Up Next!

 

Well... Canada Day has come again and I'm still feeling proud to be Canadian!  But, I must say, it's pretty incredible to live in the USA!  It's given Jim and I so many opportunities over the past 40 years.  My roots and my heart are still with Canada, but a big part of me is grateful for life in the US.

And again, this year, my grandchildren celebrated Canada Day with us.... I know they don't like this tradition, but they humour me ever year.  Here's the oldest!

The 2nd oldest should have her picture here, but lost the picture so it didn't get sent to me!

And, here's the 3rd oldest showing off Canada and cats...  He really likes cats so every year, I send him a Canada Day shirt with a cat on it...

And, here's our Ben the youngest of the gang!  Happy Canada Day to all!

I saw this light fixture in the store and I thought it was amazing... When it's all lit up, it looks great - but sitting on the front lawn it looks like a fish tank!  The lights are in the cross bar at the top and it really looks spectacular when lit.  I'm going to have to have Jim install it, and then take a picture.  This piece is going in the loft bathroom...  There is already a light fixture there with the same wrought iron look and the same glass, so I think it's going to look cool... not like a fishtank..  Giggle.

And, we ran out of oak flooring for the kitchen, so we had to buy one more bundle.  The floors looks amazing, even though Jim is having a little bit of an installation issue... But, he's amazing with these things and I'm am 100% confident the last little bit is going to be fab-u-lus!

Here's the kitchen floor showing the progress Jim's made.. It really is pretty.  After installation, it will be stained and sealed so it will look a little bit different.

Here's the other side of the kitchen...  I still love the stove... it looks old fashioned, but it's new... and, it's actually made in Canada! 

When I was in California last, I found this clock in a little vintage store and I thought it looked interesting and amazing.  It actually is a cuckoo clock, and the ticking sound is very, very quiet.  We have a cuckoo clock in our house in Provo and I don't usually have it run because of the noise.  But, this one is very gentle.  It was super dirty when I bought it, but, Jim worked a small miracle with a can of compressed air.. and, a few minor repairs.  Jim put it on the wall going up the stairs to the loft.

Every time Jim goes to the cabin, I always pack a few treats and meals for him.  I'm not especially thrilled with the grocery stores nearby, and I think Jim likes something that is quick to heat up and eat, so I've been sending food with him for years.  Anyways, this time, I went to Great Harvest bread in Provo.  I really like their products - very natural and hearty and very, very flavourful.  He had the box of treats on the deck while he was bringing in stuff from the vehicle, and apparently, a squirrel or chipmunk likes Great Harvest bread also!  

Maybe it was the pumpkin flavour or the chocolate chips, but the little jerk chewed on both ends!  And, that was while Jim was right there on the deck close by!  We have a squirrel who sets off our security lights on a regular basis.  Apparently, he likes to run up and down the deck.. Every day, Jim has a plethora of video showing the little rodent making his moves!   As long as they don't get into my cabin, we're in good shape.

And, this year again, we worked with Utah County elections.  It's becoming a regular thing for us, and we always work at Provo City Library... That's our jam!  

When we left for the evening, the lady who manages the whole thing said, "See you in November!"  Giggle.  

It's kinda fun for us, and a change of regular activity and scenery for us!

And, this is the 3rd day Jim was working on the floor... more is getting completed little by little.

And, a little more of the ceiling it getting done.  Jim and Ben are almost at the peak!  They had to stop working because they ran out of boards that were planed and finished...

So, before Jim came home, he planed more boards and got them ready for installation.  

This is blue pine which gives the ceiling really an interesting look... He integrates the blue pine board in with the regular pine board.

So, we're moving along nicely...  Still a lot to be done, but tons already done.  I am excited and hopeful. We've been having some major complications at the house in Provo - to the point, I asked Jim to come home - I couldn't handle things on my own.  We came back home, and we've been dealing together. The adventure continues... 

Love, Jim and Cheri

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.  They must be felt with the heart"  Helen Keller

Here's to progress... where ever you can find it!

