Category: Uncategorized

Garage Revival – Phases 4-5-6

Published on by Joanne S4 Comments

Our one-and-half attached garage is a travesty. It is time to wrest the garage back into usable shape. This is not a quick fix. We have a busy hectic life like everyone. We had to break this project up into phases. You can read about Garage Revival – Phases 1-2-3 here.

PHASE 4: OVERHEAD SHELVES. The entire work area has a coat of paint now. We donated a standing freezer to the local children’s hospital thrift store; keeping a spare refrigerator. This allowed us to store our generators out of the way (instead of in the middle of the garage floor). You can see the yet unused new storage containers on top of one of the generators. Overhead shelving now holds kayak accessories, coolers, camp chairs and the like.

PHASE 5: ROLLING GARDEN TOOL CART. I was so tired of shovels and rakes falling over or left all over the garage. A sturdy rolling cart for garden tools (shovels, rakes, and brooms) was constructed using salvaged wood. While it may not be aesthetically pleasing; there isn’t much wall space, so the rolling functionality is awesome. Added bonus: using the salvaged wood = less accumulated “stuff” in garage. Win-Win!

PHASE 6: WALL CABINETS. We purchased two wall cabinets from the Habitat for Humanity Re-store for gloves, cleaners, trash bags and other small items. Disregard the mess under the cabinets! We still need to go through and organize the mountains to tools, screws, nails, saws, you name it!

The next phases will include sorting and placing items (yet again) into the storage totes, more shelving, and building a workbench. Thanks for coming along on this journey!

You can read more about how we are reclaiming our garage: Garage Revival – Phases 1-2-3

Have a good week! — Joanne

Retirement Goals

Published on by Joanne SLeave a comment

Our family lives to camp. As the years went by we graduated from a tent to renting motorhomes. In 2021 we decided to purchase our very own travel trailer. We spent four glorious seasons camping from the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, to the Chesapeake Bay, to Nashville, Tennessee.

After 45 years in education, I decided it was time to retire. On the last day of school I was called in to the gymnasium. A tiara and sash, camp chair, and other gifts awaited. Then, the entire student body processed in to hug good-bye, hand me their gifts and hand-written notes. To say I was barley managing to keep my emotions in tack is an understatement. Afterwards, my peers kept asking what my retirement goals were. Well…..

RETIREMENT GOALS:

  1. Not having to crawl under the truck to connect the travel trailer.
  2. Room for family and friends to camp with us.
  3. Upgrade.

So, at the end of the August we threw caution to the wind, went for broke, and purchased a class c motorhome. Spring is almost here and we are champing at the bit to get going again.

Some of our friends like to camp. Some friends think we are crazy to sleep out of doors with the “critters.” How do you rate camping? Anyone?

Have a good week! — Joanne

Garage Revival – Phases 1-2-3

Published on by Joanne S2 Comments

Let me start off with: My other half is the best there is. It is true: opposites do attract. I’m a neatnik and — let’s just say — he is super casual. LOL.

Over the years, with an all female household, our one-and-half attached garage became his domain. However, the washing machine and dryer are located in the garage. A few years ago, I asked him to put up a wall to separate these appliances from the rest of the garage. But I see the other side of the garage. All.The.Time. It’s a travesty. It is overdue time to wrest the garage back into usable shape. This is not a quick fix. We had to break this project up into phases.

PHASE 1: SORTING. Determine what to keep, donate to the thrift store or take to the dump. This was not a quick or easy task. With no floor space, we had to do this in phases. We purchased seven gallon and 27-gallon lidded totes to begin the sorting process. Some items we donated were a standup freezer, two industrial file cabinets, three bicycles, and a vintage chifforobe. I was amazed at the vintage things we found in the garage: bicycle licenses and High school spirit pins from the 1970s, plastic 1980s Coke soda carriers, a 1990’s Care Bears metal lunch box and an Texas Instruments calculator!

PHASE 2: DISMANTLING. The attached wood shelving was dismantled; salvaging what we can for future garage projects. All holes were patched, mudded where needed and sanded. Our youngest asked, “Was that window always there?” Added proof that it was time for this.

