Journal of an Optimist: Little Yellow House

The Roof is Done

2010-01-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

I did not realize just how long it has been since I posted an update on this page. Wow! Time has flown by for sure. The roof is done but the Amish crew did not do the work. We had to move ahead and work on it ourselves. Well, I did not get into the picture. I just took photos and stayed out of the way! My friend, Michael put the roof on. DH helped by cleaning up the debris and loading the dumpster that we rented. He had hoped to be involved but he just was exhausted just doing the clean up. We had a lot of fun during the process! It was a real adventure but the finished result makes it all worthwhile.

The roof now has a proper overhang and meets building codes and regulations. It has improved the value of the cottage and the roof no longer leaks! The back door is actually like our front door so we put up some really nice Christmas lights. It was really beautiful to see that the little yellow house has grown up to be a lovely home.

Sign me, sorry it took me so long to update on the roof, M

Photos for the Roofing Crew

2009-08-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

This is the little gray house. The roof is going to need redone so I have taken these photos for the roofers. They are an Amish crew so I am bringing the photos to them so they can brainstorm on how to give me a one big room roof. Wish me luck!

The roof is very unique. That is my way of tactfully saying that the original carpenters were either inebriated and did not put down their hammers! They made two additions to the original little house and the end result is a rather unique roof.

This is going to be an adventure. Sign me, hoping for a nice roof soon, M

Little Gray House

2009-08-07T05:15:00.000-07:00

The little yellow house is now gray! I was able to recycle enough gray vinyl siding to completely do my little house. My friends are surprised but we of the frugal lifestyle know that this can be done! My professor calls me the Queen of Free...lol!

I do hope that you guys are having a wonderful summer. Is it raining where you are? The sun came out here a few days ago so we are very pleased. Sign me, Living Simply in small town America, M

50 degrees on Monday???

2008-12-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess the weather is going to be changing again. On Monday it is supposed to be 50 degrees...lol! The people in the northeast are without electric due to a gynormous ice storm. I wonder if they would be getting the 50 degree upswing in temperature. Hey, Kev, are you done shoveling all that snow down there in N'awlins???

Since the weather up here is going to be getting warmer, Mike The Great, our carpenter, is going to work on framing up my back deck. Now I don't mind telling you that he has been our gift from God for sure. When he told me that the temperature was going to be working in our favor I was surprised (that it would be 50 degrees!!!!) but glad to hear that we can get that deck framed up. It was a nice surprise...a good Christmas gift, if you would.

The past few nights we have been made aware of the presence of a nocturnal nibbler near the back door. It turns out that the kitty under the house has not been getting the kibble after all. There has been a big skunk meandering out from under the blue cottage behind us. He or she, whatever the case may be, just casually saunters up to the back door. No flashlight fear appears evident...lol! I must admit that the other fella' and I think the critter is cute. At a distance, of course.

The nightime diner has the cutest little face with a little pointed nose. The markings are somewhat different though...not like Pepe Le Pew with his equidistant white stripes that parade down his back to the lush thickness of that ever-glorious tail. This critter has two wide white stripes with a black elongated diamond on his back. The fluffy tail is a large upper layer of white! The underside is black...and oh so fluffy! This little visitor is just GORGEOUS but mind you, I know that he/she is a real stinker underneath all that fur.

The other fella was the first to spot the kibble muncher. He was in the bathroom or loo (depending on your part of the world) having a smoke with the window open to keep me from suffocating. He was enjoying his favorite vice when he caught a glimpse of something coming out from under the blue place. He watched the tenderfoot approach while reaching for a flashlight. When he was done with his Native American tobacco-burning ceremony he gently closed the window. No need to set the little snacker off...lol!

He came back in the front room and asked me if I had put kibble out for the kitty? When I assured him that I had, he told me that the kitty was not eating it...well, I was surprised to say the least. He had a good laugh at my expense! Well, I had seen the black and white cat eating out of the dish. She is the cutest little thing and no, she is not a skunk. She came to me when I called her the other day.