 I am starting off this issue with a shoutout to my friend Lynn....  Besides my sweet husband, Jim, Lynn is not only my friend, but my confidant, and a shoulder to cry on.  About a week ago, I received a package from Ontario, where she lives, with this beautiful table runner that will be perfect on my 12' long table. I am always excited to get a package from home.  I have received several packages with Tim Horton swag from my brother, Duane, (love me some Tim Horton's cups!) and also several packages over the years from Lynn.   I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE sunflowers and this was such a treat!  I love it, and my cabin will love it... So, this is a HUGE shoutout to Lynn.  We have been friends starting when we were just teenagers and she's put up with me since that time! This past week, Lynn and Duane have both had my tears on their shoulders and listening ears. Thank you, thank you, thank you... you're both amazing!

And, I was looking for matching bowls for my moose antlers.  I had one bowl that was a leaf pattern, but couldn't find a 2nd that remotely complimented.  So, finally.... I looked on Amazon and found this pattern... I love it.  It it actually a bowl even though my photography skills don't show it and in this picture it looks like a plate...... I work with numbers not cameras!  So, I bought two and they are just perfect!

This picture make it look like a bowl a little more, and it is just perfect on my moose antlers.  This will be perfect on that amazing sunflower table runner.

And, I found this piece on Marketplace.  I know it's not old, old, old, but it reminded me of going to Paris and the amazing time we had...  This is going into my kitchen - just to remind me of love and romance and Parisienne cafes... 

For Mother's Day this year, Jim found these drinking glasses.  I absolutely love this pattern.  Years ago, I found a few of them, I don't remember where - but, I have about a half a dozen of them.. and, now I have a dozen more.  I love the gold rims and the little maple leafs... You can take the girl out of Canada, but you can't take the Canadian out of the girl...  Thanks to my Jim for putting up with all my nonsense.

I was looking for a night light for either the loft bathroom or the downstairs bathroom, and I came across this sweetie.  It's super different, but I think that's where my inner nature leans...  I always remember a line from Steel Magnolias...  "I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."  And, that's how I want the cabin and my life represented.... This piece is wonderful....

I was visiting with my cousin Debbie who lives with her pup Buddy in London, Ontario in the winter, and Thunder Bay, Ontario in the summer. (We all wish for this!  Jealous!!)  She mentioned that I am a really good shopper.  It made me laugh.  I visited with Jim about this comment, and he laughed and agreed.  I sometimes think he that wishes I wasn't such an enthusiastic shopper, but he gives me a wide birth to explore the art of shopping.  Giggle. Debbie is a tiny bit older than I am, and I really didn't know her well when I was growing up.  She was in Thunder Bay and I was in Toronto, so we really didn't have an opportunity to connect.  But, through this blog site, we are really getting to know each other. She's wonderful... Her father, was my father's older brother.

Jim was coming through Panguitch this past week, and found that the major gas station in the heart of the thriving metropolis of Panguitch has been torn down.  Apparently, the EPA found that their gas tanks had problems and it was decided to tear everything down and rebuild.  When Jim sent me the picture, I couldn't figure out why and where... then, he explained!  

And, this is what is happening in the main level bedroom.  The vertical oak slats are getting installed thanks to Jim.  I loved this look and even thought it is taking waaaay too much time, Jim is working on this project.  This is one of those "Jim:  you know what would be really cool in the bedroom?" kinda moments.  

And, hey!!!  It's completed!  I love it!  I think it's going to give the room an amazing look...

While Jim was working on the bedroom wall, he had to take down our bed and remove the nightstands - which left him with no place to sleep...  I told him he could sleep in the recliner, but he kind of tosses and turns all night, and the recliner was not the best option.  So, he brought one of the lounges off the deck inside and slept on it.  Not my choice, but he said it was reasonably comfortable and he got a decent night's sleep.  

And, here's the bed put back in its place.  The big assed bass still isn't back on the wall, but I am sure within the next couple of days, that "delightful" piece of art will appear...  Giggle.

And, voila, the bass is back!  I bought this piece because I thought it was absolutely terrible... as a gift to Jim.  I figured he would tell me to take it back.. BUT, he loves it.  So, I guess it has a place on my bedroom wall now.  I don't really mind it, I just never imagined a fish on my wall....

