The Promised Land

Well, this may very well be the last post for the quick blog.  Like every home renovation, it had it's surprises, ups and downs.  Going without a kitchen sink was tough.  Not being able to cook home made meals was even tougher.  After the frozen home cooked meals were done and in order to keep from having take-out too many nights, I subjected my family to Marie Callender pot pies (not too bad) and lasagna (not!). 

The teaser - they brought the wrong size 
backsplash and plumbing is not connected.

So we are 95% done.  We await the electrician who will re-connect the circuit for the microwave and change out our light fixtures.  And I am preparing a very nice piece of birch to be the new island counter top.  I've got more stain and at least 2 more coats of poly to do....so that won't be finished until late next week.

Waffle maker eggs.

Finally at least plumbing came.  The sink was the wrong one. 
But I LOVE it.  They cut our granite to someone else's sink.  Go figure.

Sigh, I can cook again.

I love my deep big sink.  Really.  And faucet too. 
But I really love my accidental sink.
The granite is nice too.

My World Market bargain.  New paint also.

So now, one and all, please join us in a word of prayer:  "Lord, please sell this house!"

So that we can experience not just a renovation....but a house building.  Then I'll have my dream kitchen.

But yes, this'll do in the interim.  Over and out.

Monday, Day 3

Well....here we are Day 3.  Enjoy the pictures.  It's kind of cool looking at the progress they made yesterday.  By the way...for any local person in need of a builder/contractor.  We totally recommend John Martin....he's one of those rare on-time, excellence oriented contractors.  He's a builder too...does houses and office buildings and small jobs (like ours) in the off seasons.

Okay, enough of the marketing.  Granite ppl come today to measure.  Chris and I go to Sears to pick up the new dishwasher.  Maybe at least the plastic can come down surrounding the kitchen by the end of the day.

We still have to get an electrician in here...hope that is not too costly.  Gotta order my butcher block top for the island from Ikea too. (note to self). 

Who knows...perhaps next month we'll have a buyer?


Good bye 1976 cabinets.

I wonder if there is mouse poop back there.

Our kitchen/dining room/control center

I feel like doing an HGTV show

Ain't he cute. Drew at 10 1/2 months!

The little guys before reno.





A "Sandy" Schedule

Our contractor has planned to come Monday morning at 8 am, but a storm named Sandy may give us a visit.  So it goes with home renovations.  You can plan, but you just have to see what happens.

Right now the kitchen is half full of boxes.

Sunday....we'll empty the cabinets, putting food in boxes, dishes in boxes, everything in boxes.  And we'll wait for Monday and see what Sandy brings.  Tuesday the granite people are supposed to do the the template.  We'll see.  We found out that 1 upper cabinet isn't here....it'll be delivered on Thursday.  And as you know, uppers go in before downers.  Cabinets that is.  But the downers have to be in for the template....soooo....we'll see what really ends up happening on Monday.

Meanwhile...I cooked 4 meals today.  Although I'll move the stove into the dining room....we may actually not have the space or breaker capability to use it.  So I've made herbed chicken tenderloins for chicken wraps, chili to reheat in microwave, a ham, a brisket for beef subs, and I have canned tuna for tuna macaroni salad.  I'll cook a few more tomorrow and then...the kids will probably treat themselves to taco bell while I grab a healthy meal at Bodos Bagels or something.

Gotta love it.

Ready, Set, Uh oh.

For the past hour, I've contemplated how to begin this blog.  What do I say to explain, to emote, to illustrate the adventure that the 8 of us are about to begin.  Well...for me it's already begun, but perhaps to put a picture like this may help: 

Old diaper boxes full of candle holders, baking cutlery, and general extra kitchen STUFF!

The kitchen is the hearth of the home.  I've taught examples of this in my British Literature classes.  Symbolically the hearth is where the family keeps warm, prepares their meals, and invites each other into the events of their day.  The hearth, we can then say, is the the heart of the home.  AND MY HEART IS ABOUT TO BE TORN APART.  Yeah!

You see, our house is on the market.  It has been for a while...twice.  We took a 2 month break when Drew was born.  It hasn't sold, yet.


The original 1976 cabinets and peeling veneer.  I painted these 4? years ago. 

Those who know me well know that I can be a HGTV and DIY network junkie.  So I know one major reason why it hasn't sold.

It's my hearth. 



So, with a conservative budget we will have a new kitchen in hopefully less than 14 days.  (smile....I'm prepared for unexpected delays...really!). 



When we moved here, the washer/dryer lived here, then our refrigerator, now it will be a pantry.

Tomorrow the cabinets are delivered and put in any open space in the kitchen and dining room.   We'll shove the dining room table against the window and my older children will jump for joy that they can eat their meals in front of the TV in the Great Room or office or sports room.
Monday...demo begins.  And as I was preparing Jared's breaksfast, I realized that I need to  prepare more than I realized.  Not only does everything have to be out....but as I rummaged through the silverware drawer, noting medicine droppers, straws for cups that died long ago, baby toys...I realized that I have a WHOLE LOT OF CLEANING OUT AND ORGANIZING TO DO! 

So...what an adventure, as I teach Dougie and Maria and mother a baby and toddler.  Hopefully this blog will be somewhat entertaining for you....some blogs may just express my demeaner at the moment...."aahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" when I'm tired of living in disarray.  I'll post pics as we go along.  I'll let you know how we are going to eat without a sink for up to 14 days.  Praise the Lord for a little George Foreman grill, a portable second microwave, and a toaster.  My kids are not sandwich lovers but....cooking will be a minimum since the stove will be placed....somewhere.    Boxes of food will go....???  Um....now you know why I titled this blog "Webbs in the Wilderness".  Hopefully we won't have to circle the house 40 times just to look for the box that has Drew's graham crackers.  Maybe manna will manifest from heaven for him. 

Stay tuned...