tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112993212024-03-13T19:57:37.304-07:00√2: Life is IrrationalAll escaping thoughts philosophical, mathematical, craftical, personal, and other random topicsMonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.comBlogger575125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-5613352739629671832013-11-03T06:59:00.000-07:002013-11-03T06:59:06.210-07:00Fireplace RevealI have been looking forward to finishing and sharing our fireplace project for a quite a while. We started this back in mid-February when we found out how much we were getting from our tax refund and decided that this ugly thing was the target of those funds. It has been finished for a while, but it took the weather cooling off and using it non-stop to get me excited enough to show you the whole ordeal. What we started with was ugly and not safe to actually use. <br />
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First, we had to get rid of that hideous brick. We were thinking that we could just take out the sides and put a new face on it with a different width profile. But, wait. Without the sides, it doesn't stand up. Okay, we'll just take the whole thing out to rebuild the profile.<br />
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So cute... behind that little fireplace box there is a big awesome looking fireplace with an arched top. Let's just take this little one out and use that awesome big one. It looks way cooler.<br />
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Oh crap!!! That little fireplace that we ripped out was the firebrick box and what we are left with is just exterior homebrick -- not at all safe to burn in a fire in! Now we have to put back in a new firebox... Did I mention it's winter? And now we have a gaping hole in our house? (And soot absolutely EVERYWHERE for months!)<br />
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Okay. So, let's hire a brick mason so our house doesn't burn down. I do love laying brick but I don't know enough about what I'm doing. <br />
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Also, we have to start over on design. We were going to build a little wooden mantel around the brick. But without the brick, we needed to shop for a facade. Mark and I both, separately, found and fell in love with this one. I've posted about it before, so I won't go into too much depth about it except to say, it is just too much for our house but we don't care.<br />
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Our masons were kind enough to include installing the mantel with no extra charge. Thank goodness because that thing was HEAVY. I had bruises on my thighs for four weeks from carrying it a few yards from the garage to the living room. <br />
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Next... we have to tear out the wall (to rebuild for the width and height differences of the new profile.) Originally, I wanted it to go up to the ceiling from the top of the mantle but narrower than the fireplace. But, we didn't want to mess with wiring issues. We had to open the wall anyway to create support structure for mounting the TV. So, we went about building out the wall frame and anchoring everything firmly to the brick. <br />
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While we were at it, I put in behind the wall HDMI and a grounded outlet for the TV.<br />
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Up with the rest of the sheetrock and joint compound.<br />
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Paint and TV goes up!<br />
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Soapstone tile around the hearth and trim and wainscott on the neighboring walls.<br />
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And we just need to paint the wainscott and put in the baseboard. So, it is close enough to DONE. To give you the final reveal... But before I do that, let me give a shout out to my crew of hard workers. Zola and Viola helped me at every point along the way. They helped cut boards and sheetrock, build wall framing, apply joint compound, paint, cut and position tile, install the grout, and paint in the tile sealer. In a few cases, I couldn't have done it without them. Zola, in particular, has the same love for construction that I do. She always follows me around, hands me tools, holds screws or boards while I fasten, positions things for me, asks to hold the handle of some tool while I guide it, etc. She listens and quickly follows instructions because she knows I will and have kicked her off the crew for the day if she doesn't (safety being the main concern when she isn't in the mood to follow instructions.) Here is the moment you have all been waiting for... BOOM!<br />
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Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-59380857062188508512013-11-01T04:22:00.002-07:002013-11-01T04:22:51.839-07:00Breakfast For Dinner Favorte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
CAST IRON SKILLET CASSEROLE</div>
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Good tip in sharing recipes is to always provide a picture. I didn't take on, because I was too busy stuffing my face the minute this thing was not too hot to burn my mouth off. But, they all look pretty much the same, so I <a href="http://www.simply-gourmet.com/2011/07/12-cast-iron-and-my-skillet-breakfast.html">grabbed</a> this one -- </div>
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Disclosure: I am a "throw together cooker." I'm against hanging out in the kitchen for a long time just to eat a daily meal that you are just going to poop out later. Special occasions or baking - different story. But, don't expect a bunch of fresh ingredients and/or peaceful preparation time away from the kids. That's not going to happen - and yes, I will probably die before you if you are judging me. But I will have lived less time slaving in the kitchen, so I'm okay with it. </div>
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Okay, here's how you do it. Put the skillet on the burner and heat some oil, put in all breakfasty ingredients that you might want to sizzle a little. . . onions, trio pepper are my go to. Then, just start pouring everything else breakfasty in. Doesn't matter in combination... just have eggs, cheese, and other stuff. I never go without meat(s) and potatoes in mine. Stir it up loosely, but don't over do it. You don't have to beat up the eggs or anything. Just make sure everything is even in the skillet. Then, benefits of the cast iron (which you get with some of the fancier 'glass' casserole dishes as well but without the rustic visual appeal) -- toss that bad boy in the oven and let that casserole set up while you go start a fire in the fireplace. This part is important, because it's getting colder outside, and throwing in one of those paper covered fake logs takes ABSOLUTELY no effort on your part, so there is no excuse to leave this ingredient out. It's important for the ambiance of the cast iron skillet dish. You have about 40 minutes to enjoy it before that casserole is going in your mouth.</div>
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So, if you are one of those people who has to have very specific directions (take a chance, people!) ... here you go:</div>
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1/2 rough cut onion</div>
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1/2 cup frozen tri color peppers (I do so love me some trader joes)</div>
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1/2 bag of frozen potatoes (the trader joes roasted potatoes are really the best, but I ran out this time and used half that and have those grated ones and whatever, potatoes are potatoes. Yum!) </div>
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1 lb pre-cooked <strike>breakfast</strike> meat of any kind or combination. I like to use bacon, sausage and cubed ham when I don't spending time pre-cooking the bacon and sausage. But cubed ham is the go-to when it's a true toss together.</div>
