Kitchen, Dog, Tick, Tired

No, this is not your doctor's office, its my kitchen. 
People have been known to throw themselves onto my kitchen island, lying there, waiting for hours for the doctor to come strolling in.
YES, it's all white, FROM the 90's when all white was IT!!! I'm such a slave to style. Even the coffee pot and toaster.

Good Bye old kitchen!
We had some good times together. 

Check out that fabulous light fixture!

Pralines. Now I want to go back.

YES, I have a lot of junk! Zoom in on that hutch.
You'll be so proud of me. I've since cleared it out.
Results later. It's no longer white either! Wooooo Hooooo!

Okay, we're finally getting somewhere, but no base cabinets. Notice no sink. No water!  That's Joe calling to see where the contractors are.  Imagine that.

 

Whine time:  It's disorienting waking up in the morning and finding there is no sink in your kitchen. How about no sink for nearly four weeks! That nice little pitcher, next to the microwave, here on the back porch, is now the sink.
Actually, we started to enjoy making breakfast outside each morning.
FYI: Those old white cabinets are now hanging in the basement.  I'm helping to save the planet.

 Okay! About two weeks later we have base cabinets and appliances. Still no sink, no water, no dishwasher. At this point the dishes are piling up in the backyard. I rinsed 'em off with the garden hose and called it good. 
About now I'm wishing I was here....

But instead I'm here.....

Yeah, I saw a lot of this. I blurred the picture to protect the innocent. 
We're creeping up on week four now and still waiting on countertops. Be aware all you kitchen renovators! It can be two weeks before your granite is cut. They won't measure until the base cabinets are installed. THEN the clock starts ticking. No countertops means NO sink and that means No water. 
I'm wishing I was here....

A favorite watering hole. This is Seagle's Bar in St. Marys, Georgia. It's a great place if you're into that sort of thing.  But I digress. I wonder why?  
Meanwhile back at the Tucker kitchen renovation, we have totally lost our minds....

 No water, furniture piled up, men with low hanging pants, and we go and get a new dog.  
Good grief, Charlie Brown. Isn't he cute?  Scared to death and for good reason.
How are ya'll doing out there?!  Had enough yet?! Well it's not over yet. There's more...

I was bitten by this tick! No, not this exact tick, but one that looked a whole lot like it. If you see this tick, run for the hills!!! I was sick sick sick with a fever for 5 or six days all because of this tiny tick. 
Antibiotics were required and no brain damage was done to me or the tick. I am still in recovery, but there is still no kitchen sink. 

The poor dog spends his days eating sticks and shredding every cardboard box we can throw at him. 

I could eat nails if they had gravy. 

No, this isn't gravy. The washing machine decided to blow a transmission. I decided to clean it up and pretend it didn't happen. About ten loads later, it's still going.

 I was on Priceline about to make a reservation for Fiji when we got the call. COUNTERTOPS!!!  Do you see that sink?  

 This honey of a plumber installed it in a flash, faucet and all. I want to hug him and dance the polka, but I'm afraid he'll leave before he installs the dishwasher. If you recognize this man, please don't tell him I took this picture. 

 We're nearing the finish line. Joe has decided to hang the light fixtures after realizing what electricians charge per hour. 

 Sons come to the rescue to hang the ceiling light... 

 Thanks, guys. <3

 I'm hysterically happy now.

 TA DA!!!!!  Now all to do is fill holes and dents in the walls and install the vent over the stove. 
Next up, PAINTERS!!!  How about sky blue?
Have a happy Summer, you all. 
Love and all good things, 
Ronnie aka Joe's stove operator

Porch and m&ms

 

Joe and I bought a little house in St. Marys, Georgia in 2000.  We enjoy it when we can and rent it out to vacationers when we can't.  Click here to see what vacation renters see.  

Owning a vacation house is a double edged sword. It's a nice place to get away, but then there's that pesky maintenance. Many of our trips "for fun" end up as hammering, painting and raking.  In this case...the front porch. Had to make it new. It had become treacherous!

With the help of husband and wife team, Joe and Linda, the old decking was ripped off.  Replaced it with Yella Wood. This should last decades!

Old posts had to be knocked out to replace the deck boards, so I decided this was a great time to create new heftier posts and railing.

 I described what I wanted to Joe the carpenter and he made them a reality. Twenty-four mitered saw cuts on this bottom treatment alone. NICE work, Joe!  And Linda, your caulk work is divine.

 While Joe and Linda forged ahead, I headed to the backyard to slap a new coat of paint on some of my "worse for the wear" trash porch furniture. How about a shocking pink adirondack chair?!

Meanwhile, back at the front porch, how's this for progress?! New posts are set!

But it's not all work and no play! This is Linda about to demonstrate what nice thin slices her big ole saw
(whatever kind it is) can make. That's Joe Williams, one of my favorite of all time neighbor, risking his neck for my blog.

 Here's a closer look.
HAH haaa! 
I am focusing on Joe, because this is an ART BLOG after all, and Joe is an artist.
"FINALLY, some art", you say.

This is some of Joe's work. I know! It's beautiful! He paints on old navigational charts.You'll find his framed work at The Cottage Shop on Osborne Street in St. Marys.
So, what about the m&m part, Ronnie? 
Be prepared to be stunned. See that beautiful shrimp? Joe uses the color from m&m shells as paint. Yeah, go ahead, ponder that with your mouth hanging open. What's more, he uses eye shadow too!!!! HAH! Amazing. What originality. Would you have ever thought of that in a million years?  I know, I've stuck my tongue out (just like you have) and said, "Cool, my tongue is blue", but  would I have ever taken the leap to use it to paint a picture? Well, Hell no!
Click the picture for a closer look.  
I wonder how Kool-ade would work? It's so hard to stay on track. I have to paint the porch first.

Next up! The kitchen tear out! See it all here! Next!

As for the porch...
I stained the decking a pale drift wood. Joe and Linda finished the rails and now all that's left to do is a good coat of white paint. The pink adirondack turned out nice.
I hope you all are having a good Summer.
Love, 
Ronnie - aka Joe Tucker's stove operator