Holm.Made

my, how he wiggles

2010-07-22T09:36:00.001-07:00

In an effort to not get completely overwhelmed by the demands of being a new mom, I am going to try and work a little bit of creativity into each day. And I do mean a little. (By the way, blogging totally counts as a creative activity.)

Yesterday, during one of Jeremiah’s “awake” times (i.e., the 15 minutes between when he finishes nursing and I put him down for a nap), I tried to take some photos of him. One thing I’ve already learned is that even though he isn’t mobile yet, he moves a ton. I could not get a photo of him without his arms and legs failing about.

This isn’t exactly what I’m going for. The photographer I took him to earlier this week has the right idea. She pretty much only shoots newborns that are asleep- really asleep. She spent an hour holding him and rocking him until he was completely out. Oh, and her studio was very warm (unlike my house which will never be warmer than 75 degrees in the summer.) Between the temperature, the loud heartbeat sound she had playing, and the rocking, she was able to get him in some really adorable poses.

I, on the other hand, was less successful. This is probably the best shot I got.

His arms are doing that crazy thing that reminds me of Wallace and Grommit (“No cheese, Grommit!”) Needless to say, I will be trying again. I’m not sure how a grown Jeremiah is going to feel about all these baby pictures—I think I should at least try to make him look less silly.

Blurry

2010-07-18T19:22:00.001-07:00

I’m having a hard time keeping straight what day it is. This always happens to me in the summer and I usually embrace it as a sign that I have few responsibilities and loads of free time. Who cares if it is Tuesday or Wednesday- all I know is I don’t have deadlines to meet, lessons to plan, or papers to grade.

However, the past 2 and 1/2 weeks have been a blur. Today is Sunday, but it feels like pretty much like every one of the 17 days before it. Since Jeremiah has entered our lives, my days consist of feeding him, changing his diaper (oh, the number of diapers that kid goes through), and listening to him cry as his mean mommy makes him sleep in his crib. He much prefers to sleep cuddled up in my arms (or anyone’s arms, for that matter.) At least he is sleeping and for that I am immensely grateful.

It is starting to sink in that small things—going to the grocery store, meeting a friend for lunch, stopping for Chinese food—are no longer small. Instead, they are events that require a fair amount mental energy and planning. For instance: to go to church we need to be there at 9:30. It’s about a 40 minute drive for us, so that means that we need to leave around 8:45. It is taking Jeremiah a good 45 minutes to nurse and it takes me 15 minutes to change him and get him ready to go. (The math teacher in me is resisting the urge to make this into a word problem.) Anyway, the point is that by the time we get anywhere, he is pretty much ready to eat again and there isn’t much point in actually leaving the house.

Hence, the blurry state of my days.

I’m hopeful that Jeremiah will not always be hungry and eventually there will come a day when I will have more than a few minutes of free time. (Please—if you are getting ready to disabuse me of this notion, I must ask you to refrain. I desperately need to believe this.) I’m also hopeful that having an incredibly adorable baby around will force me to seize the moment and document his first months and years. I have plans to take photography more seriously (as in actually finding out what all the settings on my camera are for and diving into the world of photoshop.) I’m especially inspired by this idea and plan to steal it immediately. Making things and being creative is something I don’t want to lose—I just have to figure out how to do it in 30 minute chunks of time.

Jeremiah David Holm

2010-07-10T19:30:00.001-07:00

On July 1, 2010, at 1:37 am, Jeremiah was born. He has captured our hearts and I know that we will never, ever be the same.

Today Jeremiah is nine days old. The past nine days have been filled with happy moments as Michael and I begin to grow into our role as his parents. Seeing the gentle way Michael holds Jeremiah and the softness in his face as he looks at his son has been especially thrilling for me.

Jeremiah is still so new and we are learning more about each other every day. His sweet face is hard to resist and I find myself staring at him, willing him to open his beautiful blue-gray eyes. When I’m not staring, I’m kissing and smelling his sweet skin.

He has been incredibly easy to take care of and seems content to eat, sleep, and poop. He is nursing well and sleeping for 3-4 hour stretches at night. All in all, we have been pleasantly surprised at how laid back he seems to be. Of course, all that could change as the newborn sleepiness wears off.

******

A few words about his birth. Warning- if you don’t know what dilation or effacement is, you might not want to read any further :)

My water broke around 4:30 Wednesday morning (June 30). I hadn’t had any contractions so our midwife said to try and get some sleep and call back when the contractions were about 10 minutes apart. Within an hour or so I started having regular contractions and they picked up in intensity pretty quickly. By about 10am I was having contractions that were 5 minutes apart and were lasting at least two minutes. We waited a little longer and eventually headed to the Birth Center in Chapel Hill. At around 1:30pm I had dilated to 6cm and was 90% effaced. We were all very encouraged by this and even though I was in a good deal of pain, I felt really positive about how labor was progressing.