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2 cups cheese. Don't be stingy people. It's not like this is healthy anyway and leaving out a little of the good stuff is only going to make it less cheesy. So, why do it?</div>
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6-10 eggs. This really depends on how eggy you like the dish to be. The one pictured above probably used 12. I'm in the 6-7 category because I like the surface to be chunky, the insides looser bound and to see the more than just hints of all the deliciousness inside. But, like the rest of these ingredients, who cares. It's going to be good no matter what you do. </div>
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Things you could add if you aren't lazy: garlic, salt, pepper, (okay, any seasoning you want), ricotta cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, heavy cream... (you get the idea. If it says "cream" or "cheese" in the title and is NOT Hazelnut coffee creamer it will probably be awesome), fresh herbs, left over pot roast, green chilis or any kind of peppers to put some zing, salsa, chili, those pop-can biscuits (uncooked) chopped into cubes and mixed in, white sausage gravy on top... the options are endless!</div>
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The best part is the leftovers. Try to make at least two times your body weight of this so that you can have it again tomorrow. Throw that stuff in a tortilla with some guac, sour cream, a few jalapenos, fresh cheese and some salsa and your mind WILL be blown. </div>
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Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-88073293144100830522013-10-11T06:03:00.004-07:002013-10-11T06:03:30.297-07:00NY Day 2I finally got around to looking at the rest of our pictures from our NY trip with Melanie & Ethan. I wanted to share some highlights with you!<br />
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Here is Viola showing Ethan how to plank on vacation, of course.<br />
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All the kids <i>really </i>loved riding on the subway. This time around, we were smart enough to really plan our routes around the city to avoid frustration on which train to take and how. It made it fun for the adults to ride the subway, too. Mark insists that it's called the "Sub." <br />
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Zola enjoyed the fountains at Rockefeller Plaza, and Mark paid homage to the show '30 Rock.'<br />
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You can't do a big city without seeing a street act. These guys were pretty fun. I'm pretty sure they were the same guys we saw last time we were here. The kids were old enough to appreciate the hand stands and break dancing and gave a good show themselves later.<br />
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We spent some down time to rest our weary feet in central park.<br />
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And I have no idea why I love this goofy pictures of Zola making a face. I just do.<br />
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We also had a good time at Time Square, Chinatown, Soho, and more. The best part for me was watching Zola socialize with everyone in Washington park. She had to use the restroom and all that was available was a porta potty. She did a social service by walking from group of people to group of people giving them some kind of warning along the lines of "You see that blue house over there? Do NOT go in there. It's disgusting." Hilarious. She even told the park janitors.</div>
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Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-22109013768060519462013-09-30T04:24:00.001-07:002013-09-30T04:24:13.673-07:00colorI don't know if you know this, but you are supposed to calibrate your monitor every couple of weeks. That seems really often to me. But, I think it's like getting your oil changed or something. I have never done it. I know Mark has done it a few times, but like someone who can't tell if something is out of tune... I never really saw a difference. Now that I'm editing photos with the expectation that they will be at a professional level... the minor becomes the major. I have been spending days and days and days trying to tune it just right. There are expensive tools you can buy that will do it for you - but... I'm not big on buying things unless there is no way I can do it on my own. Well... I'm not sure how well I did or how much tuning is still left to do. So, I'm going to use this post for tests so I can view them on different monitors. I only have so many monitors to cross view, so if you can let me know if what you see needs correction.... dark/shadowy, orange, blue, washed out, overly contrasted, highlights too blown out, skin is red/blue, black is gray... whatever you see that I can use to get a better final print -- Feel free to chime in with comments!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-23663162845496690932013-09-26T17:05:00.002-07:002013-09-26T17:05:11.450-07:00first day in NY~!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-87743693613558972742013-07-29T15:26:00.003-07:002013-07-29T15:26:54.767-07:00<u>Quotes from the last few weeks:</u><br />
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- Mom, stop singing. It's annoying. (zola)<br />
- Skinny girls freeze to death faster. (random bumper sticker that made my day)<br />
- I would survive all of 4 hours in the apocalypse (mark)<br />
- Oh, this is happening. (hilary)<br />
- Mona, help me. Melanie is pouring water on me IN THE HOUSE! (mark)<br />
- She's pooping, genius. (zola)<br />
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<u>On Self-Employment</u><br />
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I have encouraged Zola to start collecting aluminum cans to help her learn about money. She has been dilligently doing so and got her first full trash bag full this past weekend. I took her down to the place that buys cans and she earned her first $1.50. (I think the guy overpaid her because she was adorable doing this by herself.) She is so proud of herself. We put her money in a savings jar and she gets to play with it for 5 minutes if she behaves appropriately and listens to instructions.<br />
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I am going full out on the idea of starting a side-business of newborn photography. I am taking pictures, researching, and obsessing every free moment I have. I have bought some equipment that is making a huge difference in quality and am lining up a few more free sessions in the next month or so to hone my craft. I have tentatively lined up two babies for the next month. And I'm realizing that I already need business cards because I'm marketing myself everytime I see a pregnant lady! I'd love to drop off some cards at maternity boutiques, etc. and build my business a little. Even if I only do two sessions a month, I wouldn't have to cut into our current budget to fulfill a dream of mine... a trip to Italy for our 20th anniversary in a few years.<br />
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<u>On Photography</u><br />
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Since I've been investing in my camera equipment and knowledge obsessively, I've been taking a lot more pictures and trying to up my quality. So, here are a few from this month. For some reason, they are mostly of my crazy one. Zola needs video at this point, because her talking is beyond hilarious.<br />
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<br />Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-18156778388223381712013-06-12T18:33:00.001-07:002013-06-12T18:34:13.145-07:00hobby freakI guess I only post when I'm excited about a new hobby these days. My latest is taking newborn pictures. Here are a few... (thank you parents for allowing me to share)<br />
