Cottage kitchen.. what - 'no dishwasher'

I had this whole post all written and lost it when I tried to post it.. Oh man - from now I save and then try to upload it.

This is the kitchen looking from the laundryroom door. And yes those wicker baskets are where the dishwasher is supposed to be. I guess by the time I move into the new house I really, really appreciate having a dishwasher again.
Oh man - the builder just drove in my driveway - oh no - I am still in my pj's.. ooooh I hate this. Well, I guess I have to answer the door. Oh man this is painful. haha

Well, that was totally embarrassing. I guess he tried to call but of course I am sitting here at the computer and because of 'DIALUP' no one can get thru on the phone. As Katie would say 'Dialup is bunk'

This second picture was taken standing in front of the fridge looking over the counter and out that window in front of the table.

Wow - what a view. brings peace to my soul everytime I look out there. No street or cars. This last picture gives a really good idea on the layout and feel of the kitchen.

It's very cozy. The stool on the floor in front of the counter well - that is a 'Chief stool'.. haha just had to say that. Lil Kate's dad, who is affectionately called "Chief" made that stool for Jessie and me. It sure comes in handy trying to get up into the high cupboards.

I can't believe I got caught in my pj's today.. I hate that. haha.

Have a good day everyone.

Computer & dialup acting strange last nite...

OUR MOST EXCELLENT LAUNDRY ROOM

I tried to post last nite but it was either the dumb dial-up or the actual blog program that was not behaving too well. But, better late than never right.. today you will get two posts.

The pictures will not do it justice but it will give you a bit of an idea. This is taken standing in the corner where the sink is looking at doorway to the kitchen and doorway to outside and the parking pad beside the house.

It has a nice size closet and just space to move. I have never had a laundry room this size.

This one is taken from the kitchen looking into the the room. The door to outside is just around the corner to your right. The closet is right behind the open door to laundry room on your left.

As you can see I have a little shoe shelf - it works. I using the closet in the laundry room as a big pantry. I have put a big shelf thing in there that takes up the whole closet.

Yes, those are our washer and dryer. They were going to put them in before renters came and we told them to hold off and we would use ours. Took a little financial pressure off the owners as they just purchased this property and of course all the work they did in the cottage to make it so nice before we moved was an expense too.

This pic is taken from the opposite corner as the first - looking at the sink and of course my little window overlooking the backyard. Oh ya! - we bought a clothes line. . One of those umbrella type, so we can take it to our new house.

Right in front of the sink I usually have my ironing board set up. It fits right in that space between the closet and the sink along that wall.

Where do you guys set up your ironing board. I can never figure out where to do that where it isn't a complete eye sore. I am not the type to do laundry and then iron everything before putting it away .... I iron as I go... so it has always perplexed me as to where is a good place to put an ironing board so it can stay up all the time. Any and all suggestions are welcome. In the new house the laundry room is on the main floor and our bedroom on second so I don't think that will work.. Do I want it up all the time in a spare room NOT REALLY.. maybe in my huge walkin closet...

Main Bathroom --

Hi everyone - I had such such a busy day today - I think I'm falling asleep at my computer desk tonite.
I am going to make this one quick so I keep up with the inside of the cottage pictures.

This is the main bathroom.. I think the counter top may have been there before but it has a new mirror, towel racks and hooks and toilet paper dispenser.

We have a nice shower with a sliding glass door - every part of the room has new paint as does the whole house. Even the ceilings are newly painted. A stack of 3 deep drawers in each bathroom holds lots of stuff. The counters are in good shape.

Well that's it for today - seriously falling asleep as I type.

Talk at you all tomorrow.

Nite.

Master Bedroom ....

What a great weekend it has been - the weather has been just beautiful. Tim and I went for a drive to Cambell River yesterday and purchased a new barbeque. Think I will cook on it tomorrow and will take some pics.

But tonite is Master Bedroom nite. The colour of the walls in the bedrooms is really quite nice. A buttercream color (at least thats the name of it). Very relaxing and warm. This is the view from just inside the bedroom door.

