Cabinets got here

Been meaning to get an update on what's been happening around the renovation project, -- The Cabinets for the kitchen, hall and laundry room came Friday.  The sanding and finishing of the sheetrock and such finally got done, we had a day or so of quiet and then this morning a big truck pulled up.

 The kitchen and den are full of boxes.

 One so large it had to come in the double doors on the deck.

Next week ought to see a lot of activity moving toward getting the project toward the finish line.  It should start to get interesting around here just you wait.  Things are going to start to happen.

Ocean Isle

Friday afternoon, as mentioned in the review of White Swan, Patt and I were on the way to the beach, Ocean Isle in particular to join Mark and Marie at their place.  Only the weather and beach were gray and cloudy as we had a most delightful time.  and the beach and weather was indeed gray.  

Both Friday evening and again Saturday mornings we went for long walks along the beach to the extreme west end of the island (that would be Mark, Marie and Patt there leaving me behind as I  was marveling at the beach erosion as documented in the following photo

These guys have got some serious underpinning yet to do with the next high tide and full moon, not to mention storm.  and best I recall, those steps are pretty inexpensive. (ask Charles )

Eric and Barb were coming down on Saturday as Patt and I had to return to Raleigh and our time overlapped for the afternoon and Andrew came down from Wilmington and we did have a great time playing cards, visiting and in general having a fun afternoon at the beach.  Marie.s rule for game time of only "encouraging comments"  allowed was followed in scrupulously and to the letter (if not ins spirit).

Restaurant Review # next one after the last one

The White Swan

I like that name, kinda elegant isn't it, sorta like the White Swan Gas Station, Quick Pick, BBQ & Fried Chicken Restaurant where Patt and I had lunch today in Johnston County, just east of Benson -- (if you are in the area).(As Patt and I were being on the way to the beach-- this was not a destination place for lunch and probably will not become one) Note the drive through window there just beside the sign.

 I tried to do a bit of panorama here to give you a sense of scope here with five double pump islands for Shell gas and a means to get to the Quick PIck for lotto tickets or a six pack of beer or slim jims in the shade or out of the rain is possible.

 The entrance to the restaurant is not sheltered however.  But the tables are pre-set with condiments and napkins.

 The decor is .., well, the decor is..... laminate.  Yeah, laminate.  (side note, white haired guy here in the foreground and I were the only two men in the place that forgot to wear our hats into the White Swan.  It must have been "Hat Day" and we missed the memo.

 Patt and I lucked into a table next to the isle with the candy and next to the coolers in the quick pick.

We had the chicken and BBQ.  The hush puppies were quite good too, but I suspect you probably knew that and they came to the table first and without being ordered -- you also probably knew that too.

This is after all an eastern NC BBQ restaurant that also happens to sell a little gas, a few lotto tickets and some candy.

Being in Chapel Hill

Took time out this afternoon and went to Chapel Hill.  Photo below is Chapel Hill United Methodist Church on Franklin Street, just across the street from the Four Corners restaurant and right next to the campus main quad.  

The occasion was the funeral of Harvey Langill Watson, Methodist minister who was the preacher at First Church in Graham when I was in High School during the mid 60's which were so difficult for our country and for the south in particular.   Langill and his wife Elizabeth (who was from Iowa and a fellow midwesterner friend for my Mom)  were frequent visitors at our house.  

He was one of the influential ministers in my life and a strong proponent of social justice that still shapes much of my belief system yet today.

It was a good service, long with many stories --

 I enjoyed being there -- 

Elizabeth said I looked like you know who.

Laura, Matt, Stephen, Jen, meet your new brother

I figure we might just go ahead and adopt this guy.  He has been here for quite a while now -- and from reports of the foreman for our contractor, apparently he will be here for quite some time into the future.

He has good skills, or so it seems to me, he was here before the floor guys, and does corners.

 He also does high places

and seemingly has done a lot but has much more to do in the kitchen, den and living room

I think his name is Miguel

I'd best be learning it.  

He does have a key to the house.

new floor

The new floor started going in today.  Such sawing, hammering and pounding as you have never heard.  There was a second crew fixing a problem with one of the floor joists and they were sawing too.

 Future floor stain color will be similar to old darker color that we have now in the rest of the house.

 The bundles of wood come in a variety of sizes and they claim it is like putting together a puzzle to make it come out correctly.  Yeah- sure.  and if it were me-- well lets just say it is not me.

