Crazy People

live here.
We decided that it would be a good idea to strip wallpaper and paint the master bedroom and bathroom during Christmas week. This is because we got 2 feet of snow and we couldn't split wood... The chore we'd been planning for a while now. (I thank the Lord we got 2 feet of snow because if we didn't, I'd still be looking at 1986 blue floral and bow wallpaper.)


Our master bedroom is a whole lot bigger than we thought... Fortunately, our master bath is teeny tiny in comparison...

It took us a whole day to get the wallpaper off the walls - and it came off relatively easily. We washed and rinsed and spackled as we thought we'd paint the room the next day. It took 2 days to paint that room, but it is lovely.

Just as we finished painting the master bedroom, Mr. mentioned that since the bathroom was upside down, too, we may as well do that.  How long could it really take anyway...

The wallpaper in the bathroom was interesting. It was not the quality of that in the bedroom. The top half came off in sheets - I'm sure it's from years of being steamed from the shower. The bottom half - not so much - that came off one itty bitty piece at a time.

We washed those walls and spackled... The next morning, we painted. It took no time at all!  Now we have to put it all back together. I got a new medicine cabinet and am on the hunt for a new "over the toilet" cabinet. For now, we'll use the old one and I'll get new knobs.  Those will be hung this morning so we can begin to put stuff away.  I'm going to paint the sink base in the bathroom -- unless I can convince Mr. that a new one is in order.  (Measurements will be taken and prices will be compared because honestly, the sink is from 1986 and has definitely seen a better day...)

Tomorrow Mr. and Grandpa will be putting the crown molding up in the bedroom. This is only because the bathroom threw up into the bedroom and we need to clean it all up so we can get to the walls to put up the crown!  I will admit to cheating on the crown. I got the corner moldings pre-made... you put them up, measure between, make straight cuts and slap the crown in there.  They aren't cheap, but in the long run, it will save much angst and gnashing of teeth to do it this way.

I've ordered new bedding - we'll see if it stays or goes...  it was on sale and it is in the style that Jackie Davis,  the HGTV designer (and dear friend) told me to get when she gave me the colors for the room. I'm not sure the colors are exactly right - the colors on the monitor are often a wee bit different in person, but I'll know when it arrives.

Pictures? Well, you'll have to wait until it's all done and picked up and dusted...

Chez Nous

Ladybug Crossing in the snow at dusk.

As Abraham Lincoln Said...

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.

........Abraham Lincoln

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

How to talk and understand...

Bostonian...

I'm originally from Boston.

This is how we say things - now those of you who know me personally will understand me a little better -- maybe...

Information on Boston and the surrounding area:
There's no school on School Street, no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square, no water on Water Street.
Back Bay streets are in alphabetical 'oddah': Arlington, Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, etc.
So are South Boston streets: A, B, C, D, etc.
If the streets are named after trees, (e.g. Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you're on Beacon Hill.
If they're named after poets, you're in Wellesley.
Massachusetts Ave is Mass Ave; Commonwealth Ave is Comm Ave; South Boston is Southie.
The South End is the South End. East Boston is Eastie.
The North End is east of the former West End. The West End and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named Rappaport got rid of them one night. Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.

How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly:
**Say it wrong, be shunned**

Worcester: Wuhsta (or Wistah), Gloucester: Glawsta, Leicester Lesta, Woburn: Wooban, Dedham : Dead-um, Revere: Re-vee-ah, Quincy: Quinzee, Tewksbury: Tooks berry, Leominster: Lemin-sta, Peabody: Pee-ba-dee, Waltham: Walth-ham, Chatham: Chaddum, Samoset: Sam-oh-set or Sum-aw-set but nevah Summer set !
 

Definitions: 

Frappes have ice cream, milkshakes don't. If it is fizzy and flavored, it's tonic. Soda is CLUB SODA. 'Pop' is Dad. When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for Tonic WATER. The smallest beer is a pint.
 

Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish. If you paid more than $6/pound, you got scrod.
 

It's not a water fountain; it's a bubblah. It's not a trashcan; it's a barrel.
It's not a spucky, a hero or grinder,...it's a sub.
It's not a shopping cart; it's a carriage. It's not a purse; it's a pocketbook.
They're not franks; they're haht dahgs; Franks are money in Switzahland.
Police don't drive patrol units or black and whites; they drive a 'crooza'. If you take the bus, you’re on the 'looza crooza'.
It's not a rubber band, it's an elastic. It's not a traffic circle; it's a rotary.
'Going to the islands' means Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket.
The Sox = The Red Sox. The C's = The Celtics. The B's = The Bruins.
 

Things not to do: 

Don't pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd .. they'll tow it to Meffa ( Medford ) or Summerville (Somerville).
Don't sleep on the Common. ( Boston Common)
Don't wear Orange on St. Patrick's Day.
 

Things you should know: 

There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, two Hancock buildings (one old, one new for each).
The colored lights on top the old Hancock tell the weather':
'Solid blue, clear view....' 'Flashing blue, clouds due....'
'Solid red, rain ahead.....' lashing red, snow instead....' - (except in summer; flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out).
 

Most people live here all their life and still don't know what the hell
is going on with this one. Route 128 is also I-95 south. It's also I-93 north at some point. 

The underground train is not a subway. It's the 'T', and it doesn't run all night. (fah-chrys-akes, this ain't Noo Yawk).
Order the 'cold tea' in China Town after 2:00 am - you'll get a kettle full of beer.
 

Bostonians... think that it's their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic.
Bostonians...think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R's - except in 'idear').
Bostonians...think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.
Bostonians...refer to six inches of snow as 'dusting.'
Bostonians...always 'bang a left' as soon as the light turns green, and oncoming traffic always expects it.
Bostonians...believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.
Bostonians...think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.
Bostonians...think Rhode Island accents are annoying.
 

Send this to your friends who don't live in Boston (and the ones who did!!)
P.S ...........Don't use your spell checker on this if you send it; you’ ll never get thru it?

That's a lot of snow!

This is Zeb standing in the snow... There is still about 3 or 4 inches packed underneath him...

Yes, he's short, but really... that's a lot of snow!

Snow... snow.... and more snow...

LLB took this yesterday...

That's a lot of snow!!