It's Spring!

Spring is Finally Here!

Well, we survived the winter. We have been going back to the farm mostly to cut the grass, which takes about 2 hours on a riding mower.  However, I have also been planting and digging up weeds. 

It's great to be back at work on the farm!

I remember when this was nothing but long weeds.

Wildflowers starting in front of the brick wall. Sunflowers growing in the planter.

 This weekend we actually got some work done inside as well. We took out a wall and a window to build a hallway that will lead to a downstairs bathroom. We also built the new frame for the new wall and boarded up the window that we took out. This was a big project, and was the first real "remodel".  The past tasks were just fixing up rooms that needed repair.

You will enter the bathroom through a small hallway (on the left).

This will become our downstairs bathroom.

 With the continued work inside, and the increased gardening outside, this farm is slowly becoming our home.  It is hard to believe that we have only owned it a year, and the amazing progress we have made in that time.

 Memories

This is the upstairs bath we remodeled last year.

 

Our last weekend

Goodbye Farm, See you in the Spring

Well, last weekend we closed up the farm for winter. Greg built his box around the pipes downstairs to keep them from freezing. A light will go on when the area reaches a certain temperature. 

I put up the other panels of drapes and we put in a white bookshelf Greg got from his mom's house. I have now bought a new bedspread for our bedroom and so the gray one on our bed will be moved to the yellow room. I am still thinking of putting up some white wains coting but I have all winter to decide.

I also did get to priming some of the walls in the room that will be my studio.  Staying away all winter will be hard. I miss it already.  However, spring will be grand.  I can't wait to see the bulbs, peonies, and day lilies I transplanted.

A little white wains coting will really match this bookshelf.  

 

This will be my art studio.

Still Thinking but Done for Now

Letting it Rest Awhile

Well, we went to the farm this weekend and installed the carpet and put up the drapes. Of course the drapes I bought were only one set with two panels. I thought it would be two sets of two panels because the package said it was a 2 pack. So, for now, there is only one panel on each window. 

We also put up a day bed that we got from Greg's parents. I am now on the lookout for a matching comforter.  What is on there now is just temporary until I find what I am looking for. 

I am trying to decide if there is too much yellow in the room and if I should possibly put up some white wains coting or paint a wall white or gray. I wanted a bright room but some say it looks dark even though it is a very bright yellow. It could be the lighting and the drapes blocking any sunlight from the cloudy day. 

For now, she rests while I think.

We have only one more weekend at the farm before we close her up for winter. This will be hard!

Laurie

Finishing Bedroom #2

Almost There

Well, this weekend we went to the farm in hopes of finishing bedroom #2.  As usual, we forgot to bring some things such as the "kicker" to put in the carpet. We also forgot the staple guns for the padding but we used small nails instead. We got the carpet and padding down but not installed fully. As Greg began to unpack the curtain rods I bought, one of the decorative ends broke like a glass Christmas ornament. So, those did not get put up. Hopefully, next weekend will be more successful.

Here's where we are now.

Getting ready for carpet.

Padding has been added.

Greg vacuuming the new carpet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next weekend we will fully install the carpet, hang the drapes, put in the trundle bed and put up the rest of the base boards. 

This old farm house is getting renovated.

Finishing Bedroom #2

Holding Back

I have to hold back, I feel, and be patient.  We are on our second bedroom and things are going well. This weekend I finished priming the ceiling, painted the ceiling, and painted the walls. I had to touch up the baseboards, clean the windows, and sweep the floor. I wanted to hang the drapes I bought; I'm so excited to see them up because they will look great with the wall color. However, I don't want them getting dirty and Greg and I have decided to look for some carpet remnants so we can truly finish the room. Once we get carpet in the room, I will hang the drapes. We still have to put up the baseboards on one half of the room.  All in all, it was another productive weekend. Oh, we also have a bed in our room now and it was so nice to sleep on a real bed. Still looking for a head board and foot board though. We are getting most things from Craigslist or restores, auctions, Estate sales etc.

On our trip up on Friday night we saw the most amazing sunset.

