Update on the Kitchen Renovation...

Quote for the Day:

"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that it is difficult to 

discern whether or not they are genuine."

~Abraham Lincoln

Slowly but surely...and I mean VERY slowly, but surely...we are getting some kitchen renovation done.  

Andy has installed all the cabinets in the recessed area on the south wall of the kitchen.  We have placed the countertop on top of the base cabinets, but have not yet fastened it down as Andy is still trying to figure out exactly what he is going to do with the approximately 4" to the left of the cabinets.  

I would like to figure out a way to build an open shelf next to the top cabinets so there is an area to store baking sheets vertically instead of using up space in the base cabinets to store them.  So he is "thinking on these things" and figuring out how to work it out....even though I have given him my thoughts on how to do it.  The problem lies in that there is a brick chimney there and attaching anything to it is nearly impossible so you have to put boards next to it and attach them to the floor and ceiling with brackets...then attach your "wall" to those.

But...this is what we have accomplished so far...

This is the bank of cabinets that sit into a little recessed area between a brick chimney to the left and a wall on the right.  Some of the cabinet doors still need to be attached, but just look at all that storage in that tall pantry cabinet!  WOOHOO!  :)
I also want Andy to reverse the swing of the door on that left-hand cabinet.  It is that area between the left-hand side of the upper cabinets and the chimney that I want a little storage "nook".  

Also, since these cabinets are going to be used for dishes instead of food (we have a small walk-in pantry for food storage), we are going to have a shelf cut to fit the upper portion of the pantry cabinet.  It only came with 3 shelves, but we think using the 3 in the bottom portion and 1 in the top will be just the right storage for us.

If you are wondering why the iron is sitting on the counter...well...you use an iron to attach matching laminate to the ends of the countertop to give it a "finished" look.  I have done that, so I guess I can put the iron away now...LOL.

And today...I am using the counter for the first time...

*big smiles*!!!

If you think that crock pot looks old...it is!  It was a wedding gift to us...making it 29 years old in about 10 days!  :):):):) 

I have 2 newer crock pots...an oblong one that I like to use when I cook a whole chicken or long piece of meat, and a small round crock pot for when I'm doing "small" dishes...usually desserts.  HOWEVER...this brown one is the one I prefer to use the most.  It cooks the slowest and, I think, the best of the three....maybe because I've had years of experience with this one so I "know" it the best.   This one is from before the time of removable crocks, though, so this one has to be washed out by hand, but it cleans up easily enough.


I realize that I haven't done a book recommendation lately, so I'll throw a couple in this post...

Remember Beautiful Boy?  Well...I just finished reading the son's account called "Tweak:  Growing up on Methamphetamine" by Nic Sheff.  OMG...RIVETING!    I definitely recommend both books, but I would also recommend reading the father's account first and you will see how the two books intermingle...the story from the non-addict's view and from the addict's view.

I have also recently finished reading "Facing Down Evil:  Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator" by Clint Van Zandt.  Excellent book!  Lots of interesting "inside" information about some very public cases in this book.  He gives us "the rest of the story"...the side we don't hear about on the news.

Loretta