Unfortunately, my progress seemed to slow down after that. I was still having intense contractions (many of them double peeked), but my cervix just wasn’t dilating much more. At around 8pm, our midwife decided to help things along a little by slipping the remaining cervix over Jeremiah’s head. She was able to get me to 10cm within about an hour. At around 9pm she said I could start pushing.

And I did. For 4 and 1/2 hours. Little Jeremiah wasn’t face down and so it took a long time to get him rotated around into the correct position. It probably didn’t help that he was 9 lbs, 1 oz. There were times when it was frustrating that things were taking so long, but I’m glad that we were at the Birth Center. I felt so cared for by the staff; their encouragement and support was absolutely amazing.

I’ll be honest- labor was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Physically and emotionally it was draining. But, I also have to say it was one of the most faith-filled times I’ve ever experienced. Michael and our doula (a dear, dear friend) were constantly encouraging me with their words and praying for me throughout the night. Michael was so strong and yet incredibly tender; he remains the most amazing person I have ever met. I’m so thankful for my little family and I know that, even when things aren’t as idyllic as they are now, I am blessed beyond measure.

Nursery

2010-06-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

The nursery is finally finished! Considering that this room didn’t even exist a few years ago, I’m mighty proud of all the work that Michael has done. It is exhausting to think about all the work that it has taken to get the nursery to where it is today. I’m incredibly grateful for my husband’s humble spirit and willingness to serve his family.

This is the dresser/changing table that Michael and Jonathan built. After looking for weeks on craigslist and not finding anything that particularly struck me, they offered to build me one. I’m incredibly blessed, I know.

These are some fabric “blocks” that I decided to frame. I briefly thought about making a quilt with the leftover fabric pieces from the crib sheets I made, but I quickly decided that wasn’t something I wanted to tackle. Instead, I thought I could use the fabric pieces like a collage and hang them on the wall.

Now, we just need a sweet little boy to arrive and the nursery will truly be complete!

one step closer

2009-10-26T11:40:00.001-07:00

That’s right- Michael and I are one step closer to our dream of owning a life size version of Monopoly. I’m hoping a four foot tall thimble shows up next.

brrrr

2009-10-18T17:34:00.001-07:00

What a cold couple of days. On Wednesday, I was convinced I had slept right through my second favorite season and had woken up to winter. I am trying to convince myself that my beloved fall is just going through a phase and soon it will be back to its old self. Crisp air (but no more of this 45 degree nonsense), crunchy leaves, blue skies and puffy clouds. Surely this isn’t the beginning of winter- I don’t think I’m ready. (On a side note, I was talking to a friend from Washington state today and I remarked on how cold it had been and how that isn’t normal for this time of year. She said, “You know, ever since I moved here a year and a half ago, people keeping saying that the weather isn’t usually like this.” It’s true- our weather is so weird.)

The only good thing about winter is that when it has gone on forever, and I’m certain that I can’t take another day, spring (my absolute favorite season) comes along and kicks winter’s butt.

I’m trying to make the most being cold (ALWAYS SO COLD!) I’ve got a cat laying across my lap , a cup of earl grey, and I’m wearing the best slippers ever. Known as my smurf slippers, these shoes are the equivalent of sticking your feet into a couple of pillows. Very soft and very warm.

Seriously, I know a thing or two about staying warm. One Christmas, everything Michael got me was for “Project Warm Nat.” I ended up with a Mary Poppins coat, some cashmere lined leather gloves, a hat and scarf set, and my favorite thing ever- the wood stove. There are moments in the depths of winter that I stand as close to the stove as possible. I have to consciously tell myself not to touch it- I just want to wrap my arms around it and give it a hug. It’s almost worth being cold just to experience the pleasure of finally being warm. Almost.

The only problem with the wood stove is that I’m not very good at making it work. Despite this significant failing, the wood stove and I remain on very good terms. I know some of you, with your fancy fireplaces that come with switches, don’t understand. Honestly, I kind of wish I didn’t understand. It’s incredibly frustrating to have this thing- this key to my happiness- sitting just 3 feet away from me and instead of emanating 600+ degree heat and driving Michael into another room or outside altogether, it stands there silent, cold. This winter I am determined to possess the knowledge and skills to make the wood stove go.

First, there needs to be wood available and split- I have tried splitting wood exactly one time. I was quickly convinced that anything requiring an axe is not my domain. It’s not that I don’t want to do physical labor, but more that I have terrible aim and I was pretty nervous that I was going to hit my shins with the axe instead of the log. Here’s my plan for this- we have a friend who has a hydraulic log splitter. I’m hoping to convince him to bring it by one day and just get all the wood split in one go. Then I can stack it somewhere to keep it dry.