So, being a doubting Thomas, I headed back to see the little culprit. Sure enough, the meal continued even as I focused the flashlight to get a closer look. I must admit that I wondered if the little thing must be hard of hearing because I was yelling, "Where is the flashlight???" Being told that it was in the bathroom was not helping me a bit since I could not put the light on. (He's been working on putting new lights in there, but that's another story.) Anyway, with all the racket I was surprised that he/she didn't hair up and let 'er go. I finally gave up watching it and returned to the front room grumbling about not feeding a friggin' skunk.

The other fella' was laughing at me. Mike the Great had a good laugh at me the next day when the other fella' and I told him that Miss Kitty under the House was missing out on her kibble. He and the other fella' were teasing me that the skunk will keep coming back for as long as a year once someone has put food out. Yup, they just keep coming back. Job's comforters they are, right?

Well, last night the little bugger paid another visit. The kibble that was missed or hidden under the snow was found again as he/she walked back and forth in front of the back door, and the bathroom window, and the office window. He/she was very thorough and he left the footprints to prove it.

As for Miss Kitty under the House, I have not seen her. Hope that she comes back though. I will be looking for her. No more food until she comes back in person.

Sign me, She who Fed the Skunk (and will never hear the end of it) in small town America, M

Here Kitty, Kitty!

The Sugar Shack

2008-12-06T07:17:00.001-08:00

I found some of the first photos of the little yellow house. The people who owned it called it the Sugar Shack. With two years of clean up, reclaimation, and renovation behind me, I was shocked to see how bad the place looked! The property was quite overgrown and debris laden unfortunately. It had been empty for a long, long time at that point. I wonder what I saw in the place when I sort through the photos. I just saw a lovely little place or at least what a lovely little place it could become.

Back in the first summer I would go to the little house, mow, back up garbage, and clear weeds on a daily basis. It was so hot! But with the daily application of elbow grease the property started to look better. The house was something else though. We tore it all out down to the studs and redid everything. That included putting in new insulation, new wiring, new drywall, etc.

Well, now that things are closer to the comfort stage...I have been living in the cottage for over a year (March passed). It is hard to believe that it ever looked like that.

Check out the photos for yourself, http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=537366198#/album.php?aid=63524&id=537366198

Sign me, Shaking my head at the mess of it all, M

Building Small Houses - As a Business

2008-12-01T07:03:00.001-08:00

A friend and I are going to be building a small cabin. It will be for sale at the end of the process...it is a cottage industry. Pardon the pun! However, with tough times upon us we have decided to work at home doing what we love the best. Watch this spot for photos of the progress. You can make an offer when we are done. If you are the winning bid/offer, you can move the little place to your property.

As small business goes, we will take a one-day break and begin the next one. Help us to make ends meet...stay in touch. Sign me, good old-fashioned work ethic in place for success, M and Company

Things are Looking UP!

2008-10-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

I just got back and the weatherization folks are my heroes! I have a new back door, they insulated the ceiling in the front room, they fixed the outside wall of the bathroom (where the knobby room used to be connected), and I am so grateful. What a wonderful program! I will add photos as soon as they finish their work. What a difference a day makes...for sure.

Sign me, Weatherized in small town America, M

Saturday Morning Ramblings

2008-10-11T06:27:00.000-07:00

I woke up to a lovely sunny Saturday morning. Miss Kitty Like Gunsmoke was curled up on the bedspread next to me. While she was stretching and rousing herself I slid out of bed and stood up to meet another day. The book that I was reading last night called to me as I headed to the kitchen. I picked it up and after I took my morning 2000 IU of Vitamin D I sat in the rocker to pick up the next chapter. The book is a novel in a series about an Amish family during the time of the wave of change that occurred in the Old Order Church during the earlier part of the century. The families that are chronicled in the book have made their journey from the Old Order Church to the New Order and Beachy Amish churches. This may not seem like your average reading project but I have been drawn to the simplicity of the Amish for years. I have several dear friends who are both Old Order, Beachy, and Mennonite. They are special friends that I have remained close with for over 20 plus years.

