A New Menace

While Quirky Cottage was being put back together there were so many large trucks, men and power tools in and around that the neighborhoods cats were discouraged from their familiar paths around the house.

Now that it is all quiet and I've been feeding the wild birds again I expected to see all the familiar kitties to wander into the yard.

Instead, this cat has been the dominate visitor.

We have never seen him / her before. This luscious thick fur just makes me want to dig my fingers into it.

See how beautifully he blends in with the bark of the cedar tree.

He likes to stalk the birds but he's just too big to be agile enough to be any real treat to them.

rita

The lonely Maytag Man

My neighborhood Maytag Man is not lonely.

He has visited my house three times in the last two weeks and he isn't done yet and the laundry is piling up.

Water, where it shouldn't be, and 100 degree heat do not mix well with the electronic system in washers and dryers.

At first the Maytag Man would not believe that was the problem -- but now that he has been to the house 3 times and he is beginning to believe it.

He thinks he has it repaired -- it will wash one load -- and I have to call him back to the house -- it always takes three days for him to return because he is so busy.

We are waiting (not so patiently) for new mother boards to be ordered and delivered.

Until then, Cottage Master has been going to the public laundry facility to do the absolutely necessary items (read that as underware!).

Here it is -- the big day -- ever wonder what the insides of machines looks like?

Okay, machines are back in order -- 20 loads of laundry to do -- can I get it all done in one day? DOUBTFUL
rita

Let's talk about TP

When putting the hall bathroom back together I decided rather than poke holes in the fresh, new walls I'd opt for a stand-alone TP holder.

The one I bought has a clever swivel arm to allow rolls to be slip on and off the stand.

So one day, very recently, the Cottage Master found himself at the end of his roll . . .

He was able to get the empty roll off . . .

And apparently he figured out how to get a fresh roll off of the stand BUT not able to replace the fresh roll to its obvious place because this is what I found . . .

I will never fully understand MEN!

I know that the usual TP dispensers are a bit complicated and maybe even mysterious to manipulate.

I was six years old before I had the courage to explore the one in our home and discovered the secret of how my mother got the fresh rolls onto the roller.

And for the last 40 years of my married life I have been the only adult in the house who knows this secret. How do I know I'm the keeper of the sacred secret?

Because of with this . . .

rita

I'm Melting . . .

Two steps were done immediately by the crew that worked on QC after her flood. Ripping out of wet walls and carpet during the day and at night they blew 100 degree air throughout the house to dry her out.

I wasn't thinking ahead at that point and the hot temperatures took their toll on the candles that were in the house . . .

You can see bits of insulation on the top of this candle

And the house plants got all the moisture sucked out of them . . .

Oddly enough, the Christmas cactus survived and is showing the signs of blooming again soon.

rita

QC is a home again

We said our final good-bye to the hotel room that we called home for the many weeks after Quirky Cottage was flooded.

It was nice and reasonably comfortable but it took patience (and some eye-rolling) for the Cottage Master and me to live this close to one another for so long.



We are back in our home and in our own bed. Oh how I missed our memory foam bed. Everyone, including me, kept saying how it will seem like a new house with all new floors and fresh paint.

However, I've discovered that once the furniture was placed in its original position the house was much more like my old house -- just a little fresher. I'm not complaining -- I loved my house before and I love it even more now.

Here are the culprits to all the trouble. It has been suggested that we frame these -- I might just do that.





BEFORE and AFTER

These Before pictures were taken a year ago . . .

We replaced the berry colored carpet with one that was more nutral.

The kitchen had a yellow pine Pergo floor -- replaced with darker colored fake wood floor.
I love this red rug I found at Target last week! Yes, that is a thread from the new carpet on the rug -- new carpet does that -- spreads itself around when you walk on it.

All of the other rooms are pretty close to what they had been before. However, since the ceiling, walls and floor of the master bathroom was trash we took this opportunity to remodeled the room.

I wanted the old fashion Cottage feel to the room . . .

I love the look of this sink.

The plumbing for the toilet and sink were moved slightly to make as much room as possible for a walk-in shower area.

There is still one glass brick needed to finish the job -- it is on back order.

Another room that got a major redo was the Cottage Master's library. It had been a kitchen originally.

The window was taken out, and the ceiling got an updated look.

It's good to be home.

rita<>