Author Archives: ellen

Springtime Activities

April is a busy month. Both our grandson Leonidas and his mom Haewon have birthdays and we prepped for an early 5th birthday party for Clementine and our 50th anniversary cruise to Alaska. Plus there were a couple of new … Continue reading

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Germany at Easter

We always have a wonderful time visiting our daughter’s family in Germany. This year they met us at the Frankfurt train station to tour a few German cities. We walked to our hotel in Frankfort and the next day we … Continue reading

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Sewing a Dress

I wanted to sew a “designer dress” for my 12 year old granddaughter’s birthday. Spoonflower sells specially designed material in hundreds of patterns that are printed on a variety of materials. I successfully bought Spoonflower organic cotton material and sewed … Continue reading

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RV Storage

RV trips seem to require a lot of accessories. Or at least most RVers love accessories. We recently went on one such trip where I’ve noticed the use of the RV cubbies and shelves had become a matter of interest … Continue reading

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Broken RV Water Pump

We like to visit our son in Arizona at least once a year. Last year was exciting because he and his fiancée got married at a beautiful outdoor wedding in late February. This year we are visiting again in February. … Continue reading

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New Condensate Medium

When I realized the boiler’s condensate filter was gunked up it was reasonable to clean it out and replace the filter medium. I was mistaken to believe the filter used plain limestone. When it came as a powder I had … Continue reading

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Boiler Issues

We woke up after a below zero night to the carbon monoxide alarms in the morning. Even though it was below zero I turned off the boiler function and opened the back door to let in fresh air. The alarms … Continue reading

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New Energy Star Dishwasher

Even before I gave up on the old dishwasher I started shopping for a replacement. I was even considering a drawer dishwasher like the one I once installed for my son and his wife in California. The kitchen counter we … Continue reading

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Giving Up on Dishwasher Repair

I ordered a new pump and it was not the right fit but it had the same type of magnetic motor. The motor on the original pump slipped right off but the new one was enclosed in plastic. So I … Continue reading

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What Was Wrong with the Boiler Pump?

We came home from vacation to no heat. The boiler was firing but the Grundflos secondary pump was not running to distribute it through the radiant pipes. The first thing I did was turn off the heat function of the … Continue reading

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New Year Challenges

We took a trip to our grandson’s birthday celebration at Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs. The place was fully booked. I found out they have 300 rooms! We were in one of 42 suites with kid cabin a darling section … Continue reading

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Boiler Carbon Monoxide Alarm!

We were jarred awake by our carbon monoxide alarms when the temperature was eighteen below zero. We immediately opened a living room and back hall door and let fresh air flow. We tried leaving the boiler on but when the … Continue reading

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Upgraded Motor on Sailrite Sewing Machine

I have sewn just a few projects with the heavy duty walking foot sewing machine I bought to sew vinyl. I have bolts of vinyl (and white material) from a Repurposed Materials auction. The machine is their LZ-1 model and … Continue reading

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Thanksgiving Crafts

Here’s a twist for my blog topics. I have never been much of a crafter. I’m more likely to build something or even sew something. But my sister gave me a Cricut Explore machine and I have been learning how … Continue reading

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Oh No! Broken Glass in Trombe Wall

Some of the plastic lattice trim around the Trombe wall glazing has been curling away from the house from the intense heat from the sun. I don’t think I used enough nails to tie it to the boards behind it. … Continue reading

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Our Green Home Tour on October 1, 2022

We were on the Metro Denver Green Homes Tour this year! We had a nice crowd visiting the house and while I showed them around inside, Dave showed them the Tesla roof and his greenhouses and urbanite retaining walls outside. … Continue reading

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Finish Patio Edging

It is fall and the weather is perfect for outside projects. Some years we enjoy fall weather all the way to December so a long fall is really helpful. After several days of rest, reading and writing after our tour … Continue reading

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Next Steps

This summer was the culmination of ten years of work on the house. We had to push to finish the major LEED features of the remodel because we had an end of June deadline for evaluation under LEED 2009 version … Continue reading

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Metro Denver Green Homes Tour

This is a big deal at least for the committee that puts it together. We work from January through November to offer the tour to the public on the National Solar Tour day, the first Saturday in October. The tour … Continue reading

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A Boiler/Fireplace Boiler/Hot Water Question

Another good question, this one from our volunteer guide, was about the specifics of our radiant hot water and domestic hot water piping. Could I provide a diagram about how it all worked together? I had never put both systems … Continue reading

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