Always has been and always will be my hero.
June 17, 1926 - October 13, 2008
Newfoundland via Truck Camper
1 year ago
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Update on my Dad
It's wonderful to report that as of yesterday afternoon my Dad is back home. He's still very frail and weak but is so happy to be home. Of course I don't know God's plan but I have faith that things will become better for my father. He and his wife have talked and he told her that he's ready to go and knows that my sister and myself will be here for her when he's gone.
For now it's day to day and all we can do is be there for him. Home health care will resume tomorrow and who knows, he may rally and surprise us all. Today it's great that he is home, that his wife is home and that I'm home. Home is wonderful.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Sneak Preview of Interior
Here is my new kitchen. The section of back splash is what we were going to install but we have found a pattern that we like better. This just gives an idea of what it will look like when it's finished. I don't mind the shellac edge on the counter top but will like the aluminum extrusion better. Still need to order the faucet and plumb the sink but that won't keep us from taking it camping this coming weekend. Since this photo was taken I have loaded my cabinets and have a better idea of how I'll organize it all. It's amazing but I have empty space!
This is our new table. The leg will be made tomorrow and the hinge came in a couple of days ago. Again, the extrusion will be installed later but isn't it great?
This shows the inside of the closet/porta potti room. I'll sew a curtain to cover the fridge and leave the microwave open. Both the fridge and the microwave sit on new laminate shelves.
This is the left of the closet and still needs the closet rod installed. It's a nice use of space for a half closet.
This is where the drawers are boxed in. The area below is where we will store the porta potti. It will sit on a 'scooter' and slide out into the open floor space when being used then slide out of the way when not needed. The scooter is already built and also has a laminate top on it, I'll have to take a pic of it and will post later. I'll probably cover this area with a curtain also. If you click on the picture you can see the boomerang pattern in the laminate.
I'm looking forward to doing some decorating but need to be careful that I don't over do it. I'm already thinking about changing my curtains and cushion covers and they aren't even a year old. I found some fabric in Indiana that I adore but goodness is it expensive. I can hear my husband's voice echoing in my head "discipline, remember discipline". Since my nephew's SO works at the fabric store I'll remember that till I hear that the fabric is on sale. That along with the employee discount is using discipline isn't it?
This is our new table. The leg will be made tomorrow and the hinge came in a couple of days ago. Again, the extrusion will be installed later but isn't it great?
This shows the inside of the closet/porta potti room. I'll sew a curtain to cover the fridge and leave the microwave open. Both the fridge and the microwave sit on new laminate shelves.
This is the left of the closet and still needs the closet rod installed. It's a nice use of space for a half closet.
This is where the drawers are boxed in. The area below is where we will store the porta potti. It will sit on a 'scooter' and slide out into the open floor space when being used then slide out of the way when not needed. The scooter is already built and also has a laminate top on it, I'll have to take a pic of it and will post later. I'll probably cover this area with a curtain also. If you click on the picture you can see the boomerang pattern in the laminate.
I'm looking forward to doing some decorating but need to be careful that I don't over do it. I'm already thinking about changing my curtains and cushion covers and they aren't even a year old. I found some fabric in Indiana that I adore but goodness is it expensive. I can hear my husband's voice echoing in my head "discipline, remember discipline". Since my nephew's SO works at the fabric store I'll remember that till I hear that the fabric is on sale. That along with the employee discount is using discipline isn't it?Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Laminate is installed!!!
Wow, does it look great. May I say that I couldn't be happier with the out come? While I'm at it I might as well say that having a counter top is almost as cool as having cabinets. At times I get so frustrated with my husband because he can be slow when doing certain things. Let me tell you, when you see the quality and detail of workmanship in our Shasta all that frustration goes away. He has done a wonderful job.
It's almost finished and there isn't many other things we'll be able to do with it for the time being. Having taken family medical leave from work, all the trips to Indiana and the additional expenses have started taking it's toll. From this point forward we'll have to prioritise our purchases and gather a few remaining items over the winter. The only additional purchase we'll make for now is the new faucet. Luckily I've found one on ebay that is in the style, size and finish that I've been looking for.
