Well, here it is, the end of yet another year. I still have trouble with the speed that time is flying by. I know that as a kid it seemed like time just crawled... when Christmas was over it was FOREVER before it came again. Now I am already thinking about gifts for next year because if I don't, I will not be ready.
2014 was a year of rehabilitation, traveling adventures and a new companion. It was also a winter weather challenge but I also found that all I had to do was ask and I had all kinds of help.
A little over a year ago I was using a walker and canes to walk around the house. I was having physical therapy at home and preparing to go to therapy at a center that just opened nearby. I signed up for Rover which provides shared rides for Senior Citizens for $.50 each way. They gave me rides to therapy until the surgeon released me to drive. Nice to know that I have an alternative to get from place to place if I am not able to drive.
Even doing that, I still managed to help facilitate the GriefShare program at church. We did not have the turnout that we had hoped for, but the ones who came really benefited from the program. It is quite the drain after 14 weeks on me. I still struggle with my own loss. I gain each time I do GriefShare and I feel I am making progress, but by the end of the sessions, I am wiped out.
In 2014 I found a beautiful mountain chalet in Fancy Gap, VA that I can afford to rent for a month. So I headed south with a couple of Marges to rewind and re-center my life. There was a lot of crafting and sewing that month. And I loved it so much, that I will be doing it again in 2015.
I also made a delightful trip to Alaska to stay with Rob & Kate. It was the first time I had gotten to see the home they built. We shopped and did some sight-seeing. It was nice to be able do the walking with my new knee. I still have the left knee that will need replacement, but not quite yet, but it was so much better than in the past several years.
Upon returning from Alaska, I drove to Pikeville, KY to get my new companion, Winston. He is a 6 year old Schnoodle. It has been an interesting time with him as we got accustomed to each other. He has gone from sleeping off in a corner of the couch as far from me as he could get but still able to see me to sleeping on the recliner between my legs as I type this. He is getting better at going outside... even though he was not too bad to begin with. He loves to ride in the car and will really enjoy heading to Fancy Gap in the spring. He has settled in nicely and is a wonderful companion in a house that was so empty after Molly passed.
As if that was not enough, my biggest event was the sewing room in the basement. Rob had promised to come out and help in September, si I set about clearing out the workroom that Rudy had in the basement. My dear friend, Danny, was once again my rock. He came out and removed all of the big tools. I then went through all the rest of the basement stuff and cleared the room. I was able to try the Bagster Bag system for junk and construction waste. It had been advertised and was a perfect solution for smaller jobs than a big dumpster.
Danny and his son, Darren came out just before Rob came and installed a nice floor. We put down Dri-Core which was an interlocking subfloor system with plastic spacers under particle/plywood to allow for air and dampness under the floor to breathe, We topped that with underlayment and a lovely laminate. Really made the room so nice and less like a basement. I love it so much that I will be doing the same thing in the basement bedroom over the winter.
I still have some little things to do down there, but I have tables, a spare bed and sewing machines all set up. I have not had time to sew, sew, sew there yet, but now that the holidays are over, I plan to be there quite a bit.
The holidays were equally wonderful. Brian arrived first, then Rob & Kate followed by my brother, Andy and his wife, Carol. Good food (thanks Brian) and good times, plus I got my Ugly wall in the dining room F I N A L L Y covered! Best Christmas present ever.
So tonight I will quietly celebrate the end of a good year. I am preparing to start another GriefShare series on Tuesday. I am hoping that we can help those folks who are suffering from the loss of a loved one. I feel very good about this project this year. I have been much more involved in the planning this time.
2015 is gearing up to be a wonderful year. From my month in Fancy Gap I head to Ashland, KY for my 50th High School class reunion. I have already heard from a couple of my high school friends that I will reconnect with that weekend. Winston will be traveling with me for both adventures. I am hoping to drive out to Minneapolis to spend some time with Brian and hope to be able to stop and visit with my cousin either on the way out or on the way back. And who knows what else I will manage to do. It will be an exciting year.
So Happy New Year to all of my friends and family. Wishing you a fun filled and fulfilling New Year in 2015. May Health and Prosperity be yours. May you find Joy and Happiness in all that you do!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Winding Down and Finishing
Yesterday was a catch-up/wind down day. There is always a deflating day following the holidays. The hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays is over. The guests have come, eaten, opened presents and gone. There is laundry to be done and I find I need time to just wind down from everything and get back into the routine that Winston and I have created since he moved in.