Once you have wood split and ready to go, you still have to light the fire. I’m just going to go ahead and admit it- I suck at starting fires. I’ve tried so many times (usually out of desperation because Michael isn’t home and I need to force myself to get out from under the electric blanket) but I have yet to successfully light a single fire. The key, I learned towards the end of that first winter, is to never let the fire go out. There have been (more than a few) tears shed over a fire that went completely out. So, my plan for this is to set my alarm if needed, get up at 3am, and keep that fire going. It’s just not worth the heartache.

So, there’s my plan. I’ll have to let you know how it goes. Oh, and if you have any wood that you want to get rid of, let me know. Oak, walnut, maple, 2x4’s, broken chairs… I’ll take it. I’ve discovered that 100 year old wood paneling burns very hot- it’s my preferred fuel, really.

the power of a name

2009-10-11T18:47:00.001-07:00

Michael is always insisting that we need to get a kitten. When we first got married I thought that his desire for a cat was kind of cute and so I gave in. I didn’t realize that his desire wasn’t for a cat, but for a kitten. He loves how playful they are and I have to admit that kittens do melt my heart a little, too.

So we got Elle all those years ago. (Seven years ago, to be precise.) And she’s a great cat.

But, it wasn’t long after Elle was full grown and stopped being so playful that Michael started to insist that we needed another kitten. And so we got Joe.

He’s not so playful anymore. (And yes, that is the box where I keep my underwear. What? you don’t keep your undies in an old vodka box?) It really is crazy how much I love this cat. I love that he rolls around on the floor, all stretched out, meowing for you to feed him. He is always hungry. Always. I should have known something was up when we were choosing which kitten to adopt and I read the card that described Joe. It said “He sure does love to eat.” Yeah.

When we moved back to Fuquay, the house came with another cat.

I have resisted Michael’s insistence that we adopt this cat. I don’t want another cat. No one ever talks about the “crazy cat man with four cats” but everyone knows about the “crazy cat lady with four cats.” Plus, this cat is semi-feral and would undoubtedly beat up Elle and Joe. And… he’s not the prettiest cat I’ve ever seen. He likes to sleep under the cars which means that he is regularly covered in oil and looks dirty. Despite all this and after weeks of threatening to take him to the pound, I started feeding him. I’m still resisting the idea that we own another cat, and so I have refused to name him.

We call him Cat.

Wouldn’t you know it… a few weeks after moving back, another cat showed up. And of course we started feeding it because we are suckers.

This cat, or as we call him- Other Cat- is unlike any feline I have ever known. He is incredibly affectionate. He follows me around the yard and if I happen to sit down in one of the rocking chairs outside, he jumps up in my lap every time. He reminds me of the story in the Bible about the woman who was forgiven much and therefore loved much. This cat seems to be pretty aware of how much his life used to suck and is therefore grateful for the love and attention that we give him.

There’s yet another cat that keeps coming around. I don’t have a picture because he is NOT our cat. Michael has named him Ugly Cat. I’m hoping that we can encourage the neighbors to feed him. I just don’t think I can handle being the “crazy cat lady with five cats.” That’s just excessive.

reason #159

2009-10-10T14:01:00.001-07:00

There are many reasons why I love working from home. Last week I discovered another one.

One afternoon I decided that I wanted to try a recipe for a warm salad made with sweet potatoes, red onions, and chickpeas. Considering that Michael will only eat one of the three previously mentioned ingredients, I had no intention of making it for dinner. In fact, he gives me such a hard time about any kind of beans that I’ve stopped trying to sneak them into things. By being home for lunch, I can make all the gross-but-good-for-you meals involving beans, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and squash that I want. I was in heaven this week when I ate beans and rice for lunch every day. (Maybe my idea of luxury needs to be slightly refined. Hmm…)

The salad turned out great. I changed it quite a bit from the original recipe (which called for butternut squash, tahini and mint, none of which I had on hand.) I’m really bad about measuring, and I made this last week so I might be forgetting something, but here’s my best guess at what I did.

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad, serves about 4

3 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 a red onion, diced

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

fresh basil, chopped

2 tbs olive oil

1-2 tbs balsamic vinegar

salt/pepper to taste

Coat the sweet potato cubes in 1/2 of the olive oil (about 1 tbs) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 375 for about 35-45 minutes. After the sweet potatoes are done, combine them in a bowl with the chickpeas and red onions. In a medium bowl, mix the balsamic vinegar and the other tbs. of olive oil (can use flaxseed oil if desired) along with the basil and additional pepper. Drizzle over the potato/chickpea mixture. The salad is great warm or cold.

it’s about time

2009-10-10T13:38:00.001-07:00

Finally, after many, MANY months my wheel is back where it belongs. I have had such a good time this week playing with clay out in the barn. Fresh inspiration from a friend was just what I needed to get myself back out there.

