Another Big Hole

We drive out to Poplar Ridge quite frequently these days. When the weather is nice, it is so lovely to get away from our close apartment quarters and roam free! The other day L said "I want to stay here AND go home!" Soon, very soon, that will be the case!

It is interesting how my 2 princesses can go from this

to this in a matter of minutes. Here they are digging into an ant hole.

The water man was out this weekend to dig an 8 foot deep hole between the house and the well. This will be for our 2000 gallon cistern from the well. Once he has the well hooked up, we will need to get it tested to be sure it is safe to use. Then he will put a smaller cistern on the other side of the house to hold rain water. We will use this for watering the garden, washing cars, etc. We wanted to have lots of water on hand since we are so far from the Fire Department and any hydrants.

The dry wall is all up. This week they will work on finishing it. I hope that 100 gallons of joint compound is sufficient!

We finally settled on a paint color. I can't believe how difficult this task was! Although paint is easy enough to change, we wanted to get just the right color for most of the house. Our builder prefers not to use too many different colors. The paint board samples at Lowe's did not translate well into the big picture. I had to buy 4 different samples before we found what we were looking for.

This one is called "Weeping Willow". That seems appropriate given that our huge willow is just about the only thing we will miss from our old house.

The girls have picked a bright yellow-green called "Lemon Mint" for their rooms, and their bathroom and the one upstairs will be a soft yellow "Butter". I will do our Master Bathroom in light blue "Blue Thistle" and "Stratosphere" just like before...still have the paint.

That just about covers it for this week!

I can see clearly now (the rain is gone!)

On this beautiful Thursday, the UPS man delivered 3 BIG boxes to our tiny apartment. Most of the lighting has arrived (check) and the gas/propane stove top (check). This necessitated a trip to the property since they took up most of the room in our kitchen/dining room!

Out at the house, the shingles are ON (check)!

Did you notice a bare spot on the garage? That is for the cupola to hold my flying pig weather vane. I forgot about it until I saw that our wonderful builder had not.

The siding is going up on the front of the house, with help from the "Lull". Here is one of the crew in a box working up there.

It is completed underneath the deck, including the first set of green french doors (check).

The dry wall is almost all up. It should be ready to paint in another week. I am so excited I can almost taste it!

A Bright Spot

It was dry but cloudy most of the day today...a nice break from the 24/7 wetness we've been having lately. I think it is happening because we are trying to get the shingles on! J got her school work done in record time today, so we had time for baking Chocolate Chip Banana Bread to share with our builders while L napped.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

recipe adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

3 c flour (1/2 whole wheat)

1 c sugar

1 1/8 tsp baking soda

3/4 t salt

2 c mashed bananas (about 3-4 large)

9 T melted butter, cooled**

3 eggs

1/2 c yogurt (plain or vanilla)

1 1/2 t vanilla

3/4 c mini chocolate chips

Whisk together dry ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients except chocolate chips. Mix all ingredients together until moist. Divide into 2 small loaf pans, greased, and bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes. **This recipe actually works without all this butter, as I discovered after coming home from delivering the bread and finding my melted butter still in the microwave! It is a bit more chewy than normal, but I think I'll try decreasing it for the next time!**

We arrived on Poplar Ridge just as some sprinkles started to come down. The girls and I disappeared into the woods for a stroll, where we were sheltered from the rain by the trees. We looked half-heartedly for ramps and morels (no crawling through the underbrush, in other words), but none were to be seen from the path.

The photo at the beginning of this post is of our Solatube in the kitchen ceiling. In spite of the fact that it was gray and rainy, you can see that it let in quite a lot of light! This is the way it looks from the outside...just a "bubble" on the roof!

The roofers did manage to get most of the roof shingled so far this week, to my delight. The hip roof, and garage remain...probably just part of a day's work for them!

The dry-wallers have made good progress on the first floor. Most of the walls and ceilings are covered. Here is the kitchen...

...and the great room. Hubby noted that the rooms are feeling bigger again now that they are being closed in. Seems paradoxical, but it's true!

The power was turned on in the house today, the builders used the first 2 indoor outlets instead of running an extension cord in from the pole. They also got the siding on the house and breezeway behind the porch. The windows are trimmed out, and the soffit is going on...looks nice...like a finished house! They will still have to paint once everything is sided, but it LOOKS like progress!

I worked my last day of the school year yesterday, so I am feeling on top of the world! According to what I've read, J should have met the criteria to complete her school year by the end of this week as well. I would like for her to finish her subjects before summer, but we will still be finished well before moving day.

No more walking through walls

Our builder wanted to meet with us this morning to be sure that everything is where we want it before they start putting up dry wall on Monday. I don't believe we made any changes this time!

The water inspection occurred last week, but a leak was discovered in the grey water system. This is the water coming from sinks, showers, washer and dishwasher. We intend to divert it to a lagoon, filter it and perhaps stock it with fish(?). The final point of this project will occur when my Dad is here full time. After cutting about 5 holes through the concrete floor in the girls' room, the problem was found and corrected.

We gave the builder our tile and carpet choices today...2 more things to check off the list. Now we just have to work on paint.

I finally got the lighting order together. We still need to order the chandelier for the great room, and I have to wait until Monday to order the bathroom fixtures. I'm happy with these outdoor sconces for beside the doors.

All of the walls, and most of the ceilings are filled with insulation. The house has lost most of that echo-ey sound of an empty construction site. I have also lost the ability to walk through the walls.

Due to a rainy week, the roofers only got about a quarter of the shingles up. These are on the back porch roof. I just learned that May is supposed to be the wettest month in this part of PA. What happened to April showers and May flowers?