Anyway, while I gently tiptoed through the pages with Nellie Mae, Caleb, and Christian, the sun slowly came up over the trees sending its rays across the living room floor. Although I like to watch the morning news, I had not turned the TV on so I could savor the quiet of the early morning. This is the real reason that I love being here near Silver Lake. Just the whole experience of living away from town makes each day special to me. The only reminder that I am not far from the world is the usual truck traffic that passes my little yellow house on the way to the salt company in the next town. In time I hope to plant evergreen trees to buffer the road noise but for now, with the economic situation, I see the trucks as evidence that people are still working at their jobs here in small town America.

With a sigh I put the book away for this evening, I hope to finish it soon though. It is a new edition and there are people behind me on the waiting list to read it. I hate to finish it too quickly as I love the story line! The characters are finding their way through the reality of being saved by the blood of...but wait. I don't like to discuss religion or politics as that is not considered polite where I come from. Forgive me. Let me just add that I do enjoy the characters and their journey is somewhat inspirational to me.

Although it is only 9:44 a.m., I have already been to visit a friend (the carpenter) to see if his son is getting out of the hospital today. (This man is such a wonderful father!) I needed to know how many sheets of plywood he would need for the latest project. With the update on little Michael and the info on the plywood, I headed to the market to check over the morning's marked downs and specials. With that done and the goodies loaded into the little rez truck I came to the library to check on my e-mail messages and the latest news. If I wait too long all the specials will be picked over and the frugal fraa here won't have done her best to stretch the dollars and pinch the pennies.

Well, I better get on my way, I have to pick up five sheets of plywood so that the carpenter can finish the bathroom side of the back room. Wait, I need those nails...spiral nails...I think they are called. But enough out of me here at the little yellow house...hope that you are doing well wherever you are.

Sign me, Picking up plywood in small town America, M

Insulating the Floor and Frugal Musings...

2008-09-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for the carpenter to finish working on the new floor joists so I can insulate the floor. As usual I try to do what I can so that the work is still something I am involved in. I managed to pack the insulation between the floor joists this weekend. He will be finishing things and closing up the floor. I had asked him to put a layer of felt between the plywood layers in the floor for me. (old-fashioned but still effective) The floor feels so much better. It does not slant down or bounce anymore! The floor is now level and securely supported. What an improvement!

Anyway, I will need to put down some new floor covering before I move my bedroom back in there for the winter. It has always been a cozy bedroom; I particularly like laying in bed and watching the birds when they come to the feeders. In the winter when the snow blankets the back yard it is lovely to watch those bluejays as they quabble over the peanuts.

The back room needs some further work to finish the floor on the bathroom side of things. When that part of the floor is level and insulated, a part of the far wall needs replaced and the whole thing will be closed up. I have recycled vinyl siding that will cover the back of the house and the exterior wall of the bathroom. It is lovely siding, too! In fact, most of the joists that were replaced (all but one) were also recycled from a deconstruction nearby. Always one for the recycling aspect of things, I was very pleased to find the materials so close at hand. There were also concrete blocks and 2 x 4s so it was well worth the effort. Keeping costs down is very important in my financial life as it is for so many people.

I was watching television early on Saturday morning. I believe it was Saturday; there was an early morning news story about a family that was part of a frugal living challenge. Apparently, they were working with a frugal living counselor/consultant of sorts. That family managed to save $1000 a month by making some changes in their lifestyle. Although I cannot remember all the things that they employed during the 30 days that they were following the counselor's advice, here are some of the things I do remember:

They stopped going to the mall so they would not make impulsive shopping choices.
They stopped eating out.
Since they stopped going to the mall and eating out they were using the family vehicle less and therefore saving money spent on gas.
They shopped around for a better cell phone plan and saved $140 a month when they changed plans.
They shopped around and changed their insurance plans (making a good savings while not decreasing their coverage).