The extrusion for the outside trim on the table and counter top will have to wait. As we knew we wouldn't have it in time for our next trip I shellaced the outside edges and it actually looks ok without the trim so it will go on the it can wait list. The back splash will also have to wait and will most likely be the first thing to be ordered once our finances ease up a bit. The area where it goes is painted and has been for months so I'll just have to live with that for a bit more. The mirror will have to wait. I know the style I want and it isn't cheap so I'll just wait and ask for it as a gift. Same thing goes for the closet/bath door knob. It's ironic because I actually have one exactly like I want but it has been painted and I want a chrome finish. After all the time and money we have spent on this project I just don't see why I should 'settle' at this point. The door opens and closes fine without it so I'll just wait. The only other items I'll be waiting on is the porti potty and holding tank. I've used 5 gal. buckets for both of these before so I can do it again, not a huge deal and we'll have them for the spring season.
That's it for now. Have to get outside and help the hubby. Finishing touches are going on and curtains and cushions are going back in today. It will be back to Indiana for me tomorrow so I need to get busy.
It's almost finished and there isn't many other things we'll be able to do with it for the time being. Having taken family medical leave from work, all the trips to Indiana and the additional expenses have started taking it's toll. From this point forward we'll have to prioritise our purchases and gather a few remaining items over the winter. The only additional purchase we'll make for now is the new faucet. Luckily I've found one on ebay that is in the style, size and finish that I've been looking for.
The extrusion for the outside trim on the table and counter top will have to wait. As we knew we wouldn't have it in time for our next trip I shellaced the outside edges and it actually looks ok without the trim so it will go on the it can wait list. The back splash will also have to wait and will most likely be the first thing to be ordered once our finances ease up a bit. The area where it goes is painted and has been for months so I'll just have to live with that for a bit more. The mirror will have to wait. I know the style I want and it isn't cheap so I'll just wait and ask for it as a gift. Same thing goes for the closet/bath door knob. It's ironic because I actually have one exactly like I want but it has been painted and I want a chrome finish. After all the time and money we have spent on this project I just don't see why I should 'settle' at this point. The door opens and closes fine without it so I'll just wait. The only other items I'll be waiting on is the porti potty and holding tank. I've used 5 gal. buckets for both of these before so I can do it again, not a huge deal and we'll have them for the spring season.
That's it for now. Have to get outside and help the hubby. Finishing touches are going on and curtains and cushions are going back in today. It will be back to Indiana for me tomorrow so I need to get busy.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Good news about my Dad
Having mentioned several times that I've been spending a lot of time away from home I realized that I haven't mentioned how my Dad is doing. Fortunately his gallbladder hasn't been acting up since he's been in the hospital here in Indiana. This is great news as he's continuing to gain weight and a bit of strength. There is still a bacteria in his lungs they are fighting but the doctor is optimistic that Dad will be able to go home one week from today. If this holds true then he will have been in the hospital exactly one month this time.
He is so ready to be out of the hospital, he is homesick and he misses his dogs terribly. I'm realistic enough to know that if they do release him next week that I still won't be going home to stay. He and I talked yesterday and I told him not to worry that I'd stay with him and his wife as long as needed. Dad is 82 and Sandy is 70 with her own health issues. There is no way that she is strong enough to take care of him on her own. They live about 10 miles away from me so I'll be able to go home on a regular basis and still be able to take care of both homes.
Well, I just got back from the hospital. Even though Dad does seem to be gaining some strength I realize that he'll never be able to be independent again. At this point the small gains he makes are important. For example we were talking this evening and I mentioned that he seemed to be able to turn over on his side without as much effort as before (he wasn't able to do this on his own). When a man goes from almost 200lbs down to less than 120 in 9 months it's a huge indicator to his decline in health. He still can't move himself up in bed without assistance nor turn over without the assistance of the bed rail. At times he will look at me with such sadness in his eyes that it just breaks my heart. It makes me wonder how many more times my heart will break before he finds his peace.