And, Jim filled my dried squash bird feeders with bird seed and invited all the local blue jays and crows and sparrows and everything else around there to an open house.  I love how these turned out.

And, we are trying these out on the deck.  I think they are interesting looking... I just hope I don't get bird poops all over the deck.  Jim said that if we do, they are going to be transferred to the trees.... where I am sure the squirrels will find them and partake...  groan.

And, the next project is the floors in the hall and the kitchen.  The chipboard on the floors has been a little brutal on my feet so I am absolutely thrilled with actual flooring going down... Jim, again, is doing beautiful work.  Here's day to day updates.... Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Jim has been working at the cabin for a couple of weeks straight now and he's done amazing work.  I am always so impressed with his skill. 

The ceiling tongue and groove was up and going again this past week... with amazing progress. I couldn't be more thrilled. It's amazing.

I'm showing different views so you can see the progress...

This is my favourite shot...

Ok... so maybe, this is my favourite shot... I can't decide..

I like this one too.  Jim told me that he is putting different coloured pieces here and there, but knew I would appreciate the variations in colour.  I definitely do!

And, I found this lamp for "somewhere" in the cabin... haven't figured that one out yet.  I absolutely hated the lamp shade, so I pitched that one.  But, I really liked the branch look.  I'm on the hunt for a lamp shade that will show off the rest of the lamp and when I figure out where it's going to go, I'll let you know!

And, as a true Canadian, I am growing maple trees to go at the cabin.  I have a sugar maple, and a red maple.  I've been growing these babies since last fall.. and, amazingly enough, they are growing!  I have absolutely no idea where they are going to go!

Here's the 2nd maple tree! Planting trees are a gift to the next generation.

 I have been cleaning out our spare room in the house in Provo, and I came across some things that I thought Ben and Kelly's grandkids would enjoy... books and stuff.  We don't have grandkids that age any longer, so I packed them up and took them over to their house.  One of the things was this pair of butterfly wings...  I think Ben is going to enjoy them more than their grandkids!  I didn't expect this, or should I say, Yes, I should have expected this!  Giggle.  (Kelly said she thought she should wear them to church... if so, I want pictures.

And, we had a friend come visit our cabin... we weren't there, but he apparently came a knockin'.  This is Ben's cat, Big Foot.  I guess he was looking to wear those butterfly wings... Giggle.

And, here's our beautiful sunset...  I love the colours.... so peaceful and calm.

It's been an extremely stressful couple of weeks...  I've had my share of tears and anxiety like no other...  But, we're getting through the nightmare and on to better times and smiles.  I have learned that if you say things like, "It can't get worse"... it actually can. My boss told me it's a good thing we don't have a dog because, if things got any worse, the dog would be next and die... Giggle.  And, I have relied on my Jim heavily.  It hasn't been easy, and the situations effected both of us, but Jim always was amazing.  The best thing he told me was, "go to work"... just to get out of the situation for a while.  You know, when work is less stressful than everything else going on, you know it's not great.  And, work was a great diversion.  Gotta love Jim.  He soothes my heart.

With that, we're making amazing progress...  Good job, Jim.

The adventure and madness continues... Love, Jim and Cheri

"Most Everyone's Mad Here" - Cheshire Cat

It was a quick visit.....

We thought we would make a quick trip to the cabin... maybe get a little bit of the ceiling completed, and then this happened.... snow... ugh.... snow and wet snow and cold.  Thank goodness we have the furnace running because 27 degrees at night is not for this cowgirl!
 

As you can see, snow covered the deck and there was super high winds.  Jim usually sets up the saw on the deck and works from there - so that sawdust doesn't go all over the cabin... BUT, with the snow and the cold, it was impossible.  Sad face.  I know that Jim  and Ben both are anxious to keep working on the ceiling, but there was just no way.

I found this picture and I thought it was really cool.. I love the Canadian maple leaf - I think I have tiny maple leafs as part of my blood volume...  I looked at this picture and it took me a couple of minutes to realize it wasn't a pickle at the top... it's a shiny green ribbon...  Made me laugh.

And, I saw these books on amazon and I loved them.  I tried to get them personalized, but no go.  