This is the hammer that make so much noise.  I have a video that I have tried to upload but could not make it work.  -- the video.

We plan on eventually moving the toilet out of the garage.  Not sure why, but Patt does not seem to think it will add value.

the video that does not work.  Place holder for if I can ever figure it out.

sheet rock, flowers and goats

This morning was hopping around the house, guys were hanging sheetrock, and electrician came by and made an adjustment to the dryer connection (washer/dryer still not hooked up though), HVAC guy was here for some duct work, so in other words this morning was chaotic.  

This afternoon, I worked in the yard and enjoyed the daffodils.  These James replanted last year during winter break and they have come back and look real good too, especially against the periwinkle.

 I did some pruning of shrubbery and took the limbs down the hill behind the house and the azaleas also look good against the stone wall Emily worked on.  (Good thing I have nieces and nephews who can do a little work around here)

Turning the camera around and looking across the back, notice a couple of things.  First it is a bit difficult to see but there are terraces on the opposite hillside and on the hillside behind our house too.  They are covered in ivy, - a development in the last 15-20 years or so as when we moved here it was just clear wood lot floor.  The ivy is my nemesis.  The terraces are remnants from a Civil War era saltpeter mine (for gun powder) that was operated by the Confederate Department of War.

The other thing to notice is the brown house to the right.  They keep goats.  Yes goats.  We live in the country.  Who knew?

This afternoon I walked over and photographed said goats.  They bleat often, loudly, and incessantly.  Actually I kinda like it.  

And they eat ivy, and bamboo, and I am thinking about borrowing the goats for my back yard too.  

Restaurant Review # something or other

On one of our many furniture shopping forays we were in the bustling burg of Zebulon and due to our aversion to restaurants of multiple locations, i.e. Applebees, Denny's and so on, we said La Mexicanita looks like our kinda place, (especially with the cage lock door).

 Entering we were a bit off put by the conflicting signs in the bakery area of La Mexicanita.

 We have Bienvenidos right there with exit which kind gave me the idea that this was not the general idea of how to get into the food eating area of this establishment.

 Well indeed it was the entrance and the food was - well what is served for Mexican food in North Carolina about anywhere you want to try it.  The combinations did not go by numbers but were in Spanish, and I went with the huevos and tacos, and was pleased.

 The art work was the trick here and the lunch crowd was sparse.  I did get a surprise upon reading my credit card statement and it read La Mexicanita  # 2.  Oh well so much for my efforts at avoiding a chain restaurant.

one of the good things about living here

We have museums, lots of them and they occasionally draw out-of-town visitors who happen to also be relatives.   Melanie, Dave, Abigail, and Nathaniel were in town to further educational experiences and U Paul joined them for lunch and learnin'.  

The mammal part of the hands-on lab of the new addition to the science museum had lots of specimen trays to examine and narry a "ewee gross" was heard as various skins, bones were removed from trays

 the place was full of many interesting things to do see touch hear and enjoy learning about.

 and one of the amazing was a wolf skin, like a real wolf skin - without the wolf of course.

making more progress

And with a little skill saw work, another wall came out.  Now serious structural work had been done prior to this last little bit of cutting was done, but the former living room and den separation is no more.

Looking from the kitchen you can sorta get an idea of how it now looks.  Like very different.

 and from the front door, there is the fireplace.

and looking  back towards the kitchen from the front room that used to have no furniture.  (we had gotten rid of what was in there so we could put half of what was in the den in there to make the house look spacious for the realtor who was helping us sell the house-- and she did too -- but we decided we liked it so much we kept it.)  there is a warning message in that rambling sentenace.

So that leads me to the next pic.  Furniture stores.  and I have noticed that they all have a clearance sale sign out front - unless they are changing from one clearance sale sign to another - and we have been going to furniture stores as I mentioned we had no furniture -- horror or horrors !  do you know what biscuit stitching is?  I hope not.

 it is a good thing furniture stores are having sales.  the sales staff will help with colors too.  makes me happy.

Anyway this is the look we are going for.  some may think it is a little over the top, but nah, a little style is what a light airy open look requires- or is contemporary, 

As we entertain so much.  (Kate and/or  Emily might come stay with us again-- and perhaps not at the same time) we thought that we must look at getting a sectional.

And the fireplace is getting a do over too.  Except I am going for buffalo and moose heads

keeping ya posted