I headed to church this morning with a trunk full of goodies for my friend, Sheila. I met Sheila four years ago at the first GriefShare in 2012, We almost felt an immediate bond as she had lost two husbands over the course of her life. She has become part of my quilting/sewing friends and has arranged for our monthly pillowcase sewing for charity.
I have been fortunate in my life to have been able to get some top notch sewing machines and I had one in Maryland and one in Pennsylvania of both sewing and serger. Now that I have only one home I have been looking for a good home for my duplicates. As I have found the complete parts of my machines, I have given them to Sheila. She has a new granddaughter (Sadie) and will be able to use the sewing/embroidery machine to make some wonderful things for her. Today I gave her a nice serger that will allow her to make some nice garments and finish items faster than with traditional sewing.
Then I came home to finish up a loose end from the construction before Christmas. When we had picked up the panels to do the Ugly wall, I had also purchased a piece of plywood to cut and put under the mattress on the trundle to give it a more substantial sleeping surface. It was on the list of seven projects. The Ugly wall repair was finished and it took longer than I had anticipated, but of all of the items, that is the one I really wanted completed. I got another one partially done, I have hard wired two of my cameras, but I have to tack up the cable to the one in order to cross it off the list.
I was left with saw horses, a full sheet of plywood and a partial sheet of the paneling on the back porch when everyone left.
So the paneling was placed in the garage. It is a nice piece and I will find another place to use it... give me time.
So I took my measurements from the bed frame, marked it on the plywood and very, very carefully used my circular saw and ended up with a smaller rectangle that I am hoping will fit where I need it. (It is a bit blurry as the battery in the camera was almost dead and it was not a terribly sharp picture). Do not look too closely, the lines are not completely straight, but they are not bad, for a beginner. The good thing is I still have all of my fingers, I did not cut through the saw cord and I did not cut into the furring strips or saw horses that was holding up the plywood. :>)
Then I took the saw, cut off the corners, so that when I tuck in sheets and blankets, I do not stab myself on sharp corners. Finally I dragged it inside and after catching my breath, I slid the board, on it's side to the basement. In the next day or so, I will get it under the mattress on the trundle.
I will then start working on the list and getting the rest of the things done. Rob mentioned something about a shared Google Doc where I will keep my list so he is aware of what needs to be done. We will work on that later. But I am pleased at my ability to use power tools... and with no assistant to hold the ends of the board while I saw. (Rudy, I learned about many things by just watching you.... thanks!)
I headed to church this morning with a trunk full of goodies for my friend, Sheila. I met Sheila four years ago at the first GriefShare in 2012, We almost felt an immediate bond as she had lost two husbands over the course of her life. She has become part of my quilting/sewing friends and has arranged for our monthly pillowcase sewing for charity.
I have been fortunate in my life to have been able to get some top notch sewing machines and I had one in Maryland and one in Pennsylvania of both sewing and serger. Now that I have only one home I have been looking for a good home for my duplicates. As I have found the complete parts of my machines, I have given them to Sheila. She has a new granddaughter (Sadie) and will be able to use the sewing/embroidery machine to make some wonderful things for her. Today I gave her a nice serger that will allow her to make some nice garments and finish items faster than with traditional sewing.
Then I came home to finish up a loose end from the construction before Christmas. When we had picked up the panels to do the Ugly wall, I had also purchased a piece of plywood to cut and put under the mattress on the trundle to give it a more substantial sleeping surface. It was on the list of seven projects. The Ugly wall repair was finished and it took longer than I had anticipated, but of all of the items, that is the one I really wanted completed. I got another one partially done, I have hard wired two of my cameras, but I have to tack up the cable to the one in order to cross it off the list.
I was left with saw horses, a full sheet of plywood and a partial sheet of the paneling on the back porch when everyone left.
So the paneling was placed in the garage. It is a nice piece and I will find another place to use it... give me time.
So I took my measurements from the bed frame, marked it on the plywood and very, very carefully used my circular saw and ended up with a smaller rectangle that I am hoping will fit where I need it. (It is a bit blurry as the battery in the camera was almost dead and it was not a terribly sharp picture). Do not look too closely, the lines are not completely straight, but they are not bad, for a beginner. The good thing is I still have all of my fingers, I did not cut through the saw cord and I did not cut into the furring strips or saw horses that was holding up the plywood. :>)
Then I took the saw, cut off the corners, so that when I tuck in sheets and blankets, I do not stab myself on sharp corners. Finally I dragged it inside and after catching my breath, I slid the board, on it's side to the basement. In the next day or so, I will get it under the mattress on the trundle.
