Posted on by Emily

Day 597

Greetings!

We’ve done some mulching.

Bu has done a lot of napping.

And testing of benches.

I think I have a bench addiction.

We prepped and planted a garden. Josh did the prepping and I did the planting.

In addition to these seeds, I also planted a variety of tomatoes, peppers, and some speckled lima beans (my favorite!).

Things are progressing nicely as we’ve had a lot of rain. So far, the solar-powered electric fence is working well and keeping out critters.

Check out my beets!

This is the garden after two weeks!

If it were up to Josh, the entire garden would have been corn. We settled on 3 out of 12 rows being corn.

I’d also like to report that some of the shutters have been hung. Due to the weather, this process of hanging the shutters is going on three weeks long now and not even half of them are hung. And the painters won’t be back to finish the columns until after the shutters are hung and the screened porch is complete.

I can’t talk about it.

The screening of the porch has progressed more steadily. All screens are in and now we just need a few final trim pieces to finish it up. Please take note of the large horse fly that is *inside* the screened porch…

This photo was taken on a peaceful morning walk the day before my first brush with death since living in the wilderness.

The following morning, I was walking along our road, by the creek, when I noticed a turkey on the creek bank about 20 feet away. I was thinking to myself what a lovely moment in nature this was just as the turkey spotted me and then started squawking and flying right at me.

I began shouting in the deepest and most menacing voice I could muster and put my arms out wide as I backed up the way I had come. The turkey stopped flying when she was about 5 feet from my face but kept charging, flapping her wings, and carrying on until she had forced me 50 feet up the road.

She then retreated to the brush on the other side of the road opposite the creek, circling a spot about 10 feet from where she first spotted me. Evidently I had come between her and her babies though I didn’t know it.

I think I’ll be adding a whistle and some pepper spray to my keychain.

Home sweet home.

And, finally, our Starlink satellite arrived today! There is hope for better internet service.

Posted on by Emily · 3 Comments

Day 581

I may be retired by the time the shutters are hung.

We’ve been focusing on other things in the meantime. We’ve had some visitors now that we’re vaccinated. My friend Jessica and her little girl, Sophia, came to visit and Sophia was very interested in “meow”.

We have a new coat rack. Please alert the media.

I added some feet to the laundry room cabinetry. I know your mind is blown.

I painted and put new hardware on this pair of dressers in one of the bedrooms. These were in my sister’s nursery nearly 30 years ago and then went to college with me. I’ve painted them three times now.

“Meow” is upset that the dressers are not going in his room.

I hosted some of my pals for a girl’s weekend.

We did some crafts and threatened to start an Etsy shop.

Josh and I discussed the vegetable garden and selected a location in the yard.

There has been SOME progress on the exterior of the house. They’ve been working on painting the porches.

I am LOVING the painted porch floors – light gray – a historical look.

Don’t mind the patchwork columns – the painter decided he didn’t like what the paint was doing so he was testing a new primer. He then proceeded to scrape ALL OF THE PAINT off of the front porch columns. They are now white again and I can’t talk about it.

Painting is going much better inside. I painted the bench I posted last time. I’ve also ordered the fabric sitting in the window to make roman shades. This is keeping me from losing my mind amidst the porch paint drama.

I recently inherited all of these blue willow treasures, which were my great grandmother’s. I have collected blue willow for years and am thrilled to have these pieces.

Joshua tilled the garden yesterday and we are gearing up to plant this evening.

Hopefully we’ll have some exciting things growing soon!

Yours shutterlessly,

Emily

Posted on by Emily

Day 565

Greetings, loyal followers,

A whole lot of nothing has happened construction-wise since my last post. We are still waiting on the following, which at this rate may or may not be done by the end of the year:

  • shutters to be hung
  • cupola to be painted and installed
  • porches to be adjusted and screened
  • porches to finish being painted
  • exterior paint touch up
  • floors to be touched up
  • interior paint to be touched up
  • window film to be removed and screens put in
  • a bunch of other miscellaneous items. Our punch list is two pages long

Since these items are out of my control, I have focused instead on furnishings and décor.

We took a trip to Kentucky a few weeks ago to pick up items from my grandmother’s house. The good news is all of this furniture is very sturdy. The bad news is it is heavy. The guys are smiling in this photo but they had a real time moving these pieces.

But, everything and everyone made it safely to our house.

These twin beds were my mom’s and aunt’s growing up. I adore them.

Also, fun fact, this piece of furniture on the left is called a “chest on chest”. I thought my mom was “pulling my leg” when she told me that, but lo and behold, it actually says that on the tag on the back of the piece of furniture.

I’m waiting on the drapery hardware to arrive to install the buffalo check panels, but this is shaping up to be one of my favorite rooms.

We also picked up this church pew in Kentucky, which had been a fixture on my granny and papa’s carport my entire life (I’m sure even longer than that). I gave it a fresh coat of paint and it will go on the screened porch with the dining table (that I do not have yet).

In outdoor news, Josh purchased this monstrosity to collect rain. It too, will soon be painted black.

Out front, we started on the landscaping. Still much to do, but it does feel less like a job site and more like a home each time we plant something.

And my irises that I transplanted last fall from our old house are in full bloom by the driveway.

We got tired of waiting on the painters and exterior trim guys so we went ahead and put out our random assortment of porch furniture on the front porch so we can use it as the weather gets nicer. I got some new cushions for the sofa and chair that were from Josh’s bachelor life and painted the rocking chairs that were also on granny and papa’s carport for years. All of this will go to the screened porch once it’s complete, but we have been enjoying it in the meantime.

I installed my custom kitchen window treatments the second the were ready. I am in love with them. I found this fabric several years ago and knew I had to have it somewhere in the house where I could enjoy it everyday. They were a splurge, but I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Bu assisted with the shade installation.

There is still touch up to be done in the butler’s pantry and the wine fridge needs to be put back (it currently looks lovely in the middle of the mudroom), but I have put on the cabinet hardware and we are using it as a bar.

Bu got a little touch up – his first bath in his new sink.

There was some verbal protesting, but everyone made it out unscathed.

He’s always happy to be fresh and clean, but does not enjoy the process. I have similar feelings about working out.

Bu says please no more baths this year.

We’ve also had quite a bit of rain. We lost power and cell coverage for a while the other day. Wouldn’t recommend it.

As a result of all of this rain, Josh spends a lot of time spreading grass seed and putting down erosion control matting.

It’s about time to be thinking about our garden and all I want to do is plant things. All Bu wants to do is follow me out onto the porch.

Alas, due to MORE rain, my projects for today will have to be indoors. So I will be painting this bench, with Bu’s supervision.

Please pray for shutter installation soon.