Jayne Says

Illustrated ADD

Our kitchen is about 75% finished (we need more counter tops done, trim, to finish the bar, etc.)

But I like the way the details are coming along.

I can't believe how low the lake is, you can see the line where the water usually is.

Sometimes, he rescues animals.

Sometimes, he antagonizes them (just a little). Sometimes he gets right in their spidery faces and takes a picture.

Here's a pretty kitty. I can't believe she's 15. Her latest name is "Polly" (she likes to sit at shoulder level, like a parrot) but we've always just called her "Little Girl." Not very original, but she likes it.

We had a fantastic weekend. Some friends (who only live 2.5 hours away, so they're actually our closest (geographically) friends) came to visit. We hiked, talked, laughed, played music. I got to play hostess and our feast was a success. I made chicken shish kebabs with a tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pomegranate and spices (cumin, sea salt, pepper, a little curry and fresh mint) marinade. Using 2 skewers each keeps them from spinning so they grill more evenly. Chicken cut into 1 inch cubes, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and red onion wedges.

I made some tabbouleh and put out sides (warm pita bread, hummus, yogurt cucumber sauce, feta cheese, greens) so we could make little sandwiches. I put a lantern out and T lit the tiki torches. And I forgot to take pictures!

And the cocktails were also a hit - organic vodka with lemon juice, pomegranate juice and club soda. With stevia extract to taste (a sweet (20X sweeter than sugar), noncaloric, actually good for you herb). Maybe that's why I forgot to take pictures . . .

Before they arrived, I sprinkled about 10 drops of peppermint essential oil on the carpet in the guest room and vacuumed. That made the air in that room smell very refreshing. The boyfriend of our friend announced he liked and wanted that smell in his house. After we had breakfast the next day, we stopped by the health food store and she bought some liquid stevia, peppermint essential oil and pomegranate juice. That made me happy.

Soon, I will marshal the ability to slow down and formulate coherent thoughts with cleanly structured paragraphs and transition sentences.

We Got Mother F@&!#in' Cabinets!

That is all. Except for countertops, dishwasher, a major lighting intervention, trim, backsplashes, sink . . . getting there.

I've been traveling for work this week and again next week beginning Sunday (Vegas, Baby!)

I hope to write more and of course to see the movie event of the year [!!!!!!!] before I go.

Bamboozled

The Pilot and I have finally finished putting in the new bamboo kitchen floor.

I came across this picture, taken last year when we were thinking of buying this house. Note the lovely ocean of blue shag carpet and dark cabinets, circa 1978. (Click to enlarge.)

After a few months of destruction
(tearing out the old carpet and bar, building a pantry where an old useless bathroom was, tearing out 1/2 of the partition, wiring and plumbing for the new kitchen, getting new appliances) . . .

We were able to put in the new floor. Voila.

Of course, we (well, T, mostly) still have to put in the new bar, counter/dining table, the cabinets, island and peninsula (the temporary sink in the picture is where the peninsula will be), build a shoji screen to be able to close off the bedroom, learn how to mix, pour and color concrete for the countertops  . . .

And eventually we must deal with cosmetic emergencies such as exhibits A, B and C, hereto.

Any ideas for the hideous centerpiece on the ceiling of our house? I wanted to do something like this for the ceiling (we've stayed at this place, amazing!) but T says it's impossible.

(this is just upstairs, mind you, and I am saving the huge gold disc tiled tub for later.)

Bamboo flooring is fairly easy to install. You just put down the rolls of underlayment, and start locking the planks into place (you have to cut some to size, especially if you live in a 15-sided house, and you will want to stagger them so the seams don't line up) and then repeat about 550 times.

Tomorrow's post - ecologically sustainable building supplies (such as bamboo) and household products for a safe, eco-friendly and healthy home (on a budget).

Body by Jayne

I have written before about my fondness for makeovers, especially before and after pictures, in any guise. Self-improvement, home improvement, I love it all.

For example, here is our kitchen Before:

And here it is After:

 

And by "After," of course, I mean, after The Pilot takes a crowbar and saw to it. This is more of an in-between stage, obviously.

I have also written before about my suspected food allergies, fatigue, etc. and my plan to feel better. The plan worked, and as an added bonus, I lost some weight.

I know I write about accepting our inner beauty, and about finding our beauty on our own terms, not  on the terms of manipulate corporate advertisers. I believe that with all of my heart and mind.

However, I do believe that--for me, anyway--eating healthfully and getting moderate exercise does wonders for a person. Not just in appearance, but in mood, endurance, energy and self-esteem.

