Saturday 9 July 2022

Before and after

 It's been a crazy weather week here again, with rain and cool temps to start the week and now the heat (and humidity) has ramped up. We're not getting the high temps other areas are seeing but going from 19C (66F) to 28C (82F) in less than 24 hours is a bit much. Especially with the humidity, it supposedly feels like 38C (100F) as I'm writing this on Friday evening. I do know I came in wringing wet from grilling burgers for dinner. 

I had a quiet start to the week too, other than picking up groceries on Monday, I didn't do much around the house until Wednesday morning. I've been putting off painting in the basement thinking I'd wait for the hot weather but got a bee in my bonnet that morning and got started. I did the edging around the room, followed by the first and second coats on the following two days. After I removed the tape today, I noticed a few areas that will need a touch up. I'll use a small brush for those - no need to pull out the roller again. 


This is the before photo, after I'd removed all that ugly indoor/outdoor carpet and scraped the floor of the residual glue. I took the photo from the opening into the room. There was no door at that time, and the wall to the left was only a pony wall.


The after (before the tape was removed obviously). This photo was taken from just inside the door. Bit of a difference, right? For perspective the roof height is just about 6'8". My brother, who is 6'3", can't walk into the closet area without ducking. These are things I don't notice, I'm only 5'2". It can't be used as a bedroom as there is no egress but I think it would make a perfect theatre room....for someone else.

John has asked if I am planning to sell the house, and the short answer is yes. There is more work to be done upstairs (flooring), and outside in the back yard (new sod and replacement of a sidewalk) but that will have to wait for another year or so. I have to pay off the cost of this year's renovations first. 

When I wasn't in the basement - which took about two hours each day - I spent most of my time on Ancestry or knitting and crocheting. I've decided to pause my subscription for a couple of months, and will cancel my Newspapers.com subscription too. Accordingly I've been working at adding information from the newspapers into my trees as quickly as I can before I give up my access. Most of this info revolves around obituaries, wedding and birth announcements, but every so often I come across an interesting story related to the lives family members have lived. This mostly relates to more current times, because it is often difficult to determine the individual in the late 19th century as only initials were used for men's first names, and women were never referred to except by the husband's names. Single women weren't often referred to in newspaper articles, except as it related to their fathers.

When not playing on the computer, I've been watching baseball or football (or both) and knitting. My sweater has been restarted again as although I liked the pattern, it just wasn't working up the way I liked. Another pattern for a tank top has been started, as a well as another crocheted baby blanket. I really need to push through my stash.

Today I enjoyed my breakfast out on the deck, the temperature was a lovely 21C (70F). I watered the containers yesterday evening, but the front flower bed needed a good soak. That was accomplished while I relaxed in my chair.

My campanula or bellflower has self seeded throughout the flower bed. I love how the flowers look peeking out from the fern and hosta. 

Then it was time to head back down to the basement to finish the touch-ups and do some cleaning. All of the paint supplies have been put away, the garbage removed and floors swept. I still need to finish the caulking in the new room, and sand and paint all of the baseboards and casings. That will have to wait, as I've decided to take a drive out to visit with D and Eli on Monday. 

This week Eli had his first round of swimming lessons, as the pool has been closed for two years. He had two lessons a day, 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. He did very well and has passed onto the next level, which he's scheduled for the first in August. They have appointments late in the week, so a short visit is in order. I'll return home on Wednesday, but we've got big plans for the days I'm there. More on that next week.

I'm off to do some housework that has been neglected this week. And I'll likely spend some time on Ancestry too before the football this afternoon and baseball this evening. Have a wonderful week ahead everyone! 






16 comments:

  1. Other than necessary daily cleaning I am not doing squat around the house and don't care. It will still be here when this ridiculous heat wave is over. Meanwhile I will continue reading and swimming/floating after laps

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    1. I sure hope you get some relief soon. Thank goodness for the pool.

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  2. The room looks wonderful. Nice job and well worth time and money spent.
    Your 66* and 82* are quite normal highs and lows in a day here. Those are our refreshing days - like today. We have been quite hot - but it finally rained on Friday and has cooled a tab bit and gotten less humid.
    Have a fantastic little trip - be safe and enjoy yourself.

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    1. Thanks Cheryl. We had several days where the high was just 66F. :(

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  3. Smart move to work in the coolest part of the house on hot days. You really did a splendid job in the basement.
    So glad Eli is learning to swim Wonderful safety measure for kids.

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    1. Thank you Patti. I can't take credit for anything other than the painting...and the paying. ;)
      Eli has always loved the water, so I'm happy that he's learning to swim.

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  4. It's a bit sad to do all that work for the benefit of somebody else, but that seems to be how it always works.

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    1. I've been doing renovations for much of the past 10 years, so at least I've gotten to enjoy some of it. My goal is simply to make it more sellable and at a decent price.

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  5. It is sooo hot and humid. Right now at 5:36 pm on Saturday our thermometer beside the house (out of the sun) reads 31.2. I tried to sit outside for a bit and almost melted.

    Great work on the basement.

    God bless.

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    1. Thunderstorms are predicted for today - not surprising after the difference in temps.

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  6. You sound like me with your knitting project. I beavered through one sweater, cursing all the way! It turned out very nice in the end and my daughter loved it. So I've started a Jennifer Steingass sweater I've loved for ages. Same old story as the first one, haha.

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    1. You've more patience than I have. I tend to give up and look for a different pattern.

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  7. Your basement looks amazing! Definitely worth the efforts, though I'd be hiring someone to do it all, including the painting. LOL. Well done!

    Good luck to Eli with the swimming lessons; have a terrific week.

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    1. Thanks Kim. I used to think I enjoyed painting...maybe for the first couple of days but this project has me hoping I don't have to pick up a paint brush for several years.

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  8. Once again, I am impressed with the work you put into your renovations, and how it all turns out so well. I couldn't achieve that. Why did you cancel your internet subscriptions? Don't they help you with your research?

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    1. Thanks John, I can't take much credit for the renos, except for painting.
      As for the subscriptions, I'm finding less and less information that is relevant and the cost is pretty steep. I can always "join" again at a later date.

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