He's got rhythm, too!

Cy's Party Hat
Originally uploaded by zostra

Such style for an almost-three-year-old. This is Cy's party hat. He wears it every time he goes to a party, which included the big, family dinner with all of the aunties and uncles and cousins. Cy and Gryf had a great time playing together, much more exciting than the last time they met when neither of them could crawl yet. Much noisier too.

Chocolate Balsamic Genie

Chocolate Balsamic
Originally uploaded by zostra

One of the Christmas gifts I made this year was chocolate balsamic vinegar. It's quite tasty, very thick and chocolatey with a decided tang from the balsamic. I found these bottles at the Ecology Center in Berkeley, and I love the way the vinegar separated into layers. It looks like a genie is going to come flying out as soon as you open up the bottle.

Eggnog Demitasse

Eggnog Demitasse
Originally uploaded by zostra

Bray made eggnog on Christmas eve. Real, thick, creamy, traditional eggnog. Nothing healthy. Nothing lowfat. Nothing non-dairy. That last one put me into the "I'll just have a taste" category, but oh what a taste it was.

Merry Christmas!

Red Velvet with Buttercream Frosting
Originally uploaded by zostra

Here's to a festive day with lots of yummy surprises.

It's Done

Finished Window
Originally uploaded by zostra

The grout has been sealed, the label has been scraped off, window cleaned, shelf installed, and the Christmas cactus is just starting to open up to celebrate.

Wonder Who?

That Worked Well
Originally uploaded by zostra

So much for the cat barrier on the window. Fortunately the grout was dry long before he was allowed anywhere near it.

It's In!

Corner Cap with Paw
Originally uploaded by zostra

The corner caps and window tile have been grouted. Scooter decided to play Vanna for the occasion. Still needs to be sealed (the tile, not Scooter). In the meantime there is a blue-tape fence to keep the cats off the un-sealed grout in the kitchen window. We'll see how long that lasts.

What to do with all that mud

Mud Festus
Originally uploaded by zostra

Dad & I tiled the kitchen window and the counter corners today. We over estimated (by about 200%) how much mud we would need for the job, and Dad got creative with the rest of it. Quote of the day from Dad: Considering the amount of time it took Michelangelo to create David, I think this is about comparable.

The corner caps that were on back order never did arrive, so we had a tile cutter cut some of the end caps on a diagonal and we managed to fake it. They've been mudded, as has the window tile. Grout on Tuesday.

Roasting

Roasted Kabocha
Originally uploaded by zostra

A rainy, grey day really does call for roasted squash. I'm wondering if it is possible to do oneself harm with too much roasted squash in one sitting. Death by squash is not what I would choose for my epitaph, but freshly roasted kabocha is so difficult to resist.

Bloomin' Poppies

First Poppy
Originally uploaded by zostra

While I realize that plants are supposed to bloom, particularly flowers that are planted for expressly that purpose, I am enough of a novice gardener that I am still thrilled to see it happen in my little patch of dirt. I planted some poppies in a corner by the stairs that already has a few rosebushes, added some violas, and a few other little things. The violas were already in bloom and took to their new home quite happily, but I was a little worried there wouldn't be enough sun for the poppies. Apparently my fears were misplaced as my little corner now has several poppy blooms, with quite a few more buds ready to open. It makes me feel like at least I have a bit of a handle on this little corner of the yard. If the rain holds off enough next week for me to break out the rototiller, I might start to see some progress on the rest of it.

Burg Crush

November Rose
Originally uploaded by zostra

Last week I got to spend a few days in Minneapolis for a conference. I now have a serious crush on the Twin Cities. I got to visit with my friend Steve and see the very cool Science Museum of Minnesota where he works (not to mention his fabulous mid-fixing fixer-upper house). Ate at Spoonriver and Al's Breakfast. Discovered a previously unknown love of Jameson's at The Local. Browsed through piles of used books at Laurie Books and got to see the old furrier's vault with "the rest" of the books in the basement. Of course, then I came home to my rosebush in it's second massive bloom of the year, despite it being November. That's one thing they don't get in Minnesota...