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<span id="goog_462570721"></span><span id="goog_462570722"></span><br />Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-89171695761409208582013-03-21T11:12:00.001-07:002013-03-26T18:06:08.242-07:001/6 playscale funI am trying to hand-craft a dollhouse and furniture for the girls before Christmas, and I'm trying to make pretty high quality stuff with mostly just my ingenuity. So far, I have quite the little living room going, and am trying to decide whether to do the kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom next. It's been really rewarding as a particular piece of furniture can be finished in a day or two where the work on our real house is much slower to get results on.<br />
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When I cut the components for my miniature coffee table with my full size table saw, I really felt like I was putting my fingers at risk. It made me wish these exist. And they do. Aren't they adorable? Now somebody buy them for me! :)<br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/3-1-Mini-Miter-Saw-805/dp/B002PGVVN2/ref=sr_1_112?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1363886676&sr=1-112&keywords=mini+power+tools">3-1/8" Mini Miter Saw</a></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-mighty-mite-table-saw-93211.html">4" Mighty-Mite Table Saw</a></div>
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I think I am basically obligated to build a playscale garage to build a doll wood working shop in so I can put them away there when I'm not using them. I just die.</div>
Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-56525814734262409442013-03-19T13:50:00.000-07:002013-03-19T13:50:32.902-07:00FavoritesSo I can turn you on to good stuff... I tried to populate these recommendations with things you might not otherwise consider. The mainstream popular choices that I like but assume you already know are excluded.<br />
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<u>TV SHOWS</u><br />
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Lost<br />
Battlestar Gallactica<br />
Arrested Development<br />
Curb Your Enthusiasm<br />
Breaking Bad<br />
The Wire<br />
Once Upon a Time<br />
Dexter<br />
Big Love<br />
Mad Men<br />
Community<br />
Weeds<br />
Chuck<br />
Modern Family<br />
Heroes<br />
Prison Break<br />
True Blood<br />
Wild Palms<br />
Eureka<br />
Dollhouse<br />
Star Trek: Next Generation<br />
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<u>MOVIES</u><br />
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Saved!<br />
Life Aquatic<br />
Fight Club<br />
Donny Darko<br />
Truman Show<br />
Royal Tenenbaums <br />
Little Miss Sunshine<br />
Triplets of Belleville<br />
Eternal Sunshine on a Spotless Mind<br />
Amelie<br />
Kick-Ass<br />
Exit Through the Gift Shop<br />
The Usual Suspects<br />
Memento<br />
Hard Candy<br />
Chum Scrubber<br />
American Beauty<br />
Spirited Away<br />
Dark City<br />
Matrix<br />
Capitalism: A Love Story<br />
Baraka<br />
Fog of War<br />
Princess Bride<br />
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas<br />
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<u>BOOKS</u><br />
<br />
Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs<br />
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson <br />
Not Without My Daughter - Betty Mahmoody<br />
The Massacre at El Mozote - Mark Danner<br />
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen<br />
Good In Bed - Jennifer Weiner<br />
Wicked: Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire<br />
Helter Skelter: The True Stories of the Manson Murders - Ann Rule<br />
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<u>ACTIVITIES</u><br />
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Watch YouTube to learn how to make/do something and do it<br />
Skateboarding (Never too old)<br />
Rock Climbing<br />
Beer Home Brewing<br />
Sewing (Plushies, doll clothes, and other quick, forgiving single sit projects)<br />
Simple Scrapbooking<br />
Upcycling/repurpose crafting<br />
Toy making<br />
Cycling/Spinning Class<br />
Baking (Breads like cinnamon rolls, pretzels and pastries)<br />
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<u>MUSIC</u><br />
<br />
Do, Make, Say, Think<br />
Radiohead<br />
Django Reindhardt<br />
Mogwai<br />
Jenny Lewis<br />
Blonde Redhead<br />
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<u>DESTINATIONS</u><br />
<br />
Haarlem, Netherlands<br />
Bryce National Park, Utah<br />
Brugge, Germany<br />
Jerome, Arizona<br />
Gent, Belgium<br />
Solvang, Califonia<br />
Portmeirion, North Wales<br />
Tamarindo, Costa Rica<br />
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<u>FOOD</u><br />
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Thai Yellow Curry<br />
Chicken Paprikash on dumplings<br />
Indian Pav Bhaji or Dosai Masala<br />
Rubios Fish Taco<br />
Great Lakes Dortmunder Beer<br />
Chicken Shawarma <br />
Pork Roast with Sauerkraut and Apples<br />
Fried Chicken and Waffles<br />
Grilled Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich<br />
Sangiovese and Valpolicella Wine<br />
Pickled Mango, Pickled Turnips, Pickled Cucumbers, Hot Pickled Cauliflower, Deep fried pickles<br />
Corned Beef<br />
Homemade refried beans with bacon<br />
Diet Coke (if you drink regular, just keep drinking it -- you get used to the taste and never go back)Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-60330898560229678922013-02-22T05:59:00.004-07:002013-02-22T05:59:35.822-07:00i want to be a general contractor in my third careerI had to do a lot of crappy work at the farm and around the house growing up. I remember laying cement, hanging drywall, framing the garage, digging post holes, and all kinds of non-traditional childhood memories. It totally sucked. I hated it, and the only reason I did it was because it was punishment for all the misbehaving I was doing at the time. I didn't get grounded, I got put to work.<br />
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Fast forward to now. I have my own house and the weird thing is that working on it feels like the ultimate crafting project. It doesn't feel like work at all. (It is, don't get me wrong. My muscles, lack of skin on my finger tips, and 3rd degree bruises on my legs testify this.) I just love it. I love it so much that I keep giving us progressively more difficult and crazy projects -- things that we never thought we would be comfortable doing ourselves. At yet, here we are. So over confident that we are probably going to do something wrong and burn our house down. But whatev. It's fun.<br />
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So, I have been obsessing over the right path to take with our fireplace for months. It's really out of place in the room now that the floors and paint have transformed the style. And frankly, the genius who put in the top shelf was like... dang, these window seals are in my way. Oh well, I'll just mount it at a severe angle. Wow.<br />
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It wasn't in the original budget to redo it, so I wanted to keep it small and cosmetic. Nothing fancy. Then we got our tax refund and threw some money at it with the AMAZING 485 pound mantel that I posted about last time. It arrived and we got so excited about installing it that we started logistically planning how it was supposed to fit up against the existing fireplace when we realized it couldn't. So we (ill-planned) ripped out the brick on the face of the fireplace back to the wall. Wait? There was another fireplace behind it. Weird. The behind one is really cool. But the demo left a gaping hole to the outside and now we have birds living in our chimney, our project has quickly spiraled out of control, and we have to call off intalling gas logs to pay for the masonry needed to line the firebox with firebrick and install a new damper and whatever we might need in regards to whatever a "flue" might mean. And we have soot EVERYWHERE in the house. It's in the cracks of the wood floor and constantly resettling places so no matter how much we mop and dust... the kids feet are black and they are jumping on the couch. A bad combo. Thank goodness these are our "potty training couches." It might sound like this is a nightmare. It isn't. I kind of love the puzzle of figuring out how to fix things. And like my favorite scrapbooking pages, they always start with some kind of mistake that I have to figure out how to improve on. I know this fireplace is going to be the striking centerpiece to the room that it should be whenever I figure out what the heck we are going to do. For now, I decided that as much as I love laying brickwork, we'll call in a pro for the firebox replacement. It's hard, because I know how to do it and it's not that big of a deal. But I keep thinking, if it's not sealed properly and we are having a nice Christmas fire and burn down the house... I'll probably feel pretty sheepish (among other strong emotions.)<br />