I have actually hung something on the wall above the bed so it doesn't looks quite so bare. Also have a new bed. I'm getting used to it bit by bit - wished it was a little squishier.. haha if that's a word.. but an improvement non-the-less. This pic is from inside the room looking at the opposite end. The door you see is the half bathroom. And of course you can see all the green forest out the other side of the back fence.

And now you get to have a little peak inside that bathroom.

The pics below show the door leading into the bedroom and inside our walkin closet. We have hangers down both sides. For a little house it really is very well layed out.

Master Bedroom - part 2

More of the cottage inside...

Ooops sorry guys. I guess I have been real busy the last few days. I haven't gotten around to my blog - not good at all. Anyway - here goes another installment of 'inside cottage'

This is the den (smallest bedroom). It faces the back of the house. As you can see we have Jessie's favourite chair in the corner. When I am at the computer she is quite often sitting behind me in her chair. Because th floors are laminate I can twirl my chair around and she is right there to give a pat and kiss.

I think she likes it.

We have Tim's big dresser in here which works so great because when he gets up in the morning he isn't in our room opening and closing doors and drawers to get clothes out. We actually had this dresser in our walkin closet in Langley - that worked okay too.

This picture shows the desk along the opposite wall as the dresser. It's actually a very cozy room. I like have the computer in it's own place. I don't have to look at the desk and my papers when it gets a little messy. haha

Tim and I had a great day today. It is absolutely amazing to me the difference in our life here. Tim not working on Saturdays. Spending the day out and about.

We are beginning to learn what life in a small town is like. I am sure there are some negatives - I haven't found any yet. I can't imagine living in the big city after just 7 weeks of this. It is so beautiful here - everywhere you drive the views are amazing - oceans, wildlife, mountains - and you don't feel the pressure of the city life.

Inside the 'Cottage in the Woods'..

Well, I think it's time to share my pictures of the inside of the cottage. I will take you thru - room by room over the next 4 0r 5 days.

I thought I would start with the "Guest Room". For those of you who have booked your reservation this is where you will be sleeping.
I like the room very much - it faces the front yard which is awesome and has a window that is quite large and low enough that you can sit in bed and enjoy the scenery outside.

This is what you look out at.

It is very very peaceful here and we don't think it is going to get hot out here because of all the trees around us. You can't tell by the picture but those trees are in a horse pasture and I see the horses everyday at least for awhile. I fed one of them a cut-up apple one day. That was cool.

One more picture of the guest room and it's time to think about getting some sleep.

This last picture shows the bookshelf I have in there with not to much on it. I actually sent so much of my stuff back to the storage that I really don't have much to put on the shelves right now - but I am sure I will come up with stuff or maybe my guests can use it to put some of their stuff on.. ya that works for me.

I love the color of the bedrooms in this house. I have a few pictures to hang up yet and get something for the windows and it's all ready for you to come and visit.

Lil Kate's Mom turns 50.... it happens to the best of us

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY DAWN

... your lookin pretty darn good for an old gal.. haha (I'm older so I can get away with saying that)

This past Saturday we drove to Port Alberni to be part of a surprise dinner for Kate's mom. Katie and her sister Allison had this whole elaborate plan worked out as a surprise. When Katie arrived in town she rang the doorbell and totally surprised Dawn - but that was just the beginning of the plan. Katie had been talking about this for weeks - she just couldn't wait for the event to take place. It was great- now that we are on the island we were able to take a short drive to Port Alberni and be part of the festivities.

We all met at a restaurant in town and waited till Dawn and Larry (affectionately known as "Chief") - for those that don't know, Lil Kate's parents were TJ's hockey billet family for a short time in Port Alberni before they traded him to the great white north in Alberta. When TJ moved into their home Lil Kate moved to Langley to attend University. She has become a part of our family - which means our two families are forever linked now.. They can't get rid of the Stewie's even if they wanted too.. It was a fun nite.

Foundation ...

My daughter Katie says' Bring on the foundation'.... well here it is

This is looking directly and the front of the house. Doesn't look very big when u just look at the cement form. The house you see in the back corner is across the backlane. That is the back of his house and backyard. He asked us on the weekend if we wanted to go in with him and plant some trees across the back of the lane so he can have privacy and it gives it to us too. Tim thought it was a good idea - so we will talk about it in the fall I guess.

