Monday Memories

Monday Memories: Did I ever tell you About Sophie and Her Cheerio Addiction? LLB wanted me to share a little story about Sophie. Sophie was our yellow labrador that we had when the children were babies. She died a few years ago, but her antics remain treasured memories around here. LLB thought that since we now have Zeb (see yesterday's post), we should share a dog story. Sophie loved the children. I think she only loved them because the were a constant source of treats. Her girth could attest to their sloppiness, but her vaccuum like tongue kept my kitchen floor free of debris for quite a long time. Sophie's favorite game was to suck cheerios out of the children's hands without their knowledge. #1 Son caught on to her game pretty quickly and immediately stuffed his cheerios into his mouth - he didn't carry them around in his fist. LLB, on the other hand, just didn't seem to get it. Sophie would walk up behind her and with the finesse of the best pickpocket, she would suck those cheerios out of LLB's hand with out her knowledge. When LLB was ready to stuff her cheerios in her mouth, she was always confused as to where they went. It got to be a game with Sophie. It was not as fun for LLB - but it sure was funny for me! Mr. Bug and I would snicker and giggle as Sophie sucked the cheerios out of her hands. We got so we were cheering the dog on - silently, of course! Once in a while Sophie got caught, but LLB had such a big heart, she would simply give the cheerios to Sophie. It was sweet, but Sophie liked the challenge. One day, after munching cheerios for most of the day, Sophie found the bowl - the "mother load", you might say. She scarfed every last one in a matter of seconds. She slurped up the few she dropped. And then it happened. She actually felt the cheerios rumbling around in her belly. She laid down and moaned. I could see it in her eyes. She had finally overdosed! That would be the last cheerio she ever ate. I was a bit sad about that. She kept my floors free and clear of cheerios. I never had a crushed cheerio in my carpet, either. Those days were gone. I could tell just by the way she had moaned. It was the broom and dust buster for me. Until the day she died, Sophie never ever ate another cheerio. If she found one on the floor, she'd leave it. She'd actually look at me with those eyes and say, "Mom, I just can't eat that, okay?" I totally understood. LadyBug Click here for the Monday Memories Code, Blogroll, Graphics, & Other Information View More Monday Memories Participants Trackbacks, pings, and comment links are accepted and encouraged!

Zeb

I was at the hairdresser yesterday to get my hair cut. That's a story in itself. Suffice it to say, I was there in the chair. I mentioned to my hairdresser that I had totally given up the search for a corgi as they were just too much money for me and mine. She said, "Oh, you want a corgi. I happen to have one that needs a good home."

She dropped him off today.
He is just a terrific little guy! He has peed twice - both times outside. The second time he asked to go. This is BIG as he was a kennel dog. But, he's smart, he'll catch on quick!

Zeb is very mild mannered. He's afraid of cats and loud noises. Marmalade, the wonder cat, is having a little trouble with that, but he keeps trying to be friends. Other than that, Zeb is a perfect fit.

We are all more than happy to give this sweet boy a good home.

Playing With a Full Deck

Well, it finally happened.
The deck is up and it is done.
There are no railings to break up our view - there are also no railings because we don't need them. I wanted one in the corner so I could put the grill there and not worry about it blowing off, but... I'm not getting one. Grandpa Bug will install one upon his arrival if we still want it. Right now, we are just enjoying the view.

We washed the table and chairs up yesterday and had our first meal out there last night. (Yup, it was beer can chicken!)

We enjoyed just sitting out there after our delicious meal. There was a light cool breeze. We sat back in our comfy chairs. We took in our green lawn up on the hill, we checked out the grass just starting to peek out in the hay strewn lower yard, we laughed at our cats as they stalked unseen prey, and we got the binoculars out to try to find a pair of birds who were chuckling at each other. We found them - they were a pair of woodpeckers wooing each other in a nearby tree.

If you need us this evening, you can find us out on the deck. Just come on around back and pull up a chair.

