Tag: DIY projects

Home Projects, Writing

Greetings From the Frigid Midwest!

Actually, today is really nice! Fifty-four degrees at this writing. But a few days ago, not so good. Single digits are always a bit scary. You pray your furnace keeps working and the water running!

Last Wednesday, the 2nd.

Good news…our goldfish are still hanging in there. Last winter our youngest kept the pond cleared for them, and this winter my husband took over the job. Everything I read on goldfish said that they hibernate, and don’t feed them when it gets cold. Well, our seven fish didn’t get the memo, and they get a bit cranky when no flakes are given. So, every day, without fail, my husband goes outside, and bangs out a small portion of ice. This scares the fish, so they disappear for a while, but soon they are back. We still have all seven fish that have been with us for twenty-one months now. That’s almost two years! Pretty good considering the pet store said they would live about three months! If those seven fish keep growing, we are going to need a bigger pond, or small lake!

I’ve also made a little more headway on the kitchen project. Our son and a son-in-law put up the pendant lights over the pass-through. I love them! They are a real pain when it comes to changing the bulbs…but they are supposed to be good for twenty years!? I’ll believe that when I see it. As our son so graciously put it… “Will any of us be here in twenty years?”

I am now working on trim and staining…as you can see in the above picture. I tried a bit of staining with the doors closed, and I’m going to have to wait until warmer weather. My diffuser wouldn’t cut the brain-killing fumes!

The biggest news is…I’m just a few pages away from ending my second book in the Love Defined Series! Sweet Belief! This one has been a long haul for me. Difficult to find time to write, and just disgusted with myself and all the rewrites needed! I wrote this series of books before writing conferences, etc. and they are a mess! Head-hopping anyone? Too many points of view? Hey…let’s just trail off on another story all together. Ugh!

In honor of Valentine’s Day…just around the corner…already?! I am giving away the first book in the series, Sweet Hope. You may download this on Amazon, Wednesday the 9th through Friday the 11th, for FREE! This is a love story…no angst, just sweet. Kind of different than what I usually write, actually. But you need to read it to be ready for Sweet Belief…which is back to my normal voice…or as normal as it gets!

I hope you fall in love with this family, just as I have!

Click right here on the 9th – 11th to get your FREE copy! https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Hope-Jonathan-Elisabeth-Defined-ebook/dp/B08BJGJW1M/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2ORYZOE60XXPV&keywords=deborah+ann+dykeman

Happy reading!

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Home Projects

Oh Boy!

Sometime, I need to research that phrase. I use it a lot, and I should know what it means. Today it means we are in for some real fun around our house. I may have a few family members that disagree.

I really regret that I never became an architect, or an interior designer, or a landscape designer. I hugely enjoy doing any of those activities. If I had pursued any one of those careers, our financial load may have been lighter as well. But, I’m too old to go there now!

My husband would say that I still engage in those activities much too often. But, he’s still here 36+ years later.

Next week begins our kitchen remodel. We are currently living in our son-in-law and daughter’s home, so they agreed to be part of the fun as well. And they are greatly appreciated for it! (No, they do not live with us…so that may be why they agreed. They can run if they need to!)

My goal is to include pictures of the before today, and then some maybe along the way and after. I love seeing pictures like that! I also love watching DIY projects online as well as home makeover shows for that very reason.

Gray part of flooring is in the kitchen, brown, the dining room.

The floors in the house are in good condition overall. When we originally took up the linoleum in the kitchen, we were going to put down plywood and another laminate flooring we had from our last kitchen remodel. But the floors were still intact! So, we are renting a floor sander and we will be staining.

East wall of kitchen with paneling already taken down. Our cat, Feonie having a snack.

This is the east wall of the kitchen. You can see the gray-painted area where the bathroom door used to be. During the bathroom remodel about five years ago, this was closed off. There were two doors into the bathroom?! Strange…

Northwest wall of kitchen.

The refrigerator will be moved to the east wall. Our son-in-law’s suggestion. I actually take their input every now and then. 😉 Two pantries will be put here.

Southwest wall.

The passthrough will be enlarged to the ceiling. We tall people have a problem with it being so low. The dining room side will have a bar-height eating area for three. The sink will be moved to the right side of the passthrough. I have hopes for a door where the window is now, with a small patio area to sit by the goldfish pond.

Rabbit trail…those goldfish survived our sub-zero temperatures in February and they are still swimming strong! In some pretty mucky water as well. It’s been too cold to do a thorough pond cleaning as planned in March.

So there you have it. We are all hoping and praying that next week goes as planned. Tuesday is the gutting, Wednesday the floor sanding and maybe painting. Thursday and Friday the put together part is planned. But you all know how that goes. We could still be putting together in July! You just never know what you might run into.

Today I need to get painting the base cabinets which are going to be a warm butter yellow…just barely. I have a couple wall cabinets painted so far and I love the color. I’m thinking of making myself an office desk in the same color. It inspires me, somehow.

I will try to post again as we progress…but please understand that may not happen.

As another side note…our grandson has been staying with us prior to the kitchen project. He helped with seven post holes so far. And not digging in dirt. An old graveled driveway. We have thirteen more to go…six for the grapevines and the rest for the fence. But I’m hoping those areas are more dirt than rocks. More pictures to follow from those fun activities!

Have a great day in your part of the world!