2.5.2022

 What a glorious winter day - it really is so beautiful here.  The sun was so bright today and the air temperature cold, so the snow sparkled like diamonds.

Today was all about the bathroom cabinetry!  First, Jim got a coat of Heaven Sent (perfect paint name for Angel!) on the access door panel...

Even though it won't show, Jim just painted the inside edges of the opening as well...

We had two shelf units that we had in the bathroom - they worked great but it's time for them to go!  Jim is going to put this one down into the pantry room for me to use for some fire school or extra pantry storage.

Screwing in the access panel - hopefully we will never have to access the shower plumbing but if we need to, Jim will have easy access.

Finding the studs on the back wall...

Jim wrapped up the shelf cabinet so nothing would get damaged from the two-wheeler and then started making his way up the steps...

Slow and steady...

This was kind of a tight squeeze around the landing but this nice wide stairwell is the best!

Working his way around...

Bringing the cabinet in the house...

Fitting it in its space...

Looks beautiful!

Fastening the cabinet to the wall...

Next, the drawer cabinet is wrapped and ready to come up!

Coming around the stairwell...

Jim took all the drawers out but this cabinet is still heavier than the other one...

Coming into the house...

Setting it into place...

Starting to put the drawers in...

How beautiful!  Mom and I spent time filling everything up - I want to get some more organization baskets for the shelf cabinet but everything is so nice.  Jim has to get some maple plywood and then he'll make a shelf on top.

Doing a little woodworking to finish out the day before church!

High 17/Low -8

2.4.2022

Jim worked on cutting the stiles for the corner kitchen cabinet... 

He made the corner braces for the drawer cabinet - including drilling holes for when he has to attach the top shelf later...

There is an access hole behind the shower just in case, so Jim is making a cover panel...

All sized and with a coat of primer...

Just a little snow!  Jim headed out mid-afternoon to start plowing.  This looks like more than we probably got because of drifting and snow from the roof, but we got about 8-10".  It would have been more - we had sleet late last night until it turned to snow.

Of course, the worst part is always at the end of the driveway where the plows come through - it was over 2' down there!  Thank goodness for the Bobcat and the snowblower.  Here Jim is coming up the upper driveway...

It was still lightly snowing as Jim was plowing, so he may have to do a little more tomorrow.  The temperatures dropped all day and tomorrow we are to be back in the deep freeze again.

Once inside and warmed up a bit, Jim did a little more work in the shop before heading upstairs!

High 16/Low 6 - 8-10" of snow

2.3.2022

 Jim continued prepping and gluing up wood for the corner kitchen cabinet...

Then he started applying the contact cement to the drawer bottoms and the Formica...

Rolling it to ensure good contact...

The smaller drawer bottoms clamped for extra pressure...

Trimming the Formica...

Then assembling into the drawers...

Smaller drawers all assembled...

Then Jim spent quite a bit of time adjusting and perfecting the fit so that they are all perfectly inset into the cabinet.

In addition, Jim spent time in the afternoon helping me - he brought up all the Christmas dish tubs from the metal shop so that Mom and I could pack them all away until next December!  He's already got most of them taken back down - tomorrow, depending on the storm, he'll bring up the Depression glass tubs and we'll fill the hutch back up!

This is our calm before the storm day - it was relatively warm and we had rain overnight.  As I write this at about 5:30, it's been very lightly snowing for about an hour.  

High 39/Low 18

2.2.2022

 

Happy Groundhog Day!  Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today so that means six more weeks of winter.  He's at least right for the next few days because, like much of the country, we are under a winter storm warning starting tomorrow, with ice and up to a foot of snow forecast.  Stay safe everyone!  We plan on watching the Groundhog Day movie tonight too!

In the shop, Jim worked on installing the rest of the glides...

It's a lot of work to get all these drawers perfectly aligned into the cabinet but look how gorgeous it is!  Spectacular!

Putting polyurethane on the bottom pieces...

As well as the other side...

I had to work on a big fire school mailing today and thankfully was able to get it to the post office before closing time.  Jim helped me as always carry trays of letters up and down the stairs and into the car.  Mom and I stopped at the little store in town for just a few necessities - we don't plan on going out over the next couple days!

High 36/Low 32

2.1.2022

Today is the Chinese New Year - and it's the Year of the Tiger.  Always a good excuse to make Chinese food, so that's on the menu for dinner tonight!

In the wood shop, Jim started assembling the bathroom cabinet today - first attaching the side to the bottom...

Then attaching the middle divider and the other side panel...

Jim just has this drawer sitting inside for show but it sure looks amazing!

Starting to attach drawer glides...

So very many drawer glides!  Jim said he wondered what possessed him to make an eight-drawer cabinet - ha!  I know getting everything aligned is a career, but I sure love it!

Four drawers in!

High 28/Low 22