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On the upside, I got to pour the cement pad to mount the hearth on. That was a blast. And I feel like Rosie the Riveter. I'm a rock star. <br />
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Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-88556731714493751042013-02-12T12:49:00.001-07:002013-02-12T18:12:47.494-07:00modern family fireplace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vY2rjzMiFjjeu8A1D5str45y67lwskzfcf8QPC1FZh7BIoJvO2vl4bsx6aEsCY7CJZHDPV9VwMbEmbeKpqwwQ4ESnu3Je-mmQE1lcbLGacrupvEVlRbi6UX2u1mRidGcMWU/s1600/fireplace_collage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vY2rjzMiFjjeu8A1D5str45y67lwskzfcf8QPC1FZh7BIoJvO2vl4bsx6aEsCY7CJZHDPV9VwMbEmbeKpqwwQ4ESnu3Je-mmQE1lcbLGacrupvEVlRbi6UX2u1mRidGcMWU/s320/fireplace_collage.JPG" uea="true" width="320" /></a></div>
So, we only watch TV on Netflix, so we are just now making our way into the show "Modern Family." Funniest show I have seen since Arrested Development was taken off the air. I just love it. I guess I must have been subconciously influenced by the show, because I just realized that the fireplace we bought over the weekend matches the one in Mitchell and Cam's house. Well, then. I guess you could say I have the taste of a set designer fashioning a room for a gay couple. Nice.Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-31322690038855440022012-12-12T14:40:00.002-07:002012-12-12T14:40:38.717-07:00go pee pee?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgML8GFbvi7SnG409ULhLp-Qnnavph1S9n37vOwvVtoZpWt71IXDki0BYmPrglY-MJZdhYFnfXcRbKC2pDlyhFXpHRlU66sFMLK-xaxKyy6IfCNRENyTqEiTIbJv4d0LiDa6k/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgML8GFbvi7SnG409ULhLp-Qnnavph1S9n37vOwvVtoZpWt71IXDki0BYmPrglY-MJZdhYFnfXcRbKC2pDlyhFXpHRlU66sFMLK-xaxKyy6IfCNRENyTqEiTIbJv4d0LiDa6k/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Remember this little girl? This old picture of my little tiny sweetheart that used to wet herself? She's GONE! Replaced with a savant at toilet use. We put it off and put it off, because it just seemed like more work than it was worth to train her, even though she seemed willing. The few times we tried only yeilded a baby in diapers and a couch that smells like pee. (Sorry if you have to sleep on my couch any time soon.)<br />
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A while back, we over spent on fun... so when it came to buying diapers, instead of going over budget, I suggested Mark give it another try with panties while J was here to help. And so the mopping started on Monday. But by Thursday and two bags of M and M's later, we have a kid that had her first full day AND night with no accidents.<br />
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<br />Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-85376424491402718142012-12-12T14:38:00.000-07:002012-12-12T14:38:55.435-07:00california<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here is an old picture from WAAAAAY back in April. These are my sweeties chillin on our favorite park bench. They are so adorable. I spent seven days away from my family on a solo trip to California a week ago on business. It was both wonderful (to take a break from the screaming toddlers and see my besties) and horrible (to find that I'm spending all my time missing my kiddos.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfW_2HCNpq_rPCxqHliWGljObmD8dgrvc_7RX2BR4J56W8q0NtxUBiCRNuAmzCO25BCgv3prvuGx3U9x9Qqjhk0E5Ca18tNbVGWrv9wdvvh9OSkGYi8j5ae_1_nXI1Szd3FfQ/s1600/2012-04-20_18-58-13_50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfW_2HCNpq_rPCxqHliWGljObmD8dgrvc_7RX2BR4J56W8q0NtxUBiCRNuAmzCO25BCgv3prvuGx3U9x9Qqjhk0E5Ca18tNbVGWrv9wdvvh9OSkGYi8j5ae_1_nXI1Szd3FfQ/s320/2012-04-20_18-58-13_50.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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While I was there, I attended a series of team-buildling activities... among them, MB2 racing. These cars go 45 miles per hour, and it's pretty serious racing. Very fun. Very. And we had a couple of very memorable happy hours as well. So it was not all business and boring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NOVp1CeYSa51dGCIzb26xCt6YTmISmaNkwJmYoEOZyBetpqgBtePdNEeUcAXevlDSA5Qb9pBJWU0V8I6GizFWlmZvzzRRqBMXkNLuvGK1Reboe8LknpCCx0s1IimZpMN3F0/s1600/2012-04-10_13-40-51_496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NOVp1CeYSa51dGCIzb26xCt6YTmISmaNkwJmYoEOZyBetpqgBtePdNEeUcAXevlDSA5Qb9pBJWU0V8I6GizFWlmZvzzRRqBMXkNLuvGK1Reboe8LknpCCx0s1IimZpMN3F0/s320/2012-04-10_13-40-51_496.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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And then I got to attend Madhuri's surprise baby shower. I was so happy to be able to spend some quality time with her, see our mutual friends, and eat all my favorite Indian dishes. I definitely felt spoiled. </div>
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Off to SFO to spend a day with my Nancy. Man was it great to see her. We had a romantic date on the bluffs of the bay, drank wine, did a little Martha Stewart canning of spicy pickled vegetables, and chatted up a storm. It was hard to say goodbye to my old friends. </div>
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While I was gone (of course), Viola started talking. Up to then, she has been a single syllable whispered or non-commital gut scream, but as to actually making sounds that add up to anything meaningful, she's been sort of shy to try it despite being able to comprehend at least 75 words. When I got home, she ran up to me, grabbed my legs, and said "Momma!" What a welcome home! She has about 30 words or more now that she can say within a meaningful context (Milk, ball, duck, that sort of thing). </div>
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Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-34077707373601922412012-09-28T20:19:00.000-07:002012-09-28T20:19:00.068-07:00the teen room reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is almost the before... we had some of the extra furniture from all over the house in here at the time we took these pictures, and only the bed and book shelves (not pictured) stayed in the room. The room was pretty bare, with drab, dirty pink walls, ugly everything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This room will be our office/guest room; but for the time that Tyler lives with us, it will be her bedroom. So for now, much of the "office-y" stuff is in the attic or basement and we have the extra tv, wii, and dvd player in there for her use (so we don't have to watch "Switched at Birth" and such.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeAs3fTGcTaGP5dGoVw0UELxcJj6iA1q5L1tQkQO8xQfP0rYjxCSFeO45C0hqSu5HWRKb7X5gh-jxFIcYZNt1j6XtnvodEAu0vH8Hhu-sG6DxAtx7WaJNV56iJiVULuTSSKU/s1600/before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeAs3fTGcTaGP5dGoVw0UELxcJj6iA1q5L1tQkQO8xQfP0rYjxCSFeO45C0hqSu5HWRKb7X5gh-jxFIcYZNt1j6XtnvodEAu0vH8Hhu-sG6DxAtx7WaJNV56iJiVULuTSSKU/s320/before.JPG" width="316" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The most complete room in the house belongs to Tyler. She contributed a lot of the sweat equity in order to give herself her own space, and we were happy to see a room come together so quickly. We really worked hard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We already had a foam mattress top, so we found a used twin bed on craigslist for $20.