I will then start working on the list and getting the rest of the things done. Rob mentioned something about a shared Google Doc where I will keep my list so he is aware of what needs to be done. We will work on that later. But I am pleased at my ability to use power tools... and with no assistant to hold the ends of the board while I saw. (Rudy, I learned about many things by just watching you.... thanks!)
Friday, December 26, 2014
Day After Christmas Shopping Adventure
Christmas afternoon my brother, Andy, and his wife, Carol, returned from visiting with her sister, Sue and her husband, Mark. They had met for breakfast at the Double D Diner in Thorndale and returned to my home for more Christmas Day fun.
Patty and Nelson Nafzinger have a family dinner at the church hall and had included me this year. We took desserts and enjoyed seeing the entire clan... brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren. There was plenty of food and conversation and fun with a gift exchange. We did not stay too late as it had been a long couple of days for the three of us and we headed home so we could kickback, relax and enjoy snacking on crackers and blue cheese ball (our mother's recipe and a holiday tradition). Carol does a lovely job making it each Christmas and she really cannot stand Blue Cheese, so it is quite a labor of love on her part which we blue cheese lovers (my brother and I) appreciate from the tips of our tongues to the deliciousness in our bellies!
This morning we were up early and returned to the Double D for a really great breakfast. I had Sausage Gravy on Biscuits and Hash Browns. It was the best I have had in a long time. We went that direction so we could just go down the road a short distance to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store in Coatesville. And and Carol volunteer at their local Re-Store in Fredericksburg, VA and when they travel tend to locate the Re-Stores in their areas to see how things are run there and bring back good ideas to their store.
We found the store less organized than it could have been (and it has been that way each time I have ventured inside) and overpriced (according to my brother) plus the volunteers were being supervised by a real Grinchy guy that was setting a less than pleasant tone for the shoppers.
From there we headed to Cedar Lane Dry Goods in New Holland. It is a lovely store that my friend Patty had pointed out to me. It is manned by some Amish ladies and has an interesting variety of dry goods (just as the sign implies) There are boxes of inspirational greeting cards, various office/school supplies and socks. There are books, sewing notions and some really nice fabrics at some really nice prices. I found three pieces of fabric that will make a nice quilt someday along with some cards. As we went to our cars, my brother mentioned the second floor which I had missed completely. So we went back in and found a second floor of more fabrics (some for dresses rather than just quilts) along with new Tupperware and another large selection of books. They also had some patterns and I found 2. I need to go back and look more upstairs!
From there we headed to the Lancaster Outlets. On the 24th, Andy and Carol had stopped in the Rockvale Outlets and she had seen some shoes at the QVC Outlet but had not purchased them. So we headed back. On the 24th, they had the place to themselves. Today it was mobbed. The lines to check out wrapped around the store and the store was packed with shoppers. I wandered around but had no desire to stand in line to check out. I stood with Andy while Carol shopped. She did not have the shoes in her hands but she kept looking. They finally bought a microwave pressure cooker unit. I will be curious to see if they use it and how it works for them.
Then we hit the road and headed for the last store, the Lancaster Re-Store. It was just a short jaunt from QVC and a much nicer store than Coatesville. It was also larger. It was well organized, clean and well lighted. Their merchandise was priced better but none of us found anything although I did find a small lamp I could have used in the sewing room.... but not exactly what I was looking for, so I passed.
We parted company in the parking lot and Andy & Carol headed home to Fredericksburg and I back to see Winston. He seemed very happy to see me and wanted to play. I found that my cameras were not broadcasting so I had to reboot the routers and decided to upgrade my software to the new version and got it up and running. I still have to hard wire the sewing room camera, perhaps later.
So it is back to normal. Winston is asleep on the couch and I am bringing you all up to date. It is time to hunker down for the winter. I will be helping to lead GriefShare starting January 6th. When that ends I head back to Fancy Gap, VA for a month and then to Ashland, KY for my 50th High School Reunion, so busy times ahead. All is well after a wonderful holiday!!