Pasta Sauce

Cooling Sauce
Originally uploaded by zostra

Cross 20 pounds of Dirty Girl Farms dry-farmed early girl tomatoes, 2.5 pounds of onions, 15 cloves of garlic, 2 cups of herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary), and one bottle of Cline Los Carneros Syrah 2006 and you get two gallons of very, very yummy pasta sauce.

Gift of Tomatoes

Gift of Tomatoes
Originally uploaded by zostra

This morning, as I went out the back door to go water the garden, I found these. My neighbor had reached over the fence and left them for me as a gift. As I was weeding the front yard, another neighbor stopped by to bring me a full container of tomatoes from his garden. Yesterday, my friend at work brought me apples to make applesauce for our group. The apples were from her friend's orchard.

Proud Mama

Diploma
Originally uploaded by zostra

Very few things make me cry. Opening up my daughter's diploma from Berkeley did. Who would have thought that when I brought her home six-and-a-half years ago that today I'd be standing in my kitchen crying over a piece of paper with a gold seal and her name on it. She's come so far, done so much, and I am so very, very proud of her. She is the best part of my life, and I am grateful for her every single day. And I don't mind saying so, for the whole world to hear.

From the Garden

Derves
Originally uploaded by zostra

Dad came over for dinner, and for our first course we had veggies from the garden. Not a lot of them, mind you. But still...

Colors

Paint Rainbow
Originally uploaded by zostra

I've been working on sanding down the exterior windowsills so they can be painted. I believe I've now counted at least ten different colors that used to be on the trim of the house. There seems to have been several shades of aqua. I find this particularly fascinating as we discovered during the interior baseboard sanding/removal/replacement that every single room in the house had been some shade of pink at one point or another. I find myself wondering how often the exterior aqua trim coincided with pink interior trim, and how many of those overlaps were during the 60's when some form of altered, drug-induced state might have led to the choice of said paint colors.

The Big Breakup

Bert with a sledge
Originally uploaded by zostra

Bert and I have been friends for 20 years, since our junior year in high school. He's been living up in Arcata for a long time, so we don't get many opportunities to hang out. Fortunately, he's really good about popping up out of the blue, even though he lives so far away. He did just that not too long ago, right before heading off on a sailing race from San Francisco to Hawaii. We caught up on the phone a few times after his race, and somewhere in there when he said he needed to keep busy I said "Well, if you're ever bored you can always come break up the concrete in my backyard." He said ok. Then he followed through. Today we broke up the entire 20' x 20' concrete slab in the back yard and hauled it into the dumpster waiting for it at the curb. No power tools. No jackhammer. Just a sledge, some big crowbars, and 2 wheelbarrows to haul the cement. Bert taught me how to use the sledge hammer, but he's much more effective and elegant with it. Notice in the picture he's not just swinging the sledge, he's standing on two big crowbars to hold up the slab and make it easier to break? Dad, of course, came and helped, because he is a saint. Seth came by for a bit at the end, and had a hand in getting the big pipe in the back corner of the yard out of the ground. But really, the credit goes to Bert. The man with the sledge.

Firsts

First Tomato
Originally uploaded by zostra

There's an almost ripe tomato in my garden. It's a sungold, so it won't ever get red. A few days and it will be ready to eat. I did pick and eat a handful of blackberries, and admired the first dahlia. The picture turned out fuzzy though. Perhaps I should rename this "Knitting Tomatoes"?

First Canning Project

Peach Jam
Originally uploaded by zostra

There was a half-price sale on peaches at the market this weekend. Two flats for $20. I'd been planning on it for several weeks. Now I have three batches worth of jam, a batch of peach ice cream, and still have half a flat of peaches to eat. Somehow I think I'll survive.