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First we found an old but cute dresser and headboard on the curb. We sanded and prepped them, and modpodged lace to make them a set. Then we painted them both with glossy "Beluga" gray. Wow. Talk about awesome transformation from trash to treasure. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhob9HRATTUw_qpSKazz9wzepOe1QTJXPXAQhFa_glr4ONrYXh-oyGWI16HLzreDFWcDQpHiRl-qevKKHR0Q4i2emmvOvYDhC9DRDHt80lacYRUqWJp2c_VUjtL6hQZd6kKbGI/s1600/modge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhob9HRATTUw_qpSKazz9wzepOe1QTJXPXAQhFa_glr4ONrYXh-oyGWI16HLzreDFWcDQpHiRl-qevKKHR0Q4i2emmvOvYDhC9DRDHt80lacYRUqWJp2c_VUjtL6hQZd6kKbGI/s320/modge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We special ordered some drawer pulls for the dresser to complete the look. (Okay, we attached the two easy ones, but got lazy when we realized we needed to drill holes to attach the other ones, so Tyler just leaves her drawers open an inch. Zola loves this because she keeps snickers in her bottom drawer, and Zola can reach in there.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s5Yvfl8dflrpN3x0PNJe1_eh99s5o5_-EQL8b-bMdeaIuL9nTraxM4iQmdCJk7Hx4skX4bwSsD4M-X_9xR_HVOcdCNrr7bwZxQpa1WUyEGyOkwvIv-BgAh17HAiTmBcv1fc/s1600/pull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s5Yvfl8dflrpN3x0PNJe1_eh99s5o5_-EQL8b-bMdeaIuL9nTraxM4iQmdCJk7Hx4skX4bwSsD4M-X_9xR_HVOcdCNrr7bwZxQpa1WUyEGyOkwvIv-BgAh17HAiTmBcv1fc/s1600/pull.jpg" /></span></a>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got coordinating green floor lamp, black rug, green and black floral bedding set, big green chair and wall art at Walmart. I already had a black and white damask footrest we weren't using, which matches the look well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the pallette. Most of the colors are from the Behr collection and were semi or hi-gloss. But the green shown is an approximation, because we selected the color from the Martha Stewart pallette and I couldn't find it online to show you guys.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKvLpNb2ly5oK_2U7yvGCNGh_UhJ2bdJGJR6hyphenhyphen8vz6TMwic3yy2HqW6fyHBhDSjWCeWqpfylaRsEos8Ivq8vjMUxqtzVL9lN_s3lvjV26hpSTH2rn69RUlrRbKywl5PajuwI/s1600/beluga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><img border="0" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKvLpNb2ly5oK_2U7yvGCNGh_UhJ2bdJGJR6hyphenhyphen8vz6TMwic3yy2HqW6fyHBhDSjWCeWqpfylaRsEos8Ivq8vjMUxqtzVL9lN_s3lvjV26hpSTH2rn69RUlrRbKywl5PajuwI/s1600/beluga.JPG" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We (Tyler) painted the walls a light grey, with one darker "Cement" grey accent on the wall with the tent-window seat. Most of the trim was painted ultra bright white, but the baseboard was painted Beluga. We got silver switch plates to match the dresser pulls. We still need to paint the ceiling ultra white. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuZ-WwV2JfUPcEyM49nktlc3fm50SHOQUi1s18gcCpV6YQjfKCg_HuBl0VYGApuWYl9ftdRzxtuPKH2XBeihkau0lamXwsRkw7i2-zkYRK4BEbWC1df49rc40ZQhxbYqG5m4/s1600/paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuZ-WwV2JfUPcEyM49nktlc3fm50SHOQUi1s18gcCpV6YQjfKCg_HuBl0VYGApuWYl9ftdRzxtuPKH2XBeihkau0lamXwsRkw7i2-zkYRK4BEbWC1df49rc40ZQhxbYqG5m4/s320/paint.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the left over three colors of accent paint (Beluga, Green, and Cement) we projected and traced a print out of some wall vinyl we found at Target to create a hand painted mural of tall whimsical lollipop flowers on one wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also had some corner shelves that we wanted to mount on the walls, so we got some scroll brackets and glossy bright green paint, finished them and hung them. (Okay, we hung one, got lazy and never hung the other and now Tyler likes having it at bedside height for her alarm clock, so we just left it there.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We washed the lace curtains that came with the house and converted one of the bedsheets that came with her bedding set into a balloon valance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It is amazing how much better it looks in there. These pictures do not do it justice! But, here it is, the final REVEAL... dun dun DUNNNNN>>>></span></div>
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Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-62555832252007576132012-09-26T15:43:00.001-07:002012-09-26T15:43:08.034-07:00rent-a-kid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This edition of your favorite blog will be about my rent-a-kid, Tyler. This chica is very photogenic, yes? She really looks like me when I was a young whipper snapper.</div>
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And my other munchkins LOVE her. She definitely brings fresh air into their routines. They have someone who can keep up with them now. And PLAY! Man, they sure can.</div>
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She is very helpful and adding room in our lives for the many things we have going on... painting things, constructing things, running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get "settled." But, what I didn't expect and am surprisingly warmed by is how full our lives feel now. They were full before, but full of blah to-do-lists. Now they are full of fun and the to-do lists still get done.<br />
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It is definitely different having a teen. We've rented kids before, but almost always 18+ years. Teens have energy, drama, events, and everything is epic. Yes. Somehow, even the daily minutia can be epic now. Everything is just so much more interesting.<br />
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And the Summer-Fun-A-Rama never stops. Check back for more installments in the next couple of weeks... when Brandy & JJ are here and we see Manhattan, Ocean City, MD, Philly, and Washington, D.C. in a break neck road tour. What? Oh, and concert in Detroit, trip to LA and San Fran, Cedar Point coaster time, and killer halloween/quadruple birthday bash (JJ, Mark, Tyler, and Zola.) And that's just the weekends... imagine the daily small stuff to scale... Oh, and over here, we just call that October, people. Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-35879180754147641422012-09-16T18:53:00.005-07:002012-09-16T18:53:59.780-07:00crazy girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Zola started
calling Viola "vi-vi" a long time ago... back in the beginning it was
more of a "bye-bye" and now we all call her Vi Vi. </div>
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She
is so spunky and energetic. I call her "crazy girl" and these pictures
just emulate for me the feeling of knowing her. She's a blast and a
hand full. She grins with a scowl like a pirate, and she cries with
such earnest, even when she's faking it!</div>
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Enjoy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-16626857310357941262012-09-16T18:48:00.000-07:002012-09-16T18:48:10.717-07:00summer-fun-a-ramaWe are in the midst of our seventh annual season of summer-fun-a-rama (SFAR). What is SFAR, you may ask? It's a goal. An ambition, say, to see how FAR we can push ourselves with fun for an entire season. It began back in March 2005, when, for the first time ever, we purchased a vehicle that could drive more than 5 miles without breaking down. And we have been contributing our carbon emissions at a higher than average rate every summer since. That first summer, we took a road trip every single weekend. We saw every corner of Arizona and some of Mexico, Utah, Nevada, and California as well. Once we moved to Los Angeles, CA, the fun came to us. We had three amusement parks, a coastline of beaches, family ready to come visit us any time, and no limit to the amount of fun we were willing to crush into a summer. <br />
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I have noticed something alarming happening to our tradition since moving to Ohio... the Summers here seem longer. The fun seems to have a higher level of quest to it. The drama and marathon of it all climax to a furried olympian test later in what can only legitimately be called Fall. Next thing you know, we'll be having All-Year-Round-Fun-A-Rama. Our lives need respite from fun. You really can have too much. I love it while it lasts, but I do look forward to dropping into the couch for a long winter of lazy slumber.<br />