Simply amazing!

Doing some last minute touch-ups!

We found this great ceiling light/fan at the Habitat for Humanity Restore.

Oh, I also worked on my garden. I transplanted some peonies, planted spring bulbs, and transplanted Day Lilies and Mums.  I'm all set for fall and spring.

I'm so excited to look for carpet, head and foot boards, and hang the drapes. Hopefully, we will have some luck locating some of these items this week. I'm also very excited about next spring so I can see the results of my work in the garden.

Moving into Fall

Time is Running Out

Well, as Fall approaches, our time on the farm is slowly ending. With no furnace we can't work through the winter. Our goal at this point is to finish one last bedroom and prepare it for winter. Last weekend we had to go up on Saturday morning instead of Friday night because I was part of Art on the Plaza in West Allis. I also had to pay a bill in the morning and so we got a late start and did not actually arrive there until around 11:00 a.m.

Regardless, we still got a lot accomplished. While Greg tackled the electric in the bedroom, I sanded the walls and ceiling. I was able to prime everything except for the ceiling before we left. Greg was able to finish all of the electricity. The week before we found another great fan light for the room at the Restore and so we are looking forward to finishing the room and installing that.

It was also Cheese Days in Monroe and we wanted to check that out. We managed to make it to the festival on Sunday for about an hour and saw the parade. I got to try Limburger cheese for the first time. Which, I did not think had a horrible odor like I was told... and I enjoyed the flavor. After that, we drove home to West Allis.

While at the farm on Saturday night we had a visitor. Greg will introduce you to him.

Laurie

Yes, we had a visitor.  We were cooking a late dinner, and chatting about what we had accomplished, and Laurie saw a shadow fly by.  And then again......

Suddenly, she jumped up, grabbed her purse and ran out.  I followed.  She had seen a bat.  We had seen one in April, but have not seen any since.  I went in, turned on all the lights, and found our cute friend hanging in what was the dining room.

I decided to close off the room as much as I could, so his only exit was the front door, which Laurie (who was still outside with her purse) agreed to open as he came. No matter what kind of noise or action I took, he decided to just hang in there.  I finally nudged him with a long piece of drywall. He flew around and landed on a screen I had used to block off the kitchen.  After a moment, he (or she, I never got close enough to check) was off again, circled the room twice and found the space I was unable to block into the living room and parlor.  

He disappeared.

I looked in every place the bat could be hiding, and he could not be found.  Eventually, Laurie came in with her purse, we locked the door and went to bed, with our bedroom door firmly closed.

-Greg  

PS Good thing I had my purse! (Laurie).

Untold wealth

We have now owned our dream homestead for 4 months.  As you can read in other posts it was a Gordon Van Tine super fixer upper, and we have 5 years to complete it.  There were no big completions this weekend, but the rain has put me in a reflective mood.  I would like to look at how truly blessed I am.

I truly am the richest man in the world.

I have a loving family.  I have my Beautiful wife, Laurie, who shares my dreams, and whom I am able to work beside day in and day out. While I love art, she is a fantastic artist and art teacher.

(You can find her art teacher blog at http://pledlspalette.blogspot.com/)

 I have 5 wonderful children, two of which will be giving us our first grandchildren within the next six months. I have my loving parents, brothers and sisters, who love me as much as I love them.

I have a job I love, managing a program for seniors with Alzheimer’s, where I plan to work until I retire. 

(The Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Waukesha, WI takes place this weekend.  Please consider donating to help the cause!!  http://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=11638&pg=personal&px=14532767 )

And then when I retire……It becomes a farm!

Our remodeling is going great!!  In 4 months we have completed 2 rooms, which include all new plumbing and electric.  We have started 3 other rooms, all slowly moving to completion.  We have started reclaiming the property, with paths leading to newly planted trees, and others leading back into the 15 acres. 

Thank you for visiting to keep up with our progress.  Since a furnace for the home is not planned until next year, or maybe the year after, things will be closed up over winter, with lots of time to plan for new progress in spring.

No amount of money could make my life any better!