Old Fashioned: Lilacs and Apple Trees

The above photo shows our apple trees just blooming. Aren’t they old fashioned looking? Can you imagine the hammock that is going to stretch between them soon? When I was a young girl I fantasized about living on a ranch and somehow these two acres encompass as close as I’ve ever come to that feeling. Sometimes I think I should be changing the header of my blog now that we are planning on being stationary and staying put in America’s Heartland. In fact, I am giving thought of whether I should even continue blogging when stationary life may lack sufficient fodder to adequately entertain readers to even bother to tune in. In a routine lifestyle what is “bloggable” anyway? At minimum, I suspect once the house is finished, my entries will become much more sporadic—more as an update for old friends to know that we are still alive and kicking and up to no good. 

I had hopes upon moving here to be out and about taking photographs of this beautiful state much more than providence has provided so far. Our time just seems so limited, especially with Marc never taking even one day off, that unless I care to travel on my own it doesn’t look like it will be happening at least for another year or two. Add four cats that eat twice daily to the equation and my weak bladder and it becomes even more of a travail to travel-ha. 

And to be honest, I’ve been fairly happy in my little portion of the world. There are intangibles here, hard to describe, which draw me in and are keeping me content. Something about the very shape of the world here—rounded or smoothed, soothing, with the nuances of thousands of trees and greens I’m not used to. The west now seems stark, barren and harshly formed in comparison. Dry. Filled with cookie cutter houses. And unending traffic and congestion.

My world has weather and the skies change daily (which I appreciate more as time passes), is bucolic, wholesome, languid, timeless—old fashioned. I think that is the word that best describes it: old fashioned. Marc and I often talk about how nearly everything here reminds us of life 30 years ago: Everyone on their little plot of verdant green, wood piles and clotheslines, old cars and cornfields; quiet country roads, small towns, little traffic, no lines, very old homes and farms and common folk. People interested in their communities, other neighbor’s wellbeing, being helpful, kind and attentive. People smile here and when I step foot in the post office, everyone in there greets me as if I’m not a stranger. I appreciate all the wildlife and birds constantly reminding me daily that we share our lives and the earth with something important besides ourselves. I wake to birdsong and go off to sleep with the sound of crickets and bullfrogs.

Experiencing the full range of seasons imparts a rhythm of nature to the days that has broadened my horizons and makes each totally distinctive and welcomed. It’s taught me to appreciate the good ones and to forgive the nasty ones and to drink it all in with wonder as living in a constantly pleasant climate cannot do. If there is never any change how do you recognize difference? It makes me pay more attention to the differences in our local landscapes wrought by the seasons; the colors, the vistas, the smells. I decided I got tired of complaining about less than perfect weather; does it change anything, especially mood, to do so?

To my utter astonishment quite a few people in Wisconsin that I’ve met have never left the state to travel beyond its borders. Whether from inertia, financial inability or total contentment I can’t discern. But with each passing day I understand how it could be the latter. When one is happy where they are, why go farther? We may just be ready to rest and absorb our little corner of this beautiful world in central Wisconsin and call it home for our final chapters. No one sees it all; that is only an illusion that drives the restless. Some are lucky enough, at the end, to have seen and experienced a few of God’s chosen places and that has to be enough. Even fewer get to live there. I can count several so feel myself very fortunate. This place just stirs our contentment. It’s as simple as that. This place: it wasn’t a choice at first but it is now.

The First Reveal

I highly doubt you’ve been waiting with bated breath but such as it is in its unfinished state, I present our humble abode along with comments of explanation. Believe me: at this point this house needs some ‘splaining!

We’ll start out in the back of the house with the baths. We don’t spend a lot of time in bathrooms so spa-like features and vast roominess is not something we felt like spending money on. The main bath is utilitarian with a shower only and a small vanity. I found the mirror in a consignment store and repainted it white but its unusual character gives the bath what little charm it may possess. You will note the missing tank lid; it was broken upon unpacking and we’ve not had time to get in for a replacement as yet. Also the first glass shower surround Marc special ordered did not fit so we have to reorder a different kind; meanwhile we make do with the apartment shower curtain. The light bar was a Blenker leftover and cabinet hardware has yet to be installed. 

The half bath is pretty much my exclusive domain, tiny though it is. I must however share it with one of the cat litter boxes. I have favorite mementos leftover from living at the coast and decided this would be a good place to use them. I am very enamored of my copper sink and trough faucet however. Here you will find another used mirror but this one is antique! There is another Blenker light fixture that is not going to work as yet given the way the wiring was initially done (for sconces) so right now I just look at a hole in the wall until Marc can make another hole in the wall to correct the wiring. I must say it is sure handy living with an electrician though….