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I realize this is a first-world problem. If I hear myself correctly, I might be complaining that my life is too fun... that I have too many opportunities to exhaust myself in indulging entertainment. You should really pity me. By February, I'll be hearing the siren call of SFAR and we will be back at it again.<br />
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This weekend, we'll be tent camping in West Virginia. Feel sorry for me while I'm rock climbing, drinking wine, and enjoying good friends and nature. Either that, or get off the couch and feel sorry for yourself!Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-32345587476967451132012-09-12T05:50:00.000-07:002012-09-12T05:50:42.596-07:00do you miss me?Zola has a crazy vocabulary. Grammar is still bad... like "Mom, I angry." But she can count pretty high (twenty but sometimes skips from fifteen to seventeen or something). She is extremely comfortable with people. She just goes over and sits in the neighbors lap and starts telling them stuff. Super confident. She does try to teach Viola stuff and is incorporating her in play more often. She is getting interested in pretending and picks up the garden hose and says, "I fire fighter. I drive a firetruck and fight fire with my hose." and then she dances like she's riding a horse/firetruck. She wants to eat non-stop and she tells you what, specifically she wants. Egg. Egg? Egg? Rah-vah-oli, mom? Sannich? Peanut butter sannich, mom? Chip? want water, mom-may. Not that cup. This cup. Puh-asta, please? Cracker? mac-n-cheese? I WANT WATER! WATER! I feel like the most used sentences at our house are, "No, Zola. You just ate. You don't need anything else." and "Where's your water bottle? I'm getting your water, relax." Still no potty training. That's up to dad to get started because she has been ready for a long time. She can do a somersault and tippy toe ballerina dance.<br />
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Viola is still a crazy person. She walked off the top of three steps the other day and landed in a chest roll in the grass and started cracking up laughing. Reminds me of Jared a lot, actually. High energy, laughing, patient, and resilient. She's become more agressive and will instigate fights now and do mean things to Zola or other kids she's around. She'll pinch, bite, hit, etc. She's usually getting revenge, because she gets the brunt most of the time from the older kids. But, she can hold her own. Doesn't say much. Still mainly just says "dada" and rarely will say "mama" but she does know a lot of words and will sometimes breathe them quietly (kitty, thank you, milk, or mimic whatever). She gestures (points, waves, shrugs, etc) and grunts and communicates very effectively... in a way that lets you know that she's comprehending everything. She's almost not a baby anymore. She still loves me to hold and rock her. And she snuggles me really tight. But, she doesn't do that for everyone. (She NEVER snuggles Mark.) She can go up and down stairs by herself (while I panic) and can do the slide by herself (but sometimes she tries to walk down it or jump off the top head first, so again, while I panic)<br />
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And we got a rent-a-kid. If you haven't heard... we have Tyler living with us for a while. If you are wondering... "Tyler, who?..." Paula's granddaughter is wanting people to call her Tyler now, instead of Mariah. We're used to calling her that now. She came to live with us a few days before high school started here and goes to a school with over 4,000 students and three principals. She is adjusting to city life and keeping very busy between school, helping with the kids and remodel projects, and enjoying teen life. We are so excited that she will be turning 16 while she lives with us and getting an Ohio drivers license! For her birthday, we are hoping to take an East Coast City tour to D.C., Manhattan, and wherever else we can fit in along the way. We've been having a lot of fun just hanging out with her, watching movies, showing her Cleveland, and decorating her room. I'm going to do a whole post on her room. It's the most gorgeous room in my house right now.<br />
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As for an update on the house... it is starting to look how we envisioned, but it's far from "finished." That is a LONG way off. But, we finished quite a bit. Please drop by Mark's blog, link in the side bar. He posted some before and after pictures and tells the story much better than me.Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-25915517273916689552012-08-21T11:34:00.007-07:002012-08-21T11:34:52.861-07:00top 10 most stolen cars...<a href="http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/21/13396320-honda-accord-tops-list-for-most-stolen-cars?lite">The full Hot Wheels list</a>:<br />
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1. 1994 Honda Accord<br />
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2. 1998 Honda Civic<br />
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3. 2006 Ford F-Series<br />
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4. 1991 Toyota Camry<br />
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<span style="color: red;">5. 2000 Dodge Caravan (Mine was a 1998, but there you have it.)</span><br />
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6. 1994 Acura Integra<br />
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7. 1999 Chevrolet Silverado<br />
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8. 2004 Dodge Ram<br />
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9. 2002 Ford Explorer<br />
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10. 1994 Nissan Sentra<br />
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Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-80579338082849413922012-08-09T08:28:00.002-07:002012-08-09T08:28:18.673-07:00post and railI didn't get very far on the porch project Tuesday, because my (just bought rusty old wonderful) van was stolen from my work's parking lot and I had to spend most of the evening filling out police reports and getting a ride home. And then I was just emotionally exhausted after reading my insurance policy and realizing that I didn't elect full coverage that I just sat around feeling sorry for myself for the rest of the day.<br />
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But yesterday, I tightened my bootstraps and got back to work. After a few swear words, Mark's good idea and some luck, the top rail came on very easily. We still need to make a minor adjustment to how it is seated, but we have a front rail. We *hope* we can install the two side rails AND get the shopping and floor prep done tonight to start installing 600 square foot of hard wood flooring tomorrow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvjKOd4Mp2y-pHlr4QCwuty5d_KRXYk2aWTrbuaGQMetuTpRu1mk4hU2BVBROPlvRmUQHSzOgSnFumsSiQPHKG5qSTFwhGLVDQoRRBKxHJdhmzBTpoEGdwGG5JIvP2oRSjv4/s1600/porch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" kda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvjKOd4Mp2y-pHlr4QCwuty5d_KRXYk2aWTrbuaGQMetuTpRu1mk4hU2BVBROPlvRmUQHSzOgSnFumsSiQPHKG5qSTFwhGLVDQoRRBKxHJdhmzBTpoEGdwGG5JIvP2oRSjv4/s320/porch2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-40176846521056903972012-08-06T09:58:00.003-07:002012-08-06T09:58:43.381-07:004 weeks of home ownership... buy stock in Home Depot right now. I'm giving you great investment advice.<br />
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I swear, I am there at least four times every day on the weekend and at least as many times during the work week. I'm breaking myself in half with long burning days of hard physical labor. And I don't have a whole lot to show for it, except the nickname my neighbors gave me: Roberta Villa.<br />