Patty and Nelson Nafzinger have a family dinner at the church hall and had included me this year. We took desserts and enjoyed seeing the entire clan... brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren. There was plenty of food and conversation and fun with a gift exchange. We did not stay too late as it had been a long couple of days for the three of us and we headed home so we could kickback, relax and enjoy snacking on crackers and blue cheese ball (our mother's recipe and a holiday tradition). Carol does a lovely job making it each Christmas and she really cannot stand Blue Cheese, so it is quite a labor of love on her part which we blue cheese lovers (my brother and I) appreciate from the tips of our tongues to the deliciousness in our bellies!
This morning we were up early and returned to the Double D for a really great breakfast. I had Sausage Gravy on Biscuits and Hash Browns. It was the best I have had in a long time. We went that direction so we could just go down the road a short distance to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store in Coatesville. And and Carol volunteer at their local Re-Store in Fredericksburg, VA and when they travel tend to locate the Re-Stores in their areas to see how things are run there and bring back good ideas to their store.
We found the store less organized than it could have been (and it has been that way each time I have ventured inside) and overpriced (according to my brother) plus the volunteers were being supervised by a real Grinchy guy that was setting a less than pleasant tone for the shoppers.
From there we headed to Cedar Lane Dry Goods in New Holland. It is a lovely store that my friend Patty had pointed out to me. It is manned by some Amish ladies and has an interesting variety of dry goods (just as the sign implies) There are boxes of inspirational greeting cards, various office/school supplies and socks. There are books, sewing notions and some really nice fabrics at some really nice prices. I found three pieces of fabric that will make a nice quilt someday along with some cards. As we went to our cars, my brother mentioned the second floor which I had missed completely. So we went back in and found a second floor of more fabrics (some for dresses rather than just quilts) along with new Tupperware and another large selection of books. They also had some patterns and I found 2. I need to go back and look more upstairs!
From there we headed to the Lancaster Outlets. On the 24th, Andy and Carol had stopped in the Rockvale Outlets and she had seen some shoes at the QVC Outlet but had not purchased them. So we headed back. On the 24th, they had the place to themselves. Today it was mobbed. The lines to check out wrapped around the store and the store was packed with shoppers. I wandered around but had no desire to stand in line to check out. I stood with Andy while Carol shopped. She did not have the shoes in her hands but she kept looking. They finally bought a microwave pressure cooker unit. I will be curious to see if they use it and how it works for them.
Then we hit the road and headed for the last store, the Lancaster Re-Store. It was just a short jaunt from QVC and a much nicer store than Coatesville. It was also larger. It was well organized, clean and well lighted. Their merchandise was priced better but none of us found anything although I did find a small lamp I could have used in the sewing room.... but not exactly what I was looking for, so I passed.
We parted company in the parking lot and Andy & Carol headed home to Fredericksburg and I back to see Winston. He seemed very happy to see me and wanted to play. I found that my cameras were not broadcasting so I had to reboot the routers and decided to upgrade my software to the new version and got it up and running. I still have to hard wire the sewing room camera, perhaps later.
So it is back to normal. Winston is asleep on the couch and I am bringing you all up to date. It is time to hunker down for the winter. I will be helping to lead GriefShare starting January 6th. When that ends I head back to Fancy Gap, VA for a month and then to Ashland, KY for my 50th High School Reunion, so busy times ahead. All is well after a wonderful holiday!!
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Christmas Greetings
Merry Christmas everyone.
It has been a whirlwind of preparations and activities. And even though I was wrapping at the last minutes, I was actually more prepared this year than any other year in the recent past.
I decorated this year, garland on the doorways, two little trees up and plugged in. I was going to do a couple of lights outside but that did not happen, so next year.
Brian arrived on Saturday, Rob & Kate arrived on Sunday. As referenced in the previous blog, we managed to finally get my ugly wall covered. Still have a little trimming to finish, but it was the best present I could have received. I will still have to cut the plywood to go under the trundle in the basement, but since it is under the mattress, no one will see if it is not perfect.
The kids have left already this morning. They are driving to New Jersey to spend some time with their father.... one of the downsides of being kids of divorced parents. My brother, Andy, and his wife Carol were with us last night along with their boys, Tommy and Chris. The boys headed back to Virginia last night but Andy and Carol will be coming back this afternoon for a Christmas dinner and some conversations and spending time together. I am hoping that we can visit more over the winter as long as travel is not impaired by snow and the like.