This picture has our builder Glen standing inside the foundation as the sand truck deposits sand from a conveyor on his truck.

We affectionately call Glen 'the kid'. He looks very young but is actually 31 and his 3rd baby was just born while I was on the mainland.

This last picture is looking at our sideyard with all the trees left. I love looking at those. I think the yard is going to be just the right size. We don't want to much to take care of - and this 1/2 acre just gives enough room to not be so close to neighbours etc.

The frontage of this lot continues to shock me a little. It is so wide across the front. I am hoping to be able to sit on the front porch in the evenings and watch the deer. We will not be keeping them off the front - we will just plant stuff they don't like. It is on the side and towards the back that we will fence off for privacy and to keep the deer out so we can have a nice garden.

Deer visiting new house... it's a week of deer sighting

Well it definitely must be a week of deer sighting.

Earlier in the week it was at the Cottage and then I went to the lot to look at the foundation and as I was driving away I looked in my rear view to make sure I could pull out on the road and their was a deer crossing the street right behind my car. Oh my goodness, I quickly turned around and parked in front of the lot again and got out the camera.

I am not sure I will ever get over the fact that deer are common place here. Actually, I understand lots of people are really fed up with them.. I think they are awesome.

The deer is right beside our foundation on the mound of dirt from the excavation.

He looks like he might be younger than the one I saw earlier in the week. He just turned and looked at me.. no panic.

I guess we definitely will have to put up some kind of fence to keep them out - so I can have flowers.

Speaking of flowers - I worked on all my plant pots this afternoon and will go out and get some flowers on the weekend and hope for the best. Should be interesting.

This is picture is taken looking right straight across the street from the house and it is where the deer come from. There is that bush but also back behind that bush area is an area of bigger properties that have lots of bush on them and I have been told that Comox much more so that Courtenay is loaded with deer.

I'm thinking eventually there will be less of them which is kind of sad. Some people have told me that it wasn't only but a few years ago that most of Comox was bush. Things are growing and growing here.

I didn't even post the pictures of the foundation. Tomorrow is another day.

Lot cleared - where did all the trees go..

Well things are moving right along. Seeing the big hole in ground was shocking at first - so many trees gone - it just looked so different.

This view is taken from the back looking at Tim in the hole and looking at what is across the street from our lot. So the square at the bottom is the garage connected to the back corner of the house by a breezeway.

The house is towards the front and on the other side of Tim.

This picture is looking from the other back corner. That clump of trees at the front corner will be on the left side of front of house.

You also can see more of what is across the street from us. Only when you look quite a bit up the road can you see houses etc. Don't know how long we will have bush but I'm thinking for awhile because back behind that is properties that appear to be on acreage. The deer come out of that bush and across the street to our lot.

TOMORROW FOUNDATION ....

It flew thru the air with the greatest of ease --- we call him 'FLAG'

Oh my goodness - I was looking out the front window this morning right at this area when all of a sudden he or she flew out of the bush after jumping over the fence back there. I was so shocked that I actually witnessed it happen.....

Knicknamed 'FLAG' - Jessie's new friend as you will see.

I had actually given up and decided we weren't going to get any deer here. I was all about going to get some flowers for the plant pots this week. Now - I'm not too sure. Maybe it was those new plant pots we brought from the mainland this weekend that made it look interesting today.

Jessie and 'Flag' had quite an interesting introduction to say the least. I phoned the landlady when this happened and she says, 'send Jessie out to chase it away - or go outside with your broom'... YA RIGHT - Jessie (look and enjoy).

CHICKEN LITTLE - haha... all the while the deer is staring right at her. She decides to go outside and check it out a bit.

'FLAG' actually started walking closer to her so she got a little nervous and started walking towards the front door. Big dog - chase deer. hahaha. Then she came inside and watched thru the window.. These are funny.

WATCHING FROM AFAR

.. oh man this was funny..

They were totally making eye contact with each.

This whole thing went on for about an hour before the deer walked over to the fence and just leaped straight up and over. I couldn't believe it could jump that high without taking a run at it.

House underway...