They look really cool, but actually, they are cutting boards for the kitchen.  I thought they were most cool.  I've sent several friends pictures of these, and I just have told them to go to Amazon.  I love Amazon....  Giggle... (With the Canadian maple island, I really don't want the surface messed up, so I have cutting boards everywhere.... )

Remember the beautiful mirror I had on my blog last week?  Well, Lori, my Canadian friend, gave me a little table also.  I love the wrought iron work on the bottom.  Not quite sure where I'm going to put it yet - right now it's in the great room at the cabin. As we get more and more out of construction zone, it will find a permanent home.  Thanks to Lori for the wonderful "cabin warming" gifts.

With the inability to work on the tongue and groove on the ceiling,  Jim and Ben undertook other tasks. First, was sanding down the moose antlers Jim bought me. I think this kind of a project doesn't further the cabin building much, but it sure does something amazing to this girl's heart.  He did an amazing job and I so much appreciate it.

Here's one of the antler's after it was all sanded down.

I didn't quite like the grey colour of the antlers, and Ben gave me an idea of staining them... with coffee grounds.  I wasn't sure about this method, but gave it a try.  I didn't want them super dark brown and I knew I didn't want the grey... and, this method seems to have worked well... a little on the messy side of life, but a great outcome.

And, here's what they looked like... the one on the right hand side is after the coffee staining, and the one on the left is just sanded down.  I'm liking the colour.

And, here they are - both stained and coated with verathane to give them a nice finish.  I love the colour and the finish.  (I don't know if I have these antlers upside down or right side up.... I had to look at several pictures of "mooses" and couldn't really see a decent picture... So, if they are upside down, my apologies to all the moose aficionados out there... I tried my best!)

And, it wasn't the ceiling in the loft and great room that got worked on, it was the bedroom ceiling and walls...  It's so exciting to see this get completed.  This is the ceiling in the main level bedroom.

Jim and Ben had to get more gyprock put up in the bedroom, so they could work on the "walling" in the same bedroom.

Let's just say, there was a whole lot of gyprock put up, a lot of mudding and taping done, and sanding and because of that, a whole lot of dust created!  Jim sat down to take a breath, and probably clear some of the dust out of his nose and mouth, and this is what he looked like.  I really tried not to laugh, but I think it's cuter 'n cute!

Here's the wall that was attacked...  after it was mudded and taped - just waiting for it to dry before moving forward.

Here's the first little bit of paint that was put on... Now, don't freak out with the colour - you'll see in just a couple of pictures that it was the perfect choice.

Here's the chocolate brown we chose...  It looked really dark, but it's perfect.

And, this is the application.  I absolutely love it!  I grew up with wood paneling all through the house... and I knew I didn't want that - super dated... BUT, I love this.  It's time consuming, but I love the effect.  Jim and Ben did an amazing job.  

And, while they were working on the walls, I was putting the final finish on my birdfeeder gourds.  We figured that we made a booboo with the gourds... It is suggested that you put this oily wax finish on the gourds before putting them outside - a water proofing kind of finish.  Well, we didn't read all the instructions.... you put the finished on, and then wiped them down, and put the final finish on...  uhuh... we forgot to wipe the water proofing down... It didn't hurt the gourds.. just made them really sticky, and a quick wipe down made them perfect.  Next time I make it to the cabin, I'll be taking bird seed with me.

And, I saw online there was a Titanic exhibition in Salt Lake City, so we decided to go...  I think it was more showing the White Star line artifacts than actual Titanic pieces, but it was fun to get away and do something different for the evening.  

And, the "deer catcher" on the front of Jim's truck wasn't quite finished - still a work in progress.  Ben told us that there was a plethora of dead deer on the side of the roads at this point, and we needed to be careful.  But, we got to the cabin on Friday night, and didn't leave until Monday afternoon... saw lots of deceased deer, but nothing ran into us... or rather, we didn't run into them.  Thank goodness... Jim always tells me there is always more work to do and not enough time.  I think he's realizing that retirement is always busy, busy, busy!  

With that, this edition is completed and the adventure continues.

Love, Jim and Cheri

"Our life is what our thoughts make it."