THE LIST LIVES!! UPDATES

Original List started 4/21/09
New Update 6/30/09
Updates and completions to the list will be posted in blue text.

So, it turns out that the Blog becomes the ultimate diary, journal, list rememberer I have. I frequently look back and determine where we were, what we planted, where we ate, and what got done at what time the year before. So, with this in mind... I am creating a big Spring/Summer planning list and posting it on the blog. Some of it is long term savings items and some of it is free to do as soon as I get to it.

If it doesn't interest you, skip it. But, at least I know I won't loose it or toss the spiral bound note book that I put it in. But I have also added some new pics of some furniture moves that happened last month.
Our new clock, in it's new place.
1. have the outlet moved to directly behind the clock.

Here is a different vantage point where the lovely clock lives in it's perfect new home. Happily chiming away the hours - and very quietly too I might add. The nice thing about it being electric is that I never have to wind it. And as anyone who has been to our house knows, that is a good thing. EX: see the clock next to it!!
The clock necessitated several moves of furniture. I may have mentioned before, that the funny thing is that moving the furniture and even adding a piece made everything feel more spacious. In this spot, we removed the old octagonal lace covered table and replaced it with Frank's family desk and his mother's piano stool.
51. raise the miror behind the desk to sit at the proper height.



At the top of the stairs, where the desk was, we moved up the federal secretary, which used to live where the clock now resides.

2. Item number two for the list is a long term item. This wall has befuddled us since we moved in. It is a focal wall that you see as you enter the house. The pathway between it and the stairs is too small to place any furniture against it, but as you can see, the brilliant builder decided to put the doorbell and the thermostat right in the middle of the wall, not to either side - or even at the base of the stairs noooooo. Maybe it was really him that was befuddled. So, no chance for any large art display. Well, Frank had a brilliant idea to remedy these issues. There are remote doorbells and thermostats which we could replace these with and place wherever our little hearts desired. Then this wall would become a really cool place to display several of our clocks. Ha ha finally figured you out item number 2 - another one down...

3. hardwood floors throughout the downstairs and new carpeting upstairs. This is a long term savings item. We are hoping to have them installed before the end of the year, but we are paying a bit more on taxes than anticipated and working really hard to pay off debt. We want to have a significant emergency fund set aside before this item happens. So with lots of help from Dad and Beth installing and caulking and cutting we have our beautiful new wood floors. The final baseboard was set into place yesterday, October 31, 2009.

4. rework living room awning/window covering. It needs some adjustments, and a good cleaning.

5. make valance for dining room. Gathered at both top and bottom will sit flush against the wall and behind the plate rack there.

6. Speaking of plate racks, need a painted top for the one Dad had made - that Todd gave to us. When you come down the stairs it doesn't look great up there.

7. Give blinds a really good spring cleaning.

8. Front door jam needs some help.

9. Touch up paint everywhere.

10. muck out the loft

11. rehang large oval mirror in our bathroom - move Jesus picture.

12. regrout our shower - remove old clear silicone where mold has grown under. yucky job.

13. call plumber about kids shower leak - another yucky job that is going to cost a stupid fortune because there is no way to get in there without opening up the wall. boo his. This actally worked out because the handle came completely off - the cartridge broke. Our handy guy - Rick from HOME RX easily replaced it with a $12.00 cartridge from OSH that I found and just hoped would work. This seemed to fix the leak also.

14. paint our bathroom cabinets the same as the kids - free - just work. Already have the paint.

15. Call handy man for ceiling fan in the loft. The light works, but the fan doesn't.

16. replace our closet light with a CFL and see if that improves lighting - if not get an estimate from same guy for having a florescent panel put in...like dad and beth's

17. rework laundry room to accommodate new vacuum.

18. playhouse overhaul. Posted eviction notices on Saturday for all the little beasties that take up residence over the winter, but needs a really good vacuuming, scrubbing and need to remove all the things she has outgrown. She is wanting a hang out with chairs and a table now.

19. prune vines in back yard - now that yellow flowers have dropped

20. spray for bugs around the house

21. spray for aphids,

22. hang fly catchers

23. polish porch rails

24. repaint porch floor

25. polish outdoor light fixtures DONE

26. scrub outdoor furniture

27. Garage, GArage, GARAGE

28. replant seeds that didn't germinate due to ridiculous swings in the weather. 30 degrees in a matter of days one way and then the other - the poor little things didn't have a chance!!

