This blog is sadly out of date. Hop on over to Simply Serina to follow along as we renovate our 1975 split entry farmhouse.

What can I say? There's always something going on, but with Jason's job and our two little ones running around, things progress slowly. We're now using the back porch door as our main entrance, which is so much handier. When spring comes, we'll scrape and paint the front porch and front picture window, which are loaded with lead paint in poor condition. It will be quite a job. We'll also scrape and paint the back window trim (also exterior) so we can feel better about putting landscaping and/or outdoor seating underneath it.

In the kitchen, things remain consistently at about 90% finished. We still need to cut and install curved shelves for our famous Wonky Corner, which looks rather bare without shelving. We have the window seat half done, with the custom box and bench top (wooden countertop to match the rest of the kitchen) yet to be installed. I also have to sew a few cushions for the window seat, which I will enjoy. (But first, I must obsess over the fabric.) A key addition to the kitchen will be the backsplash on both the sink and stove sides of the kitchen; we haven't decided what this will look like or when we will do it. Mostly, the Budget is running the show.

I'm still thinking of painting the kitchen's pine floor either white, black, or checkerboard. Chances are, upon reading this, you fall into one of two categories: either you think Serina is Nuts (because wood floors should never be painted) or you think Serina is Cool (because of course an old, water-damaged, non-descript, pine subfloor should be painted). Either way, I'm okay with your opinion.

As far as painting, what's left is the front entry way/stairs/upstairs hallway run, which will all be the same color. Color yet to be determined. Also, the bathroom is in need of a major overhaul, but without the funds, it will probably undergo a Makeover Light--which will involve painting the neon green walls some other color. (With our fluorescent lights and the neon green paint, Jason can see the bathroom window glowing from his bus stop 1/5 mile down the hill through the trees.)

We finally have a reverse osmosis water system installed--praise the Lord! But, as of today, it's broken! Boo! I thought I'd never buy another gallon of purified water again.

Jason's begun scraping our back porch, and it scares me to death. It's totally covered with layers of leaded paint. We've gone through all the proper precautions to protect ourselves and our children from exposure: duct tape and 6 mil plastic sheeting to enclose the porch, masks specifically designed to keep lead dust from being inhaled, coveralls over clothing, wet scraping, removing clothing before entering house, showering immediately after scraping...there's probably more, but that's what I'm thinking of right now.

Despite all of that, I'm still afraid of some lead dust getting into the soil or (worse) getting into the house. It only takes one piece of lead dust the size of a grain of salt to poison a child. It's such toxic stuff!

We have a HEPA vac on loan from Healthy Home Resources. It's specifically designed for lead removal stuff, and it's not your typical home vacuum with HEPA filter. The organiziation recently got a new vac, so we had to leave a $50 deposit to get it. I hope Jason's done before Friday, when they're picking it up. We are soooooo looking forward to using the back porch as an entry. The side door is really inconvenient, and a bit of a bottleneck.

Our big goal is to have the back porch and yard ready for a little family birthday party on 10/21. I haven't invited anyone yet because I'm not sure it'll be done! But I'm hoping and praying. And praying fervently for no one to get lead poisoning.

INSIDE:
The third bedroom is done: Walls and ceiling patched, trim caulked, walls and ceiling and trim painted! Now we are in the process of converting it to an office/guest room. Pictures to follow.

OUTSIDE:
The yard is still a mess, but I was able to clean off the back porch, buy what is needed to scrape and paint the porch ceiling, organize part of the garage, and dig most of the trench that is required to route the gutter drain water away from the house foundation. Fun work!

What do you do when your only fencing options are pressure treated lumber and vinyl? And you can't bear to choose either because both are simply awful for environment and health, from manufacture to disposal? (Vinyl-flavored lettuce, anyone? How about pressure treated strawberries? Would you want to work at a vinyl plant?)

Cedar (and other naturally rot resitant wood) is largely unavailable out here. After dozens of searches and calls, we did locate a company that has 4 x 4 posts, 8' long, for over $40/post. Helloooo bankruptcy! The only cedar carried by the local big box stores is 1 x 4 and 1 x 6, and again, they're expensive. Cedar would be the answer if we could find it and afford it.

Other options we've considered: untreated lumber, which we might end up needing to replace every year or two, even if we painted it; brick, very expensive and labor-intensive; concrete block covered with stucco and/or brick facing, which we are still considering, but whose cost and labor is again a concern; and plastic composite (perhaps even recycled) boards, similar to ones used in decking. We are still researching this last option.

We only need to fence about 27'. Anyone have ideas? I'll consider anything.

ETA: Another option is to install chain link fencing and cover it with bamboo. Easy, affordable, but is it attractive?

What is this bug? (He's an inch long in this photo, not including antennae.)


And why have we already caught two in our house? One, scurrying across the living room floor as I innocently sit there, only a foot away? And the second on the basement wall while I'm walking right by, again, only a foot (or less!) away?

If you know what this is, or can figure it out, please post. I'll come up with some sort of reward to make it worth your while. I want these buggers gone.

This is the pesky fellow who's been eating all of our bird seed. We think he has an accomplice, too. Time to invest in a high tech anti-squirrel device...