He is so ready to be out of the hospital, he is homesick and he misses his dogs terribly. I'm realistic enough to know that if they do release him next week that I still won't be going home to stay. He and I talked yesterday and I told him not to worry that I'd stay with him and his wife as long as needed. Dad is 82 and Sandy is 70 with her own health issues. There is no way that she is strong enough to take care of him on her own. They live about 10 miles away from me so I'll be able to go home on a regular basis and still be able to take care of both homes.
Well, I just got back from the hospital. Even though Dad does seem to be gaining some strength I realize that he'll never be able to be independent again. At this point the small gains he makes are important. For example we were talking this evening and I mentioned that he seemed to be able to turn over on his side without as much effort as before (he wasn't able to do this on his own). When a man goes from almost 200lbs down to less than 120 in 9 months it's a huge indicator to his decline in health. He still can't move himself up in bed without assistance nor turn over without the assistance of the bed rail. At times he will look at me with such sadness in his eyes that it just breaks my heart. It makes me wonder how many more times my heart will break before he finds his peace.
Another Shasta Update...
The aqua boomerang laminate is so cute. Unfortunately it wasn't here in time for my husband to take it back to Illinois so it is in the back of my truck. As I've been staying in an extended stay hotel for the past several weeks and I'm a bit nervous as I can't get the locks to turn on my camper shell. While at the Depot yesterday (can I say how nice it is to have 2 Home Depots and 2 Lowes in the town I'm staying in) I picked up a few more items we'll need to finish the trailer. At home I have to drive 40 miles to the nearest HD and 60 miles to the nearest Lowes.
While Mark was here we found and decided on the backsplash we are going to use. It is a special order item and could take up to a month to come in. That isn't such a huge deal, the only thing it will hold us up with is installing the inside corner extrusion on the counter top. We ran across a great deal on this same extrusion at HD. An employee had made an error on ordering this after they had stopped carrying sheet laminate in store. Therefore they have these 8' pieces marked down to $1.50 each. That's a $17.00 savings per piece (we bought 3). I'll still have to pay the regular price plus shipping from vintage trailer supply for the outside edge extrusion for the counter and table but it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it did.
Some bad news is that I'm having trouble locating a few needed items in the correct finish. We chose a bright chrome finish for the hardware on the cabinets and want it all to match. Finding a door knob for the closet/bath door has turned into a problem. Also finding a faucet for the sink has turned into a hassle. We need a 8" spread faucet and I've found one but it's $150.00. I'm kinda sick about this one. It isn't that I haven't found anything else that will work but it's not what I want. I want a bar sink faucet not a bathroom sink faucet. I'll do some more shopping today and see if I can find something more budget friendly. I've also located a handle for the door but it's $50.00 compared to the $12.00 one I found at HD but in the wrong finish.
Going shopping which I might add is not my favorite thing to do!
While Mark was here we found and decided on the backsplash we are going to use. It is a special order item and could take up to a month to come in. That isn't such a huge deal, the only thing it will hold us up with is installing the inside corner extrusion on the counter top. We ran across a great deal on this same extrusion at HD. An employee had made an error on ordering this after they had stopped carrying sheet laminate in store. Therefore they have these 8' pieces marked down to $1.50 each. That's a $17.00 savings per piece (we bought 3). I'll still have to pay the regular price plus shipping from vintage trailer supply for the outside edge extrusion for the counter and table but it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it did.
Some bad news is that I'm having trouble locating a few needed items in the correct finish. We chose a bright chrome finish for the hardware on the cabinets and want it all to match. Finding a door knob for the closet/bath door has turned into a problem. Also finding a faucet for the sink has turned into a hassle. We need a 8" spread faucet and I've found one but it's $150.00. I'm kinda sick about this one. It isn't that I haven't found anything else that will work but it's not what I want. I want a bar sink faucet not a bathroom sink faucet. I'll do some more shopping today and see if I can find something more budget friendly. I've also located a handle for the door but it's $50.00 compared to the $12.00 one I found at HD but in the wrong finish.
Going shopping which I might add is not my favorite thing to do!
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