It is always bittersweet when they leave. I love having my children around. So when they leave, I usually have a few tears on my cheeks. But it always makes the time I do have very, very special.
So to all of you, Merry Christmas. I hope you were able to spend the holiday with family and friends. It is a season of Peace and Goodwill. And now... to on to 2015!!!
It has been a whirlwind of preparations and activities. And even though I was wrapping at the last minutes, I was actually more prepared this year than any other year in the recent past.
I decorated this year, garland on the doorways, two little trees up and plugged in. I was going to do a couple of lights outside but that did not happen, so next year.
Brian arrived on Saturday, Rob & Kate arrived on Sunday. As referenced in the previous blog, we managed to finally get my ugly wall covered. Still have a little trimming to finish, but it was the best present I could have received. I will still have to cut the plywood to go under the trundle in the basement, but since it is under the mattress, no one will see if it is not perfect.
The kids have left already this morning. They are driving to New Jersey to spend some time with their father.... one of the downsides of being kids of divorced parents. My brother, Andy, and his wife Carol were with us last night along with their boys, Tommy and Chris. The boys headed back to Virginia last night but Andy and Carol will be coming back this afternoon for a Christmas dinner and some conversations and spending time together. I am hoping that we can visit more over the winter as long as travel is not impaired by snow and the like.
It is always bittersweet when they leave. I love having my children around. So when they leave, I usually have a few tears on my cheeks. But it always makes the time I do have very, very special.
So to all of you, Merry Christmas. I hope you were able to spend the holiday with family and friends. It is a season of Peace and Goodwill. And now... to on to 2015!!!
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Christmas Gift 2014
Good morning. As I type, it is Christmas Eve morning and only Kate and I are up and about. I was up last night sorting stuff for one of my gifts. I still have some wrapping to do, but I will get it done even if I have to close myself off in the basement.
Brian arrived on Saturday from Minneapolis. We had almost half a day on Saturday and most of the day Sunday to spend some nice time catching up on all of his activities. Rob and Kate arrived mid evening on Sunday and we have had non-stop talking and laughter since.
I did put them to work yesterday.
Many of you are aware that I had started painting my living room to freshen it up after Rudy died. I got the living room part done, but got stymied at the ding room part. In peeling off wall paper on the long dining room wall, I discovered an area where water had been intruding on the wall for years. There was a large and fragile patch in the plaster and I just was not sure what I wanted to do to repair the wall and then make it look pretty again.
Since then, I have referred to the wall as my ugly wall and everyday as I looked at it, I tried formulating a plan. I first had to block the water from coming in. It was the result of an untreated, cinder block chimney/flue for my furnace that would suck in water from heavy rain and then wick down to the interior wall. A little help from Danny..... no, with a lot of help from Danny.... I got the outside of the chimney painted with DriLock paint and then covered the top with a chimney cover and no more water!
I kept going back and forth on how to finish off the ugly wall to hit the patch and make the wall look nice again. There were multiple layers of old and ugly wall paper that had been used to cover the patch and hid the damage. In some areas it came off easily, in others, not so much! I finally decided that I would cover the wall with bead board paneling that I could paint if I wanted to and add some texture to the room.
So...... I figured while I had both boys home, it would be a simple task to cut and fit the three panels of bead board to the wall.
Brian and I purchased the panels and some plywood to go under the trundle mattress before Roab and Kate arrived. So, yesterday was the day!
Here is the ugly wall before we started...
At this point the patch in the upper left-hand corner has been treated with a couple of layers of DriLock which soaked into the bad plaster repair job and has stabilized the fragile patch. It has been sanded close to level with the wall so the paneling will lay flat and the little propane heater has been removed. The baseboard has been removed and it is ready to have the paneling applied.
Rob and Brian established a level line alone the bottom of the wall where the straight edge of the paneling will rest and have taken measurements for cutting the not in any way, shape or form level ceiling line. Rob had remembered some of the cutting techniques that he and Danny had used to cut the peg board in the basement build and they were using my circular saw to cut the paneling. The first panel was close, but needed an additional trim in order for it to fit.
We took a break, before installing the first panel and went to dinner at Dyers Restaurant with some of my friends. Marji and Danny came up from Maryland to join us. Then came back to the house where Danny jumped in and assisted in the completion of the restoration.
The results can be seen in the pictures below.
They were very methodical in their measurements and took time to test fit everything before applying the glue. We secured the panels into their drying position with a few brads and voila.....
