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My Winter in Pictures

IMG_9641I’m loving winter. It’s been a mild one so far, with some very cold days and a few inches of snow, but no extremes. My husband and I were just saying yesterday how we wished the Northeast blizzard were here instead of there.

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sunriseThe winter sunrise is gorgeous. The last few weeks the sun has been coming up around 8 o’clock and we can see it from our street. It’s so beautiful reflecting on the snow and the wet concrete. Golden, pink, orange. Soooo pretty and of course photos aren’t nearly as good as the real thing.

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IMG_9582I love watching the snow fall. And the way everything looks before snowplows or footprints ruin its newness.

IMG_9694 IMG_9685 IMG_9466 IMG_9670 (1024x768)Snow and wintry skies add mystery and intrigue to buildings.

IMG_9619 (1024x768) IMG_9417 (1024x1024) yachtclubAnd the lake is constantly changing.

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Ask me again in March, whether I’m sick of the cold yet. I do hate that I can’t run as often (sure, there are folks who do, but I don’t gear up unless it’s warmer than 29 degrees). But I’m trying hard to enjoy what’s in front of me at this moment. Right now. So often I’ve not lived in the moment with heavy regrets later on. So I embrace you, winter. All of your harshness and vulnerability. I see you. And you are beautiful.

 

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Kitchen Remodel – It’s Never Over

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IMG_9363 (1024x768) If you’ve ever gone through a remodel, you know that just because the lockbox comes off the door and sign gets taken off your lawn, it’s not over. We had a bunch of small issues like molding separating from the ceiling, the instant-hot tasting metallic and a wonky faucet head.

Last week the guys who installed the fireplace surround had to come back and fix the top section of the surround, which was tipping back into the wall, causing the caulking to come off.

IMG_9364 (747x1024) When they arrived, they were able to fix it (vs. replace it, thank goodness) by using suction tools and a wedge of scrap wood (there’s a word for this….shim? I just looked it up and I think that’s right) behind the piece to keep it from falling back again. So far it seems to be working. There is the slightest bit of separation, but as long as it doesn’t get any worse, we’re good.

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New cap

You know I love my central vacuum, so I was very excited to use the new outlet that was rerouted in the kitchen area. I go to pull down the cap and….nothing. No suction. And on top of that, the new cap does not fit our very old vacuum unit (the guy who came over to install it looked at our vacuums, so don’t blame me!).

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Old cap

I called him to let him know (he didn’t believe me and I had to take the above pics to send him. oy) and lucky for me, the old caps we have are no longer being sold because the unit we have is so old. SO…they are going to “make good” by replacing our hose and all seven caps in the house.

IMG_9280 (768x1024)The fireplace guys are coming next week (for the actual firebox, not the guys above) to replace a faulty part and to fix the gas release valve (I totally made that up). Ever since they serviced the unit last week, there has been a six- to ten-second delay from the time the unit is turned on, to the time the flame ignites. When it does turn on, it makes a big “whoosh” sound, sometimes vibrating the glass and scaring the bejeezus out of whoever is standing nearby (usually me or the dog).

Now, if I can only get the carpet guys to deliver that carpet we ordered back in August. sigh

 

 

 

 

 

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Piano Duets with My Sister

My sister and I both took piano as kids. Each year our studio would have a big Christmas concert, with several holiday numbers followed by the Nutcracker Suite. I was never chosen to play in the Nutcracker (my sister was – she’s a lot better than me), but I always wanted to. A few years ago I bought the music (The Nutcracker Suite, Op 7, Piano Four Hands by Tchaikovsky) with the intention of someday playing some of the songs with her.

We finally learned a few pieces this year – practicing separately, of course (she’s in Hawaii and I’m here). When we played together for the first time, it actually sounded pretty good, considering!

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a whole lot of time to play while she was here and even more unfortunately, we only decided to video tape the numbers at the end of her trip, and my phone ran out of room and anyway, these two clips are all I have (Sleigh Ride obviously not part of the Nutracker. We used to play it in high school).

A little out of sync and fuzzy at times, but it was sooooo much fun. We told each other that every year we would learn one song (from the Nutcracker) so that eventually we could play the whole thing together. Three down, five to go (we also learned the Arab Dance and the Chinese Dance, but I have zero footage of those).

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Me on the right.

Here’s to sisters. And here’s to playing the Nutcracker Suite in 2019!

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Merry Merry

IMG_9198 (1024x634)Okay, so I’m a little late with the holiday greetings. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks…

On Christmas Eve, I used our new kitchen to the fullest, making two kinds of chili, cornbread, pasta, rice, a cheesecake and an apple pie (and I can say that I love, love, love the Wolf range and it was totally worth going into debt for). My husband’s family and my family (visiting from Hawaii) were all here at the house. Eight adults, six kids and two babies. It was chaos and it was great.

I put my phone (aka camera) down for most of Christmas week, and of course now I wish I had more photos of the family (zero shots of me, my sister and my mom together, which I was hoping to get and only one (blurry and lame) shot of Christmas morning), but sometimes it’s nice to just sit back and enjoy without worrying about documentation.

IMG_9320 (768x1024) On New Year’s Eve, my sister and I made sugar cookies in the morning with the girls and then prepared a turkey with all the trimmings (mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, etc) for dinner (it is so awesome to have a kitchen again!). My family flew home in the wee hours of the morning the next day and it seems impossible that they were here for a whole week. Time never stands still when you want it to.

Wishes to all of you for a very happy 2015!

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Kitchen Demo – Day Two

IMG_8666 (600x800)IMG_8643 (600x800)Here’s what it looked like at the end of Day Two. Bottom photo is Day One, top photo taken of the same space, Day Two.

IMG_8670 (600x800) Another view looking into the kitchen from the family room. And a “surprise” – a waterline in the middle of the wall we’re taking down. It needs to be moved, obviously, which they say shouldn’t be too difficult.

IMG_8669 (600x800)PreLooking into the family room from the kitchen. Top shot Day Three, bottom shot pre-demolition.

IMG_8673 (600x800)Look guys, original wallpaper! Which, okay, our house was built in 1960, but it was still a cool find. It looks very cheery. And very Grosse Pointe. IMG_8676 (600x800)IMG_8622 (600x800)The garage closet is down. We saved a row of kitchen cabinets to install in its place. Although I think we’re doing the install, not the builders. And by we, of course I mean my husband.

My husband’s office is in the basement. On Day Two, a bunch of plaster came falling down through the laundry chute. Lots of dust flying around and both of our throats were chalky and sore. The dog, not having his usual leather chair to sleep in, slept on our new floral couch (which now has dirt stains and hair all over). I bought paper plates and bowls. And did the Neti-Pot before bed. It’s going to be a long 6 – 8 weeks.