Candle holders

Casserole Dish

Holm.Making

2009-09-24T13:06:00.001-07:00

It saddens me to say that I haven’t done much pottery of late. Actually, I’ve done nothing since mid-summer. But, I am determined to address this problem and plan to get out there, move some things around, clean out my space, and start throwing again. Especially with this nice weather- I can’t let this time slip by.

Although I haven’t done any pottery, I have found other outlets for my creativity.

I go through phases with sewing. Until recently, I hadn’t sewn anything that wasn’t intended for someone else. I bought this material off the internet (my first foray into purchasing material without actually holding it in my hands.) I had originally intended to use it to cover some cushions, but it didn’t look quite right in the living room. So, I thought a nice, long skirt was in order. It’s very basic, but sometimes that is exactly what I need.

Much to my husband’s delight (and my waist’s dismay) I’ve gotten back into baking. I’m probably the last person to jump on this train, but the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day has captured my heart. I think I’ve made pizza at least once a week for the last month. I’ve also made cinnamon buns, miniature loafs, and countless rolls.

Even before we started remodeling the kitchen, I knew I wanted a place where I could write quotes, bible verses, etc. I originally thought I would incorporate a chalk board of some type, but after we finished the kitchen, there just doesn’t seem to be a good place to put one. One advantage of having a tin backsplash is that magnets “stick” to it. Using some cardstock, fabric, a sewing machine, and my beloved button magnets, I fashioned a pretty good alternative. A bit more time-intensive, perhaps, but they fit me better I think.

too much?

2009-08-16T14:18:00.001-07:00

Michael is making amazing progress on the kitchen. After months of building cabinets, installing appliances, doing electrical work (and other boring stuff), we’re almost ready to do the fun stuff! If you’ve never built a kitchen from scratch (and really, how many of you would be that crazy??), you might not realize how many different stages there are or long everything takes (or how most everything requires a power tool that makes me nervous). But now—NOW—we are ready to start picking the wall color, the ceiling color and, most importantly, the photos that will hang on the walls. Finally- it’s MY turn!!

The living room is a lilac color. If you haven’t seen it in person, you might be wondering why I picked purple. Sometimes I wonder why I picked purple- it’s not like it’s my favorite color. I don’t even HAVE a favorite color. But, now that 1/4 of the wall space of my entire house is painted purple, I feel committed to making it work. Since you can see through the kitchen to the dining room and living room, I’d like all three rooms to feel tied together.

And so, that is how I came up with the idea of lining the walls of my kitchen with photos of purple foods. The photos above were taken on a recent trip to the Farmer’s Market- eggplant, (purple!) peppers, and red onions. I’m hoping to include grapes, plums, blackberries/blueberries, red wine, and maybe even beets and radishes. I had a pretty cool shot of some red cabbages, but Michael said they looked like weird alien brains. He’s not entirely convinced that photos of purple foods is what our kitchen needs… he thinks the house may have reached its limit for the amount of purple it can pull off. Too much purple? Never.

Yin and Yang

2009-08-12T14:27:00.001-07:00

Alert, curious, active, and adventurous

Sleepy, lazy, and the biggest scaredy cat I’ve ever seen

30

2009-08-09T16:40:00.001-07:00

On a recent visit to my parent’s house, my mom gave me an envelope with an assortment of pictures from my childhood. This is me at age 3. I have very clear memories of how much I loved that dress. I think I wore it several times a week. I was pretty cute, I’ll admit it.

This is me at age 10. The 80’s were not kind to me. For goodness sake- I am wearing TEDDY BEAR EARRINGS! And you cannot possibly imagine what it took to make my bangs look like that. I do look happy in this picture… perhaps someone saw my sweatshirt, took extreme pity on me, and gave me a hug?

Things did not improve for me in middle school. This is me at 13. We had a dress code, which looking back now, I am very grateful for. Who knows what I would have turned up in. I seem to have given up on the perm by this point, but I’m not quite ready to lay down the curling iron or my hairspray. I also seem a bit suspicious of the photographer (or perhaps I just caught sight of myself in a mirror?)

This is me at 23, when I married Michael. Much better, yes?

I turn 30 in two weeks. That seems like a lot of years. I’ve always looked forward to getting older- I’m not sure why. When I was younger, it probably had something to do with the fact that I would eventually be able to wear makeup and drive. Now, I’m excited about getting older because I’m looking forward to (hopefully) becoming wiser and kinder. Growing older means living out my days with the most amazing man I know; growing and learning together. I can’t imagine a more lovely thing to look forward to.

thursday night in the country

2009-08-07T09:50:00.001-07:00

Michael and I were delighted to have some good friends joined us as we set ablaze a massive pile of construction waste. We’ve needed to burn the pile for quite some time, but we’ve been waiting for the weather to cooperate. We don’t have any malls and the nearest grocery store is 10 minutes away, but you just can’t do this in Cary, you know?

job searching

2009-08-05T09:00:00.001-07:00

An email I received yesterday:

“Dear Natalie,

Thank you for your interest in employment with _______ Community College. You recently applied for a position as an advisor through our online applicant tracking system. Unfortunately, it has been determined that funds are not available to fill the position at this time. Please visit our website periodically for other openings and/or the status of your application. Best wishes in fulfilling your employment needs.

