Windy Church Bells

A couple of months ago Brett completed one of his just-for-fun projects--a big wind chime. It may not look like much, but it really does have a deep, beautiful (and loud) sound. Shortly after Brett hung it up Donna and I were talking in the backyard. She stopped and asked, "Are those the church bells I hear?" I was happy to introduce her to the source of the sound, and have often since thought that they do sound like church bells.

We had a fairly windy winter and early spring, and even with the doors closed you could often hear the chimes ringing. I am a little sorry that now that the weather has warmed up and we have been able to keep the doors open all day, the wind has died down a bit and I hear the chimes less often. Not only do I hope for a little wind to keep the temperature in check, but I hope to continue hearing the music.

Thank you Brett for this surprise project which I have enjoyed more than I thought I would.

This Year's Big Project

Last year, Brett spent a huge amount of time remodeling the rental home we purchased. When it was finally done Brett was exhausted and ready for a break.

However, when my three-week trip to Germany started to become a reality Brett said, "You know, that's probably a good time to redo the kitchen." And so, it began. "It" being a huge undertaking that consumes all of Brett's spare time.

We have talked about remodeling the kitchen for years--really, since we first moved in. Who doesn't start talking about improvements you would make to a home when you first get in there? We have made a number of improvements to our home already, but I felt like the kitchen would always be "a few years down the road."

Brett is going to be doing all the work himself, including building the cabinets. He has had to start work now so that the cabinets are ready to be installed when I leave in September. That is when he will rip out all of the old cabinets, walls, and tiles, and replace everything.

Before he began the actual labor, Brett spent a great deal of time researching materials, drawing designs, ordering supplies, etc. We started with some drawings my sister Jen gave us. She gave us the vision, then we started tweaking things here and there. I mapped out where I wanted everything to be in the kitchen (I can tell you where everything is going from the saran wrap to the flashlights to the punchbowl to the small drinking glasses to...you name it.) and Brett made the designs for every shelf. You might not think of Brett as being highly organized or meticulous or mathematical (he is the biologist, after all, and I'm the math major), but his natural talent for doing woodworking and making the plans to go with it amazes me.

He also used a computer program which helps you plan out your cuts on each piece of plywood. That has proven to be a huge help for him. He was able to print out labels to keep track of the thirty or so pieces of plywood he was using for the cabinet boxes.

The wood was delivered last week and I am proud to announce that the cabinet boxes are completed--and being stored in my dining room!

This afternoon he started on the face frames. He started with (and finished) the smallest cabinet. [The small drinking glasses will be on the second shelf from the bottom, in case you were wondering.]

I am so proud of Brett for all that he has done so far. But, there is still much (oh, so much) left to do. And the interior of my house and amount of sawdust on the floors will only get worse as the project continues. But, Boy! Will it be worth it!

Next Up: Shutters

Good news. The roof is finished, and here's the "after" picture to prove it.

I don't know what I was thinking when I thought the guys would be able to finish in one day.
I was thinking, "Hey, there are five hard-working guys up on that roof. How long can it take them to re-roof a simple house?" The answer: two days. I am so, so, so very glad that Brett decided to hire it out. If he did the work the himself I would have had to help him. I know I would have been sick of tired of roofing by the time the project were completed.
Aaaah. A nice, new roof. Completed.

The next project, you ask? Painting the shutters.
We need a bold color to liven up the house. Brett is thinking about a color in the red family. I was thinking a nice charcoal gray. We will probably go with something similar to color of the door: brown with red tints. Brett is considering painting the garage door the same color. I am inclined to keep the garage door and columns a cream color.
What do you think?

From One Project to Another

Well, our new front door is finally 99% finished. We still don't have a new doorbell yet, and some of the trim needs to finished up around the bottom, but I'm excited about what Brett has been able to do so far. It makes such a big difference. Looking at the picture, I see that it is time we replaced the door mat as well. Something to put on my "To Do" list.

Our next home improvement project is being done today. We're getting a new roof. I am very excited about that. Our old one is . . . old. And ugly. We've had a few small leaks that have shown up in the form of water stains on the ceilings. Brett was thinking about doing it himself, but decided to hire it out. By the end of today it should be finished--completely. Look for an "after" photo sometime (maybe soon...or not).

Would This Make You Nervous?

Not me!
Not when it means a new door is on its way.

And, although it sometimes takes Brett a while to finish a project, I am still more pleased with the unfinished "after" than I was with the "before." I am so proud of the things that Brett is able to do for our home without any formal training--from making us bedroom furniture to replacing front doors.

I'll try to post a photo of the new door when it's closer to the "after" stage than the "in-between" stage. Brett is currently putting up trim around the door (which he is making with wood he had in the garage).