The best Christmas present ever!!!!!!! Isn't it a lovely wall??? Just a little trim at the top and some paint and it will be perfect! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Brian and Rob and Danny for making this into my beautiful wall.
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Brian arrived on Saturday from Minneapolis. We had almost half a day on Saturday and most of the day Sunday to spend some nice time catching up on all of his activities. Rob and Kate arrived mid evening on Sunday and we have had non-stop talking and laughter since.
I did put them to work yesterday.
Many of you are aware that I had started painting my living room to freshen it up after Rudy died. I got the living room part done, but got stymied at the ding room part. In peeling off wall paper on the long dining room wall, I discovered an area where water had been intruding on the wall for years. There was a large and fragile patch in the plaster and I just was not sure what I wanted to do to repair the wall and then make it look pretty again.
Since then, I have referred to the wall as my ugly wall and everyday as I looked at it, I tried formulating a plan. I first had to block the water from coming in. It was the result of an untreated, cinder block chimney/flue for my furnace that would suck in water from heavy rain and then wick down to the interior wall. A little help from Danny..... no, with a lot of help from Danny.... I got the outside of the chimney painted with DriLock paint and then covered the top with a chimney cover and no more water!
I kept going back and forth on how to finish off the ugly wall to hit the patch and make the wall look nice again. There were multiple layers of old and ugly wall paper that had been used to cover the patch and hid the damage. In some areas it came off easily, in others, not so much! I finally decided that I would cover the wall with bead board paneling that I could paint if I wanted to and add some texture to the room.
So...... I figured while I had both boys home, it would be a simple task to cut and fit the three panels of bead board to the wall.
Brian and I purchased the panels and some plywood to go under the trundle mattress before Roab and Kate arrived. So, yesterday was the day!
Here is the ugly wall before we started...
At this point the patch in the upper left-hand corner has been treated with a couple of layers of DriLock which soaked into the bad plaster repair job and has stabilized the fragile patch. It has been sanded close to level with the wall so the paneling will lay flat and the little propane heater has been removed. The baseboard has been removed and it is ready to have the paneling applied.
Rob and Brian established a level line alone the bottom of the wall where the straight edge of the paneling will rest and have taken measurements for cutting the not in any way, shape or form level ceiling line. Rob had remembered some of the cutting techniques that he and Danny had used to cut the peg board in the basement build and they were using my circular saw to cut the paneling. The first panel was close, but needed an additional trim in order for it to fit.
We took a break, before installing the first panel and went to dinner at Dyers Restaurant with some of my friends. Marji and Danny came up from Maryland to join us. Then came back to the house where Danny jumped in and assisted in the completion of the restoration.
The results can be seen in the pictures below.
They were very methodical in their measurements and took time to test fit everything before applying the glue. We secured the panels into their drying position with a few brads and voila.....
The best Christmas present ever!!!!!!! Isn't it a lovely wall??? Just a little trim at the top and some paint and it will be perfect! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Brian and Rob and Danny for making this into my beautiful wall.
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Hopefully finished for 2014
Good morning world.....
I am sitting in my recliner, waiting for a phone call from the groomers to go pick up my lovely bathed and clipped dog, Winston, for the holidays.
I dropped him off at 9:00 Am and from there I drove to Downingtown to the Hyundai dealer. Last Friday I had Friedman Windshield out to replace the windshield on my Elantra. I was hit by a stone and it shipped the windshield, but within less than a week, the cold had caused the windshield to crack.
This was the first windshield I have had replaced. It had to sit for 24 hours after it was installed so it would bond properly. They explained to me, it was not so much that it was not drivable, but more that if I was in an accident in the first 24 hours, the entire windshield could be launched as a projectile.
The problem is that all of the inspection stickers were on the old windshield. I had five days to get them replaced, so I drove to Downingtown to get them re-applied. It only cost me $8.55. They also added 'air' to my tires so the low pressure light would go out. My tires on this car do not have regular air, but rather they were filled with nitrogen. I can add regular air, but I figured why not have it done with the gas.
So I am now done...... hopefully.... with vehicles. Since November I have had the van inspected, I had a fender repaired on the van. I had the truck inspected and the blower fan speed repaired as it only ran on high. I had the battery on the Elantra replaced after I killed it. Then the stone chip/crack fixed and getting the stickers replaced on the Elantra.