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Mark typically keeps the kids busy while I work on our renovation. He helps here and there, but is the first to admit that he is in uncharted territory... table saw territory. And he leaves that kind of dangerous exploring to me, since I've been down here before back in my farm girl days.<br />
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What did I do this weekend?<br />
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Basically, I built a box frame from 2 x "6" and carraige bolted it to the porch joist for security. Then I wrapped it in plywood and started the tedious process of trimming it to match my other colonial square porch posts.<br />
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Some things I learned: The lumber industry is totally robbing us. Did you know that a 1 x 3 is actually only 1 x 2.275? Same with a 2 x 6. It's more like 2 x 5.4. I'm making a porch post that is supposed to look like the other porch posts, and I can't find lumber with the same dimensions! What a rip! (So mine looks weird.) <br />
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Also, because it look much longer than I expected and six trips to home depot, I stopped short of trimming the full box and moved on to building the porch rail. Because the whole point was to create something to fasten the rail to so that we could enclose our raised porch with safety railing so our babies don't plummet to their deaths. (Which Viola would love to do, I'm sure.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm65PsR_BMhWGe0YzwvadthshWkMF-CPsp2L2K82dkkHKNOQOIN7nhHnR-JyqilhvXemixhSncnEwRFVEaStOXqO2-duRv3K38mUufkQQHIgI_yYlfB3ZmkggNCAuHK0SqZbE/s1600/post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm65PsR_BMhWGe0YzwvadthshWkMF-CPsp2L2K82dkkHKNOQOIN7nhHnR-JyqilhvXemixhSncnEwRFVEaStOXqO2-duRv3K38mUufkQQHIgI_yYlfB3ZmkggNCAuHK0SqZbE/s320/post.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Of course, the rail is not finished. I got half the stuff at Lowes and half at Home Depot, because Home Depot did not have pretty turned colonial spinnets and Lowes did not have nested pre-drilled rail connectors. As it turns out the two kit systems are not compatible (of course!) So that's why there is no top rail yet. It will still work, but with work. So, now you know what I 'm doing over the work week, besides trying to ready the house to install the new wood floors on Friday.<br />
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I have a splinter in my thumb. Boo-hoo. Cry on my behalf and send me a get well soon card.<br />
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Meanwhile, we met more of our neighbors and got more history. Back on Jul 4, 1969, there was a tornado down our street. That's why the trees are smaller now than they used to be. I guess a bunch of people died, because it came in off the lake park where everyone was gathered to watch the fireworks. Also, we have three generations of several families who have lived on this street their whole lives. We found out that the second generation had all boys, so the street used to be a bunch of young boys playing. But all those boys have daughters, so now there are at least twelve girls under age 4 in the few houses near ours on our street (and one lonely boy.) I love it!<br />
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Also, I pierced my nose. It's cute.Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-4226168076267922482012-07-25T10:38:00.001-07:002012-07-25T10:38:45.688-07:00home in 3 days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ever since we closed on our home two weeks ago today (wow that went fast) we've been breaking our backs getting it move in ready. I took 7 days off work. We cleaned, cleaned some more, used a grinder to remove soft mortar and some unstable bricks from the basement wall and repointed them, wire brushed the brick to remove chipped, loose paint, cleaned the walls really well and brushed on a couple of coats of waterproofing paint. (Mark says we know karate now.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGFxPsTDmp633UtdroOPzl01N5n9rqTKQ3DSlbjUmJ-Ik5ufO-ENyb0mdiyJtg8UIiBZaILI_7DEPRVIZqOhAGQhWaQeXb_CKsJWmBc48AOgTlDWxuo-Ye5Wu8zbqU_ZCMtM/s1600/grid1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGFxPsTDmp633UtdroOPzl01N5n9rqTKQ3DSlbjUmJ-Ik5ufO-ENyb0mdiyJtg8UIiBZaILI_7DEPRVIZqOhAGQhWaQeXb_CKsJWmBc48AOgTlDWxuo-Ye5Wu8zbqU_ZCMtM/s320/grid1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Man, does it make a huge difference down there... the photo grid shows various stages to complete.</div>
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Then we took on paint. Since the house is 110 years old, it has lead-based paint in it. Just to be on the safe side, we tested all the areas where paint was chipping. Most of it was okay. But, for the areas where the test was positive, we abated by removing the loose with a gel that traps the yuck into your disposable cloth and hit it with a special, thick sealer paint. Then, for best measure, we are coating everything with yet another coat of fresh paint between our babies and the yucky stuff. It took us three straight 18 hour days of two people working to get the painting this far, where the major areas have at least 2 coats and we just have to hit the edges and trim.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oVRBZpPRh4Dnwsyzawue5bYqoyARYrbnDzMvzoKaBBBf5IssBVU3H0M08PSjBW0EoTzCL93K5uIDyUg_NdiLTv_-q0eXR2FApBhLZMCLMYPTSBmDwOMyPj__yKMoithaPm8/s1600/grid2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oVRBZpPRh4Dnwsyzawue5bYqoyARYrbnDzMvzoKaBBBf5IssBVU3H0M08PSjBW0EoTzCL93K5uIDyUg_NdiLTv_-q0eXR2FApBhLZMCLMYPTSBmDwOMyPj__yKMoithaPm8/s320/grid2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But, again... Oh man does it look much better already. The colors we chose really bring out the highlights of the stained glass. The window treatments are at the dry cleaner, but it's going to be beautiful, I think. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f8ppvZUE4OZ9CrtgNOkRtyoL_PEgwAioX6Tqty_f4HoDQDYUQdg9zw9Wc9vUTaDdY7KsTfZ7AmjAaFjNFVtskEIZ1Zg1HhTFlHEHM18JiYKtzc_iZsDe84DPNJIXpZlB7CA/s1600/grid3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f8ppvZUE4OZ9CrtgNOkRtyoL_PEgwAioX6Tqty_f4HoDQDYUQdg9zw9Wc9vUTaDdY7KsTfZ7AmjAaFjNFVtskEIZ1Zg1HhTFlHEHM18JiYKtzc_iZsDe84DPNJIXpZlB7CA/s320/grid3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We also tore out the floor in the foyer upstairs to put in a new subfloor before we lay the new wood floors. Mark removed the china cabinet doors, drawers, and hardware so we can refinish them (lead) later in the garage away from the babies... We found part of the beautiful textured wallpaper behind a mirror above the fireplace, but there was not enought there to save it... :( <br />
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Despite the fact that the house is still pretty torn up and needs at least two more days of cleaning and prepping before we move in, we decided that it's about time we start filling boxes and working on exiting the old house. Mark already packed over 15 boxes and thinks he needs at least 30 more... so much work.<br />
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Who needs to go to the gym when you have a house?Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-69252611870429699542012-07-06T13:23:00.000-07:002012-07-06T13:23:16.389-07:00getter done<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOni46oCxwjVoQmwFO98pcbfDc4XY4aPLJbfdTf86o_hHII86q9Y2eg-ZUhSp-mIJY91BEDQQLn88w6Z91Hxhov3bl6sxZSdF51eO9KzNmMJzlfTLjzVBZACaDKoenpMOHE0/s1600/contractsignstockphot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOni46oCxwjVoQmwFO98pcbfDc4XY4aPLJbfdTf86o_hHII86q9Y2eg-ZUhSp-mIJY91BEDQQLn88w6Z91Hxhov3bl6sxZSdF51eO9KzNmMJzlfTLjzVBZACaDKoenpMOHE0/s1600/contractsignstockphot.jpg" /></a></div>
