Who doesn't love knotty pine?

Well, L Bird wants some new night stands for the bedroom. Ours are the cheapo kind that generally lasts a little over two nights before a shelf snaps and the whole thing falls in on itself. So the state of our night stands leaves a lot to be desired. But I have pieced them back together and we have made the best of them, but we definitely could use new ones.

One of my other hobbies is wood working. I have made a wobbly coffee table (it was fine with a little stabilizing), not one of my best efforts, two book shelves, which came out quite decent, and a really nice quilt ladder. So I figured what the hell I would give a night stand a try.

L Bird loves the country look/theme, so I figured what's more country than knotty pine. So after a quick trip to Lowe's, here's what I got going so far.

 

Two sides that have put together with butt joints using my trusty plate jointer.

Two pieces being joined.

Basic stand all framed in. The smaller hole is where a drawer will go.

The finished roughed in frame.

So now I have some finish work to dress it up a bit. I'll build a drawer, then a nice finish routed top plate and I'll dress up the sides with some nice trim work which will also double as legs to give it a little more height. Then sand it all down, stain it and voila - Knotty Pine Country Night Stand, or so I hope.

Well, back out to the shop.......

Odd Find

The other day I was on my lunch break, and I decided to go to a couple of cemeteries. My Grandmother is buried in a one on my way to work and my other Grandparents and Great Aunt is buried in the cemetery around the corner from where I work. I drive by them quite a bit and I always feel guilty because I rarely stop to pay my respects. I stopped at both cemeteries, made the way to headstones and made my peace.

I find myself really at peace in these cemeteries. Its always so quiet and peaceful, there is rarely anyone other than me there any time I stop. So I can take my time and enjoy my moments remembering my Grandparents. I also really enjoy the architecture of the cemeteries. They both are very, very old, so they have a ton of great things to look at. I especially like the look of the mausoleum.

So as you can see from above, I stopped to take a few pictures on my way out. I especially like the last picture, that is the covered entrance to the mausoleum, but to me it really looks like the tunnel to the "other side" with the headstones in the background.

Then finally, my lunch was over and it was time to head back to work. I got to the entrance of the cemetery and as I was waiting for traffic to move so I could pull out, I spotted this:

I thought that this was a really interesting business opportunity that someone had seized. I actually think it would be really cool to ride on a horse drawn carriage and take a tour of the cemetery. To hear the history behind the cemetery and some of the more noted families in it, just sounds awesome. So who knows I may give them a call for next Thursday and set up a tour, if I do I'll keep you posted.

Fresh Eggs, Finally!!!!

So I originally had a great post about a local cemetery and an odd thing I found in it that I was going to post tonight, but then I had a great little surprise, well two of them actually, when I got home this afternoon.

My first two eggs!! I have had these chickens since they were a day old way back on April 6th. I have built them a beautiful coop and run, fed them, watered them, gave them plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. I have scratched their backs and sat out there in the coop with them "talking" to them and they had given me nothing. But today that all changed, they started producing and it was so worth it. I can't wait until tomorrow when I'll crack one open and give it a taste. I'm so excited!

Oh and A Bird is super excited too!

Where does "girly-ness" come from?

How do little girls become so girly so fast. Yesterday I was in the kitchen pouring myself a glass of water, when A Bird comes tearing around the corner only to stop and tell me “Dad, I’m going to stop biting my nails, so Mom can paint polish on them.” and then she was gone in another swirl of coloring pages and doll clothes. I just shook my head and thought ok, and went about my business. When I told L Bird about it later, I asked her if she had mentioned anything about painting her nails for her and she said that she hadn’t.


I guess it just amazes me how girly and what a little diva A Bird really is. L Bird isn’t super girly with lots of make up and frilly dresses, none of A Bird’s Grandmothers are very girly either. But it just seems to be that A Bird is destined to be a diva. As I think back on it, she has said or done things ever since she was a tiny little girl that should have clued me in to the fact that she has the princess factor. Another great example is a month or two ago it was a birthday party for someone and we had just started letting A Bird pick out what she wanted to wear, so I told her that we were going to a party and asked her what she would like to pick to wear. She immediately grabbed a pink dress and informed me that you have to wear dresses to parties so you look beautiful. I was stunned, but it was just so cute I had to laugh.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with A Bird being girly. I’m glad that she has a strong personality and her own individuality now at such an early age, its just when she was born I didn’t realize how girly she could be. I had visions of her getting older and working with me outside in the garden or getting dirty camping or hiking. I guess I just envisioned her as being more of an outdoorsy/granola girl. She definitely has that side to her too, she loves to get dirty and stomp in puddles, she picks up bugs and worms without hesitation, and she loves to “drive” the lawnmower, but she just adds her own drama and princess flair to it, by doing all of those things while wearing her Barbie “Glass Slippers” and a tiara.

In her Snow White ball gown.

I’m sure I’m in for more wonderful surprises as she gets older and she finds her way in this world, but right now I’m just enjoying my little Diva!.

Please notice both the tiara, the fact that she has to be in the center and of course, the hands on the hips!

Funny how things change....

