Back into Routines

Well, we are getting settled into routines and enjoying our house.  The dishwasher is now in place, and Steve's idea won out on the island choices (see last blog post) .  Wonder what is next?

The gas log fireplace?  

The first floor laundry room?  

Gutting and redoing the bathroom upstairs?  

Stay tuned to find out what we are doing next on This Old House! 

   

In the meantime..... this week:

We are gearing up to attend both of our grandson's FIRST birthday parties!

Mason Paul Pfundtner turned one year old today!  

We are going to his party tomorrow and I am working on a crock pot of calico beans to take along.

Then on Sunday, we are hostessing the Pfundtner Family Easter Gathering.  We rented the pavilion at High Cliff State Park to hold the event.  So far we are at 27 and counting.  I am making up three hams, 3 dozen deviled eggs, and another crock pot of calico beans.  Everyone else is bringing the side dishes and desserts, so we should not go hungry... LOL


Next Saturday is the other grandson's birthday party to attend.... wonder if I can bring leftover beans?

Clayton Timothy Lock turns one year old next Friday!

The other exciting thing that happened to me was yesterday afternoon.  It was warming up, about 50 degrees.... so I decided to hang out our comforter to get some fresh air.  The clotheslines out in the back yard are still surrounded by snow, so I decided to use the single line that is suspended from two posts on our upstairs shaker porch.


I hoisted the comforter in my arms and went out on the shaker porch  ... and the door LOCKED behind me!   This porch is flat black rubber roof, with a pile of snow on the middle of it.  I can only walk around edges in my stocking feet....  till all of the snow melts.   I tried and tried to pull on the door knob from the left and the right without stepping in the snow.  Nope...  I was trapped!

Then I gave up trying to keep my socks dry, and stood right in front of the door in the snow and yanked harder and harder, for more leverage?  Nope.  I was locked out!


Well..... I stood there for a while, wondering what to do.   Aha!  I will just crane my neck around the edge of the house and wait for someone to walk down the street.  I can call out to them to help me?  Right, invite a complete stranger to come into my house, to come up the stairs and open the door?    It is a small town, I should be fine.  But.....   nobody walked by.  About half an hour later-- I gave up craning my neck around the corner and decided on Plan B.

I looked around at my predicament.  

Well, I could jump over onto the garage roof, 

shimmey down the slope of the roof

and drop into the snow bank?  

(see pic from last autumn, so you can see how close it is)   

But then I was thinking:
Do I want to risk a broken leg or something right before two grandsons' first birthday parties and hostessing 27 people for Easter dinner on Sunday?

So I gave up on that idea too.

Plan C?    I was thinking I could start to hollar and hope the neighbors might hear me through their closed doors and windows?   I tried a bit, but both dogs were out on their tie-out ropes below me and kept barking each time, so it just sounded like annoying barking dogs.  Who is gonna look at that?

So, I gave up on that idea, fast.   I had now been out on the porch for an hour or more.  Good thing it was facing west and the sun was shining and it was in the 50's.  It could be a normal Wisconsin winter day and I would be freezing up there!

While thinking of a Plan D.... I heard a door open!

It was from the back door of two houses over (we never met them yet) and they were getting into their car!  I hollared and shouted and waved my arms!!!  (like a nut case)   and they saw me!

Now I was able to have the pleasure of meeting my neighbors Jen and Ryan!   I sheepishly explained my predicatment and she came in my house, up the stairs and she discovered the door wasn't really locked...   It was the door jam seal has slid over and blocked the entire door at the frame edge from opening!    I said KICK IT and she did, and it popped open!    In I came, wet socks, and dragging my comforter behind me.

I thanked them over and over and we made sure to meet again under more pleasant circumstances.

Steve has now fixed it and it won't be doing THAT to me again! 

(p.s.  perhaps next time I should carry my cell phone in my pocket?)