The master bedroom photographs small but is actually quite roomy for us at 12x14 feet. I especially like the corner windows, where we eventually hope to have a window seat. Just yesterday I completed the window furnishings using $2 Goodwill starched and ironed linen napkins folded over a simple rod. Those cover pull down roller shades. All in all, the cheapest, easiest window furnishings I’ve ever done. I’ve got some big ideas for this room for décor but the most ill-fated was my purchase of a lovely Belgium linen vintage looking duvet for more money than I care to divulge. Turns out linen and cat claws don’t mix well; hence the $20 TJ Maxx fuzzy blanket serving as a barrier between my beloved cats and my beloved spread. Turquoise wasn’t supposed to be part of the décor equation. To be continued….when I figure out what to do!

For now we’ll skip the hallway, laundry (subfloor, yawning open closet with no shelving or door, washer with its dryer in backwards until Marc figures out how to redo a vent which is on the wrong side and reworks the gas hookup), and the hobby room which currently holds extra unhung doors meant for the basement, unfinished door casing, and paint supplies and another litter box. 

Now we’re into the heart of the house: the great room. For those of you who do not favor an open plan concept you will hate our house because not only are the living, kitchen and dining area combined, most of the kitchen is also on display for you to see what we own. Yup, nothing matches but everything is either something I love or entirely useful, so it works for me. 

Ah, the kitchen. How to begin? I guess you could say this is the bones of a kitchen for what is planned in the future. Right now we have an entirely useful and practical Sam’s Club $100 stainless steel work island which sits 43” high so makes for a very convenient height for tall guys like Marc. The idea is for Marc to eventually build a custom island. Needing more storage than this provided, I decided to snuggle my narrow baker’s rack right up to the back of the island where it now houses the important stuff like wine, five of our Dutch ovens, the potatoes and onions (in baskets). Completing this core work area is our all-important Boos butcher block, THE one kitchen item we’d never again do without after having owned one. Once Marc can get my large pot rack hanging over the end of the work table between the light and the fridge, most of the cooking pots and pans will hang, thus freeing up that bottom shelf for something else. I had planned old crates there for storage, liking the interplay of old wood and industrial stainless, but may decide instead upon things like mixers, blenders, etc. I’m loving the light fixture above the island; you can note that the matching fixture above the table is as yet not completely hung. Those are another cheap Blenker “steal” but really seemed to match in quite well.

Moving to the end of the kitchen you see our LG 5 burner gas stove which operates perfectly and above it my real French antique hook, where I’ve hung my potholders for now. Later before too long I hope, we’ll have a stove hood and maybe two small stainless shelves to the right of the stove where I will store the oils and salt and pepper. You can see it all better in the following photo

The cabinet to the right of the stove holds spices, to the left is the lazy Susan housing everyday grub like cereal and kitty food. You will note a combination of bin pulls and cabinet handles; we are using a combination of both but Marc got waylaid just part way into that job so it remains uncompleted right now. They are rustic and will be really neat when done though….Wrought or rusty iron is kind of one of my things…. 

The space above the kitchen window begged for a new clock and this tin one had metal made to look vintage enough to win my heart. Of course, it sits above the broken kitchen window which has yet to be changed out so remains with its large X written across the top (broken) half. I’ve explained before about our kitchen shelving; we’re using the basic shelving Melamine boards but these will be boxed in to cover the metal supports with a rim of some type of decorative molding, probably painted white. The final effect should appear as floating shelves. I thought I had a ton of shelving but in actuality I guess I owned way more dishes and bowls than I thought because it quickly filled up. The top will remain for decorative items and the coup d’ etat will be to the left of the clock where you see the box in the wall. This is for an electrical plug for our special “To Go” neon sign!!! It will be on a switch for when we want to jazz things up!

Looking frontward you can see our new “used” door; another Blenker cull. Can you see anything wrong with it? Neither could we other than it needing repainting; especially for a $1200 saving. And I love the way it made the front almost all windows. The cats love hanging out here watching the birds.

The living room is in progress with the furniture placement subject to change once it’s all in here. We have an old couch I’m not sure I will be using but if I do it will go beneath the cow head maybe with or without the ottoman/coffee table I made. Meanwhile, my favorite birch bark canoes, the real Pipestone Native American pipe, and 1943 snowshoes are mounted and hung. New furniture has to wait.