Well, when I watched that show I was smiling to myself. You see that family saved more than I live on in the real world. They live way about the average family's standard of living. How realistic is a story like that?

I couldn't help but chuckle when the story was over as I browned ground beef to make spaghetti sauce, chili, and tacos for the week. I wondered just how many other people living simply in small town America saw that program. Wonder if that family shops in the marked-down bin at their local supermarket?

Sign me, Living Simply in Small Town America, M (Pass the salt and pepper, please)

P. S. Oh, by the way, I will google the story about this family saving money and post more of the particulars just for the sake of knowing more about the wonderful ideas they were using to become more frugal. Honest. Here it is, http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5890529&page=1

Little Yellow House - Yard Pictures (Big Groan)

2008-05-20T07:39:00.001-07:00

This is my yard now that the six piles of topsoil have been spread out by the loader. It is much more level but as you can see it is a long way from being landscaped. I think it opens up the property though. The little white picket fence that used to be in the front seemed to make the house look boxed in.

I have to pick out the rocks, roots, and any other debris before beginning to think about landscaping or spreading grass seed. With a budget of $0 I am sure that this is going to take a while...lol. Do you see the knobby little room? It is semi-deconstructed so it won't be long before it will be detached from the house. It is dragging down that end of the house so we have to level that back room up once it is no longer attached. Gosh, I make that sound so easy....NOT!

This is the front of the house. The two remaining fence posts used to hold the gate. I have to dig them out as well. I used to have my raised beds in the front. However, the ground is very low and it stays boggy for a little too long. The slugs were fighting me for my vegetables last year. This year I am moving the beds to the side yard where the ground is higher.

This is the side yard. My property line goes down the middle of this picture. My second well is just inside the line.

I have several rose bushes that I moved there because they are on higher ground. I cut it back after I moved it.They just did so well after the move! The new leaves just popped out. It looks so nice now.

Here is the first well hand pump that I have tried to put flowers around. It has an electric indwelling pump so we don't hand crank it for water. The solar lanterns look very nice at night. Last year I had a lot of annuals that I put in around things. The plants just loved the sunshine there!

This well overflows all the time so it has an overflow pipe that sends the runoff under the house. There is a spring/creek that runs the water off to the low ground outside my property.

Anyway, I hope that you have more than mud in your yards this year. I will keep you up-to-date as this yard develops. When the annuals go on sale I will be adding more color to the situation.

Sign me, Hoping for a nice summer in my yard, M

Boxes, Boxes, Boxes...

2008-05-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Knobby Little Room, right?

I told you guys a while back that I had to empty out the storage room. This is a picture of it. It was an add on that was the bathroom until I moved in. DH has been working on dismantling the "knobby little room" so I had to empty it out. I was totally amazed at how much stuff I had squeezed into the knobby little room. It was packed full! Well, in this little house things got really crowded with all the rubbermaid tubs, boxes, boxes, and more boxes. I always looked at clutter as noise so I am beside myself with this mess.

I know that I can continue to downsize until I fit better in this little yellow house. Some days I think that is easier said than done. I sat down yesterday and, rather than pull my hair out, I made a plan of action. First things First. The mess has to go!

So this morning while I was waiting for the bus I went through several stacks of mail/papers. I got rid of two-thirds of that just in sorting through while killing time. My plan of action is pretty simple:

Step 1. Tired of moving around and stepping over the stuff, I decided to make a change.

Step 2. I chose a place to start. With that done, I will gradually work through things.

Step 3. If I have not used it in ages, then it is going in the "out the door" pile.

Step 4. I scheduled a yard sale to help with the letting go of the surplus.

Step 5. I asked a friend to join in the sale, it is more fun!

Step 6. When the sale is done, I plan on counting the money.

Step 7. Pay something off. Have you looked at the electric utility bill lately????

Goal: To get all those containers, boxes, and papers OUT OF MY BEDROOM. I want to sleep in my own bed again. The sleeper sofa is a little lumpy...lol.

