Bathroom tiling project

Shower floor

Paul just spent 2 weeks a the cabin working on finishing up the tiling in the basement bathroom.  He says it takes a lot to time to figure, measure, cut and place the tiles.  His movements are limited as he is still recovering from his December surgery.

He has had to figure out how all the angles will work, plus cutouts for pipes and the medicine cabinet, how to install a light/fan in the shower area and how to vent it, and how to place the lighting where it will do its best work.  So many decisions that have to be made in the correct order so that everything dovetails

Bathroom floor

A March Birthday

Easter tree

A few days ago I had the opportunity to do a design birthday party for a young girl - Sarah.  Her grandmother, Marilyn, purchased the party for her.  She is in the fifth grade and loves everything about design. Since she was just coming from a full day of school I set up a design lunch - the table was set with an Easter/Spring theme.  Our menu was juice, strawberries, turkey rollups, chips and Easter candies and nuts.  What a fun time we had getting acquainted!

I showed her the many diverse tools of interior design and some of my blueprints from various projects.  We talked about color and lighting and I gave them a tour of my house, showing them many different design concepts.   

Party lunch

She showed me some of her floor plans and different tools that she has used to draw furnishings and accessories and has lots of ideas about designing spaces for her family members.  She definitely has a very keen interest in all things "design".

Musings about Christmas

One of the reasons I enjoy family so much during the holidays is that the first Christmas began with a two member family that soon became 3 with Jesus' arrival.  Life would hold untold adventures for this wee family.

A Christmas world

A winter's night

We hosted our first family "Christmas at the Cabin" for 9 family members. My two sisters, Tess & Ange, our two sons Jess & Landis & Landis' daughter, Josephine, niece Erica and her fiancé Stan, and Paul and I made up our family group. 

What a wonderful time we had together - one of the things I particularly enjoy, when the house is full of guests, is hearing all the various conversations taking place around the house.  Paul talking with Jess & Landis in the basement about building and tiling projects, Josephine talking with her Aunt Ange about art projects and school, Aunt Tess and Erica and Stan just being together enjoying each others' presence (we're just getting to know Stan). 

Snowball fights and soft dart gunfights broke out with lots of running and laughing and carrying on - so good to see family having fun together.  Tess says "have you noticed that we turn into 10 year olds when we get together".  Its ok by Paul and me - we love to have fun with our family.

Meals are fairly simple with all of us combining things we've brought along.  Paul takes us out for Chinese or Mexican or to Pizza Ranch so I get a break, too.

We love to go to the Wadena Rec Center where we swim, use the hot tub or steam room or go upstairs to work out on the machines - what a wonderful facility! 

 

December in March

Back to blogging - December arrived with surgery for Paul - a tendon transplant - off work for him for 4 months.  The Doctor & Physical Therapist are very pleased with the results - he has a fully functioning thumb and hand - what a miracle! 

We now look ahead to a surgery on his right wrist where bone spurs will be removed.  He has been wearing a brace on that hand for 1 1/2 years to keep it from bending, (why so long?).  It took over a year for Workman's Comp to agree to pay for the surgeries.  One would almost think that the money belonged to them. 

Left tendon transplant

Greetings and thanks

Christmas calligraphy by my brother, Mark

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my readers! - I enjoy sharing my ideas with all of you.  The blog is a clearing house for all sorts of ideas, plans, thoughts and projects as I maneuver through the creative world of Interior Design.

Finally some Calligraphic Christmas thoughts from my brother, Mark's pen.

Christmas in Bowman

Crib scene

Since we will be in MN for most of Christmas I decided to do a simpler, more understated Christmas here.  Centermost in our celebration is the Crib Scene with Mary, Joseph and Jesus - He definitely is the "Reason for the Season".  What an awesome, undeserved gift he offers us!

Quilted tree and stockings

In the living room I am displaying a tree quilt with only 2 stockings, (for Paul & me), green baubles in the windows, and my expandable trees made of shiny colored discs.  Lots of Christmas colors in the rest of the house - in ornaments, plaids in windows, and wall treatments.    

Front window in Bowman

November Trips

November decorating for the cabin

Dining room

We made 2 trips to the cabin in November - 6 days for Paul and me and another 5 days for him over Thanksgiving.  Still working away on the bathroom tiling - got interrupted when we found out that the screws for the tiling saw had not been included in its shipping box.  So we are not as far along as we hoped to be as the holidays approach and the cabin fills with guests.  They will be arriving from West Virginia, Minnesota, and North Dakota.  Our granddaughter, Josie and my sis Tess helped to decorate the cabin for Christmas.

Sunroom