. We have more stuff than we have places to put things.
Added to that my husband likes to have things to hand. He is not a 'putterer awayer'
I on the other hand am such a beast. I like to have a place for everything and everything in it's place.
However, over the years I learned to ignore his piles of stuff, it makes for better peace of mind. But recently even he could see things had gone too far.
As he was feeling a little stronger we decided to re organise his office so that he had somewhere to put all his stuff.
We had been storing some furniture in the workshop, it was a bedroom set that was way too heavy to take upstairs.
We had already bought the dresser over when we got the new TV as it was the only thing big enough for it to sit on. There was an armoire and a small bedside cupboard still stored though. Two really beautiful pieces of furniture with plenty of drawers and sections.
We set to work clearing out what he didn't really need from his office and bought in the furniture.
A good wash down and polish and it was returned to all it's glory.
But my husband wanted to make some drawer organisers from cedar wood for it so he did that.
It isn't all done yet, he still has some stuff to go through and either throw out or put away but progress has definitely been made.
Meanwhile he is working on his desk top. I mentioned it in the previous blog and here are some pictures of the work in progress.
Added to that my husband likes to have things to hand. He is not a 'putterer awayer'
I on the other hand am such a beast. I like to have a place for everything and everything in it's place.
However, over the years I learned to ignore his piles of stuff, it makes for better peace of mind. But recently even he could see things had gone too far.
As he was feeling a little stronger we decided to re organise his office so that he had somewhere to put all his stuff.
We had been storing some furniture in the workshop, it was a bedroom set that was way too heavy to take upstairs.
We had already bought the dresser over when we got the new TV as it was the only thing big enough for it to sit on. There was an armoire and a small bedside cupboard still stored though. Two really beautiful pieces of furniture with plenty of drawers and sections.
We set to work clearing out what he didn't really need from his office and bought in the furniture.
A good wash down and polish and it was returned to all it's glory.
But my husband wanted to make some drawer organisers from cedar wood for it so he did that.
 |
| he made dividers for the two drawers behind the doors of the armoire |
 |
| The armoire, it has four large drawers and a large partitioned shelf |
 |
| The bedside cabinet has two medium sized drawers |
It isn't all done yet, he still has some stuff to go through and either throw out or put away but progress has definitely been made.
Meanwhile he is working on his desk top. I mentioned it in the previous blog and here are some pictures of the work in progress.
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| The desk top with just one coat of varnish |
 |
| A close up of the top, I love that it is not just a solid colour |
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| The Damascus steel knife in situ in the armoire. These knives have to be kept oiled and out of their sheaf when not being used hence the need for the felt pad for it to lie on. |
Hopefully the first of many positive posts
Today, it is cold but sunny. I will take the dogs out this afternoon for a run when the temp will have risen enough to be comfortable with a thick coat and hat on. The dogs won't care, they have their own fur coats.
Today I started this blog. My other blog is about my crafting projects. I haven't been doing much of those lately so I thought I would start another blog so I can ramble on more often.
We were planning on going to Springfield today but decided against it so my husband could work on backing up his cell phone ready to exchange it. We have had our phones for three years now and they are pretty outdated and not working that great lately. Also, he is making a new work surface for his desk. We recently moved some stored furniture from the workshop to the house so we could re-organise his office. It had started to get pretty messy.
He saw an idea on pinterest that he liked. It was to sand and stain OSB board then seal it with varnish. So far it is working out very well and is looking great. he just got the second coat of varnish on this morning. It may need another but we will have to let it dry again before we make a decision on that.
This desk is bigger than his current one so will serve him better. We made more room in his office so it will take the bigger desk.
I am missing getting into my sewing room but with Maggie it is difficult. She is still a puppy even though she is pretty big and can't be left unsupervised for very long. When I am up there it is like I am in a different world and oblivious to anything else.
I still craft at night when sitting to watch TV. I am working on a crochet blanket and Christmas tree ornaments ready to give away next Christmas. Some nights lately though I have just sat and watched TV. I kind of get into phases so this is a non crafting phase right now.
I also like to read....a lot and I am in a reading phase right now. This is something I can do easily as I can just leave it at any given time. Not like if I am on my knitting machine where I have to get to a point where it will be easy to start again. Plus there is always a lot of prep before starting using the knitting or sewing machine.
But, with my new positive and grateful attitude I am just happy to be here and alive and kicking and able to blog.
Today I started this blog. My other blog is about my crafting projects. I haven't been doing much of those lately so I thought I would start another blog so I can ramble on more often.
We were planning on going to Springfield today but decided against it so my husband could work on backing up his cell phone ready to exchange it. We have had our phones for three years now and they are pretty outdated and not working that great lately. Also, he is making a new work surface for his desk. We recently moved some stored furniture from the workshop to the house so we could re-organise his office. It had started to get pretty messy.
He saw an idea on pinterest that he liked. It was to sand and stain OSB board then seal it with varnish. So far it is working out very well and is looking great. he just got the second coat of varnish on this morning. It may need another but we will have to let it dry again before we make a decision on that.
This desk is bigger than his current one so will serve him better. We made more room in his office so it will take the bigger desk.
I am missing getting into my sewing room but with Maggie it is difficult. She is still a puppy even though she is pretty big and can't be left unsupervised for very long. When I am up there it is like I am in a different world and oblivious to anything else.
I still craft at night when sitting to watch TV. I am working on a crochet blanket and Christmas tree ornaments ready to give away next Christmas. Some nights lately though I have just sat and watched TV. I kind of get into phases so this is a non crafting phase right now.
I also like to read....a lot and I am in a reading phase right now. This is something I can do easily as I can just leave it at any given time. Not like if I am on my knitting machine where I have to get to a point where it will be easy to start again. Plus there is always a lot of prep before starting using the knitting or sewing machine.
But, with my new positive and grateful attitude I am just happy to be here and alive and kicking and able to blog.
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