Now to the final shots, and the story that goes along with it. Through the gift of a very generous friend many years ago I received a lovely Pendleton blanket. The wool is so finely woven it feels silken rather than scratchy and I had always yearned for a place to hang it. Alas, we were moving into the RV just about the time I got the blanket and one day of trying to use it as a throw and the cat hair that was drawn to it soon had me convinced that I had better put it away. There it languished; inappropriate for a beach retreat and not suitable for RV life. I swore to myself that after 15 years of never being able to enjoy its beauty I would somehow find a way in this house. I may have to build my living room décor around it, but it will have all been worth it to see it hanging in all its vivid magnificence. Don’t you agree?

So, there you have it, a partial reveal of our Western, northwoods lodge, cowboy French country tiny home-ha! There will be more to come of the basement and as we make progress towards completion and I’ve also got some thoughts penned on settling in Wisconsin so don’t miss an episode.

Missing in Action

One of the most frustrating things about this move is the way we’ve combined household items from our distant past and thus strewn about between cargo trailer, sheds, sea containers, shop, RV, and apartment. No one single thing is where I’ve expected it and it thwarts me that some of my favorite—most useful—most treasured items are nowhere to be found! How is this possible? My teapot collection? I have the lids but not the pots. Vintage waffle iron handed down from my mom? Missing. Likewise, old coffee glass canisters with definite antique value given to me by my long dead grandparents.  A very large art picture and pair of vintage architecturally marvelous set of shutters that I was counting on to adorn my walls? Also MIA.

The helper Marc had lined up to assist was unfortunately not available on the Friday that Marc chose to do the move so he and I managed to do it ourselves over the course of the long three day weekend. By that Monday I had returned and completed the final clean so that we had our walk-through with the landlord on Tuesday. We were finally done with apartment living--putting up with hearing noisy neighbors above us; walking through the minefields of dog poo from the lousy owners who refused to pick up after their dogs; and most aggravating, having to use malfunctioning 18 year old appliances that were on their obvious last legs. All in all it wasn’t a bad place to live; just not our own and most definitely not nearly as nice as the home Marc has built us!

So despite my quibbling, I have greatly been enjoying my non-settled abode although its completion has become completely life consuming. I say me because Marc had to leave shortly after our move for a week out west and now after just four days back here he left again Sunday at midnight for another week. He played commercial truck driver last time since the company was short drivers and had a critical wide load that had to be delivered to the Dakotas so Marc, being the only one left with a commercial license, was shanghaied. Battling extreme fatigue, he managed to get some necessary things done to the house but progress is slow. We do now have our new front door installed, but none of the casing, so we still hear the wind whistling. He’s managed to hang more of the lights but not all of them and he finally got the filter to the icemaker in the refrigerator working so we can use it. He has not had a chance to convert my propane dryer to natural gas however, so I wash in the house and dry the loads using our dryer in the RV. Hey—at least I had an extra!

Spring is finally here in WI and the trees have started gently leafing out within this past week and I saw the first daffodils. Local nurseries are back to being stocked so people are out buying up armfuls of beautiful flowering plants and vegetables. Even my lilac bushes have the starts of tiny flowers. It’s actually been drier than normal but the grass has all turned verdant green with winter’s passing so it will be my chore to do the first mowing of the year this week. It would be a good time to start enjoying our front deck if ours was built—ha. Meantime, the view out our front windows is ever engaging and beautiful and it brings a smile to my face to be here finally.

It’s a very busy week for me with some out of town shopping plus Spirit is getting spayed Thursday so I will be her nursemaid for several days making sure she doesn’t get too rambunctious and tear her stitches. In addition to some much needed yard work like weed pulling I’m trying to establish a compost pile. There’s some outdoor yard art to spray paint if the weather cooperates and some upholstery to clean. My list is long and we just got internet again last Friday so there’s been lots of catching up to do in that realm as well. I promise to be back with some photos soon.

Scrambling!

Although we gave notice on our apartment for the end of April, Marc is trying desperately to move us this coming weekend. I feel as though I’ve been moving for months since every time I drive to Waupaca I pack along a big load in my car. The new house is now stuffed with things in boxes poorly labeled and hither and yon between half finished rooms, the basement, the RV, and shop. Much of the stuff we have been using in the apartment needs to go back into the RV actually but has been carted along with house stuff in the rush to pack up. It’s a mess the magnitude of likely several month’s worth of sorting and clean-up awaiting me once we are there. 

This past weekend Marc spent nearly the entire time setting up the kitchen, with help from a counter expert from Blenker’s; connecting the stove and dishwasher, and kitchen faucet (which I am absolutely wildly gaga over it is SO SLICK!). The counter features a run of 15 linear feet so it was a handful for the two guys, but it came attached with the under mount sink which is quite a feat with Formica because usually having Formica meant having no choice but a drop-in. I couldn’t do my desired farmhouse sink since that style was not offered, but this will be the next best thing—a huge, deep stainless steel under mount! And the mega professional faucet to go with it! Marc finished up Sunday by drilling holes in the angle iron to secure the melamine kitchen shelving. Now it will at least hold some things until he has a chance to complete them after we’ve moved.