We have an appointment to sign the contracts and close our loan... on Monday. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for finally helping me understand the meaning of "eternity" and for bringing it to an end for this process.Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-67077760902982268682012-06-29T16:41:00.000-07:002012-06-29T16:41:05.252-07:00almost home...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have been talking about buying this house for such a long time that lots of people think we are already in it. As it turns out, it actually IS annoying to buy a house. It seemed pretty easy when all I was doing was responding to non-stop requests for information for the first few months. But, it is <em>still </em>almost done. We had to switch the type of loan we were getting and make some sacrifices on our timeline and budget for the needed renovation, but we should be homeowners by the end of next week at the latest (but I've heard that before...) </div>
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The first thing we need to do when we get the keys is tackle some safety concerns... there are 100 spider nests, some peeling (probably lead) paint, and a few missing floor boards. </div>
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But the next first thing we need to do is turn this Noah's Arc into a summer haven for <strong>grilling and chilling</strong>. That closed in porch has <em>got to go.</em> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKebhZRvM2kwn7l9vcWootnuB9Coz2_-1tmF5Xh1KVSD66KDt0C0v7G6qTz6KIoiUgR0eMvjYpgO4ypnSylaTf02MnQWebwWtris6I_ZwqCiwPADQxSUJWTanWduiojcIhd-E/s1600/front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKebhZRvM2kwn7l9vcWootnuB9Coz2_-1tmF5Xh1KVSD66KDt0C0v7G6qTz6KIoiUgR0eMvjYpgO4ypnSylaTf02MnQWebwWtris6I_ZwqCiwPADQxSUJWTanWduiojcIhd-E/s320/front.jpg" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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This will be the first time since Mark and I built a skateboard trick box together, which revealed that our power tool wielding styles are in conflict, that we pick up hammers and face each other off again. Who will survive? Only time will tell.</div>
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We will ply the panels off, trim off the edges, sand and paint the porch ceiling and floor, and install a nice victorian rail (from a kit.) It seems like a reasonable first attempt at DIY and sweat equity. I might unlease my inner artist and go Edward Scissorhands on those ugly bushes... maybe if they were spiral shaped with something flowery growing around them... and vines coming up the rails of the porch... </div>
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Our next task will be to unravel the mystery of the downspout that goes straight into the ground. And I'm sure we have some spring gutter cleaning to do. (I need to relish the fact that this is probably the <em>only</em> time I will ever look forward to that task.)</div>
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I am so blissed that I found these pictures thanks to <a href="http://www.clevelandmemory.org/">online archiving</a> of the Cleveland area history. This is a pic of our new street... looking South from the Nickel Plate Rail crossing back in 1930. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f2R8m56OqrfuYqTVYNmx2IMo46oyb55yP5-ODypEg_dV0GLoJffZbVbeF2yV79xTZcvRI03SVz0GQbSjUl8InUle3M6VdCzSaGJUc2wkEjwYfuchyBWSOJ62eMavgoWVgbA/s1600/Gladys1930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f2R8m56OqrfuYqTVYNmx2IMo46oyb55yP5-ODypEg_dV0GLoJffZbVbeF2yV79xTZcvRI03SVz0GQbSjUl8InUle3M6VdCzSaGJUc2wkEjwYfuchyBWSOJ62eMavgoWVgbA/s320/Gladys1930.jpg" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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This shot from Google Streetview illustrates how very little things have changed... except that there are a lot of beautiful trees that have gone missing over time. That's too bad, because that is one of the things Mark always talks about wanting... trees along the lane. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZwtLCgqkj6p6CnzSBxH8ELPJVDp52mCB5BGegLstLjhraFIux5m-Nn-RhQYTfuimzZbYiw90_y2i-xkP4xH9JH8_4arBXJs_i8uhf9Tzeq4tjR_G61Sg3bY3IoliID6JDhc/s1600/GladysNow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZwtLCgqkj6p6CnzSBxH8ELPJVDp52mCB5BGegLstLjhraFIux5m-Nn-RhQYTfuimzZbYiw90_y2i-xkP4xH9JH8_4arBXJs_i8uhf9Tzeq4tjR_G61Sg3bY3IoliID6JDhc/s320/GladysNow.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a shot of the intersection where our street hits the main road looking East, just a short block from our house back in 1965. Some of the same shops are still there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghF85JwkLufy4uj0GjhYYuZvvWU3yw4q83FgwTreowfPNdHLqMFLzL1MmbixRUMsuQOhQ3XL-DJX4dkmP-mZniS12WIawBQ_tc145zshhzzAQNbXWiNhLCW2wgzblbdFVr19I/s1600/GladysDetroit1965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghF85JwkLufy4uj0GjhYYuZvvWU3yw4q83FgwTreowfPNdHLqMFLzL1MmbixRUMsuQOhQ3XL-DJX4dkmP-mZniS12WIawBQ_tc145zshhzzAQNbXWiNhLCW2wgzblbdFVr19I/s320/GladysDetroit1965.jpg" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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And back in 1964, this anonymous guy stood out in the middle of the street (did his mother teach him <em>nothing</em> about getting hit by a car?) in front of what would notoriously soon become the humble Cleveland beginnings of the famous McCowen Empire.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIWxU6D-C1VmdUGQbGlO7caqLhiJFvCdfQHNEp9mxzFGz6Z3XcENjj1zTxRV5dVKujNyaoHt9kPTtrRGtsuJdrl28n0xEcX4W4MxUZf-ILgo_VeLJ2kW87_d6tKQuw92Fx0c/s1600/Gladysguystandinginfront1964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIWxU6D-C1VmdUGQbGlO7caqLhiJFvCdfQHNEp9mxzFGz6Z3XcENjj1zTxRV5dVKujNyaoHt9kPTtrRGtsuJdrl28n0xEcX4W4MxUZf-ILgo_VeLJ2kW87_d6tKQuw92Fx0c/s320/Gladysguystandinginfront1964.jpg" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't know about you, but I just love this stuff.Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11299321.post-1490011303827681662012-06-20T08:18:00.001-07:002012-06-20T09:04:51.124-07:00on the table<ul>
<li>I love that Mark is updating his blog a lot. I don't need to detail what we've been up to lately, because he is doing a good job of that. Check my sidebar.</li>
<li>Viola learned to climb onto the kitchen table yesterday. Now she can try to parachute with her diaper to her death from a higher elevation.</li>
<li>We have S from AZ as a guest for summer who arrived yesterday. More fun coming.</li>
<li>The bank pushed our home close date again: Jul 16. The procrastination never ends.</li>
<li>Mark and I are buying my mom's house out of the family trust. If you are a vested interest and I haven't included you in the conversation, please let me know.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3W2MpEYWn-bKTkxjXFwo-idDMRxFQQQ5Sy0uerxiZCdfeVz7N6qifH8fAJAOGKBvKVA6PtjpmL7jNCWLvqb5awphothqRqWL11wjs99yEi1L81YDoJ3EhkeAwNWPvt9OYaAk/s1600/2012-06-12_12-49-35_618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3W2MpEYWn-bKTkxjXFwo-idDMRxFQQQ5Sy0uerxiZCdfeVz7N6qifH8fAJAOGKBvKVA6PtjpmL7jNCWLvqb5awphothqRqWL11wjs99yEi1L81YDoJ3EhkeAwNWPvt9OYaAk/s320/2012-06-12_12-49-35_618.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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Viola is a very happy person right now, so I assume that I'm feeding off of her positive, contagious energy. I'm so busy and have so many competing priorities but I'm satisfied about what I'm getting out of this hectic life right now more than usual. Perhaps that is why I was so fascinated by this info I heard about a scientific study on happiness. These 5 things make people happier:</div>
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Connect with people and build on your relationships.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />Be active; Go outside, Get exercise</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pay attention to yourself and your world. Being aware of your world gives you more control over yourself, your expectations and interactions. Have some quiet reflective time each day.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Keep learning. Feed your natural curiousity and explore new things, skills, ideas, etc.</li>
<li>Give as much as you can to others. Serving yourself does less to build happiness as serving others.<br /><br /> </li>
</ul>Monahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000519471166588168noreply@blogger.com0