Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Living Room Peaks (Peeks)

So the weekend started off with a bang, I was motivated enough to get the huge ladder set up and tackle the end pieces of the vaulted ceiling.  The glaring white triangles have bothered me for quite some time.  

I had bought my paint "Little Bambi" a Ben Moore color, did a swatch and it just was not dark enough, so off to the paint store to get the next darker shade, which was just right.  That color was called "Streudel".  I like Little Bambi better.

As you can see, our contractor placed wood slats on top of each beam initially thinking he was going to put in insulation and then sheetrock the ceiling, but when I saw how pretty the old wood was, I nixed that idea, but he left the wood pieces, which drive me crazy, making the ceiling look striped.  I painted one strip to see if it made a difference, but the darn things just have to come down.  How?  I haven't a clue because they are on good and tight and I couldn't get one off with a crowbar.  This may be a job for some strong, young guys.   I can tell you I am not going to paint each and every one of those!  I have to draw the line somewhere.

One end is finished, still have the other to do.  Hoping this week, if I can get enough sleep to feel up to being on a ladder for a few hours.

I had to post this egg.  The color is an olive green, not showing up in the photo as such, looking more brown, but it was such a beautiful egg.  I have not ever had one in that color.

Okay.  So Monday does not start off too good.  Early in the morning I take Daddy up the Grade as the people call the mountain going up to Asheville and I think I have a flat tire, so I get off at the only exit and my vehicle dies on the ramp.  A couple of local guys hooked me up to a chain and got me to a garage, a couple of really nice guys from CT, so looks like I've found my new mechanics.  A few hours later Bob comes to our rescue and takes us home and I take the Jeep back up the Grade to get my supplies.

Going up the grade on the other side to come back down to my town after getting supplies, I'm behind a semi that is going very slow and comes to a stop.  I can't print here what I was yelling at the guy, but next thing I know he starts to slide backwards.  There was this Kia between me and the semi, and the semi crushes the front of her vehicle as she is moving in reverse, which is what I did, and who knows how many cars behind me. 

I was positioning initially to pass, but a car came up the side and as she passed and the semi started to jack knife, the cab of the semi crushed the car, which you can't see, it is on the other side of the semi.  

I have to say that in 40 years of driving, this is the scariest thing I have ever encountered and pictures don't begin to show what happened.  The poor girl in front of me could have been decapitated, but she was quick thinking putting it in reverse.  We were going backwards about 20 miles an hour until he jack knifed.   It took my body a few hours and a few glasses of wine to stop it from shaking, and I hadn't even been hit.  I thought for sure the front and back of the Jeep would be crushed, but I came out without a scratch.  We came to find out the semi truck driver had a heart attack or some other medical condition, and I do not know if he survived.  I don't think I'll be taking my dogs up and down the Grade with me anymore. 

That night my 16 year old dog, Bamboo, could not sleep and paced and barked from 10:30 pm to 5:30 am.  It's now 10:00 am and look at him!!!  Two nights in a row with no sleep, so tonight I think nothing will wake me!

Friday, February 12, 2016

Valentine's Day 2016

Won't be needing flowers for Valentine's Day, the camellias are in full bloom and there are lots of them, all in shades of pink and red!



Bob asked where I would like to go and have dinner for Valentine's Day.  I said "Forget dinner, let's go straight to dessert!"  My two choices were The Chocolate Lounge or Old Europe Cafe both in Asheville.  I picked Old Europe once I read the owners were from Hungary, but I was leaning that way anyway!  Just look at that coffee!

This week we had the "red sky" with snow showers to follow.  This would have been perfect on 2/14, but it may happen again with an approaching ice storm Valentine's night.   Red sky at night, sailors' delight,  red sky in morning, sailors' warning.
                                          Happy Valentine's Day!

Thursday, February 4, 2016

First Room to be Completely Finished

It only took almost two years, but one room is completed, and I can move onto the next.  What was once a plain, pale blue-green room is now a rich chocolate brown with a white ceiling and lots of old paintings. 



This is my mini version from the period movies I love with walls covered up in old oils. I love the portraits, too, but Bob not so much, so those were placed in my bathroom so he didn't have to look at them every day, but he does like the scenic oils, especially the ones with a waterfall, which we try to collect. 

The movie "The Best Offer"  had walls and walls covered with oil portraits.  Love it!


The movie "Mr. Turner"  lots of oils of ships, again barely an inch apart.




I also have smalls with oils to top it off, tin pie plates, old crocks. The burlap people in boat is from my trip to Peru.

The rusty floor vents were replaced with black iron newbies from Lowes.


Others who like the "gallery look" found on Pinterest.  I really like this one with all the white, complete opposite of my version.




This completed room is the sunroom off the living room, also the temp-foster room for rescues.  Right now we have Remmington from Alabama in this room with a vaporizer.  He came Friday and shelter failed to disclose he was sick with kennel cough/pneumonia.  I am trying to nurse him back to health so he can get to Lancaster, PA, to his rescue. 


He is 12 years old and blind in one eye, and not much vision left in the other.  Poor boy has had a rough time and we are hoping he can make it.


This is Benny.  We had a visit from him a couple of weeks ago.  It's surprising how much he looks like Remmington and has the same white blind eye.  He is on his way to CT this weekend to his rescue.  I'm going to take a break for a month or so from rescue to work on the farmhouse.  My brother and wife and maybe my mom will be coming for a visit this spring, so things need to be ready!