So I am finished. They are all perfect. Everything is working and looked good! So no more car issues......... PLEASE!!!!!
I am sitting in my recliner, waiting for a phone call from the groomers to go pick up my lovely bathed and clipped dog, Winston, for the holidays.
I dropped him off at 9:00 Am and from there I drove to Downingtown to the Hyundai dealer. Last Friday I had Friedman Windshield out to replace the windshield on my Elantra. I was hit by a stone and it shipped the windshield, but within less than a week, the cold had caused the windshield to crack.
This was the first windshield I have had replaced. It had to sit for 24 hours after it was installed so it would bond properly. They explained to me, it was not so much that it was not drivable, but more that if I was in an accident in the first 24 hours, the entire windshield could be launched as a projectile.
The problem is that all of the inspection stickers were on the old windshield. I had five days to get them replaced, so I drove to Downingtown to get them re-applied. It only cost me $8.55. They also added 'air' to my tires so the low pressure light would go out. My tires on this car do not have regular air, but rather they were filled with nitrogen. I can add regular air, but I figured why not have it done with the gas.
So I am now done...... hopefully.... with vehicles. Since November I have had the van inspected, I had a fender repaired on the van. I had the truck inspected and the blower fan speed repaired as it only ran on high. I had the battery on the Elantra replaced after I killed it. Then the stone chip/crack fixed and getting the stickers replaced on the Elantra.
So I am finished. They are all perfect. Everything is working and looked good! So no more car issues......... PLEASE!!!!!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Not good news but not too bad either.....
I have taken a small break from posting. I have had quite a few little glitches in my life and while they are not devastating they have thrown me into a bit of a spin. And the cloudy, cold weather is not helping. There are a couple of days when I have just curled up in a ball and done nothing. So I am a bit behind in many things.
By the same token, I have been busy. I have gotten the van inspected and the little boo-boo on the fender repaired. I have gotten the truck inspected and the blower fan for the heater and defroster repaired. All have new windshield wipers (thanks Danny and Darren) and the snow plow is on the truck.
I figured that it would be the end of the car issues, but the day I was going to be able to pick up the van, I had done some shopping in the Elantra. Driving along Route 322, a stone was kicked up by another vehicle and a small stone chip appeared just above my head on the windshield. So, I called my insurance and got my best repair group out today to fix it. The Elantra has been in the garage since, but when we went in to assess what was needed, the freezing temperatures had made the chip into a full blown crack. Friday they will come back and replace the entire windshield. Yippee!
The sewing room is coming along nicely. I have managed to make one pillowcase for charity, but with all of the appointments and meetings and stuff, I have just not had time. I did assemble and install the trundle under the bed. It was an interesting process. The frame needed two people, so I had to improvise to keep the metal slats from falling out while the ends were being installed. Yarn comes in handy for more thank knitting!! Just sayin'!
The mattress came from Amazon. It was vacuum packed and rolled into a large duffle looking thing. The package warned that opening it would cause the mattress to expand quickly. Inside the duffle was another plastic bag. That bag revealed more plastic and some really hefty tape. I carefully cut the tape one at a time and with each cut, it began to put pressure on the remaining. I tried to position it to be on the bed frame but missed a bit. It unfolded with some force, but I managed not to hurt myself and not break anything. If everyone comes that might come for Christmas Eve, I will need beds for 9 - NINE - 9 - people. It will be fun!!
Now, for tonight. You all know that Winston came to live here late in June. At first he was very confused and we had some issues with remembering to ask to go out to pee. He had some food issues, too but of late the only issue I have had with him is that he is a digger. He has been digging holes all over the back yard. One of the local farmers says he is digging for moles, and it explains the strange little creature I found on the porch. But tonight I was supposed to go out and have dinner with some delightful local folks who go out to dinner every Tuesday. I had put Winston out to do his duty while I gathered my purse, keys and coat. Not long, less than 5 minutes. I go out to get him and he is no where in sight. I call and no movement. I finally go over to the steps, look at his lead and it is strung from the step where it is connected to under the deck..... UNDER the deck. This deck is 12 feet wide and 32 feet long. Lattice covers the openings, but there was a low place where the sewer line from the house to the septic was repaired and he had made it a little deeper and gone UNDER the deck. I tugged on the lead, but he had managed to under some conduit for electric for the garage and gotten the lead jammed under the conduit. He was stuck under there. STUCK!!!!!!!!!
