Busy at Christmastime

Christmas arrived before we knew it and we hemmed and hawed about putting up a tree. We knew the new bay window called for one, so we got a real tree.

That did not stop us from continuing work on the house. Our wood burning stove finally arrived and we installed it immediately. With winter upon us, we knew that the wood stove would help keep us warm.

Unfortunately the fan did not work but we later found out it was just a loose connection and Lee fixed it. The fireplace looks great, even if it wasn't working yet.

We decided to upgrade the one room we thought we wouldn't have to work on. After the cousins left at Thanksgiving, we realized that the TV room did not fit everyone comfortably. We decided to remove one of the closets and install built in bookcases with room for a big screen television and the video equipment. The rest of the room could be opened up for more seating.

After we ripped out the closet, we were up against what used to be the outside of the house, and we had to match new tongue & groove panelling with the existing stuff.

Getting the matching wood was easy, Paul toiled to match the ten year old stain by mixing various tints until he got it right.

Once the panelling was up and stained, we built a stand that was sturdy enough for a big screen TV and also as a home for our many books, which remained stored in boxes.

After the bookcase was stained and finished we bought a new TV. The hook up was easier than we thought. We cleaned up the bookshelves and displayed some of our long lost books. This was unexpected but we are ready for anyone who wants to watch a movie. Also, Keith Olbermann is huge now. Pitoune is still more interested in what is out in the snow than what is on television.

We got a lot done over our Holiday vacation but still took a few moments to appreciate our blessings and look back on a very eventful and busy year. There is still more work to do in 2010, which we will try hard to capture on this blog.

Our First Snow

Okay it was no blizzard, but we had a beautiful snowfall this weekend, our first significant covering since we moved into the house. Even though we only got about 4 inches, the blanket of white was enough to brighten up the property substantially.

In the driveway the vehicles were all covered, since we have yet to clear enough room in the garage to fit any of the cars. Early in the morning, the snow began to slip from the warming metal of the truck, but even so, at day's end there was still plenty of snow stuck to the trees. The snow fell during the night, but Sunday morning offered up clear blue skies that gleamed brightly off the snow covered trees.

The line of pines along the side of the house acted as snow capped guards that protected us from the chilly winds.
Beneath the pines, close to the house a cluster of birch trees in the front yard caught just enough snow to bend their flexible branches and form what appeared to be a giant snowflake sitting on top of the stone wall.

Out back the sun was just beginning to peak over the hill to lighten the maple tree near the pool fence. The stone barbecue looked abandoned under winter's blanket and the chain links in the fence were covered in white.

From inside, Boy sat on his perch in the bay window and considered the possibilities of leaving the warm house and venturing out in the snow. Looking very comfortable with the insulated glass barrier, the chances of him getting his paws wet grew small.

Looking out the picture window and out over the road offered a view of trees glistening in the sun under a clear blue winter sky.

Thanksgiving

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We finally had the house ready to fit the cousins from Seattle. Maryellen and Mel's brood stayed with us, including Will and Elise's boyfriend, Brian.
The family gathered for our long awaited reunion. Lisa and Rob showed up with Tommy and Trevor, Walter and Kindle arrived with Jeffrey.

Our newly finished kitchen was filled with an abundance of food and family. Preparations for the Thanksgiving feast were in full swing.
Paul covered kitchen duty preparing a host of appetizers before dinner.

Maryellen made sweet potato casserole and Mel made Banana Foster for dessert. There was no shortage of food for this hungry crowd. Everyone pitched in something and the meal was delicious.

Paul made the turkey that Rob later carved and the family devoured. Here is a picture of two turkey butts, both proud and golden. Twenty one pounds of bird meant there were plenty of leftovers.

Leave it to Lisa to bring some wimsicle fun to the party. She brought fun gifts for the younger cousins, here are AJ and Brian comparing their loot.

The dazzling Elise shows off her stunning Holiday ensemble with her new beau, Brian. Brian fit right in with the family and he was a welcome addition to the party.