Sincerely,
Human Resources”

Well that just sucks.

walking a cat

2009-08-01T14:10:00.001-07:00

(Notice who’s feet those are… not mine. I would never try to walk a cat.)

Why do I love this cat so much?

(He looks downright slim here, doesn’t he? It’s the camera angle, I’m afraid.)

Tennessee So Far

2009-07-26T18:39:00.001-07:00

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park- absolutely beautiful.

Home

2009-07-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

I love being home.

From the top:

Hydrangeas that my mother gave me, pottery wheel and chair

Lantana and front porch

Day lilies and oak leaf hydrangeas

Michael playing the dulcimer that he and Jonathan made

When things don’t turn out the way we plan

2009-07-20T18:22:00.001-07:00

I’m a planner and a list-maker. I’m one of those people that will write down things I’ve already done and then cross them off. I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction out of seeing a quantified list of things that I have accomplished. Sometimes, I even flip through my planner and marvel at all the times I’ve gone to the bank, swept the floor, bought groceries, and done laundry. Some people might find it silly to record these activities, but to me, they are accomplishments.

Now that we are squarely in the midst of our renovation project, I’ve learned to plan in a different way. Instead of planning on things getting done by a certain date, I’ve had to learn to step back and let go. There are moments when I’ve despaired and wondered if we would ever finish. There are still moments when I wonder what it will be like to cook a meal without first having to wipe sawdust out of my pots or move drills and sanders out of the way.

Last week, we had a few really happy moments when things turned out much better than I planned. I have gotten used to things being so incredibly hard, that when things actually work, I find myself surprised.

Take this water faucet, for example. In its place has been a different water faucet that hasn’t worked for the last several months. It was impossible to turn on, and when you finally did get it on (with the help of a wrench and some major bicep action), you couldn’t get it off. My way of dealing with this was to quit using it completely. That was fine, except when I needed to water my flowers. I had resorted to filling a watering can in the bathtub and then hauling the water out to the flowers. As you can imagine, this was frustrating.

However, it wasn’t frustrating enough to actually do anything about it. It wasn’t until the stupid faucet broke completely and started leaking all over the ground that we decided it was time to take on the task of fixing it. I think the reason we put it off so long was because it just seemed like it was going to be one of those things that became A BIG DEAL! You know, one of those projects that takes up an entire day, requires three trips to Home Depot, and ends up costing a lot more money that you originally anticipated.

I am ecstatic to tell you that replacing the faucet was actually… fine. It took less than an hour, we had all the right parts, and digging the hole was easy (probably because the ground was so wet… whoops!) This is so weird to say, but we were VICTORIOUS. Perhaps this is a sign that our luck is changing?

Perhaps not?

Renovation, sigh

2009-07-16T16:59:00.001-07:00

We’re making fairly good progress on the house. Things are much easier now that M. has use of his right arm. The kitchen is coming along nicely and it won’t be long before I can start unpacking all the kitchen stuff that has languished in boxes for the last several months.

Speaking of unpacking—I finally finished unpacking all our clothes. I had decided that when we moved back from Chapel Hill, I was going to go through our master closet and sort through all the stuff that has taken up space on our shelves. I gathered quite a bit to donate to the thrift store. Here’s the result of several days of sorting, hanging, and folding:

Wait… what is that on the lower shelf?

Why yes, that IS Joe… our cat.

He’s my favorite cat… besides Elle. He’s adorable and (because he’s so fat) he’s a lot of fun to pet. Joe has decided that this basket is now his preferred napping spot. It’s quite charming, except that this is where I put all my tanks/undershirts. I probably should keep the door closed or shoo him out of the basket… but instead I’ve started turning the shirts inside out so that the cat hair won’t be so noticeable.

Update

2009-07-16T15:37:00.001-07:00

Some things we’ve been up to lately:

sunflowers and carrots at the farmer’s market in FL

butterfly watching

spraying the ceiling, walls and cabinets (M. has a dislocated shoulder!)

a ball of clay and the finished pot

Friday Afternoons

2009-04-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

I know I've already gushed on and on about how much I love the Spring. In an attempt to be less "math-y" and more "art-sy" I bring you An Extended Metaphor (or An Extended Simile... I always get those mixed up.)

