Brrrrr ---- preparing for the upcoming weather!

All of the local weather stations are chock full of warnings about what is coming....  for now its blustery winds and temps in the 20's.  But soon the temps will fall, and we will be in the 20 below range.  With wind chills in the 40-50 BELOW range.  Frostbite in 10 minutes or less.

Boy oh boy this is going to be an interesting Packer Game tomorrow!  Those 49'ers arrived last night and are practicing today in the 20 degree temps are gonna think "this ain't so bad" heh heh heh.  Sure glad enough sponsors bought up the extra tickets so our televised game on the local stations wouldn't be blacked out.  I am proud to say our bank (Associated Bank) bought up a whole pile and gave them away during the pep rally in downtown Green Bay yesterday afternoon!

On the dog topic, last night we decided to try to let little Finnegan sleep upstairs in our bedroom like Duke does.... on the floor by our bed.  So far for the last 3 weeks he has slept in his dog crate in the laundry room. His crate is always dry overnight with no accidents.

I brought his padded doggie mat up to the bedroom last night and laid it next to Duke's blue rug. I pointed to the mat and told Finnegan to "down" and he laid on it and wagged his tail.  Then Duke did the most wonderful thing... he came over and laid next to Finney on the mat!  Awwwww

So either it was to be a buddy and be close... 

or was it to assert the fact that Duke is Top Dog 

and can lay any where he dang well pleases?

Later on Duke moved over to his own blue rug... and the pup dozed in place the rest of the night!  

No wandering, no chewing up anything and most of all, no begging to come up into our bed!

About 6am I heard a click of his dog tag and some stirring, so I got up and brought him outside for a quick potty break.  When we came back in from the blasting winds, he scooted right back up the stairs and straight to his bed mat again!  Duke didn't stir a bit and both dogs went back to sleep!   Steve was still snoring so I figured what the heck, I went back to bed too.   Couldn't sleep, but at least we were cozy warm and QUIET!

I guess little Finnegan has it all figured out to sleep upstairs and be a good boy.  I have to keep in mind that he isn't a tiny 8 week old pup, instead he is a 5 month old teenager who can be trusted to some higher degree of standard.  His bladder is mature to last the night, and as long as he knows the "rules" he can learn to be a more socialized dog in the house now. 

Speaking of doggie bed and TOTAL CUTENESS.... CHECK THIS OUT:

 This is Daisy, who is Finnegan's Mommy.... 

and her new bed she got for Christmas!

Now on to some "Our Old House" topics.... 

I figure until we go anywhere travelling, there isn't much to write about.  So I thought I would go room by room in our house and do some "Before" and "After" pics since it's been a whole year.

So I will start with the outside of the house....  

BEFORE

AFTER

First off, we removed the heavy overgrown arborvitaes and cedar hedges that were growing across the front of the porch.  Two of them broke under the heavy snow load and needed to come out anyhow. Once removed, it highlighted the lovely fret-work cutout lattice running along under the porch!  How adorable!

I painted the sides of the front stoop, and some of the trim on the house in a hunter green.  I might do a bit more this next spring along the top edge?  I have been dabbling adding colored sections on a photo with a Paint program on the computer to see what else I want hunter green. We might add some green shutters on the upper floor windows in the front to dress it up too.  Not sure yet.

We removed the heavy yellowed plastic roll-up blinds on the front porch interior.  It really brightened up the windows and looks so much nicer, even from the outside.

We added a metal mail slot to the front door, and our mailman slides in the mail each day, and puts packages inside the door.  So much nicer than wading through snowdrifts out to the road like we used to do at our last house!

For Mother's Day, Steve bought me the weeping cherry tree we planted in the front yard.  I surrounded it with white cement scallops and well as around the front flower bed I planted where the old cedars and arborvitaes had been.   We left the hedges along the right side of the house to create balance but also cover the ugly gas meter, electric meter and hide the air conditioner too.


On the back of the house, originally there had been an enclosed porch many years ago.  It had been removed when the newer garage was built, and they did a a nice covered entry porch at the back of the house instead.  It's not quite an attached garage, but close enough to get in and out easily.  The porch had been built nicely of treated wood, but never was stained.

BEFORE

 AFTER

So once the weather was warm enough in April, I used some solid color stain by Cabots that looks like paint when done, but is still really a stain product that soaks in, so it won't peel, chip or crack like paint does over the years.  I also painted the rain barrel.. LOL

I also stained the upper portion of the "shaker porch" and put up a new clothesline. 