The breezeway between mud room and garage is framed out. The open door in this picture is the garage. Sorry about the busy picture. L wanted to eat her pancakes on the porch!

We watched "Marley & Me" last night, and it brought renewed grief over the loss of Zach to all of us. J had to visit his grave today with a bouquet.

Whew!

We have been very busy shuttling back and forth from Poplar Ridge lately. I have been out every day since last Wednesday when the appliances arrived. Unfortunately I have forgotten the camera on most of the trips! Our electrical inspection went well, so we should be able to hook up to power very soon!

Monday evening, we went up to meet with the builder to discuss the kitchen case work, and choose our cabinet style. It ends up that by purchasing the separate cooktop and wall ovens, we are needing more cabinets...over $3000 more! I've always heard that the kitchens and baths suck up the money, but I never expected the extreme! By a gracious coincidence, the builder realized that he had priced the kitchen with solid surface counter-tops, and we have decided to go with high quality laminate, so that will save us a bit. We are getting oak cabinets, in a stain to match the flooring. This is similar to the style and color we chose.

The builder stopped by today with carpet and tile samples. He brought more tile samples with him than in all of the Lowe's store we visited on Saturday! We drove out after lunch to put some winter clothes in storage and check the new placement of the vacuum kick plate in the kitchen. (We asked them to move it from next to the kitchen sink, to the end of the breakfast bar to make it accessible to both kitchen and dining room.)

I have been looking on line for light fixtures, but it is a bit overwhelming...there are literally thousands of choices! I have tried to narrow it down by choosing Energy Saver models, but still haven't found just the right thing!

In the meantime, the roofers are due out yet this week. In order to be completely ready for the shingles, the porch roof is on, and the chimney is up.

In addition, the porch roof over the front door is on...looks really nice! It mimics the prow out front.

Today, they are putting in the insulation in the ceilings and the walls. The drywallers are scheduled for Monday.

Our New Toy

I made it up to Poplar Ridge almost every day this past week, so I don't have much new to report. The BIG news is that on Friday, after nearly a year of looking, hubby finally found a tractor that comes close to meeting all of his requirements.

It is a 1996 Massey Ferguson, with only 500-some hours on it. It came with the front end loader and brush hog. The important thing is that it is 4 Wheel Drive, in order to navigate our hill. It isn't beautiful, but meant to be our "starter" tractor.

The vacuum guys finished up their preliminary work on Thursday. They will be back after drywall and painting to put in the unit and hoses.

The builders have most of the duct work in, and started working on the porch eaves and breezeway. Next week is the week of inspections, as we are expecting to begin drywalling a week from tomorrow.

The well man should be up soon to put in the holding tank, and to hook up the water from the well.

We have had several other visitors to the building site in the past couple of days: Raccoons...

And cows!

We made a very unsuccessful shopping trip to Lowe's on Saturday. Our list was long: light fixtures, kitchen counters, bathroom tiles and paint. We came home with one light fixture, only 20 more or so to go! The choices are overwhelming, and sometimes, as was the case with the tiles, too limited. Perhaps we will try again next weekend, but get a babysitter first!

Take #2

It is a glorious day!

The sun is shining after 4 days of rain, and everything is green again, from the tiny new leaves on trees to the lawns that folks have been out mowing. (Guess what? Hubby is NOT sad to miss the lawn mowing action this Spring!)

I am finally getting around to doing my new kitchen appliances post. The delivery truck actually made it to Poplar Ridge yesterday AM. The 2 men from Sears, in their shiny black shoes, and starched blue uniforms obviously felt out of their comfort zone out in our neck of the woods. The driveway was muddy, and they used the excuse that they were afraid they would get the truck stuck to park in the lower drive instead of up by the house. Our builders were good enough to take the appliances by forklift to the garage and unload them there so that the Sears guys could keep their shoes clean. Our double convection ovens, refrigerator and dishwasher were delivered, but somehow the range hood was not.

After several phone calls, the hood was located back at the outlet store. Instead of suffering through yet another delivery attempt, we will go pick it up this weekend!

I baked the builders a 5 Flavor Pound Cake for going above and beyond the call of duty.

Five Flavor Pound Cake

1 c softened, unsalted butter
1/2 c shortening
3 c sugar

5 eggs
3 1/4 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1 tsp salt

1 c milk

1 t vanilla extract

1 t lemon extract

1 t rum extract

1 t coconut extract

Cream butter and shortening, gradually add sugar, beating well on med. speed.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Combine dry ingredients. Combine milk and flavorings.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture a quarter at a time, alternate with milk mixture, beating after each addition.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 10" tube or bundt pan, or 2 loaf pans.
Bake at 325* for 90 minutes (bundt) or 70 minutes (loaves).
Cool cake in pan for 10 min, then remove to wire rack. Spoon over and brush sides with glaze while still warm.

GLAZE: Combine 1/2 c sugar and 1/3 c water in small saucepan and bring to a boil, then add 1/2 t almond extract.


The Central Vacuum guys are at the house today. They are putting in the "plumbing" for a 50' hose on both floors which will retract back into the pipes when not in use. They will also put in a kick plate in the kitchen, which allows you to kick open a door with your toe, and sweep crumbs into it with a broom. There will also be a hookup in the garage for a 30' hose. They will install the unit and hoses right before we move in.

The builders have been working on the furnace & AC duct work.

I think the intestines in the girls' rooms are falling out!

They also put the decking on. They used special fasteners so that there are no nails showing on the surface.

Drywallers are due to come out a week from Monday. But first the builders have to put all this insulation that is stacked in the Master Bedroom into the ceilings!