Thursday 13

Thirteen Things LadyBug Is Thinking About Today 1. They put the first coat of polyeurethane on the floors yesterday. Did I mention that it is oil based? P.U. That stuff really has quite a scent... and I'm not talking floral... or fruity... or even citrus... I'm not sure what it smells like, but it doesn't smell good after the first 5 minutes... or the first 15 hours... 2. The floors look great! 3. That stuff really stinks! I think I might be getting looped on the stuff! 4. My stuff on Ebay seems to be doing quite well. I hope it all sells because LLB has found a bunch of back to school clothes that she really wants. Unless I sell her old stuff, I won't have budget for the new stuff. 5. I have to list a bunch more Hanna Andersson stuff this weekend. I have a ton - LLB grew out of all of it all at once. She has 3 or 4 things that still fit and that's it! 6. The one thing that I thought would go is a navy blue velvet jumper and white blouse set from the Wooden Soldier. It is absolutely stunning and I paid big $$ for it. Nobody wants it. I'm a little upset about that. LLB loved it - so did I! She got compliments every single time she wore it... I can't believe nobody wants it... 7. LLB and #1 Son are off to a birthday party this afternoon. It is a pool party. They are both really excited to be able to go. 8. Our pastor/priest/rector/minister (however you want to say it) is getting married on Saturday to a terrific guy. She called and asked #1 Son if he would be the crucifer. #1 Son was thrilled to be asked. He loves to be crucifer and Wow! What an honor to do it for her wedding. LLB is going to be an acolyte for the service as well. 9. I'm off to scrapbook with the ladies this morning. We are making a scrapbook for our Newcomer's Club. They wanted a scrapbook that would show all the activities that we've photographed since we started our group a couple of years ago. Fortunately, there aren't that many pictures!! 10. #1 Son came home from football camp a little upset yesterday. One of the high-school aged coaches (from a different team - not his team) called him names and told him he sucked. I am so upset I just want to go rip this kids lips off. How dare these teenaged thugs - who are supposed to be role models - treat the kids this way! #1 Son is there to learn how to play football not to be chastised because he doesn't know how. 11. We were watching So You Think You Can Dance last night on TV. #1 Son was amazed at the guys. He's considering taking the Hip Hop and Jazz class with LLB. She wants him to take that class with her so badly. We assured him that nobody would know and nobody would tease him. I'll let you know if he decides to do it. 12. We were looking for a Corgi to add to our family. I found a lady who has puppies due next week. Alas, she charges - gulp... $1000 for each puppy. That's a little bit - okay a whole lot - out of my price range. I think we are going to look for a $100 mutt at the shelter. They come spayed/neutered and with all their shots. If we do it right and pick the right dog, it might even come potty trained. 13. I think those fumes are really starting to get to me. The flooring guys will be back today to put the second coat on and then again tomorrow for the 3rd. I ought be totally zonked by Saturday!! I'm going to find Mr. Bug to make me some coffee. That might help me... Oh yeah... I don't normally drink coffee... Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wordless Wednesday

This is the chandelier in the new dining room. It's not a great picture. The electrician hung it high so nothing would happen to it before we got the table in there. Once the table is in, we will drop it and I'll take another picture.

BTW - Anybody looking for a real nice house in New England? I know of a lovely 4 br colonial with 14 closets that is up for sale.

I've been busy being a taxi driver this week. #1 Son is in a football camp and LLB is in a musical theatre (Lion King) camp. He's so psyched about football (he has yet to be tackled, or hit, or bumped) that he thinks he's trying out for middle school football. HAH! I think NOT! She scored the part of older Simba. She's thrilled! I asked her if she wanted to do Music And Drama camp next summer with her brother. Her response, "No, I'll get too nervous if I have to get up on the stage and perform." LOL!! The child dances in 3 full length productions a year - up on a stage! When I reminded her of that and the fact that everyone gets nervous, she told me she'd think about it. (FYI: She's definitely off to camp next summer with her brother and I get a week home alone with Mr. Bug!!)

LLB was getting a little discouraged with her trumpet. She was having trouble hitting the G. She asked me if she could switch over to bassoon. I told her she could speak with the band teacher about that and took her over to see him yesterday. He tried her out on bassoon - her hands are too small. (Yippee!) He had her play the french horn and trumpet for him. He was blown away (no pun intended) by the sound she got out of the trumpet. He definitely wanted her on trumpet, but gave her the option. He told her that the trumpet would be easy and that she could go far fast. He also told her that if she wanted a real challege, french horn would give her that. The band director and I both heaved a sigh when she said she'd stick with the trumpet. Whew! He got his good trumpet player and I get to keep hearing the instrument I purchased for big bucks.