I called my friends and begged off dinner. Then I got a flashlight and tried to view where he was. I then went into the garage and located a small pry bar. I took off the lattice in the area closest to where Winston was, He managed to squiggle over and I was able to lay on the wet and muddy (it had been raining off and on here for most of the day) ground, unhook the lead and get him out. After putting him in the house, I managed to replaced the lattice, cover up the low area temporarily. Tomorrow I will try to secure the lattice, try got get the lead out from under the conduit so I can use it again and find a better way to block access to under the deck.
As I told Marji today. Winston certainly makes my life interesting and on my toes. He is not like any dog I have ever had. He digs holes, he loves rain and snow, he eats dirt and other things, he is not the dainty little dogs I have had in the future. But he climbs up in my lap, now, and leans into my chest and snuggles so nicely. It has been several months of learning to trust me. We are finally are beginning to understand each other!!
Better days ahead!!
By the same token, I have been busy. I have gotten the van inspected and the little boo-boo on the fender repaired. I have gotten the truck inspected and the blower fan for the heater and defroster repaired. All have new windshield wipers (thanks Danny and Darren) and the snow plow is on the truck.
I figured that it would be the end of the car issues, but the day I was going to be able to pick up the van, I had done some shopping in the Elantra. Driving along Route 322, a stone was kicked up by another vehicle and a small stone chip appeared just above my head on the windshield. So, I called my insurance and got my best repair group out today to fix it. The Elantra has been in the garage since, but when we went in to assess what was needed, the freezing temperatures had made the chip into a full blown crack. Friday they will come back and replace the entire windshield. Yippee!
The sewing room is coming along nicely. I have managed to make one pillowcase for charity, but with all of the appointments and meetings and stuff, I have just not had time. I did assemble and install the trundle under the bed. It was an interesting process. The frame needed two people, so I had to improvise to keep the metal slats from falling out while the ends were being installed. Yarn comes in handy for more thank knitting!! Just sayin'!
The mattress came from Amazon. It was vacuum packed and rolled into a large duffle looking thing. The package warned that opening it would cause the mattress to expand quickly. Inside the duffle was another plastic bag. That bag revealed more plastic and some really hefty tape. I carefully cut the tape one at a time and with each cut, it began to put pressure on the remaining. I tried to position it to be on the bed frame but missed a bit. It unfolded with some force, but I managed not to hurt myself and not break anything. If everyone comes that might come for Christmas Eve, I will need beds for 9 - NINE - 9 - people. It will be fun!!
Now, for tonight. You all know that Winston came to live here late in June. At first he was very confused and we had some issues with remembering to ask to go out to pee. He had some food issues, too but of late the only issue I have had with him is that he is a digger. He has been digging holes all over the back yard. One of the local farmers says he is digging for moles, and it explains the strange little creature I found on the porch. But tonight I was supposed to go out and have dinner with some delightful local folks who go out to dinner every Tuesday. I had put Winston out to do his duty while I gathered my purse, keys and coat. Not long, less than 5 minutes. I go out to get him and he is no where in sight. I call and no movement. I finally go over to the steps, look at his lead and it is strung from the step where it is connected to under the deck..... UNDER the deck. This deck is 12 feet wide and 32 feet long. Lattice covers the openings, but there was a low place where the sewer line from the house to the septic was repaired and he had made it a little deeper and gone UNDER the deck. I tugged on the lead, but he had managed to under some conduit for electric for the garage and gotten the lead jammed under the conduit. He was stuck under there. STUCK!!!!!!!!!
I called my friends and begged off dinner. Then I got a flashlight and tried to view where he was. I then went into the garage and located a small pry bar. I took off the lattice in the area closest to where Winston was, He managed to squiggle over and I was able to lay on the wet and muddy (it had been raining off and on here for most of the day) ground, unhook the lead and get him out. After putting him in the house, I managed to replaced the lattice, cover up the low area temporarily. Tomorrow I will try to secure the lattice, try got get the lead out from under the conduit so I can use it again and find a better way to block access to under the deck.
As I told Marji today. Winston certainly makes my life interesting and on my toes. He is not like any dog I have ever had. He digs holes, he loves rain and snow, he eats dirt and other things, he is not the dainty little dogs I have had in the future. But he climbs up in my lap, now, and leans into my chest and snuggles so nicely. It has been several months of learning to trust me. We are finally are beginning to understand each other!!
Better days ahead!!
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