Well, that is enough for today.  Our coffee time is over, the coffee cake I baked is now half eaten, and we will save the rest for tomorrow morning.   Steve is chomping at the bit to get a move on here and get some stuff done for today.

Stay in and stay warm! 

Chainsaw Man in my front yard!!!!

Oh my!

There was a chainsaw buzzing in my front yard last night... 

and this is the culprit! 

Caught him red-handed!   Or at least "red-chainsaw-in-handed" !   LOL   The center shrub had broken under the weight of the heavy snows this winter... so it needed to come out.  We removed the other two also, because they were quite rangey and awkward and not as full as they should be.  Time to get them out.   

And of course, the other reason was to expose this lovely cutwork trim!!!!

That is sooo much prettier!!!  It had been freshly painted when the house was resided, and it needed to be exposed to add to the style (and height) of the house.   Don't you agree?  Here is a pic from last fall.... and the one on the right was taken last night after we were done cutting. 

After we call Diggers Hotline, then Steve can get the stumpgrinder to take out the stumps --- and grind the ones in the backyard from the two trees we took down last fall--- then I can make a nice flower bed up in the front of the house.  I am thinking of low level annuals that can grow in the bed but not block the pretty cutwork trim.  Maybe add a couple pots of geraniums to the porch steps. 

Also, we are going to add a third color to the house.  Right now it's kinda tan/beige vinyl siding with white trim. It needs a third color to POP out ....  thinking either hunter green, or dusty slate blue, or maybe a rich burgundy?   With the magic of photoshopping, here is an idea of some of things I want to paint.    Maybe add some shutters?  Maybe stain the patched up cement on the stairs with a cement stain? 

 

We are thinking of adding what is called a "pediment" that is seen on Craftsman style homes of this area up in the gable end.  Saw some in white on other homes and think it will be a nice  touch.

Here is a photo of a pediment we saw on a house up near Sherwood.  I found the same one for sale at the local Menards and it's of vinyl and will be easy to attach to the existing siding and trim.

There is a green and white striped awning available that we are thinking of putting over the large southern window on the side of the house.  That would help keep the summer heat away from my Loom Room.   So doing the front with a similar design might pull it all together. 

As for the inside, our laundry room is almost ready to move up the appliances from the basement.  The flooring is laid, and the wall board is around the lower half of the room.  Next I am adding some stained trim to the transition between the wall board and the upper walls.  Steve has the dryer vent in place and is working on the electrical outlet and water/drain piping tonight.  

There is a bit more trim to add to the window frame, and also the bottom half of the door frame that goes up the back staircase.  I am thinking of coating those newer oak cabinets with a colored polystain that will make them darker to match the original woodwork.  And change those knobs over to match what we have in the kitchen.   

This week will be a good week to do inside stuff... because we are forcast for 2 to 3 inches of rain and then perhaps even *S*N*O*W* !!!!!   Geesh, we just got rid of all our snow the last few days.  Now to get more is going to be depressing.  Sigh. 

A bright spot will be tomorrow--- we are going up to grandtot Chelsea and Clayton's day care center for Grandparent Breakfast!   Steve is already off work tomorrow (he has to train his new summer workers on Saturday so took off Thursday) and we will both be able to attend.   I think we will switch rooms halfway through the breakfast so each of us can be with both grandtots during the breakfast.   I will be sure to take pics of tall man Steveio perched on those tiny toddler chairs eating breakfast... haha  

(on edit... sock machine is now sold) 

This week I also picked up an Autoknitter sock knitting machine that I am going to sell.  If you are interested, email me at pfundt@gmail.com    It's a 60 slot cylinder with 30 slot ribber, has set up basket, weights, buckle, and all new needles (with extras)   I already knit off four socks on it and it works very well.  Includes a "How To Knit a Hem Top Sock" DVD that I have self-produced.   I would suggest adding a baler counter, and I could add one for you for an extra $45 because I can pick them up at the local John Deere dealer and mount it to the mast.  I am asking $950 plus shipping.  If you come to my home to pick it up, I will include a free lesson!  

 (the table is not included) 

I have two people seriously considering it, but first come, first get-----  so if you want it, don't delay.  I will post an update as soon as it's sold so I don't get piled up with late inquiries on it after the fact.  

Well, my coffee cup is near the bottom, and my weaving loom is calling me to get more towels done.  It's 9 a.m. and I gotta get a move on here.   Later Gators! 

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