Before the day was over we were required to pose in front of the house for family photos. Here is one that includes the entire group after dinner.

Pictured in order are (top) Pitoune, Lee, Lisa, Paul, Kindle, Will, Maryellen and Elise. (bottom) Rob, Tommy, Walt, Mel, Jeffrey, AJ, Brian and Trevor. Click on the picture for a clear view.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

The cold weather was approaching so any work we need to do outside or that involves letting the heat out was getting more urgent. The paint needed on the exterior rear entrance will have to wait until Spring.



In the mean time, we located a second hand upscale sliding door for the dining room that matched the new windows but we needed to install it ourselves. That meant ripping out the old door, which we did to get the refrigerator in, but we needed to remove the frame as well.


We installed the new door with some difficulty but an not insurmountable effort. The one problem we ran into was the seal had broken, so the door that we picked up for nothing would end up costing a few hundred to fix, but we were still way ahead of the game.


We invited a house full of company to spend Thanksgiving and we found ourselves short on time with plenty of work still to do. In order to make room and clean up boxes that were still everywhere and we tackled the master bedroom first.

We laid an off white carpet, it looks great, but how long will it look that way? Originally, we wanted paint the room a warm dark golden color but ended up with a brighter tone that reflected the sunlight nicely. Pitoune found it comfortable.

We were going to make two guestrooms, but decided on one and a den. We did not have time to paint, but we cleaned up what was the "staging room" where we had done all our construction prep and prepared a comfortable place to sleep.

We decided to name the guestroom "Darlene's Room", since she insisted on a room of her own in our house, but Paul's cousins, Maryellen and Mel will be the first to sleep in here and the room will be set aside for all of our special guests.

We added a few personal touches that focused on family, a couple of plants and some knic knacs. Even though the room isn't done, its ready for our Thanksgiving guests as well as anyone who drops by before we can paint and decorate.

We purchased a futon and put our desk in the den. The futon sleeps two and doubles as a couch. the underneath drawers add storage space. There is room for a television in the future if we decide that's what we want.

In the mean time, the sun room houses the TV and also has a roll out sofa for guests. The living room also has a roll out and will sleep two more. If needed, we can throw down an air mattress and we have room to sleep eleven. Wow! We are ready!

In the kitchen, we still had to install the toe-kicks beneath the cabinets and put down the remaining baseboard, moldings and floor transitions. It seems these little touches go unnoticed but when they are not done, the rooms are noticeably incomplete.

Friends and Some Finishing Touches

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The back yard exploded with color in October. The clear skies and crisp air provided perfect conditions for working on the house and having friends to visit. There is still so much to do before the holidays and winter so the nice weather is a welcome repreive.
Vinnie K returned and brought Sue Schlagger with him. They came with pumpkins and a huge chrysanthemum for the house. We were painting the living room that day and took a break to bring Sue on her first tour of the property and through the house.
It turns out that Sue does not live far from us as the crow flies, but the roads to get back to her house in Fishkill do not follow a direct route. Still, its nice to know she is not too far away and we hope that visits become more frequent.
After we painted the living room we moved back into the kitchen, which still needed some attention. We inserted the recessed light fixtures and installed the hanging light over the island and added some of the final trim.
We decided on a creamy yellow to brighten things up and trimmed the kitchen with white molding and a couple of decorative shelves to display some of the stuff we still had packed in moving boxes.

The living room is still not finished, however its comfortable and clean. We had the chimneys cleaned and still need to install the wood burning stove. With lots of family expected over the Thanksgiving Holidays, we would like to have that done in time.
We ran into some trouble with the water before a long awaited dinner party with Jack and Annie and Jack's folks, Jan and Kate. Jack ended up helping us in the pouring rain on Saturday to fix our well problem so that Paul could prepare the feast for Sunday's party.
Sunday was a beautiful fall day. Paul prepared Yankee bean soup, stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes, hot artichoke dip, baked ham with potatoes and cheese covered vegetables. None of the food is photographed but still at least worth mentioning.
It was great having Jan and Kate back to the house for our Pre-Holiday party. The last time they visited was at the beginning of June, we had not even begun to rip out the old kitchen. A lot of work has been completed since then, the house is barely recognizable.
Annie brought dessert, two flavors of Haagen Daz (we discussed that the name means absolutely nothing) and a chocolate cake disguised as strawberry shortcake. We sat around the table laughing for hours sometimes at the expense of those wearing flamboyant jewelry!