We lose internet Friday and won’t be getting our connection at the new house until May; besides I’ll likely be way too busy for any updates. This has been a trial the likes of which we haven’t faced in decades in terms of the degree of difficulty on our energy, our psyches’, and our perseverance. The light is definitely at the end of the tunnel now although the house is woefully short of being complete; we don’t even have a set of steps leading into it and are still using the metal ramp! Closet poles are not completed so clothing lies piled in masses on the bedroom carpet. We did finally get the water running to the house this past week though, so now the toilets flush without having to hand fill them out of gallon jugs. Ah…progress! We’re just thankful we’re finally moving!!!!!!

Running on Empty

Nearly out of time, money, and most certainly we are out of energy! This house building is sucking us dry, financially and emotionally, and now seems like a never-ending treadmill. It’s an entirely different story building and installing every widget yourself as opposed to handing a contractor plans and saying “Go build our house.”! 

We have given notice at our apartment for the end of April and we should be able to make the move OK but it will be into a house woefully short of being completed. My fear is to how it will all play out with the loans since I am fairly certain in order to obtain the final take out loan things will need to be completely finished. As I see it, on our current schedule, that probably isn’t going to happen until very late summer and even then there will be things like the yard work that I can’t foresee being done this year at all. 

With Marc working on the house every evening until 9 p.m. the pressure is so intense I fear for his health and his “real” job keeps interfering! He is off again to N.D., effectively killing work on the house yet again this week excepting for the fact that the plumber has returned and is completing our water hookups and installation of the water heater. Marc has been working on closet shelving so we can create some space when we move boxes and boxes in shortly. The basement is chuck full of stuff, the RV is chuck full, as is the shop, and we’re starting to fill the upstairs as well and we haven’t even begun to move any of the furniture and needed items yet from the apartment. Things are always such a mess with crap in the way I don’t even bother to take photos anymore. He spent much of last week completing the mechanical room in the basement which I painted with two coats of white paint.

We are awaiting the shower enclosure, the kitchen countertops and sink, and recently ordered our siding. Marc got the main run of kitchen cabinets set but not the area around the stove and refrigerator. Since it will take him awhile to build the kitchen shelving we want, in the meantime, he is placing the melamine boards up for me to use. Those will remain the top layer of the final shelving since I wanted something easy to clean but there will need to be a surround built to cover the angle iron supports. 

I spent an entire day rummaging through thrift and antique stores trying to come up with suitable bathroom mirrors that wouldn’t be flat clip-on builder specials but rather something with some character and finally was successful. I had to paint the main bath framed mirror but figured both were scores at a total cost of less than $50. Budget is ever on the mind now that we are at less than double digits with the money left to us to finish this thing. Things like the front porch, the island and stove hood Marc hoped to build, could now be years away and will have to come out of pocket. It has really killed us that our property in Yuma has not sold, yet continues to need to be supported. In fact, we are seriously discussing selling our RV shortly since realistically it is not a need any longer but only a wish. We've got 18 years with the old girl and it's a hard parting to consider since we'll never be able to replace it.

So the race to the finish is limping along, badly, aka: running on empty. Despite it all however, as the move gets closer the excitement is definitely building to live in Marc’s labor of love! I am such a lucky woman; there aren’t very many husbands the equal of mine—so giving and working so tirelessly and committed towards a dream. He's gone over eight months without a single day off!

Cabinets and Some Floor!

Marc’s due in late tonight after another round of his projects from North Dakota to Minnesota for the past week. He will be glad to get back to building our house rather than dealing with the tragic job fatality in Minnesota. That situation has just become a quagmire of attorneys and insurance people. 

And speaking of quagmire, that’s what we have now out at the house where the snow has melted but the underlying ground has not, creating mud so soft it’s nearly impossible to transgress. Marc left out laying the vinyl in the laundry room figuring we would need a “mud room” for awhile and it’s now living up to its name. He did complete the vinyl in both baths and also set those vanities before leaving. During his absence I purchased the towel bars and TP holders and we also have the sinks on hand so now it’s just a matter of him finalizing the countertop installation and we should be able to have the baths about complete other than the shower surround. We haven’t bothered with toilets as yet because we still have no water. The plumber indicated he would be able to join us this weekend however, so we should get a long way towards completing the plumbing and the gas lines. The furnace is completely installed but awaits the gas lines for final testing before it can be inaugurated. 

