And the walls[paper] comes tumblin' down!

O.k., not tumblin, not fallin'. I am spraying it down with hot water, ripping off the top layer, (which comes off fairly easily) and then spraying, (soaking) down the second layer and then scraping with a plastic scraper. I've never taken down wallpaper before. Maybe mine is exceptionally easy, but after all of the horror stories I've heard about removing wallpaper, it isn't that bad. Plus, I don't have a lot of wall surface that is covered with wallpaper. Before shot.

During. You can see how the top layer is just peeling off.

After.

The kitchen re-do has begun. I am excited. I am re-doing with a cottage look in mind. I'll never forget when I asked Duggles if he knew what cottage was and his forehead wrinkled in consternation, then you could see the light bulb go on- "what we are doing?" Very good, Dug.

The cabinets are a dark walnut color now. I am painting them cream. I have an oil based latex primer which my paint man mixed my cream into, then painting over. I'll have to do a bit of prep work prior to painting the walls. I am painting them a very pale green. I would describe it as a lime sherbet shade. Then I may paint the dining room a pale melon shade. (Surprise, Dug.) Isn't it funny how differing descriptions and names may appeal to you? I can't stand "orange" or "peach." Pumpkin is slightly acceptable and pale melon is acceptable. In my mind, anyway.

We are also going to do some sort of tile back splash area behind the stove and sink sides of the room. We have not yet started to look at tile. Hopefully, that search will be painless. Then, we have already found a linoleum that we agree on, (shocking, I know) which has leaves in it. We don't want ceramic tile in the kitchen because once you drop something on it (which Dug does, often) it is broken. And, we don't want real wood, because we have to clean the kitchen floor often. (See prior statement.) And Dug doesn't want any laminate wood look because we have pine floors in our living room and guest room.

I am also replacing drawer pulls- seven at $3. each. My knobs are $4. each and I need 22 of them! Yikes! But, they will really make the cabinets pop. My pulls are retro, beaten up pewter look, heavy. My knobs are brushed silver with a circle of leaves stamped in. I'll show you a photo at some point. Now, Dug has decided that we need to replace the hinges, too. Have not looked for these, either. I do know they are approximately as long as my index finger. I do not know if this is a standard measurement, or not.

Big project, but I'm excited. My goal is to have it finished by Thanksgiving. Surely I can pull that off. Stay tuned.

All the way home

The road we live on is beautiful.
As you wind down, the temperature drops as the trees envelope you.

The road is a few miles long with twists and curves. We're on the left. Don't forget to pause to look at the garden that I've worked so hard to create these past two summers. If you are lucky, you'll see a butterfly!

Veiled morn

When I stepped out of the house this morning, I found that all around was shrouded by fog.
Fog so dense, in places, I could barely see. Fortunately, my camera was on the seat of the car, beside me. Each of these photos was taken this morning, as I sat in the driver's seat.
My garden at the end of the drive.
The three photos above were taken on the road I live on.
As I drove north, out of the country, very suddenly, I emerged from the fog.
And I felt disappointment.
***Where were you forty years ago today? I was a girl, camping with my family at Versailles State Park. We listened to the men walk on the moon on the car radio. Aptly, my dad's car was a Mercury Comet.

Sometimes it doesn't take any effort at all

Remember this? For those of you who have read my blog for awhile, you've seen this photo before. I wrote a post giving an analogy of the witch in the Wizard of Oz melting. This was the pumpkin that sat near the post at the entry to our drive. I just left it.

And now, we have this. Wouldn't it be cool if I actually got a pumpkin from this plant?

