http://picasaweb.google.com/nettinfinity/SummerHouseProjects#5371051211525539362
Working on the backsplash.
Miter saw, stand and trim
Painting the trim
Garden sustainably. August 18, 2009
Here’s a good general introduction to ways to keep your garden sustainable: http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Garden_Sustainably
And a great, super simple idea from Homegrown Evolution on the best and easiest greywater system ever. We are thinking about integrating this into the deck we plan to build on the back of our house. We do just happen to have an old cast iron sink left over from an old house…
Outdoor Sink Makes Water Recycling Simple
This is my new outdor sink. I found the cast iron sink on the side of the road in Pomona and gleefully dragged the heavy beast several hundred yards to my car. I had a frame built for it out of scrap wood lying around the yard, the faucet and pipes came from another discarded sink, and we hooked it up to the hose outlet. It drains into a simple 5 gallon bucket which I can then pour out into the nearby landscape. It is super simple grey water. Now instead of going inside to wash my hands or rinse produce from the garden, I can use the outdoor sink and easily recycle my water. Plus, there is less dirt and compost in my kitchen sink. This is the kind of so-simple-its-brilliant stuff I just love. While I would like my entire house to have a greywater system, that isn’t really feasible at this time. The house is old and the pipes are very difficult, perhaps impossible, to access. So we are starting with the sink and soon we are doing a simple greywater system from the washing machine as part of our Summer Workshop Series. Every drop counts so we have to start somewhere.
Happenings. August 4, 2009
The garden as of 7/23.
Garden pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/nettinfinity/GardenProjects#5366211462537551714
Shelter Gardens
http://picasaweb.google.com/nettinfinity/Summer09#5366211810023687858
A few more summer house projects: http://picasaweb.google.com/nettinfinity/SummerHouseProjects#5366211852521420242
The worm condo. Now we’re just waiting on our worms!
The attic. July 20, 2009
It was 66 degrees on Friday, so I went home. I’d been waiting for a cool day for months, so I could get the attic painted.
http://picasaweb.google.com/nettinfinity/Attic#
Front porch day. July 13, 2009
Before
After
See the process: http://picasaweb.google.com/nettinfinity/FrontPorchGoodbye1950sHello1930s#
It was a long, good day. It was funny to see how a project like this brought all the neighbours out of the woodwork. Everybody walked or drove by and said, “Looks great!” “Great job!” “Congratulations!” At one point, when the porch was about half taken off and there was lumber everywhere and windows hanging off the house, one of the neighbours drove by and said, “It looks better already!” The sad thing is that it did.
We were lamenting with our next-door neighbour about the painted green brick, and she replied, “Well, anything’s better than it looking like a tar-paper shack!” Yep.
Still working. July 2, 2009
Purchased slate tiles for the backsplash in the kitchen. Here I’m sealing some of them and making some into coasters for our new end tables.
Coasters! With non-slip backing on the bottoms.
And here’s what the house looks like now. Pictures taken to show my family and grandparents.
Tomorrow we’re flying out to Phillie and going to NJ for a few days and the Poconos for a few days to visit with family and relatives. Pictures and stories to come.
Happenings. June 26, 2009
The garden has been making good progress. We’ve got several tomatoes coming on now, as well as at least one little eggplant.
http://picasaweb.google.com/nettinfinity/GardenProjects#5351636260806623186
Other things that have been going on:
Charlie fixing the fan and squirrel cage on the truck.
Yesterday I put a second coat of paint on the kitchen and touched up some scratched spots from when the cabinets were put in. Then we got to working on the pegboard.
Installing the stainless steel pegboard in the kitchen. I love that my husband is handy.
Complete with pots and pans, and Roomba cleaning up the mess.
I am SOOOOOO excited about this. Yay, functionality and organization!
Changes. June 2, 2009
Honestly, I’m pretty amazed. The garden went from this to THAT in five weeks. The plants that I direct seeded have only been in for four, and the tomatoes, pepper and eggplants that I just transplanted have only been in for one.
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| From Garden Projects |
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| From Garden Projects |
http://picasaweb.google.com/nettinfinity/GardenProjects#5342838587079658002
The spinach has all pretty much burned up. It’s just gone. I’m just making an educated guess, but I’m pretty sure it couldn’t handle the heat. I really planted it too late.
I’m pretty proud of the sugar snap peas, though. They’re loving the tomato cages. They went crazy, climbing with their tendrils as soon as I stuck the cages in.
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| From Garden Projects |
And I painted the fireplace. The mantle will eventually be white. We’re slowly getting rid of all the green…
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| From Phase 3 |
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| From Phase 3 |
Not marijuana. May 25, 2009
But I did have to Google it to be sure. Found this along our back fence, along with some wild strawberries (which are fruiting!).
