Outdoor additions and bathroom progress

Fall garden

We are slowly but steadily adding new things to the outside and inside of the house.  My fall garden continues to grow nicely.  We had our first servings of kale this week and what a delight.  I sauteed it in olive oil and garlic, then added some pine nuts and parmesan cheese.  We're definately going to plant more next year.  The pickling cucumbers are in full bloom and lettuce, arugula, onions, dill and collards are coming along.  A fall garden is a new thing to this transplanted northerner and we are pleasantly surprised with its progress.  

We planted a 'Natchez' crape myrtle out front to replace the one we had to remove this spring.  It will bloom white and has beautiful peeling red bark.  It still looks a little lonely with no plantings around it, but when I get the rest of the stones removed from the old driveway, we'll bring in soil and add bushes and ground cover.  A friend gave us her old arbor and I'm trying to decide if we have enough sun to plant climbing roses to cover it or maybe another vine which can take some shade.  If we get the brick walkway finished this winter, by next summer this entrance to the backyard will be a welcoming sight.

                                                                New crape myrtle

                                                                            Bare arch

While I've been busy outside at the house, Paul has been busy outside on the boat.  But he's still found bits of time to continue finishing the bathroom.  He built new cabinets which are awaiting doors. and took off all the trim to strip and sand.  Along with some additions from the bedroom we removed, he was able to trim around the door and floor so it all matches.  A finished bathroom is in sight.

                                                          Cabinet above the toilet

                                                                 Trim ready to paint

                                                       New storage cabinet and door trim

Sometimes it seems like nothing will ever be finished but I know from experience that if I can just be patient everything will fall into place.  Each little step brings us a little closer to that point.  

It's a workshop

One of the selling points of this house for Paul was the 20' by 11' workshop addition.  The only problem was it was filled to the ceiling with items from the previous owner.   We had disposed of the moldy upholstered furniture, sold the washer, and decided to have a yard sale for the rest.

Workshop before the sale

We were worried the unique items might not sell but by noon it was just about all gone.  Western furniture, antlers, African carvings and taxidermy - seems people liked buying something different.  One box of remaining items went to the Salvation Army, the western saddle went into consignment, and Paul finally had a workshop.  

A 1/2 day yard sale and it was all gone

It didn't take him long to set up a temporary workbench and begin to organize some tools.  Now, if only he didn't have a sailboat to finish as well as a house, it would be more manageable.  But, at least he can work inside now, and his tools have a home also.  

A workshop at last

This little light of mine

Nothing like moving into a house that needs remodeling, in July, and testing out that house in a hurricane in August.  Hurricane Irene was our first hurricane and, while we knew how to prepare for it, we weren't sure how the house would do.  We have an older roof and the house still needs lots of repairs.  For that reason, and because predictions were for a category 2/3 storm to make landfall very near Morehead City, we decided to board up the house and ride out the storm at the college where I work in the next county.

As far as we know the highest recorded wind gusts were 115mph and Irene made landfall a couple  of miles from here as a category 1.  The worst part was the storm got worse after it went through and we were battered by hurricane force winds all day and into the evening.  The house held up well though, not even a shingle came loose.  Our neighbors however, did say the roof over the attached workshop was breathing up and down.  Part of the fence next to us blew over and a limb from the tulip tree wedged itself between the front porch railing spindles.  (Good example of why you board windows)

                                                                 Projectile limb

Other than lots of limbs down in the yard our most serious damage was a loss of the pecan crop.  Pecans are everywhere and the tree looks very ragged, but it is still there, so we'll hope for a crop next year.  The fence smashed my basil, but I had saved lots of leaves to mix with olive oil and freeze for use in the winter.  All in all, we were very fortunate.  Even our sailboat did fine.  It was out of the water at a marina a little ways inland, but still three boats tipped over there.