I have been studying herbology, longevity and nutrition over the past few months and have made some fundamental changes to my lifestyle. This has not (for the most part) been an exercise in deprivation, but in learning to make healthier choices.

Here I am before exercise and healthful eating (this photo was taken about two years ago -- I began exercising almost a year ago, right around when I moved here and started this blog). I really like this picture, and how T made it black and white except my tattoo. At the time it was taken, though, I felt pretty sluggish, fatigued and congested most of the time.

Here's a picture of me last week (T and I played hooky on our 5 year anniversary and went kayaking; we found a little cove, which ended up at a great swimming hole with waterfalls, etc. So naturally, we went skinny dipping and T made me pose.)

Does anyone want to hear "the plan" I developed to clear my body of extra fat, clear my sinuses and clear my moodiness and fatigue? It's really nothing all that new or radical . . .

[UPDATE: You can find the plan on my post here.]
[PS I've updated my blogroll with a brief descriptons of your blogs - if you link to me and want me to do the same, please let me know!]

Faith Healer

Now don't get me wrong. Y'all know I'm a fan of Jesus (just not all of his followers, especially the right wing fundamentalists.)

And I do like my doctor. She is smart, resourceful and patient.

But I have to admit that having these framed pictures of Jesus and the 10 Commandments as the only art decorating her lobby was a little bit off-putting. Not to mention a line on her intake form for "Religious Affiliation." (Which I left blank. And she pointed that out. And I said nothing.)

It is hard to see the scale of these (I snapped them quickly, on the down-low, as you might imagine) but they are HUGE and dominate the walls.

Of course, this reminds me of my recent pharmacy experience. What's with this town?

Religion and medicine: two great tastes that taste great together, or, for the love of everything holy, [har har] let's keep separate things separate?

Home @#%!* Home

Jayne: So, what are you up to today?

The Pilot: I'm about to fire up the machine.

J: What machine, pray tell?

T: The home remodeling machine.

(Blink. Blank stare.)

T: Me.

J: Oh. Have fun with that. I'll help by blogging about it.

We bought this huge, rambling "compound" last year. It is perfect for us because of the semi-rural location, (while being just 20 minutes from a "cool" town) the stunning views, the acreage for the dogs, barn, a detached office for me and the . . . er, "potential."

Basically, we live in a fairly large two-story yurt. Or circus tent. Or double-layer chocolate cake. It has 15 sides (pentadecagon, thank you very much) with huge windows and decking on the upper level. And this place was the shit in the seventies, I am sure. Blue shag carpet, dark paneling, huge gold tub (that's a post for another day.)

Now we are remodeling. T is plumbing the upstairs right now for the new island and putting in a gas line for where the new stove is going to go. Yes, he also wires everything himself, hangs drywall, puts in floors. Reads up on it and is good to go. I keep my distance and listen for screaming and cursing (beyond the usual that is).

The cabinets and new appliances have arrived and the bamboo flooring is here (all in the garage). Then T is going to learn how to pour concrete counter tops. I am scared. We are knocking down a big part of the partition separating the kitchen and living area from the master bedroom (to be replaced by retracting shoji screens one day.)

Here are some "before" and "during" pictures. (Of course, all pictures posted on Jayne Says are mere thumbnails which you may enlarge for your viewing pleasure.) Here is the stack of our DIY kitchen books on the (soon to be demolished) bar.

Note the lovely yellow linoleum we uncovered under the blue carpet (those are some tiles we were considering.) And the "linoleum" in the kitchen proper. Ah, but look closer . . . it's actually faux linoleum carpet (we discovered this after living there a few weeks and walking around barefoot, that was quite the surprise!) And the dark "cowboy" cabinets. Perfect.

I love before and after pictures; I'm a sucker for makeovers in any guise. I hope we have some decent "after" pictures to share some time this decade. Until then, the machine is fired up and not yet broken down.

Mom and Pop can Kiss my Ass

I often go out of my way and forsake my personal convenience and financial situation to support local, independent businesses. Often, I am gratified by this choice. I feel connected to my community, that I am doing my part to keep strip malls and giant corporations out of our quaint town and, most importantly, I get to feel morally self-righteous and superior.

But every once in a while, Amazon.com is just easier and cheaper and they don't have to special order every title, Lowe's has what I need at a better price than the local "we don't sell drywall but look at our 2 aisles of silk flowers" hardware store, and then there's this:

I stopped by the local pharmacy on Saturday afternoon after lunch to pick up my prescription (for some pills that need to start on Sunday, ahem) and the pharmacy was closed. Sunday, too.

Did they see me in church? Hell, no. But they might see me in Rite-Aid, which is right across the street . . .