PHASE 3: DRYWALL & PAINT. We needed to install, mud and sand drywall on one wall. Two layers of base coat was followed by Sherwin-Williams flat white. The washer and dryer are on the other side of this wall.

The next phases will include installing cabinetry, repairing and painting the ceiling, sorting and placing items (yet again) into the storage totes, and building a workbench. Thanks for coming along on this journey!

Have a good week! — Joanne

Staycation 2020 #2

Published on by Joanne S2 Comments

Summer of 2020. With school starting in a few weeks, George and I are trying to cram in days by the pool or at the beach, kayaking local waterways, and completing summer projects.

We had to have a “bee man” remove a swarm from a birdhouse too close to our window. I had no idea that birdhouse infestation was a common occurrence!

Our kitchen table was sanded and refinished. Sad to see years of memories erased (writing indentations from nightly schoolwork, wild “spoon” card game scratches, puppy chew marks…) but, the table was splintering in places. We quietly celebrated 40 years of marriage at our favorite dockside watering hole. Next week we’re ‘glamping’ for a few days with our daughter and nieces.

The local percentage of positive COVID-19 tests are starting to uptick and most of the area public schools are leaning towards virtual learning. As my school is private, has less than 200 students, has extra classrooms for distancing, does not offer transportation, nor participates in the federal breakfast/lunch programs; we are offering in-school instruction, Monday-Friday for all. Evidently, our enrollment has sky-rocketed. I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Of course, our governor could declare a state-wide mandate for ALL schools.

Chaotic times. Have a good week and stay healthy! – – Joanne

Scrap Happy Comfy Cocoa Quilt III

Published on by Joanne S4 Comments

The sunshine and water beckons – I can’t refuse. So, I’ve made just a little progress on the Comfy Cocoa Quilt. Some of my blocks haven’t squared up nicely, so I must be more observant when sewing and trimming. This QAYG process is actually easier than I thought. Thank you to all for the tips and suggestions!

I need to add the backing to more than half the blocks. Twelve blocks will make a comfy TV binge-worthy quilt. I’ll have a few blocks left over. Not sure if I’ll add them to make a larger quilt, use them as part of the backing, or stow them away for another project.

Scrap Happy is open to anyone using up scraps of anything and is hosted monthly by Kate and Gun. Check out some of the Scrap Happy projects by others:

Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki, Pauline,
Sue L, Sunny and Kjerstin

Have a good week and stay well! — Joanne

No One Asked Me

Published on by Joanne S8 Comments

My area is seeing a low (but steady) rise in new COVID-19 diagnoses (mostly in the 20-40 year old demographic). School starts back in four weeks. I enjoy my work as a technology resource teacher. But, no one has asked me what I thought about teaching remotely or face-to-face.

Forget politicians and health advisors. How am I to mitigate between parents who vociferously pontificate their opinions regarding distance learning vs. face-to-face learning, temperature checks and wearing a mask, political hoax vs. science, and, and . . ? Let’s not forget class disruption as students defend their parents’ viewpoints.

I am not an economist, health care, nor sanitizing professional. I realize the economy is in the tank. Parents need to get back to work. I’m aware that the young are less susceptible and have fewer complications. Will I have ample time to thoroughly sanitize and disinfect (two very different things) EVERYTHING between classes? Will I be held liable if a child in my class tests positive for COVID-19? In addition to wearing a mask; should I wear gloves? a face shield? a gown? I’ve read the “suggestion” for those educators who’ve voiced concerns . . . However, I do not want to take an early retirement. I also don’t want to unknowingly jeopardize my at-risk love ones.

No doubt about it; our students received an emotionally stressful, equitably questionable education the past few months. There is worry of falling “behind” (but honestly, are we not all in the same boat worldwide?). Learning centers all over the world are struggling how to proceed between the science, politics, and threats.

Will educators be considered “essential” and receive hazard duty pay? Will teachers be paid overtime if the district decides to split the day into AM/PM hours? Will the district pay a teacher’s medical or funeral bills for an at-risk family member?

No one asked me. But if they did; I would ask in return, “Which is more important: face-to-face/5-days-week education or a teacher’s emotional and physical health?” Or, is the economy the only barometer?

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Have a great week! — Joanne