creative on demand

UN-BELIEVABLE Day!

Is that a HUGE erect crane in your front yard ? or are you just happy to see me? Meet "Anthony" ....

 Then the pieces started to arrrive.....PIECES OF THE NEW HOUSE>>>>> can you say "OVERSIVED LOAD" ? 

 

 

 this is a peek into and UNDER my kitchen and family room... see the stone fireplace and the cabinets? AND the curtains... they were all IN during the move... appliances too!

 Dorothy, we aren't in Kansas anymore !

The sections kept coming... 

 And "ANTHONY" kept lifting...

 

And Lifting....

and lifting.... 4 sections !

 

 and then.... about 11 hours later.... we have a house... yes, in ONE DAY a HOUSE...

 There is still work to be done... hooking up the electrical, plumbing, stucco the stemwall... but MOST of it is DONE ! Can you see the blinds / shutters already in place upstairs? It was an awesome day!  Everytime that "ANTHONY" lifted another section over our heads I felt like puking !  I do have to take a second to say THANKYOU! ... Our neighbors are great!  NObody complained about the TOTALLY BLOCKED streets, the very LOUD crane and tractor, the slightly torn up grassy corners...and to "KP" for watching the girls. It was not as exciting to them... they liked playing in the pool better.  A great big thankyou goes to Palm Harbor Homes, Anthony crane and LaBram...the men who WORKED to get this project done were AMAZING.  They did NOT stop! They WORKED HARD ! I so wished I had snapped a very funny picture of the man with the EXTREMELY LONG drill bit ... But seriously, they did a fantastic job. They spent a longer time on one of the sections and I asked if there was a problem and the answer was... It has to be perfect !

The girls and I are headed out this morning to get an update as the men were returning today.  I cannot believe that with this pace it will take 60-90 days... I bet not!

Have a GREAT day !

xo- CFE

Crazy Timeline ....

Monday... demolish the house... Tuesday... clear the lot and rebar is delivered.

Wednesday.... dig the footers and place the rebar Thursday... pour the concrete

  and later that same day... have the cynderblocks delivered...

Friday...stemwall is 3/4 done.... amazing !

I am no construction worker but we are THRILLED at the speed that this is coming together. 

OH... and THE HOUSE arrives on Wednesday.... as long as rain holds off... they will set the entire house in one day.   WHOOP WHOOP !

xo- cfe

I am now homeless...

"ward" woke me this am and said that "demo dude" would be at the house in 45 minutes... but "ward" wasn't sure what time he called so... I rallied the girls FAST and we bolted out of the apartment to the homestead.... expecting to have missed the show...

OH NO BABY... no show missed.  We were early.  It was RAINING and LIGHTING.. I thought that demo dude had decided to hold off....  THEN LOOK what rolled down our quiet little street....

 Then the ACTION started....

 I was FILLED with EXCITEMENT...NERVES....JITTERS...a TAD bit of sadness but STAYED POSITIVE ! ! !  The girls were very excited.  I asked them if they were sad and they said "yes".  Crap !  now what?  I asked why are they sad..."because we didn't save the sticker door !".... whew !  "well, girls... you can start a new on one the INSIDE of the new closet... the walk in closet that you will have in your bedroom !

   the LARGE stump left from the old oak in the front gave "demo dude" a challenge.  He pushed... he pulled... he dug the roots.. .and that thing would not move... but then....after 30-40 minutes... AHHHHHHHHHHH! the Angels Sang on High... The tree came out AND the rain stopped !

The  First cut is the deepest....  Crunch... right into my son's room....  

 

 GOOD BYE dinky garage !

 the water heater put on a great show...

  

SO... after 67 YEARS and 2 hours later...... this is where I left "demo dude"... the girls were tired.... the neighbors and friends who gathered for support and entertainment had gone "home".... ... Time for us to go "home" and relax !    Everyone asked me, " so are you sad?"...the quick answer " NO WAY !"  " This is great!".... crap... I hope so !  Many memories here...married here.... lives concieved... parties, meals, friends, sleepless nights, lots of firsts... some "lasts" .... bitter sweet ! ...... gulp ! (a tear runs down my cheek)

xoxoxoxoxo   Catherine! 

"there is a giant tree on your roof !"

Before:

Built in 1942.  Purchased by "ward" in the early 80s for $50,000. It was 800 square feet. 2 bedrooms 1 bath on a great lot (70 x 120) on a great street, in a great section of town.... This is where we got married. (in the great back yard). After bringing home baby #2 we needed more rooms. Added approx. 900 square feet and a third child.  CRAMPED !  Bad Layout !  Old wiring ! Old Plumbing ! NO storage space ! DARK inside despite my best efforts with paint and more lighting.... Time to say good bye to her.

Later that same day....

 I got a call from my neighbor, Sally,  saying, "there is a giant tree on your roof".  I could hear the LOUD buzz of the chain saw in the back ground ! YEAH !  So, progress is being made ! This really isn't some sick joke !  So, I missed the actual tree coming down, darn it ! but stopped by this am to see this giant crack splitting my little house. Cannot imagine what scurried out of that attic when that happened. (lots of questionable noises could be heard up there at times).