Post Holiday post

First off, I have to say, please forgive me for being en retard with this post. I left my camera in my daughter's vehicle when she took me to the airport and I just received it in the mail and uploaded these photos on the 11th.
Some time back, I phoned my daughter and asked what she was up to. She told me that she had just picked up tickets to a performance at the Kennedy Center, because she has now lived in D.C. for several years and had not been to the center. Then she said "why don't you come out and go with me? So, I did. I flew out on Thursday evening, July 2nd and flew out on July 5. Our adventures began on Friday the 3rd and it was a jam-packed, whirlwind weekend. Friday morning, we headed out to Tiffany, where I made my first ever Tiffany purchase. It was a tough decision, but in the end I bought a unique beaded necklace (in above photo) with three beads that slide. The beads read T&Co. Very discreet. I was very torn as to getting one of the new keys, there was one with a heart that I loved (my daughter offered to buy it for me, but I declined). When the woman who waited on us handed me my purchase (after wrapping) she said "welcome to Tiffany."
After that we went for mega shopping at Tysons Corner Center.

We lunched at Coastal Flats, where I had a perfect mojito.

And, delicious east coast crab cake. Crab cake in the midwest is mostly breading with a little bit of crab. Once you've eaten crab cake on the east coast, and know how it is really supposed to be, a lot of crab with a little bit of breading, you no longer want to eat crab cake in the midwest.

Friday evening, we had tickets for The Color Purple at the Kennedy Center. Prior to the show, my daughter treated me to dinner at Marcel's, where we enjoyed the theatre package which included car service to the theatre. For this country mouse, it was a very upscale evening.

Moi, on the terrace of the Kennedy Center, overlooking the Potomac. It is a shame how casual our society has become. There were many who didn't even dress for the theatre. There were also many who did and I admired the beautiful dresses (and hats!) that they wore.
We had amazing seats.

Ceiling of the Kennedy Center. This was just overhead.

I was warned to take tissues and I cried nearly the entire second act. It was without a doubt, one of the best productions I've seen.

Saturday, the 4th, we headed to Capitol Hill to Eastern Market.

We stood in line for an hour for the famous blue-bucks. Buckwheat blueberry pancakes. For a full explanation, I'll refer to a sister blogger. Great job on your description and photos, Erin. I ordered the bluebucks and my daughter ordered the brick. We shared. Perfect.

Just outside the main market building. When I do farmer's markets in D.C. I have that "you're not in Kansas anymore, Toto" feeling. While we have an amazing hometown market here in Bloomington, it pales next to the markets at our nation's capitol.

My beautiful daughter, checking out the wares.

Then we went across the street to the Flea Market.

My daughter found some prints.

At the metro. When I take a photograph like this, said daughter rolls her eyes and chastises me for acting like a tourist. Despite the fact that I've been to D.C. a handful of times through the years, I am a tourist.

I've entitled this pic "yum!" After much walking about, we cooled off with yogurt from Sweetgreen on Dupont Circle. I vote yes! Both to the tart frozen yogurt with your choice of toppings and outstanding sustainable practices.

Saturday evening we had reservations at Zaytinya, where we experienced mezze or "small plates." Because my daughter has been to Greece several times on business, she wanted to share some of the foods she had enjoyed there with me.

My daughter's favorite appetizer, htipiti.

Grape leaves dolmades and salata.

Eggplant dish called Bantijan Bil Laban.

Pizza-type dish with cheese and basil.

Dessert. Very good. I personally didn't care for the ice-cream type dessert (wearing little hat) which to me, tasted grainy.

You recognize this place, don't you? 1600 Pennyslvania Avenue. I heard later that Barack and Michelle were hosting military families and that the Foo Fighters were playing. We could hear the music as we walked by.

All of D.C. was decked out in celebratory finery.

Across from where we watched the fireworks. My daughter told me the name of this building, though I don't recall. I thought it was beautiful. Doesn't it look like a building one might see in Europe?

From our rooftop vantage point.

Traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue. The pedestrians far out-numbered vehicles. I have personally never seen so many people on the streets. My daughter said there were as many or more that visited D.C. during the inauguration.

If you watched the national fireworks on PBS, you saw this stage. Look how crowded the mall is.

And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof through the night that our flag was still there...

D.C. does it up right. One of the most amazing fireworks displays I've witnessed.

Amazing weekend, amazing food, wonderful company.

Thank you dear daughter! I love you!