The county where we sheltered did not fare as well.  They had major flooding and lots of huge trees down.  My closest friend at school lost everything under her house and her decks were ripped off the house and floated down the creek.  Lots of others were flooded and those trapped in their attics were being rescued by the National Guard and brought into the shelter all night.  Which brings us to the title of this post - This little light of mine.  When the power went out the generator kicked on, but soon we lost that and had sporadic lights every now and then.  So we wandered around the halls and bathrooms with our little flashlights all day and into the next night.  Hurricane force winds stayed with us for hours after the storm went through, but fortunately we had met some other sailors to while away the time with.  They suggested the title.

Below are a couple of pictures of the flooding in Pamlico County, where we took shelter:

                                              Oriental Marina docks and Seafood shop

The college is on a high spot so we had no flooding.  The flooding in Morehead City was mostly on the sound and to waterfront restaurants.  By the time we returned there were mostly just trees and limbs down.  We raked and put up the fence, unpacked and are now back to normal.  Hopefully this house isn't tested out again anytime soon.

                                                                Back yard clean up

Little things make a difference

Although the projects are little ones, they still seem to take so much time.  Fortunately, the effort seems worth it when the tasks are done.  We inherited three ceiling fans with the house, but the brass and fake wood blades didn't go well with our cottage feel.  They worked fine though, so before we invested in new ones we decided to try and sand and paint them.  As you can see they turned out fine and they fit the house so much better.

                                                                The old ceiling fan

                                                                  Painted white

I had made curtains last year that we could use again, so I bought rods and altered the curtains to fit the new windows.  If I could only get the tables stripped and refinished we'd be almost done in the living room.  My big debate at the moment is whether or not to paint the coffee table white.

                                                                     Living room

Paul has been busy cleaning and setting up his workshop.  Today he cut a hole in the bathroom ceiling to install a fan.  He had  to order a fan to fit the small joist area in the finished floor above but it fits fine.  The bathroom used to have a window but that was removed years ago when the workshop was added on.  A window would be nice but now we have more room to hang towels.

                                                                 A little fan play

As each little project is completed our house is slowly coming together.  Those little things can make a big difference.

Moving day - and week - and month

When you no longer own a huge amount of 'stuff', moving day is a little easier - it also helps to move just a mile across town.  We took a carload over every time we spent a day working on the house.  Of course, the day we wanted to move furniture and the kitchen was the hottest day so far this year - 98 degrees and 90% humidity.  When we finished at 5:00 we put on our bathing suits and fell into the ocean.  A thunderstorm was approaching, but there was no lightning so we just floated to our heart's content and let the salt water soothe our aching muscles.  A cooler, clear day prevailed when we moved over the final items.  We hired a moving company to bring all the heavy things and it was an hour well spent.  They picked up the sleep sofa like it nothing, and ran with it to the truck.

                                                   Acme movers make short work of it

Now we're slowly unpacking, catching up on yardwork and trying to find all those little things we packed 'somewhere.'  Our little garden is producing nice peppers, tomatoes and onions, so I raided it to make a fresh batch of Gazpacho.

Our second night in the house we walked out the boardwalk behind us and savored a marsh sunset.  Finishing the bathroom is next on the agenda, along with all those little tasks required whenever you move into a 'new' place.

                                                                         

Calico Creek marsh

Productive week

Paul was able to finish tiling the bathroom this week and today we sanded and primed the new drywall.  The sink goes in tomorrow but the built in storage units will have to wait until after we move in.  At least it will be usable.  Right now the priority was finishing the walk in closet with rods and rod supports.

I also finished painting the living room, master bedroom and closet, and my studio.  We went with Sherwin Williams paint with which we were very happy.  In keeping with the cottage feel, we used a warm Alabaster white with white trim in the living room.  The curtains will be navy, yellow and white stripes. The studio is gray with white trim and the master bedroom is a taupe with white trim.