Spring is like Friday afternoon. You've finally made it to that blessed time where you can breathe a little easier. The hard work is over for a bit and you can relax for a while. The anticipation of what's to come is at its peak.

Summer is like Saturday. It's fun- fewer responsibilities, more stuff to do (and, if you're lucky, lots of days to sleep in .)

Fall is like Sunday afternoon. It's still pleasant, but oh so bittersweet. I try so hard to enjoy the Fall (and Sunday afternoons) but I know that it's almost over and my life is going to get frustrating soon. I spend much of Fall dreading what's to come.

Winter is ... let's not discuss Winter.

::

On a happy note, I think I may have an exciting job prospect. And on an ironic note, it has nothing to do with the last year I've spent in grad school. I keep telling myself that this year wasn't a waste... and since it's the Spring-time, I tend to believe what I want to believe. So, not a wasted year. Spring makes me a better person. [Or at least it makes me delusional.]

Same difference.

Randomness

2009-04-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Each morning when I arrive at the gym, I'm greeted by an unsually chipper undergrad who swipes my i.d. card and asks me if I need anything. She means a lock or a towel, but what I really need at that moment is a cup of coffee. On the counter next to her computer is a small whiteboard which features the Question of the Day. It's always a random trivia question, most of which I don't know.

Which state has the same number of cows as people?

What is the only food that never spoils?

When was the last time UNC-CH won the NCAA men's basketball tournament (before this year, of course)?

How many ways are there to make change for a dollar?

Being a math teacher, this last question intrigued me. I peeked at the answer (on the back of the whiteboard) and it said 293. Really? It seems that there would be more. Then I started trying to figure out how you would come up with the right answer without breaking out nickels, dimes, quarters, and pennies.

I'm thinking I should be able to figure this out- it's a combination, not a permutation, right? Is it a basic counting principle problem? This is making my head hurt.

Splashes of Color

2009-04-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

It's a gray and dreary day in my little neck of the woods so I'm looking for splashes of color where ever I can find them. These are some pictures I've taken in the last few months. The almost-finished red roof against the Carolina Blue sky makes me especially happy.

Finally, something I've made!

2009-04-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

So, I worked on a couple of my projects last night- enough so that I could feel okay about doing something non-school related. I decided I needed to knit something. And because I have successfully knitted almost nothing (the scarf I started at Christmas sort of counts- I ran out of yarn and I don't know how to keep going with a new skein), I called my mom.

My mother has been knitting since she was eight years old. She's been knitting a long time. She was able to remind me how to "cast on" over the phone. That's talent, right there. She suggested I try a baby hat pattern since it only required me to knit and purl, which is all I can do at this point.

Since we don't have a baby, I have decided this hat will be given to Joe. Pale yellow really is his color, isn't it?

The gorgeous blue throw also seen in these pictures was made by my mom. She swears it isn't a baby blanket, but I'm not so sure...

Procrastination

2009-04-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have way too much work to do to be playing on the internet. Instead of working on any of the major projects I have due, I've been looking for furniture on craigslist. When that gets old, I start checking out pottery barn's clearance items. It's such a pretty day- I just want to wander around the farmer's market. ARGH!

I've got to get a grip on myself. I can literally count the things that must get done before I'm finished with my master's. I'm closer than I've been to freedom in a long time. I'll have the whole summer to visit the flea market and I can get fresh produce every weekend at the farmer's market if I choose. I've just got to finish up these (incredibly frustrating) projects first.

45 days left.

Pieces of my kitchen

2009-04-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

So, there is a fridge in my living room (isn't it pretty!)...

And a sink in my backyard. Out with the old and in with the new, right? There is also a dishwasher in the bedroom, along with a washer and dryer. It's going to be so strange to actually have all the appliances in the right place.

Lacey

2009-04-09T05:21:00.000-07:00

Dogwood trees in bloom have always reminded me of lace. I love the way the branches grow semi-horizontally, like arms embracing the spring warmth. This spring I've been especially aware of the redbud trees. I never knew the name of them until this year- seems they should be called purplebud trees (or at least pinkbud), but I won't argue.

This week is Spring Break for me. I've been enjoying it, but there is quite a lot more that I need to get done. There are papers to write, projects to complete, quilts to finish, and two (2!) houses to clean. I'll be glad when we're back in Chalybeate- at least there I only have one household to keep tidy.

Oh, summer, how I anticipate your arrival. I can do without the oppresive heat, but at least all my classes will be finished. I'll be glad to give my planner a bit of rest and get mixed up with what day it is. Is it Tuesday or Wednesday? Oh, who cares... it's a day to rest, play, read, and craft. I'm hanging on... eight more weeks.

Spring, how I love thee...

2009-03-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not an optimistic person by nature.

