It was HOT HOT HOT!!!

Whenever we make a trip to the cabin, we are met by Jim's entourage - he is definitely the deer whisperer - they love him!  They share treats - actually, he gives them treats, and they enthusiastically eat!  This time, one of the deer kissed his hand - I guess he really is the emperor! There is a mum and a dad and baby that come by regularly... they're usually waiting for Jim first thing in the morning, and they are the last ones we see when we leave the mountain.  I'm still pretty ticked off that the deer ate all my flower bulbs... I'm still waiting for an apology - I know, don't hold your breath!

And, along with the deer, we are regularly visited by squirrels and chipmunks.  (Fun Fact - a group of chipmunks is called a scurry...)  We have one really big, fat squirrel who is constantly running up and down our deck...He usually stops by the open door, peeks in, and then high tails it off the deck... I'm sure one of his chipmunk friends told him that I accidentally pulled the tail off a chipmunk once... not a great memory!

And, the last post I had, I put the pictures of three of the four grandchildren in their Canada Day shirts... One was missing because she couldn't find the picture.  Well, here it is!  And, our Brea is so pretty.  I am thrilled I got the picture... Better late than never!

The work on the kitchen floor continues and it's almost completed.  As age takes it's toll, it's getting harder and harder for my Jim to get down on the floor and work - but, he's enduring and, as usual, is doing beautiful work.  

See... just a little bit to go!




I saw this shirt and just had to get it for Jim...  He keeps telling me he wants to catch a fish, have it stuffed and mount it on our bedroom wall.. This is about as close to having a fish in the cabin as I want to get!

If you look closely, you can see a faint red line... Well, the boards to the floor aren't quite straight, so Jim had to run a laser line so the wood can be cut and the next piece fitted properly.  The way it was, as you can see, the next piece would not fit tightly.  Jim ran the laser line, and then trimmed off the excess... so smart.  That's why I married him.

And, here's a couple of updated pictures off the deck.  The trees are so green against the beautiful blue backdrop of the sky.  I was totally impressed.

Here's the other side of the deck....

My neighbour (actually, down the road and around the bend) took this picture...  The sky really is beautiful!

And, I didn't take this one either.  Thank goodness for facebook and I can steal the pictures from the neighbours...

This is what the side of the cabin looks like with half of the septic system dug out.  We got shut down last fall because the county said we were taking too long building, so we had to reapply for the permit, and of course pay another fee.  I wasn't particularly happy about it, but we are just finishing up the paperwork and will be sending it in tomorrow.  Hopefully, the county will get on the program, approve the application and we can move forward.  But, for now, there's just a whole lot of trenching dug out!

I was unpacking boxes and I found this little doorknocker in one of the boxes.  I showed it to Jim and he gave me... "the look".  I asked him to put it by the door at the front of the cabin.  Reluctantly, he obliged and when I checked it, this is what I saw.  He indeed put it by the front of the door... wasn't attached TO the door, but it was by the front door.  It wasn't quite what I asked for, but I guess, close enough for now.  Made me laugh.  All I can say is that my Jim has a different sense of humour.... 

Ben has been having a little issue with one of his elbows, so working on the ceiling in the great room was not really possible, so the guys were planeing more wood for when his elbow feels better.  (Is PLANEING the correct spelling even?)  Everything is set up on the deck and brought into the cabin, so they are ready whenever.

As you can see in the background, everything is beautiful and green!

And, we have been collecting wood flooring for the great room.  I want a kind of a patchwork quilt look to the floor and that requires different colours and types of wood.  It's all real wood, but different types. This past weekend, Jim took the measurements for the room, and we had to start sorting out the different types, first of all so we knew what we had of each type, and 2nd to see if we had enough wood to complete the floor..  Well, we do have enough wood - actually, we have more than is needed, but now we need to make a grid to plan out each piece and colour.  It's a little complicated - but Jim put it all in excel so we have everything ready to go.  We need to purchase a little more of the light coloured flooring - we have lots of medium and dark, but we are a little lacking in the light department.  I don't envy Jim in planning the grid -  But, this is how we started figuring out what we had.... this first picture is Hickory...

...these next four boxes are Kahlua Maple....

...and this one is Light Natural Maple...  I think it's going to look amazing....

The temperature in the cabin has been extreme.  The first night we stayed, it was so hot we could barely sleep. We have the furnace in, but not the air conditioning unit... that's next on the list... But, at midnight, it was 84 degrees and I thought I was going to die...

The next day, Jim rigged up the portable air conditioning unit in the bedroom, so we could get some sleep and be a little more comfortable.  Jim always says that I like the house temperature subzero and it freezes him out... this wasn't quite that cool, but we slept much easier.  We have decided to put an air conditioning mini split system in the loft... We think that because the loft really gets incredibly hot in the summer, that because we have an open pattern throughout the cabin, a regular air conditioning unit won't cool the loft down enough to be comfortable.  So, that is going to be purchased and installed this week.  It will make working on the ceiling a whole lot cooler...  But, 62 degrees in the bedroom was amazing.

In the last issue, a picture of the antique looking stove was in the picture of the kitchen flooring.  After several comments about the stove, I mentioned that there was an oven on the other side of the room that matched it.  Well, here it is!  It really is a cool set...

So, now you can see the stove AND the oven set.  It really looks pretty in the kitchen.  We have black granite for the counter tops so I think the combination will look amazing.

And, here's another little project we have been working on.  It was years and years ago, we saw that a 100 year old school in south Provo was being torn down and some of the pieces and parts were being salvaged.  We picked up three old fashioned doors and thought they might look interesting in the cabin.  This past week, the 2nd of the three doors was installed... After a little refinishing, this turned into our main level bedroom door.  I think it's beautiful.

All three doors are heavy oak, but the fun part is they were originally bathroom doors.  Our bedroom door was originally the boy's bathroom.  The brass lettering was already removed when we bought the doors, but....

... I had a brass plate made and Jim installed it...  I love it... giggle... makes me laugh.

The first door installed just across the hall, actually is a bathroom, and it used to be the girls restroom!  So, it actually made it back to a bathroom!

Here's the finished installation - We still have the finish work to complete, but, we have a bedroom door!!  The 3rd door will be between the bedroom and the bathroom, and it will be the laundry room door.  I think I got a nameplate that says, "STAFF" on it.  I think my sense of humour is starting to imitate Jim's...  Should I be concerned?

Well, that's it for this week...  We are moving forward- slowly, but surely... Life is somewhat getting back to normal from a month of disaster... We are surviving...  Life is definitely an adventure.  Until next time..... Love, Jim and Cheri.

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."  Winston Churchill

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