                                                           Living room painted and floor done

                                                          Master bedroom painted

While Paul attacked the bathroom, my big task this week was sanding and top coating 3 rooms of hard southern pine floors.  We scoured the internet for information regarding the best way to finish the floors,  and after much deliberation we decided to use a clear, oil based polyurethane from Benjamin Moore. The clerk recommended a gloss finish first, over which we could put a semi gloss.  We liked the  shiny finish and so just stayed with the gloss.  The floors aren't perfect but the finish seems to fit the simple cottage style we have.  Some day, down the road, when we completely refinish the dining room and kitchen floors, we may decide to totally refinish the bedroom floors to the bare wood, but they look fine for now.  

                                                                    Quite the shine

Four days until final move in and we'll have 4 rooms almost done.  The floor is almost level, so we have a good start.  At least we'll only be responsible for one house now, and progress can proceed as we have energy.

Let the painting begin...

I sold my first watercolor last week - in fact, I sold two of them.  It was a banner week, but there hasn't been much time for that kind of painting lately.  Instead, I have spent every spare moment painting inside the house.  Fortunately, some friends came over and spent the day helping us.  Steve painted the trim in my studio and Carol primed the master closet and sanded all our bookcases.  What a fantastic help.

Paul started laying out the tile for the bathroom floor and I started scrubbing down the kitchen, such as it is.  We've been packing and taking a carload to the house each day.  One week until move in day.  The plan is for the living room, bathroom, master bedroom and studio to be mostly done and we'll work on the rest of the house after we are settled in.  And maybe then I can get back to watercolor painting again.
Paul, on the other hand, gets to continue with renovations.

                                                                      Tiling the floor

New walls and floors

The project for the past couple of weeks has been a new closet for the master bedroom.  The old closet was about 2 1/2' wide, and while we have downsized, that just wasn't going to make it.  So Paul cut openings into the next bedroom, removed the windows, and built a new wall to enclose the closet.  The other half of the room now also has a doorway cut into it from the kitchen on the other side. The new wall has been drywalled as well as the old closet doorway.  Then Paul spent a week repairing the drywall in all the walls downstairs.

 One of two piles of wood needing all the nails removed before scraping and sanding to be reused.

Meanwhile, I tore up all the tile and linoleum in the kitchen to expose the wood floor.  The real task will be removing all the glue that held the linoleum down.  Looks like hot water, more scraping and then sanding should do the trick.  I also spent a day washing the walls and floors upstairs.  One of the upstairs bedrooms had so much cigarette tar, it took several buckets and three washings to get it clean.  I think we got most of it but what a mess.  An internet search revealed a smoke smell removal mixture of hot water, ammonia, vinegar and washing soda.  Looks like it may have worked - the room smells a lot better.  A little febreeze canister didn't hurt either.  The whole house is feeling and smelling much cleaner.

                                                          The kitchen floor in process

Bed, Bath and Beyond

The master bedroom is almost all scraped and sanded, but drywall patching is still needed before it can be painted.  The old door to the tiny closet is off and a new closet entry doorway has been cut into the wall between the master and the middle bedroom.  Half of the middle bedroom will become a walk in closet for the master and the other half will be added to the kitchen for a pantry.

The bathroom had been remodeled (sort of - see picture) but Paul is redoing most of it.  So far he has moved the toilet and an ill placed vent, and replumbed the sink.  He had to do quite a bit of electrical work to add vanity lighting and new outlets.  Recessed can lights are installed in the soffit he built and a tiled bump out was built to hide plumbing for the sink.  Tile board is installed on the bump out and floor. Of course nothing is ever easy and once again Paul had to go into the crawl space to reinforce the floor in the closet from the previous 'renovation.'

                                                           Previous bathroom remodel

                                                                   Bump out framing

                                                              Bathroom progress

Two more sections of floor still need more jacking up but the whole floor is much closer to being level.  We received positive results from the flooring we sent in for asbestos testing so we have the go ahead to remove the old linoleum and tile in the kitchen to expose the wood floor.