I wouldn't say that I'm negative, exactly. It's just that I'm realistic. Instead of closing my eyes and pretending that everything's fine, I tend to see the reasons why things won't work out or the obstacles that have to be overcome in situations. This can drive people around me crazy. I think this makes me a good problem-solver.

It also makes it hard to endure the winter. Every year it overtakes me. I haven't figured out how to enjoy months of dreary, cold, terribleness.

But right now, I'm on the brink of my favorite time of the year. Spring is coming. I can feel it. In just two short days it will be the first day of Spring. This means months and months of warmth- the trees will have leaves on them and flowers will start blooming again. I can drive past fields on the way home and measure the passing weeks by the growth of tobacco and soybeans. The days will get longer and longer. We can sit on the porch, drink some tea or a glass of wine, and talk about our day.

This year, more than ever before, I'm excited about Spring. We'll be moving back to Fuquay. I can't fully express how much I've missed living there. I cannot wait to clean my house, water my flowers, and throw pots out in the shed.

Maybe I've got a touch of optimism in my bones, after all.

Bawk, Bawk

2009-03-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

I love the country. Bawk, bawk.

So pretty

2009-03-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

It's pretty, but I'm still anxiously awaiting spring. I can't help it.

An update on the kitchen

2009-02-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of ours is helping Michael with the kitchen cabinets. He came over and measured and they talked about the floorplan on Saturday. A day later he had built a really cool model- it's to-scale and everything. I kind of want to paint it and put tile down. Would curtains be a bit much?

My favorite part is how much the finger puppets like it.

How do you access electrical wires after the drywall has been installed?

2009-02-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

It's February? It's the END of February?

2009-02-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure where the last month has gone. Although if you're going to steal a month from me, February is definitely the one I would prefer for you to take. I cannot WAIT until the Spring. This happens every year- I somehow convince myself that I will never be warm again. The flowers will never bloom, there will be no more leaves on the trees- ever. The White Witch has truly cursed us and it will be always winter but never Christmas.

So, to get myself out of this funk, I've been taking pictures with my (new) camera. Nature really is beautiful, even in it's dormant state.

Primer, Shrimer

2009-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

To the casual observer, it may look like Michael is slacking off. He is, in fact, hard at work. I'm not sure who he's talking to in this picture, but I'm sure it is very important. Really.

***

In other news, painting the roof is taking alot longer than we had hoped. Who knew 1) it would take so much freakin' primer and 2) the weather would be so uncooperative. Let's total up the amount of primer purchased thus far:

2 gallons initially
5 additional gallons (after we realized it took 2 whole gallons on one side of the shed)
1 more gallon (just to be safe)

Guess what Michael said to me last night? I bet you can see this one coming... that's right! We need more primer!

The guys at the paint store already think I'm an idiot. I'm not going back there. I have my pride.

And your bird can sing

2009-01-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

Soon, like a pheonix that rises from the ashes, a new kitchen will emerge. Until then, we will continue to eat off paper plates, cook in the dining room, wash dishes in the bathroom, and store canned goods in the living room.

***

Behold- the most amazing technological advance to hit home improvement (according to my husband.) I'm not sure exactly why he's so captured by this new deadbolt. It is very cool that you can program multiple codes, set time limits for the codes (for example, if a repair man was coming, you could give him a code that was only valid for 24 hrs.), and never again be locked out of your own home. But... when it comes down to it, it's just a lock. On a door. It does light up, however. Much like the face of my beloved when he talks about his new deadbolt. So I guess, in that sense, it really is the coolest thing to come along in a while.

True Colors

2009-01-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

I've always known that picking a wall color is not the easiest thing. When we first moved in five years ago and I told Michael I wanted to paint the living room purple, he was unconvinced- and rightly so. It took me several attempts to find a color that wasn't too soft or too bold. I finally got it right and have loved this color ever since.

Picking a color for the tin roof should be easy, right? After all, it's not like I'm going to agonize over subtle shades of yellow, orange, blue, or even green. I knew I wanted red- it's a nice shade of red right now and it looks really good. How then did we end up with a color that looks less like "fire engine red" which is what I envisioned, but instead looks like it belongs on the head of a very scary clown?

I should have gotten one of the guys to go on the roof and get me a paint chip from the beginning so we could just match the color it currently is. Instead, I made the 40-minute drive to the paint store (the first of many such trips) and told the lovely Avi that I wanted to paint my tin roof red. At this point he probably should have given me some counsel and informed me that most people paint their roofs a color called Barn Red. (He held on to this information until my 4th trip.) Rather, he let me order $200 of paint that should not come in that color- why would exterior metal paint come in a color that is the preferred lipstick choice of prostitutes everywhere?

In my defense, it has always been difficult for me to imagine how the color on the 1 inch square color swatch will translate when painted on a wall. Or ceiling. Or roof. When I saw the new paint on the barn roof, I wasn't sure that it was the one I had picked out. It looked so bad.