The Last Boxes

The Last Boxes
Originally uploaded by zostra

I've whittled them away, and am now down to under 10 boxes left to deal with. Some of it will land up in the garage, most of it just needs to be organized & put away. The drill is still living in the house. Now the ladder is too (just for a little while, honest). Soon...soon it will all be unpacked.

First Dinner Party

Dobos Torte
Originally uploaded by zostra

I've come to the conclusion that I will feel truly settled when two things happen. Number one, I'm down to one trip to the hardware store a week. Number two, the drill goes to live in the garage. Not necessarily in that order.

I did host my first dinner party in the new house. We celebrated Daniel's birthday with our parents. Unfortunately, I screwed up my back a few days prior, so I didn't finish all the things I wanted to finish. Paintings are not hung, boxes are not all unpacked, there is still a bit of general disarray. However, the food was great, the company wonderful, and the dessert was to die for. Daniel ordered a dobos torte for the occasion. I'd never had one before, but can understand now why he likes them so much. It's a Hungarian dessert with many layers of very light sponge cake alternating with German buttercream (only the slightest hint of chocolate) and slices of hard caramel on top. It was as good as it sounds.

The good news is my back is about 98% back to normal, which means I've been trying to get back to doing little things. I hung the bathroom mirror today. Towel racks have been ordered (had the worst time trying to find the ones I wanted, no idea towel racks could be such a challenge!). Leak under the sink is fixed. Garage is painted (yay, Dad!) Broken closet rod has been replaced. I own two new drill bits, plumber's putty AND plumber's caulk, and have started fantasizing about procuring various and sundry power tools and gardening implements. Is it bad that I'd rather be at the hardware store than in a clothing boutique?

Tile Mural

Tile Mural, complete
Originally uploaded by zostra

After some messy grouting and a lot of cleaning up, the tile mural above the stove is in. I love it! The colors worked out perfectly, and the critters all look quite at home above the stove. The octopus is still my favorite. I'll have to post a close-up shot.

Tile Up

Tile Up
Originally uploaded by zostra

Dad & Peter & I put up the backsplash and tile behind the stove today. Complete with spacers, lots of gooey cement, and a little bit of patience.

First (Only) Plum of the Year

First (Only) Plum of the Year
Originally uploaded by zostra

My little plum tree out back produced exactly two plums: one for me, one for the birds. Mine was a little misshapen, but pretty good. The label on the tree (it was in the backyard when I bought the house) says it's a grafted tree so I should eventually get another variety, and hopefully more than just one plum.

Plums from a Neighbor

Plums from a Neighbor
Originally uploaded by zostra

One of my neighbors left me a welcome gift, a bag of plums from their tree. They were incredibly tasty. I still haven't figured out who though, because I wasn't home when they were dropped off.

First Night

First Night
Originally uploaded by zostra

My first night in the house! Daniel came over and we made dinner (including Mushrooms a la Grecque!), played cards, and just enjoyed being in the space. Don't let the picture fool you...there's still plenty to do and lots to unpack.

Garden View

Garden View
Originally uploaded by zostra

Much has happened on the house, including some new foliage in the garden. Many things are unpacked, touch up paint has been applied, furniture moved. We still have to do the final inspection, but it's getting close. I'm now keeping a close eye on my tomatoes, dahlias, peppers, beans, zucchini, and pumpkins. Yum!

Baby B

Baby B
Originally uploaded by zostra

On our New York trip we got to see my oldest friend...we've known each other since she was born, just a few months after I was. We spent a lovely few hours wandering through their Brooklyn neighborhood, checking out all of her son's favorite spots. Now we know where to go for balloons in Brooklyn!

New York Trip

Daniel at the Cloisters
Originally uploaded by zostra

Daniel & I went to New York for a visit. It was a lovely week, with many museums, lots of wonderful meals, and visiting with friends. Neither of us had been to the Cloisters before. It was enchanting, especially the gardens. I would love to see them in the other seasons. Guess we'll have to go back for another visit!