I am happy that someone got my ENTIRE kitchen that was only 6 years old... white bead board .. nice ! Bosch dishwasher, microwave went with the cabinets and counters.  Someone got my GE convection stove / oven.  The washer / dryer to a newly single mom. Ceiling fans, light fixtures, shutters, doors, both interior and exterior were salvaged....I am glad that so many people could use so much of this house that was good.  Crap... if there was just some way to salvage my BEAUTIFUL wooden floors... they were perfect.... oh well.

This WAS my tiny kitchen.... everything, gone! but see the floor? This 1/4 in hard wood went through out the entire house (except the bathrooms)...

To be continued as the bull dozer is slated for MONDAY MORNING>>>> ..... if you are local and want to watch... stop by. xoxo  Cath

you break it... you pay for it !

This has been said aloud several times around my house lately.... ESPECIALLY with "ward" doing some of the packing of the boxes....

Well... I cashed in on item number 1 today.

My dearly beloved Canon Power Shot sd 630 digital elph DIED.  And Crap on a stick... wouldn't you know it... I go to get her to take the typical birthday kid behind the sparlkling "6" birthday candle on the custom decorated birthday cake (by the 6 year old herself)... when I turned it on I heard the grinding sound.... That can't be good !  A message "lens something or other...."   CRAP ! CRAP ! CRAP ! on a big giant stick!

This little power house of a memory catcher did the her job for 3 full years.  COUNTLESS photos taken.... not just MY kids either.  She single lensedly brought me through the MANY MANY MANY photos taken for the school yearbook.....  No extended warranty at Best Buy.... STUPID ! STUPID ! STUPID !

With Taps being played... bur bur bur......... bur bur bur....... bur bur bur... bur bur bur.. bur bur... burrr ...bur ...bur... bur..........bur ...bur ... bur........burrrrr... .burrr burrrrrrrr! (ok, you play the bugle in writing.... and let me know how it sounds)

She is being laid to rest and being replaced by   another Canon..  Power Shot SD 1200 IS  Digital Elph. in a beautiful shade of aqua.  I'd take a picture of her and post her but..... duh... no camera and I cannot figure out how to hijack a photo off the web.

She is NOT the big girl camera that I want...I am ready to advance to the SLR but not sure where to turn there... waiting on the cousel of my mentor  Michele Skinner.... hint hint MS !  (any advice on YOUR SLR is welcomed ... cannot wait forever MS ! )

Anyway... look forward to Blue Betty being ready to go... battery charging.... and taking photos of the house before it's gone.... with in days... and the progress of the process.

xoxoxo   ... cfe

keep calm & carry on !

 wow... how much stress can one gal handle ?...  I cannot really make claim that I actually kept calm at all but I did carry on.... i did it !   "I" single handedly packed up our entire house & entertained the kids & fed the family & & & &....  oh, wait.. "ward" did pack the garage but as far as the rest of it... ME, ME, and ME !  (in his defense, I did tell him that I needed to pack the boxes... but that is because I didn't want CRAP packed and moved into the new house.  I wanted everything dusted and wrapped .... just right.

but... MOVING ON !  The bruises on my arms are fading... the sleepless nights are shorter (meaning I am getting more sleep) and my "anger and resentment"  for Ward is fading... thanks to the countless hours of "support" from my friend (Karina) and my sister.. who has provided the worlds widest and strongest shoulders for my hours of venting...

SO... let me share with you what all the LITERALLY blood, sweat and tears (lots of each) were for...

This is what is coming at the end of the month...

 looking toward the kitchen

  there is a FIRE PLACE  !

   not sure how i feel about the glass block... i think I need shutters up there...

 master bedroom... all window treatments  are included...

   oh... can't wait to soak here!

 I have my very first Walk IN Closet !

 there is a game room / play room

 the girls' room is huge.. like 14 x 14.  it will NOT be this dark brown... they are "arguing" on the color... and style.. this is NOT it though. there is a jack & jill bathroom that they will share.

then there is the media room... it has

 a microwave, mini fridge and a wet bar !

 love the cozy front porch....

ok.. well, that is all i can post for now because i have to feed the kids.(didn't they just eat?).... I have so many more photos of the new house but for some reason, i cannot upload them.. like the laundry room, the kitchen, the walk in pantry, the guest bedroom, the computer station, the dining room and the foyer !  You;ll just have to stop by once the house is set.  Hard to believe that this all comes on several trucks and is put together in a day then trimmed out in a 60-90 more days.  

ok.. ok.. the girls are hungry.

xoxo  catherine...
PS... R.I.P. to my 1st husband... Michael Jackson. (he was my husband as a little girl when my sister and I would play house. I was very sad today watching his memorial service.. I celebrate the peaceful soul that I believe he had and his desire for PEACE ! (no comment on the odd behavior... but then which of us is not a bit odd in our own way... my heart breaks for his kids !)