What good is a party without someone dancing around with a lampshade on their head. Jan did not let us down. We actually gave him a fan with a light fixture that he mistook for apparel. Unfortunately, the shade did not survive, but never fear, Lee has another one tucked away for them.

Water trouble in the Fall

We did not do well in October and November water wise. In late October the well stopped supplying water. Good thing we could rely on the Artesian well for some water needs, like the toilets. Mud had fallen in around the well and we had to lift it. Being stuck in mud 300 feet below the surface of the earth made it impossible to lift without the pickup truck. When we finally got it our of the mud and raised it, the water we got was full of mud and took days to settle down. Then the pressure control switch burned out. We adjusted the bladder pressure in the water tanks and replaced the control.



Once we got water coming into he house we couldn't get it to leave the house. Okay, time to break out the check book again. We hired a pipe snake man to clean out all our pipes, but know we know hoe the water runs to the septic and how it runs to the dry well. Lots of pipes in this house! Did someone say "septic"? Oh NO! You guessed it, FULL. Paul called his buddy Joe Ruocco at Putnam Septic to pump it out. Good thing we didn't put the checkbook away! We had requested the last owner take his shit with him, but they laughed at us. After six months, We have officially been over every inch of this house. We are hopeful there are no more expensive surprises waiting for us.

Long Awaited Face Lift

As the summer passed, we knew we were not going to be able to finish the outside ourselves before winter. We hired the Vinyl King to replace the gutters and windows and install new siding. We both took the week off from work for the face lift.
When the workers arrived early Thursday morning they got right to work. Joe Scalera ran the job. He said that bay window we ordered was the biggest one he had ever installed. When we looked in the truck and even the window guy was in awe of the size we knew we got what we paid for.

Click on any of these pictures to enlarge. some of this work was quite impressive. The workers took the old window out in no time. We were in awe of the big-ass-hole in the house when the old window was removed.
Getting the window from the truck to the front of the house was a job in itself, and it took six of us, Paul and Lee included to lift the window into place.
The crew of five quickly went to work performing their various functions with an impressive level of expertise. Once the window was secured, the insulation went up around it and scaffolding was erected to access all areas of the house.
It seemed like everywhere you looked more workmen were doing something. The rest of the windows were popped out and replaced with more efficient ones. Then the windows were framed. What was once old began looking brand new.
We stayed with white siding around the back of the house but the difference was measurable.
Lee had insisted on a six over one window design, and you don't see new windows like that often. It was a great choice and added lots of charm.
Looking out from inside the bay window is impressive. The center pain is 7 feet long by 5.5 feet high. That does not include the double hung windows on either side. This picture seems dark because the sun was behind the house, but the window brightens the living room all day long.
We chose a beautiful wicker colored shake siding for the front of the house. We loved how it made the brickwork look new. As the front of the house was covered we could see the character of our home was being transformed before our eyes. Vinyl King was remarkable.

As the workers wrapped things up late Friday afternoon we surveyed the job. Even out back where the color did not change, the new siding, windows and gutters made the house look brand new.

We began to worry if they were going to finish on time but they stayed until every last detail was addressed. Each member of the crew knew what he had to do.

Joe came by as they were finishing up. He looked over the job satisfied. He agreed that the colors and textures all worked beautifully together and still could not get over the bay window. Even though we had imagined how it would look when it was all done, we never expected the results to exceed our every expectation.

Our home was transformed into something of which we were quite proud.