Dumpster Swimming

Roses & Windows
Originally uploaded by zostra

You know that the garbage from your project has been in the front yard too long when the roses are growing between the old windows, and blooming profusely. But, this morning the dumpster arrived. Daniel very, very kindly volunteered to come over and help fill it. I don't think he remembered how much had piled up in front of the house, but he was a great sport about it and stayed to keep working while I ran off to work (at my "real" job, that is). Mom & Dad showed up a while later and helped get the last of it, and took the old sink and windows to Urban Ore to recycle. The scrap metal guy showed up to take the water heater & other scrap metal. It's very exciting.

Venting

Vent & Hood
Originally uploaded by zostra

Some things started happening today. The hood and vent went in above where the stove will go. Still cement board behind the hood, as the tile for the mural backsplash has not come in yet. The dishwasher is mostly installed. There are more light switches. I learned that per state code 50% of your lighting in the kitchen has to be florescent. Wish someone had told me that before we installed the light fixtures. Ah well.

First Box

First Box
Originally uploaded by zostra

Don't get too excited. I'm not moving in yet. But we did unpack a couple of boxes in the kitchen today. I'm mostly posting this so I can do a count of how many days between unpacking first and last box. Any bets?

Lights, Camera...No Action

Light!
Originally uploaded by zostra

We installed light fixtures today, everything but the under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen. The only problem is that most of the switches haven't been installed, so the only ones we could actually test were the closet lights. Which are just about the least exciting fixtures possible, but they work, there's light in the closets! Dad worked on the shower and made some progress. Mom & Jo cut most of the rest of the shelf paper for the kitchen (Mom & I had started on it middle of last week). This week they should be putting in the central heating (last big thing), the finish coat of stucco, and finishing up installing appliances, switches, etc. Which means things will be nearing completion just in time for me to go on vacation with Daniel, but that's another story.

The Graduate

Amanda Grad 1
Originally uploaded by zostra

We took the day off for celebrations. Amanda's graduated! Mom & Dad hosted a family luncheon in her honor at their house. We had a lovely meal, with lots of family, and lots of fun. Hard to believe she's done with college, but I'm a very proud mama.

Door minus paint

Door minus paint
Originally uploaded by zostra

Today was one of those days where we did a TON, but the photos don't do it justice. Dad took approximately 1/16 of an inch of paint off the inside of the front door. That might not sound like much, but we figure it was at least half a dozen layers given the colors we found. It took two quarts of paint stripper and a lot of power sanding with the big belt sander and the orbital sander. We also caulked the inside of all of the windows, and put on the third (final!) coat of paint on all of the interior window trim. Daniel did quality control, wandering around with a roll of blue tape looking for places that need to be touched up. The house looks a little polka-dotted, but it's nice to think that we are nearing the stage of touch up instead of massive undertakings. Of course, they still need to finish the outside stucco. And the shower still isn't functional. But we're getting closer.

Adding Window Trim

Adding Window Trim
Originally uploaded by zostra

Now that the waiting is over, we're able to add the interior window trim. By 1:30 this afternoon we had all of the window trim measured, cut, and nailed in place. Thanks to Daniel and Mom all the nail holes got filled almost before they were made, and the windows were taped and ready to go. By the end of the day the windows had been primed and had their first coat of finish paint. Now, if I could just find the right flange for my shower.

Waiting

Garden Window with Paint
Originally uploaded by zostra

We've been waiting. And waiting. And waiting. For approval by the inspector for the windows to go forward. For the weather to clear so that stucco can be applied. For a three day weekend so we can spend all of our spare time working on the house. It might look like nothing has happened to this window but it has.

1) It's been approved & permitted.
2) There's stucco on the outside.
3) Where there was a hole around it, there is now wallboard & mud patching it.
4) Where there was mud & patch there is now primer & two coats of paint.

It's a good thing.

Kitchen Window

Kitchen Window
Originally uploaded by zostra

It's in! I could see the blue sky poking through the clouds through the lovely garden window in the kitchen.