The good news is that Avi is going to fix it for us. He's going to try to tint the awful paint to a color close to what we have right now. If he can't, he's going to take back the paint and start over. So, that's $200 not down the drain.

And finally, a picture of the tin ceiling- complete.

Tin is so IN

2009-01-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

The tin ceiling is looking great. One advantage of having wood ceilings is that it's really straight forward when nailing up tin tiles. There's no need to install a wood grid system. We are probably going to paint the tin a gloss white, but it kind of looks cool unpainted, too. Thoughts?

One thing that isn't so cool about having an old house is that nothing seems to be square. Not only are the walls bowed, but an added complication is that the tin might not be the very best quality. It seems that the pattern isn't stamped quite as consistently as Michael would like. He's doing a great job, but it's a bit frustrating that the tin doesn't always line up well.

Eleven foot ceilings are awesome for many reasons, one of which is that it's so far away that you can't actually see minor imperfections. It looks great from the ground, doesn't it?

Walking the Plank

2009-01-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

My internet surfing has dramatically changed since we started working on the house. I find myself checking craigslist multiple times a day for the perfect sofa/loveseat to replace the ones we have. Or I check for a stackable washer and dryer since we cut the laundry room in half. My newest obsession is with wood floors. I really love the wide plank look. Look at this:

It's just beautiful... and about four times more expensive that I can justify. These particular floors are milled from old boards reclaimed from barns. They have nail holes, saw marks, and lots of other imperfections like insect scars that make the boards incredibly pricey (but so pretty!)

On another note- the tin ceiling and appliances were delivered this week. Mike is going to start on the cabinets this weekend so I should have some pictures soon. Exciting, huh?

We're movin' right along

2009-01-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

Wow- Michael has done so much in the past few days. The addition is completely insulated, there's a door knob with a fancy deadbolt (it has a number pad on it!) installed on the door, the kitchen is completely bare, a new window was installed in the kitchen, and all the electrical has been finished in the addition (complete with a three-way switch, which I hear is pretty hard to do.)

We're going to home depot tonight to buy a gas range and a dishwasher. I ordered the tin ceiling yesterday and it should be on its way soon. We're trying to figure out what to do with the cabinets and countertops, but I think we know where everything is going to go.

Here are some pictures:

The laundry room with the new "door"

I'm not sure who this is... Jim?

This used to be the back porch.

Mike did such a good job on the steps!

So tired...

2009-01-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Look at that belly!

The addition has been insulated and all the electrical is done. So, all that's left is to run the ductwork for the heating/air, put up the drywall, hang some doors, and put down flooring. Since we're also going to be doing major renovations in the kitchen, we decided to use the addition as a workspace for Michael. It is much more comfortable now that the insulation is done.

So, that means that we're going to postpone work on the addition for the time being and Michael is going to start tearing up the kitchen tomorrow. Yikes! Linda and I spent all day today putting the dishes, pots and pans, and all the food from the shelves into boxes. The living rooms looks a bit rough since we moved most of the boxes next to the fireplace and put a folding table along a wall for her to use as her temporary kitchen. I also took all of the china out of the china cabinet, moved the china cabinet to another (safer) wall, and then put all the china back into the cabinet.

The big surprise of the day came when I returned home from an errand to find that Michael had cut a hole in the wall of the laundry room. A hole in the wall is a big "Point of No Return." He's getting ready to cut a hole in the dining room wall- I'll post pictures soon.

Roof painting

2009-01-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

We worked on the pottery shed roof today. Michael and Jim primed one side- we had no idea it would take so much primer! I bought two gallons of primer thinking that would be enough for the shed, the addition roof, and to spot-prime the rest of the roof. We used two gallons on one side of the shed. Whoops!

I'm really glad that we are thinking about staying here in Fuquay. I do love this place- the doors that are hard to close, the silly parkay floor that looks terrible, the weird little kitchen, the tiny bathroom. I love the tall ceilings and the wood walls. I love that I have a place outside to do my pottery. This is such a great house with a great yard. If we stay, I think I want to get some chickens.

A Work in Progress

2009-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

We're trying to finish the addition. Right now, Michael is working on getting the electrical stuff done. They've mostly finished framing the walls and closets and have put insulation under the floor.

We decided to put a bigger deck off the back than what we were thinking of earlier; it's 12 ft. long. It will be big enough to put a couple of chairs and flower pots on. It'll be cute... I think.

And so it begins...

2009-01-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

I decided to start a blog mostly as a way to communicate with friends and family. I'll be posting pictures as we renovate our house. I'll probably use it as a way to share what projects I'm working on as well.

For my first post, I'll leave you with a picture of one of my favorite things- my wood stove.