                                                                 Garden workshop

Slowly, I have been cleaning up the yard, digging new beds and adding bushes, vegetables and flowers. I'm using the bricks from the old chimney to lay out new paths and a patio.  We've been picking lettuce and herbs from the garden and our first peppers are almost ready. We even have figs growing on a little tree we purchased this spring. We've had no rain for weeks so it's been a battle to keep all the new transplants watered but so far we haven't lost anything.  I have to keep a step ahead of all those vines that want to grow back and of course what little grass we have wants to grow everywhere but where we
want it.

We are making steady progress and hope to move in by the middle of July.  Still, a lot remains to be done.

                                                           Digging a raspberry patch

                                                       Chain link and cement chunk bed

                                            Step one towards a patio and new garden beds

Bringing down and sanding off

Invasive wisteria vine

What do you do with a massive 60 some year old wisteria vine?  If it's smothered your crape myrtle and threatening to do the same to your live oak, you have it cut down, of course.

Styron's tree service spent the better part of a day cutting down the vine, the crape myrtle, and several other stumps and trees in the back yard.  It took 4 hours to cut out the wisteria and crape myrtle and it broke my heart to see our shade go as well as several nice branches on the live oak.  But hopefully we've saved the rest of it, and we'll plant a new crape myrtle to fill the bare spot.

                                                                 The big hole in our yard

Paul finally finished adding new floor joists and piers and he's been slowly jacking up the house.  Slowly, the floor is getting more level.  We took a 3 day break and spent it in the mountains, where we stopped at Preservation Hall, an architectural salvage store outside of Asheville.  We were happy to find the upper half of four 3 over 1 windows.  They match the original wood windows in the house and we plan to install two of them in the front of the added on workshop, and two on either side of a future fireplace.

Now that the underground work is mostly finished Paul headed for the roof and fresh air.  He's tearing out an old furnace chimney in preparation for moving some walls inside.  I finished sanding the living room and began working on sanding doors and the next room.  We love the old, wide trim around the windows, doors and baseboard, except when it comes to scraping and sanding off all those layers of paint.  Will the sanding ever end?

Smiling?

Living room ready to patch and paint

Where to start?

Before the trees leafed out in April we decided our first task had to be an attack on the jungle of vines in our backyard.  They were taking over the trees, and although they made a great privacy fence, they were out of control.  As we started yanking the vines out of the trees, our neighbor decided to go at them with a chainsaw.  Almost 20 feet high and 10 feet deep in his yard, he just cut them all out including the trees they lived in.  Now we get a nice breeze and have a wide open view - it's a blank palette for us to landscape as we like.

                                                                  Our wall of vines

                                                               The new view

For the past 3 weekends Paul has been under the house reinforcing floor joists and building new piers.  When the attic was refinished years ago, the additional weight was too much for the non load bearing walls.  This caused a sag of 1 and 1/4" in some areas.  Now they are reinforced and he has started jacking up the house, 1/8" at a time.  Crawling around in the dirt with 18" of headroom hasn't been pleasant and he can't wait to begin work above ground.

                                                            Coming up for a breather

While Paul has been under the floor, I've begun scraping and sanding the trim and doors in the living room.  Several coats of paint are on the trim, but the last one is the worst - heavy latex glopped on without sanding first.  I have a little routine going: after working inside all morning, I head out into the yard for the afternoon.  Old beds of some sort were lined with broken chunks of cement which I hauled to the curb for pickup before tackling the weeding.  Raking uncovered a partial brick path and a few cement pavers, along with several buried cement blocks.  (I also dug up matchbox cars, a spoon and marbles-opening a little door into the lives of previous owners.) A friend gave me several vegetable plants so I dug up a little garden and our herbs are growing in pots waiting for a place to go in the ground.

Now that we've started,  the list seems endless - actually it is endless - but we'll keep plodding along one step at a time.