They shrink when you cook them

Mini-Frank
Originally uploaded by zostra

I didn't see the sausage that Daniel went to put on the grill with my tofu dogs. I was envisioning some kind of large, bratwurst-like item. He checked on them a little while later and when he came back in said that they'd shrunk a little. This was what he showed me. I think I laughed for a full 10 minutes. I know I laughed so hard that I cried.

Expect Delays

Expect Delays
Originally uploaded by zostra

When the day starts with a phone call saying that your range/oven and hood won't be delivered until June 3 (almost two weeks later than the already-5-weeks-on-back-order-status) and ends with your contractor telling you about why the adjective-deleted building inspector not only hasn't approved the windows but also had doubled your permit valuation and therefore permitting fee and must reinspect things after a day unnecessary work has been completed, you still somehow land up smiling. How? Home-cooked dinner, glass of wine, and the purchase of a t-shirt (by the model, not the author of this post) that seems particularly apropos.

Stucco on Window

Stucco on Window
Originally uploaded by zostra

If the rain would stop long enough, they could stucco all of the window exteriors where they've been putting the new ones in. So far, there is stucco on two, trim on 7 out of 9, and one yet to go in (kitchen garden window).

Kitchen Non-Window

Kitchen Non-Window
Originally uploaded by zostra

So much for the kitchen faucet with water. It had to come out while they put in the new kitchen window. Oops. Could have predicted that, but I didn't.

Artichoke Gratin

Artichoke Gratin
Originally uploaded by zostra

We went for dinner at my college roommate's house down in Mountain View. Got to meet her husband and 6-month-old daughter for the first time, saw another college dorm-mate and her husband, and sat around chatting and making Vietnamese spring rolls which turned out quite well. Vegan German chocolate cake for dessert. The door prizes? Artichokes from their backyard! The next night Daniel made an Artichoke Gratin from Richard Olney's "Simple French Food." This is all that was left by the time I managed to stop eating and get out my camera to take a picture.

Pedestal Start

Pedestal Start
Originally uploaded by zostra

It turns out installing a pedestal sink is more effort than one might think, and is beyond the abilities of my nuclear family at this point in our skills set, so the contractor will be doing this one.

It Flows!

Kitchen with Water
Originally uploaded by zostra

There is water hooked up to the kitchen sink, but the dishwasher plumbing isn't hooked up yet (no dishwasher yet), so we can't really turn the water on full force. Still, it's exciting.

Fridge

Fridge
Originally uploaded by zostra

I have one. It's hooked up. Except for the fact that we need to put the brakes on it so it doesn't roll out when you try to open it, all is well.

Missed a few spots

Missed a few spots
Originally uploaded by zostra

The problem with trying to paint over a high-gloss white ceiling with regular ceiling white on a gray, rainy day is that when you come back on a sunshine-y day you realize you missed spots. Then, as you run around taping them so that you'll know where to touch up, you realize that maybe you should just paint the whole darn thing one more time.

Unmasking

Unmasking
Originally uploaded by zostra

Bathroom is painted, and has been unmasked. The light paint (Adobe White, sort of a hint of the tile color) makes a massive difference. Now we just need to get the shower working, and install the sink.

Kitchen-like

Sink and Faucet
Originally uploaded by zostra

It's starting to look like a kitchen. The sink is in and has cured, the faucet is partially on (still needs some parts installed), the plumbing is mostly done. Yippee!

Night off with Pizza

Night off with Pizza
Originally uploaded by zostra

Stopped working early yesterday, and took the night off. Daniel made pizza with caramelized onions and goat cheese, but we forgot to check the date on the yeast so the first batch of dough had...some issues. Luckily the local Italian restaurant has a wonderful owner who felt our pain and gave us (wouldn't take any money) not one, but two pizzas worth of dough. If you need a very friendly Italian place with yummy pizza dough (I hear the rest of their food's pretty good too) check out Villa Romano on Irving & 9th.