29. get booking summer travel (Dad and Beth to Winnepeg in May, Cathi's at our anniversary, Williamsburg in May - that's new Pam... can't wait to tell you about it. ) Ended up not going to Winnipeg. Cathi's trip was fabulous and can't wait for Williamsburg.

30. finish Haley's costume for District Council - a darling German Drindle dress - pics to follow.

31. Clean out ashes in fireplace - although every time I think we will be done with fires for the year, it turns cold and rainy again. But today after the gym I actually got in the pool and dunked my head to get cooled off so I think we are pretty safe here.

32. Move white fridge back indoors and get a chest freezer - sell or freecycle old Kitchen Aid. Hook ice maker back up and have ice that you don't have to put in a tray again!! Huzzah I have free ice once more. The kitchen aid is back in the garage for the time being. To freeze additional goods- at least that still works.

33. Figure out a sort of the family old pictures using the family desk and it's drawers to determine how to organize them.

34. save for move out of the fence and some garden area in the side yard next year. Replace that fence with new higher one for more privacy in the BY.

35. have piano tuned

36. prune japanese maple in rabbit/playhouse back yard

37. plant some herbs back in there. Good area for them - not too much sun and not too much water. Didn't work.

38. Have car all serviced up before warranty expires. Found we needed another 1000.00 dollars of repair -

38a. See how much our cheap mechanics will cost to do these reapirs.

39. tile down bath and laundry room before downstairs floors go in. Part of floor redo will include all new base boards - nice ones too! hurray.

40. Curtains for our bedroom

41. Look for bbq for Frank's birthday

41a. Pick up new bbq already assembled at Home Depot. Frank got a new infrared bbq from Charbroil . Really cool with a red enamel outside.

42. Repaint post on playhouse where the planter was.

43. plants for playhouse planters

44. hammer down nails on playhouse porch

45. bring out pads for chaise lounge chairs

46. Spray the wasp nests outside

I'm sure there is much more - and I will add it as I find it.

47. Fix towel dispenser in master bathroom DONE But not after many problems. The towel dispenser itself broke as I was trying to reinstall it with mollies for the screws. Nice, now you have two brand new, and opened up mollies in the wall, but no towel dispenser to put there. Which necessitated another job - pull the mollies, patch the wall and repaint. DONE One thing leads to another!!

47. Oh my goodness, this should be at the top of the list - Get ready for class at JC. My JC class got cancelled as there was not enough interest. Very disappointing, but will try again next year.

48. Repair Indian costume for Michelle.

49. File and shred old tax documents - out with the old, in with the new

50. Deal with the homeless problem. - my euphamistic term for things that don't have homes in my house.

51. Go through our slides and pull pictures of Uncle Bill for his 80th birthday.

52. Replant the side yard- after the neighbors decide if they are going to put in a pool. - They have now cut there trees up so high that the shady things I had planned for there - and most already in are going to die out this summer. Also, if they stay and build a pool, instead of move to a new house with a pool, they informed us they are going to pull the liquid amber trees out altogether and pave it over for there numerous large vehicles. Which will be better than parking in the dirt, but we will loose all shade. And even though I hate the mess the liquid amber trees make, I'll have to find something a little larger to make a hedge.

53. Send back the stupid suitcases that Lands End sent us - these were part of Frank's Father's Day present - one won't stand up and the other was busted. Frank has carried this suitcase for three years - but they must have changed the design. Have to wait until he gets home to see his old one and address what is specifically wrong.

54. This is a new one - My oven died and I have been lighting my gas range for about a year with matches. This works fine, but if I have to replace the built in oven, I might as well replace the cooktop as well. Turns out though that a one unit range is a much cheaper way to go and so....

54a. Call the tile guy and the home rx guy for estimates about cutting the counter open.

54b. have them measure the openings exactly.

54c. Order whatever the outcome of 54a is. Either replacments for what we have, or a new range - If a range, I'll be able to get convection cooking. yeah.

54d. Install new whatever. Wow! this is a big project accomplished. We ended up installing a new Bosch wall oven and stainless steel cooktop. It is wonderful and although I need to add another item to the list because of the install they both work beautifully!

54e. Find trim to finish off the hole below the new oven.