It seems funny how things change and you don't even realize that they've changed until someone from your past reminds you of it. While my wife and I were engaged and just married, I used to play golf. I played most Saturdays during the summer and every Monday night on a league. I was even playing golf right up until the week before my daughter was born. I'm not that great, but I was getting better every time I played, I think I had 11 handicap.

However since A Bird has been born I can count the times I've played golf on my right hand. Yep, that's right I went from playing golf 50 - 60 times in a summer to 5 times in the last 3 years. I've played every year on Father's Day since she was born and two tournaments. Sure I miss the enjoyment of playing golf, but the thing is I didn't even miss it until one of my friends called me up and asked me to play in a tournament this Saturday. Even the last 5 times we I have played, it hasn't been the same, the whole time I'm out on the course, my mind is always at home with A Bird and my wife, L Bird. I really enjoy the time we spend together, it never seems like enough. I work ten hour days and L Bird works every other Saturday so, we have just a few short full days to be together and go places, so I feel like I'm wasting my opportunities if I'm out doing something else.

But even with that being said, I am going to suck it up and play in a tournament this Saturday, because even with all I said above, I haven't done anything for myself in awhile so I deserve a small reward I think, but the bigger reason is it is for a good cause. This tournament is a memorial tournament for a friend of mine's son. Last year my friend lost his 11 year old son to Leukemia. The scary thing is that it was undiagnosed leukemia, up until the week before he passed away, he was a completely normal, healthy kid who was turning out to be one hell of a wrestler on his youth league. Then one day he complained of some aches and pains and was real lethargic. They took him to the hospital to find out the devastating news, and then it was only a few days later that he passed away. So this golf tournament is a memorial to him and the proceeds are going to charity.

Now that I've brought everyone down, I guess the main point of this rambling post is that it is real funny how kids can completely change your outlook on life. How you can only remember your life from the time  they entered it, the person you were before that seems like a far off dream, but that is ok, because they make that trade so worth it. I can't remember the actual quote or who said it, but it is definitely true. "The decision to have children, is making the decision to have your heart walking around outside your body."

Well, I suppose I have rambled enough. Enjoy your children and enjoy your day!

Aaaaaaaah Routines, how I hate you...

I work four ten hour days during the week, Monday through Thursday 6 AM - 4:30 PM, that means I have to be up and out of the by 5:30. That's my routine. On Fridays I like to try and sleep in until 7:30, I don't think that, that is too much to ask for. Well A Bird has her own routine that interferes with my desire to sleep in. During the week, L Bird has to be to work pretty early, which means she has to get A Bird up early to get her to daycare. So A Bird gets up between 6 - 6:30 AM Monday - Thursday, but unfortunately this morning (Friday) she was still on her routine and I was up at 6:15. Not Cool.

However, after a hot shower and a cup of coffee I was ready to deal with all of the energy A Bird had to dish out. So we started by having pop tarts on the deck. While we were eating on the deck, I shook off what was left of my morning crankiness and took a good look around me and really admired the beauty surrounding me.

Sure, there are toys all over and sure the lawn needs to be cut, but it was quiet and the sun was out. Everything was quiet, and we had a nice conversation about puzzles and princesses. Things were right with the world.

We finished up our breakfast and went inside to take a bath. Normally bath time is at night, but A Bird had gotten a brand new Nemo swimming fish and she had been dying to test it out in the tub. The Nemo was a swimming success, (I know that's an awful pun, but hey I tried), it swam around the tub and bounced off of Barbie, Ariel, Strawberry Shortcake and Sleeping Beauty much to the delight of my little pirate princess, Captain Arrrrrrrrrgh Bird. Once the water went cold 25 minutes later, I finally coaxed her out to do some camping.

A Bird had me pull out her princess tent and put it up in the middle of the living room. Then I had to find her Disney princess sleeping bag and zip it "just right". Apparently just zipping a sleeping bag is not enough for a princess, you have to hold the zipper gently between your thumb and forefinger and then pull the zipper with your pinky up. Next came the pillow and a game of hide and seek with A Bird telling me she was hiding in the sleeping bag but I had to count and then come and find her.

Then it was on to a long discussion about how we can't have a real campfire in the house to roast marshmallows because it would burn the house down. After a bit of whining, and two marshmallows we decided would be best to leave the fires for outdoors.

All of this was done by 8:30 AM, man I love my routine!!

Vacation in The ADK's

Normally for the past two summers, we vacation with the rest of my family at my Aunt Linda's house on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, but this year none of my family could get it together long enough to decide on a time to go. So with the clock running out on when L Bird had to submit her time off requests, we decided we would skip RI this year and go up to the Adirondacks.

So this is just a short snippet of some of the tings we did:

A Bird entertaining herself on the ride up. Yes, that's right, she found it hilarious that she could smell her own grubby little feet.

Seventh Lake from the dock.

My Pop trying to get the grill lit. It was a little windy and chilly right there on the water.

L Bird & A Bird calling in the ducks.

They were friendly.

VERY FRIENDLY!!

A Bird hanging out on the dock.

L Bird getting ready to mount her first REAL horse. (Apparently I don't count, lol)

L Bird on Patches!!

Roasting Marshmallows!!

It was a great, relaxing trip. It was so great that L Bird has decided that eventually we should live in the Adirondacks. The air is so clean, and the atmosphere is so nice it was definitely hard to come home.

But there is always next year, right?