Monday Memories

Monday Memories: Did I ever tell you About The Time I HAD to Re-Do The Kitchen? We had just moved into this house. The kitchen was old. It had ugly white pickled looking cabinets - except for one that one was wood colored... Why? I have NO idea. It had baby blue countertops. Simply lovely. It had a JennAire cooktop. Don't get excited. The downdraft drafted into the crawlspace - not very effective. I had all the attachments, but.. um.. they were.. EEWWW... I had 2 burners out of 4 that actually worked. This cooktop was in the middle of my island. I had a wall oven/microwave unit. The microwave was so old that it worked intermittently. My dad - an old Raytheon employee who knows about these things - made me absolutely promise I wouldn't use it. Yes - he made me nervous and NO I didn't use it. The wall oven - that was an interesting appliance. It didn't keep any temperature. You couldn't bake anything without standing there watching the temperature. For no reason it would jump to 550. Makes food oh so tasty... NOT! I had Mr. Bug's teeny tiny office microwave on the counter... Oh so attractive... The dishwasher was vile. Didn't wash, didn't clean. No point in even having one if it doesn't work. We replaced that within days of moving in. So, one quiet Sundy morning, I turn on the oven to make muffins and I hear "Zzzzzzt... zzztttt. poof!" I jumped about a mile! It scared me... First thought "OMG! I blew it up!" Second though, "Gee, darn... that's too bad..." I quickly turned off the oven and called up to Mr. Bug. "Honey, I blew up the oven. No muffins today!" "What?" That poor boy blasted out of bed faster than I have ever seen him move. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine.. the oven is not. I can't stand this kitchen!" Mr. Bug sighs... That old "I've given up" type sigh. That "I'm going to be broke" type of sigh... You girls know the one I mean! "Go today. Get a kitchen." "Really? I thought you wanted to wait until we started the addition." "We are going to starve if you don't get it now." (Thank God, he likes to eat!!) I left, I designed, I had installed. It was about 12 weeks before it was completely finished, but it sure was worth it. I now have maple cabinets (and yes, they all match) with black trim at the ceiling. I have a regular stove. I have an oven that works. I have an island I can use. I absolutely love my island. LadyBug Click here for the Monday Memories Code, Blogroll, Graphics, & Other Information View More Monday Memories Participants Trackbacks, pings, and comment links are accepted and encouraged!

Saturday's 10 Cent Tour

Hello, Ladybug here.
Here's the deal... If you aren't interested in seeing the addition, this is going to be really boring for you. I took a bunch of pictures to show the progress that was made this week. We've had a LOT of progress, let me tell you!!

Welcome to the 10 Cent Tour. I will be happy to answer any and all of your questions to the best of my ability.

The Stairs: They came out terrific. I love the hand rail! The guy who built this is a master craftsman - picky, crunchy, very Vermont... Just the kind of person you want to do your stairs and handrails.
This is the upstairs railing to keep unsuspecting klutzes from falling off the edge of the loft and landing in the family room. Yup, this railing is for me!



The Kitchen:
This is the view from the family room. The corner cabinet will have glass in the door. The cabinets are simply gorgeous - If I do say so myself...
These pictures are of the tall cabinets Grambug has always dreamed of having.
The cabinet in the corner will have glass in the door so Grambug can display some of Auntie Bug's Pottery.

Laundry Room:
This is just the ultimate in storage solutions. Grambug has a ton of cabinets - they stretch all across the top from corner to corner... The lower cabinets are actually upper cabinets because the base cabinet would have been too wide. The counters will all be black granite - I can't even wait to see what they will look like!!

Lights: Ok - these are the kitchen lights and the only lights installed at the moment. The undercabinet lights are there, but I refuse to stand on my head to take a picture of those.. besides they are a bit boring... Not that these aren't...

Floors:
This is the view from my "new" office straight into the sunroom, and living room. The floor in this office really went down quite quickly. They did all of this yesterday.
Just so you can see that progress is being made upstairs, too, I took a quick shot of the master bedroom floor. Exciting, I know...

Bathroom:
This is Grandpa Bug's Sink... He got the one next to the toilet. I knew you'd all be absolutely thrilled to have that little tidbit of information...
Don't cha just love this faucet? Don't I have exquisite taste?? Yup, I know I do!! I'm so humble... I just adore this faucet!!! You know, I must be totally losing it if I'm this excited about a bathroom faucet.

The Deck:
It isn't finished, but at least it has been started. I guess we are waiting for an inspection... I dunno...

Pergola:
Stunning.... Just stunning... How do you like our columns? You know, we look like we have class now. Well, we always had class... Now we have column class.

The Big Picture:
The stones for the chimney are on the deck by the scaffolding. We are waiting for a cool day so Mr. Blister Butt can put those up. The straw was blown onto the re-graded "lake bed" yesterday. Hopefully the grass will grow quickly and our back yard area by the decks will be green. THAT will be quite a picture.


Thanks for taking my 10 cent tour. Any and all tips will be greatfully accepted and put towards the party we are going to have once this project has been completed and the Grandbugs have been installed. Nope, they don't move in - they get installed like everything else around here.

Have a great weekend!