Category Archives: Distractions

Delays and other activities

A New Porch in Spencer

Posted on September 23, 2020 by ellen

We built our first energy efficient house in the early 1980’s on 40 acres in the countryside outside of Spencer, Indiana. We have owned the property for over 40 years. But we recently decided that we should sell. This photo … Continue reading →

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Vinyl Lattice Floor for Inflatable Boat

Posted on June 24, 2020 by ellen

Some time ago I picked up a pile of vinyl lattice edging at the Repurposed Materials auction. I had in mind to use the single edge caps to frame the glass for the trombe wall. I’m still hoping they can … Continue reading →

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Getting Ready for Summer

Posted on April 27, 2020 by ellen

This summer will be a staycation due to the Covid-19 virus. So to get ready I want to set up a 4′ x 18′ round pool that I acquired a few years ago but never utilized. I was able to … Continue reading →

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Hamilton in the Time of Coronavirus

Posted on March 16, 2020 by ellen

When I left Colorado a week ago there were three confirmed cases of the virus. I went to California to celebrate my sister’s birthday. We had a lovely time mostly with family but she had tickets to take me to … Continue reading →

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Berlin

Posted on March 5, 2020 by ellen

Because our kids are living in Germany we try to get over there a few times a year. We love just being with them and the grandkids but this visit we also got to accompany them on a short vacation … Continue reading →

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Laminate Bathroom Floor

Posted on December 23, 2019 by ellen

I took another detour while my son and his family were out of town for a Christmastime trip. The old tile floor in the family bathroom was green shiny imitation marble. It was very slippery for a bathroom floor. And … Continue reading →

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One More Thing

Posted on November 10, 2019 by ellen

As time goes on I am involved in fewer projects at my son’s house. One of the last updates in the family bathroom was to change the dual flush unit in the tank. The dual flush button on the toilet … Continue reading →

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Living Room Furniture

Posted on November 8, 2019 by ellen

The large TV and its stand came from the apartment but the old couch had seen better days so it was donated and they wanted a simple, relatively firm couch in a light color. We found this one on Craigslist … Continue reading →

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Kids Furniture

Posted on November 7, 2019 by ellen

There were several new pieces needed before the family could move in. The two children had been sleeping in the same room in the apartment and now they have their own rooms! I missed out on the first crib we … Continue reading →

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Dishwasher and Refrigerator

Posted on November 7, 2019 by ellen

The appliances in the house were in decent shape and about 7-9 years old. They were all stainless steel although not high end. When I found a hardly used GE dishwasher at the Restore I thought it was a good … Continue reading →

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Cabinet Instead

Posted on November 6, 2019 by ellen

Every little project takes time. We had a perfect size cabinet to put in place of the wine fridge from reducing the size of the island. I just had to install it. The wine fridge was built in over a … Continue reading →

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Gas Stove and Hood

Posted on November 5, 2019 by ellen

The house had an electric stove and over the stove microwave. As dedicated cooks, the young couple wanted a gas stove and a hood to carry away cooking odors and fumes. This was a relatively large project. The electric stove … Continue reading →

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Hardwood Floor

Posted on November 4, 2019 by ellen

The entry and kitchen had been retiled with a medium gray wood grained tile. But the living/dining room was carpeted with a dark color berber. Although the carpet was not in terrible shape, hardwood was a feature they wanted. The … Continue reading →

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Dining Room Furniture

Posted on November 2, 2019 by ellen

I made an effort to have enough furniture on hand for the family to start their new lives in the house. They had decided not to bring most of their old furniture with them. They only brought their relatively new … Continue reading →

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Shoe Sign

Posted on October 31, 2019 by ellen

It’s tradition to remove outdoor shoes in most Asian households. Actually it’s also becoming an indoor clean air practice. Our LEED requirement is to have shoe storage at the door. But not all visitors are aware, and actually I need … Continue reading →

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Charming Playroom

Posted on October 29, 2019 by ellen

My daughter-in-law wanted a child’s playroom in the large basement family room. This is a wonderful room because the floor is over a crawlspace so its not cold and it is a heated space. The south side has lots of … Continue reading →

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Kitchen Faucets

Posted on October 29, 2019 by ellen

The windowsill was in the way of the kitchen faucet handle for the hot water. The handle bumped up against the wood so the water could not be completely turned on. When the new quartz was installed we requested that … Continue reading →

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Closet Organization

Posted on October 28, 2019 by ellen

I found a Craigslist deal for Closet organization shelves. The remodeler had removed the shelving from several closets. This type of shelving can be very expensive when new but the home owner sold all of the sections and parts for … Continue reading →

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Imported Tile

Posted on October 28, 2019 by ellen

My son was very impressed with the beauty of some Moroccan tile in a specialty tile shop in San Francisco. The cost was $250 a square foot. So he did some research to see if there was a shop nearer … Continue reading →

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Kitchen Quartz

Posted on October 27, 2019 by ellen

I found an ad for “white granite” on Craigslist. For only $60 there were two smaller pieces and one large one. Luckily my son was visiting when we went to pick up the pieces because the large one especially was … Continue reading →

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