Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Showing posts with label House repairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House repairs. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Wham Bam Slam

 Conversation with my husband....

"Hey, Mom gave me her set of red glass dishes to put in the glass door hutch.  In order to do that we have to jack up the floor first."

Well, that was followed by an entire day of trying to access under the kitchen with two accesses we already have.  Didn't happen.  We created a 3rd.  Got in a few feet, and dug out some dirt to get to the beam.  

Jacked up the floor only after an entire day of work, to find we have dry rot.

Guess who is ripping out their kitchen floor?  Yep.  We can't do sister joists from the access.  No room for anyone to get in.  Seriously old house problems.  Guess I'm gonna get new kitchen flooring out of this now.  Just what we don't need.  I may live with a wood floor until next year, and put new flooring in the kitchen.

On the same day, after all that bad news, we went to town to pick up a new recliner we bought for Mom.  We picked it up, delivered it, and once it was inside we discovered it was the wrong chair.  We packed it back up and took it back.  Delivery date for the right one??  12 weeks.  Sigh.

On the good side of this, we found out before winter.  On the bad side, it's canning season.

Mom's 2nd delivery attempt of her 14 free meals failed.  They never arrived, so we picked up a few hot meals.  My younger brother was off over the weekend, so he (what I call "granny rigged") added handles, hooks and what not to her home to make it much easier for her to get around.

Oh, her appetite is back.  Such good news that the new medication is working in more ways than one.  Today we are working on getting a transport wheelchair and a shower stool for her.  She would very much like to get her hair done, which would make her feel much better.

I'm beginning to tarp down more grass between 2 flower beds to make mowing much easier, but those tarps will stay down all winter and we'll tackle that area next year.  Not sure, but I think I'll add a few flowering bushes and perennials in that area.




Labor day weekend was full of labor for us.  Thankfully, Monday we were able to have a somewhat restful day.  We grilled steaks on the porch and relaxed.  We didn't get time to play cards, as he worked on fixing Daughter K's blinker too.  I was thankful to get my husband's famous bacon omelets Monday for breakfast.  Those two steaks cost us $42.00!! 

Daughter T came for a visit with our grandson.  I sent her home with two kids wooden, handmade rockers we had in the garage, along with a few other items (so thankful to get more purged).  More went out by the road that was basically junk, but a scraper may pick it up, which would be nice for us.

 China is buying up US businesses and farm land, and it's very scary of what will/my happen to this country now. 


Monday, April 19, 2021

Happy Homemaker Monday

Garden work has started.  We had a busy weekend too.  We added another roost to the existing chicken coop.  Plans for the new one involve using barn wood from the knocked down barn.  

We replaced the bottom board in one kitchen cupboard and purged what was under it.

Installed the new wall towel rack in the smaller bathroom, installed new solar lights outside, and repaired a part on the dishwasher, and Hubby mowed all weekend.

We ended the evening by grilling burgers, and toasting the buns on the grill.  We mixed in chopped garden jalapenos, garlic and onion, and topped them with homemade thousand island dressing and blue cheese (we were too exhausted to fry bacon for them).  Oh so good and great way to end the day. 


On this week's to-do list:
-boil eggs
-laundry
-sweep/mop kitchen
-dishes
-start back at the craft purge 
-pick an extreme clean project
-make homemade lip balm
-make homemade "neosporin"
-write out a shopping list




Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom


The weather outside is . . .

67°F/38 today, but tomorrow?  44/31°F and then Wed? 42/23°F

1-3 inches possible Tues./Wed.


How I am feeling this morning . . .

Tired, although tickled pink we actually got some things done on Sunday.  


On the breakfast plate . . .



I'm going to make a breakfast bake, but use the very last bags of frozen zucchini and yellow squash vs. potatoes.  I tried a new way to bake the bacon - twist and bake on a foil like rimmed baking pan for 35 minutes.  Super crispy.  Recipe said 45 minutes, but my bacon was starting to burn, and 35 minutes at 425°F worked great!



On my reading pile . . .



On the TV . . .

Westerns on Amazon Prime


On the menu this week . . .

-two new recipes to try, roasted asparagus from the garden

-grilled cheese, home canned tomato soup

-baked chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans

-maybe an overnight casserole vs. a crock pot dish

-a new crock pot recipe


Looking around the house . . .

I feel so much better getting so much done.  I have a good to-do list, but the kitchen will be less cluttered after cupboard repairs.  I'm already making plans to get it all re-organized and purged under the kitchen sink.


To relax this week, I will . . .

If it warms up later in the week - play cards on the porch with my husband.  Otherwise, before he gets off work, most likely crochet.


From the camera . . .



This morning's sunrise.  The clouds sure scream weather change.


Something I want to share . . .


...because I'm an organizing nerd....how I whipped up a way to store my dish gloves.  It's a GM hook and a curtain rod clip that slides onto a curtain rod to clip on curtains (tea towels etc.).  I will be picking up some cheap placemats to put behind them on the door and under them to protect the wood.  It felt great "shopping" from the "junk drawer."



Something else to share - early birthday present from my husband.  I LOVE these!


Devotional, inspirational, prayer list or Bible verse . . .





Tuesday, November 6, 2012

You Want an Outhouse?! ~ Morning Sunrise

 "What?" exclaimed the kids!  "Why would you want an outhouse?!

For about the last four years, I've been telling the family it would be nice to have an outhouse.  


Well, we found out we have a leak under the house, under the kitchen bathroom.  This is part of the old farm house, and who ever put in the new parts (before we moved in), did a terrible job, according to Hubby.  


I also found out there is only about 1 1/2 feet or less, deep of a "crawl space" and we cannot go under the house.  I guess back in the 30's or 40's they didn't think that someday those pipes may not hold, and someone would need to crawl under there.

We had to cut a hole in the bathroom floor.

First the toilet was removed.  The seal was good.  The guys moved it out to the side porch.  In the photo above, the toilet is next to the wall, and on the other side of hubby is the stand up shower (that small).  Then the wood laminate flooring was removed.

Once the toilet was removed, they cut a hole in the floor (in the photo it's just below the flashlight).  The sink is 1/2 the size of most bathroom sinks, and is directly across from the toilet.  Due to space issues, hubby's legs are out the bathroom door - ha ha!

Then they cut the hole bigger.  I was in my room, shaking my head, thinking of what this will require - cash, parts, and new flooring.  Maybe a new toilet.  We already have to replace the shower, and dry wall, but lack the funds for that.  

While parts are purchased and re-installed, we closed the bathroom door for the night.  There is no fan, window, nor heater in this bathroom.  The people prior to us, simply tried to update the original bathroom the house had.  They installed the cheapest stand-up shower they could, and the smallest vanity they could.  We have had several under-the-sink leaks over the last 4 years too.
  
For now......6 of us will be sharing one bathroom.  Hubby is back to work today, so this project may take a while.  Let the fight for the bathroom begin....


 On a good note, here is this morning's sunrise.  It's not great photo, as I was on the porch in my jammies and it was freezing out.  Not to mention the on-going traffic wondering what I was doing. I'm glad they have something to talk about today. Ha ha ha!