Let me remind you what our lot used to look like with all the trees first.

We now look quite a bit different.. Here is a few pics as they were clearing.. I was so shocked to see the lot not only so many trees gone but with this huge hole - which of course unil it is backfilled around foundation it's a bit scarry. Tomorrow I will post pictures of the hole.

The builder was over tonite and he wants us to decide on doors and exterior paint color this week. He likes to plan ahead. I didn't think we would be getting into this so quickly.

The right side of the lot has lots of trees left - this is the side of the house that we are going to have barbeque area, garden & pond etc. Hope Tim reads this - "POND" - you know water sounds, think relaxation and serenity.. Just like Julie & Clair's. haha

I am going to be dreaming colors all nite long..

Graduation Dinner Celebration..

On Saturday nite - 19 friends and family came to celebrate with Kate. We had dinner at Kosta's greek restaurant in Langley. The food was pretty good but the company was even better. It was a very festive evening just enjoying each other's company and having lots of laughs.

There were presents to open, flowers and cards given. haha TJ was so funny earlier in the day.. He was sitting at my mom's and thinking back on the wedding last summer and made some comment about all the presents at the wedding and now presents for graduation. He decided he better get busy cause he was missing out on lots of presents. Still a kid at heart. It was way to funny. Tim and myself, Chris and TJ got Kate a silver bangle with an eagle carved around it to match her wedding band. She was given a couple of lovely neclaces - very different from each other which was cool. Another gift was a ladies leather briefcase with her initials and the year on it. After dinner we went to Uncle Bill & Aunt Barbs for cake and coffee and more visiting. Needless to say I was tuckered out and ready to come home after a week of celebrating. So glad to be back at my little cottage.

Katie's Graduation... posted from 'Home Sweet Home'

What a week I had. Family, family, family times. It was a week to remember for sure. I will try to catch up with some pictures of my last days and the celebration for Grad. It will take one post tonite and then another in the morning to catch up.

Thursday was the day Katie has worked so hard for - the day she got to walk across that podium and receive her diploma. She is now officially a University Graduate... yahoo.

Chris, my mom and myself were able to go to the Graduation ceremony on Thursday afternoon. I can't begin to express how it felt to watch my little girl, who is now a woman and wife, graduate from university. It was a great day.

Chris has made this such a special time for Kate. Ten days before we were going to have our big extended family and friends dinner, Chris came home and told Katie she has worked so hard that he didn't just want to have one day to celebrate, that after all her work he felt they needed to do more. So he declared that day "Day 1/10 or (Day 1 of 10 days) of celebration for Katie's Graduation. With that he had brought home a bottle of champange to celebrate 'day one'. Each day after that there was some sort of special little thing that he did to celebrate the next day of 10.

That nite Chris, Katie, TJ and myself went out to dinner. Tim was coming on Saturday when the whole extended family etc. would have our big celebration.

We went to the Olive Garden and had such a nice time together. This was day 8 of 10. Chris had gotten Kate a digital camera on one of the previous days. He is such a good husband to Kate. He has given her such a gift of celebration of the past 10 days. It was contagious for all of us. I was at their place a few times during the week and each day they had a new message up on their chalk board starting with 4/10, 8/10 etc. Tomorrow morning I will post some pics of 'Day 10/10 Celebration'.

Family week continues...

I thought after posting Brad & Kelly's engagement pictures yesterday that I would carry that theme forward and post a few of Chris & Katie's today. I know they are already married but it just seemed the thing to do.

If you haven't figured it out yet - I am totally experiencing a renewed appreciation for family this week and just how blessed I am. It must be happening because of the move and the timing of receiving the engagement pictures, Katie graduating from university this week along with TJ receiving his acceptance to UBC Okanagan.

This was one of my favourites of Chris & Kate's pictures. There were a group of them taken at the beach and they are all great.

A VERY SPECIAL DAY

July 9, 2005

Young love - isn't it grand. Chris and Katie are enjoying being married very much. It's obvious how much in love they are and they have alot of fun together.

Tomorrow is going to be a special, special day. Kate's graduation ceremonies. We are all so excited. She has worked so hard and the day has finally come. We are so proud of you honey.