The Love, Blood, and Rhetoric School

Had a very productive day yesterday. Dropped Katrina off at school. Did returns at Old Navy, found a gray fleece hat for Robs, shopped at Aldi and costco, picked Katrina up, went to the Y and lifted, dropped groceries at mom's, dropped groceries at dad's, and home by 2 for Robs' nap.

Put Robs down, and Kat and I brought the groceries in and put them all away. Then I taught Katrina to use the veggie peeler and we finished making the chicken soup. I sewed the shirt for her Astrid costume and made the beef stroganoff. My reading for liturgy this Sunday came in the mail, so i took sone time to mark that up. When Robs got up we went outside and Katrina and I took turns with the leaf blower. We got the upper level of the back yard done. Then inside for dinner (chicken soup) and baths and bed.

Bruce got home right after that so he and I had the stroganoff for supper, then he went to bed and I did some laundry, watched an episode of Bones, and took a magnesium bath. Everyone was in bed by ten.

Today mom is picking Katrina up from school and keeping her overnight, and Bruce is off from work (so far). My big things today are taking dad some food, chiropractor appt at 11, and I want to finish the leaf blowing because it's supposed to rain tomorrow. I'll have to do it again in a few weeks in any case, but I'd rather not have an extra layer of wet moldy leaves under there when I do.

Oh, and the halloween costumes. Might want to get those done soon.

Today is the complete opposite of yesterday: cold, wet and generally unpleasant. So I have settled in with yet more episodes of The Forsyte Saga, some red grapes and a truly yummy Havarti, to start refurbishing my dollhouse.

My grandfather built it for me before he died...I must have gotten it Christmas '85 or maybe '86.  I think '85 though, as I have furniture my father built dated 1986. He made it from scratch from a set of plans, not from a kit, and all the shingles were cut out and glued one at a time.

Now, I repainted it when I ws ten, so please forgive the color scheme:



Here is a picture of the inside as it looks now:


The funny stripes across the floors and along the walls are copper tapes for electric. It runs through the house in one big circuit, and can be papered or painted over without compromising the effectiveness. In the fifteen years since Dad installed the tapes, there is even an option now to put itty bitty permanent plugs in, so that you can change lamps and such without poking a bunch of holes in the wallpaper.

The top left room is a bedroom or nursery that currently has no decorating or lights. The hall is the top middle, and is papered. I don't know if there is wiring underneath, but there are ways to check. The main bedroom is on the top right. It is papered and I think wired. The door in the hall goes to a little bathroom, but there's really no way to access it.

THe kitchen is bottom left, with a hanging light but no decorating. The dining room is center: papered, wired and with a chandelier. The living room is wired and has a wood floor with boards drawn on by my grandfather.

The opening panels are also wired. The right one has tapes for a lamppost and carriage lights. The left has two deep bay windows, which I'm thinking might make nice little room vignettes. Maybe a sewing room upstairs and a formal hall or foyer downstairs.

More to come as I update!