This stage of the process has become the thrilling part for me, when the final touches are coming together and I get to see the results of all the planning in my head. I was absolutely overjoyed with our flooring as Marc got it laid in the great room and then sent into heaven when he unwrapped the kitchen cabinets. They go together like a hand and glove! I’m pleased with the rustic wood choice, knotty alder, and the glazed distressed finish is amazing. I wasn’t expecting soft self close drawers and doors since I hadn’t ordered them, but they completed the package.

I opted for two large drawer banks rather than conventional cabinets because it is said drawers hold more and are much easier to access. A lazy Susan will occupy the corner. Since white is our trim color, the white appliances should pick up that as well. While I love the look of stainless appliances, I absolutely abhor its upkeep so determined its a bandwagon I wouldn't jump aboard again (I have it in the RV). Plus, it dents too easily and looks a mess of fingerprints and smudges unless one is anal about its upkeep. White appliances are timeless, easier on the wallet and we're not building this house for resale value.

Marc put together most of our ceiling fan and light in an effort to determine if we needed a longer down rod which we both felt we did. It’s a highly unusual fan called Yellowstone I found at Menards which features bas relief of pine trees and moose and rustic rawhide shades. One of the shades was crushed so I have a replacement on order. It’s always something.

Marc has determined we will move in before the house is completed and we’re hopeful that can occur within about a month but I have my doubts. At least Wisconsin’s weather is getting more cooperative and spring is on its way! And now another long weekend of work awaits us….

The Passing of a Southern Belle

I heard yesterday that a lady very dear to my heart had passed away on February 6th at 92. Lillian was born and raised in Louisville, KY and remained the epitome of gracious southern charm the entire time of my interaction with her despite being in poor health. For about 14 months I traveled five days a week at 8:30 to cook Lilly breakfast and help her with nominal tasks like emptying garbage, defrosting her freezer and rewinding and setting her grandfather clock. And probably most especially, being there as some morning comfort and company over the cup of hot tea I’d bring her. 

She was humorous, witty, sharp, and gave me a glimpse into life in the south well before civil rights. I got to know her granddaughters and heard her anguish over her very disabled son—my age, but significantly impaired his entire adult life due to being covered with Agent Orange in Vietnam. I only learned through her obituary that he had passed before her late last year. Lilly steadfastly refused to leave her beloved and very lovely Yuma home so died in it surrounded by family and Hospice. She touched my life in a special way only the very elderly can do and I will hope to be able to someday emulate her state of grace under pressure. She only gave up when absolutely forced to: rest in peace dear Lilly; you were very beloved by many, including me. 

Not to fill this blog entry with tragedy but Marc has been dealing with it as well; a work accident on one of his projects which claimed the life of a young man through a series of preventable accident and inattention involving a forklift. The fall-out is still to come (not to Blenker Company) as OSHA investigates but it has occupied much of Marc’s time since Friday when it occurred. He has to make arrangements for another set crew to finish up the job and he has to physically visit the site tomorrow. He’s been dejected at the fragileness of life and the throes of losing a good worker who was a decent human being and was way too early in knowing death and leaving behind a young family. Just a moment's inattention; one moment we're here and then we're not. As we all know, death comes to those both young and old, and life teaches us lessons about the passing of both. 

While Marc is away tomorrow I will meet with the carpet installers who will be doing our carpet in the master bedroom and closet. After three weekends of work we are still not completely done with the painting but Marc figures he may be able to get it finished this evening. It just involves one more coat on the great room and kitchen walls. Meanwhile, he has also laid the vinyl in both bathrooms and is in the process of setting the vanities.

We’ve been on massive spending sprees at Menard’s and Lowe’s but there will be more bleeding to come. The next major expense comes the next time Menard’s has a sale when we will need to purchase our siding. Budget and local construction history deems vinyl siding as the most prominent choice to hold up to this climate so that’s what we’ll have, in gray with white shake gable end trim. The exterior of our house is fairly Plain Jane but as time goes by we hope to add some window boxes and maybe even a few courses of some type of brick or stone. 

Our laminate flooring should arrive late this week but Marc has to be out of town for a week again starting Sunday so things will sit for awhile. We’re at the fun part of putting the house together with the finishes but there is not a lot I can do to hasten things along since Marc is the guy with the tools. Lastly, Marc’s sister wanted to see the view we will get when we sit in our spa so Marc had me snap some from inside our great room. Obviously we have a ways to go here before we’ll be hot tub soaking, but it will be lovely and oh so relaxing at some point!