Sign me, Tired of sleeping on the sofa...Working on a project in Small Town America, M

Working on Things Again

2008-05-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I broke my own rule about not working on Sundays. I took down the picket fence on the front of the little yellow house. It came down without too much ado. DH helped me when it got to be a little much for me. He was working on dismantling the knobby little room that used to be the original bathroom. Together we made a dent in both projects.

It began to rain late in the afternoon though. We stopped over to see a friend right before the rain started. She needed a hand to put out her garbage. DH had repaired a bird feeder and a bird house for her. It was nice to visit for a little while but the rain sent us home to relax inside where it was dry.

Miss Kitty Like Gunsmoke spent the night in her carrier. She has been rather pesky lately. She climbs over me when I am asleep. Now mind you, she is my favorite. However, she is rather large and heavy so when she parks herself on me when I am asleep it is not a good feeling. She did not go quietly into the carrier, let me tell you. I have a scratch to prove it...lol. But when all was said and done I had a quiet, restful sleep without MKLG aggravating me. She forgave me this morning, I think.

Anyway, I am at the computer lab trying to catch up on a few things. Things are very good here in small town America. No one is getting rich but living simply is much more fun anyway. Have a wonderful day!

Sign me, At the Computer Lab in Small Town America, M

This clip art compliments of ClipArtGuide.Com

Heading Home to the LYH

2008-03-08T22:05:00.001-08:00

I am halfway home tonight. It was not financially feasible for me to stay in Oklahoma. My mortgage and rent were going to make living there pretty tough. Accepting things I cannot change is part of my life today. I have to accept my financial limitations.

I miss my little house so much! Can't wait to get back there. It is my peaceful haven. There is something comforting about sitting on my couch watching the flames in the wood stove. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again.

They have a ton of snow in western NY! It was so much like Spring in Oklahoma - we are back to winter here. Brrr!

Miss Kitty is probably mad at me for going away. I miss her, too.

Sign me, Heading home to the Little Yellow House, M

Missing my Little Yellow House

2008-02-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

I am missing my little yellow house today. I have locked the door and headed to NE Oklahoma. I signed on as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Today, I am in Tahlequah, OK.

I am living now in a small furnished room with a bath. Not unlike my little yellow house...lol. It does have a little deck for me to sit out on and drink my tea. No chimenea to warm me in the evenings though.

It was hard to leave the LYH but I am required to be here for twelve months. I will be recruiting foster families for an agency here in Wagoner, OK. It has occurred to me that my life during the last three years has been a practice run for this assignment.

Talk to you later. Sign me, Trying to do His Work, M

Small House Society/Little House Photos

2008-01-17T20:01:00.001-08:00

It is just another quiet day at the little yellow house. DH is working on the plumbing problems. This little place fills up pretty quick when the two of us are here. I spent some time insulating the kitchen ceiling. I try to stay out from under his feet and working on the ceiling kept me busy. They say that the weather is going to be getting colder this weekend. I hope to have the kitchen ceiling done tomorrow before the weather changes. When I moved into my little cottage I accepted that it would need lots of work. It feels so good to get something done again.

I belong to a small house society. They have a web site with lots of links for people living in micro houses. That would be houses that are less than 500 sq feet. I love to check out the links because there are such lovely houses to see. I am amazed when I see other small homes; I love to get decorating and storage ideas. There is a rather unique little house in Wales called the Simondale House that is just adorable. It seems like a hobbit house or something, it is really rather lovely! Here is the link: http://www.simondale.net/house/

There is a link that shows Herbert Hoovers home. Actually, he lived there until he was 8 years old. It is a small 2-room home. I have uploaded a picture of it for your viewing pleasure. If you go to this link http://web.mac.com/resourcesforlife/journal/writings/Entries/2007/5/5_Herbert_Hoover_Tiny_House.html There is a lovely slide show and an audio tour.

Simondale House, Wales, UK

Herbert Hoover's House

Living in a small home is a big change for me. Not that I lived in a mansion or anything so formidable. However, I did the downsizing and still did not fit. Now I have grown accustomed to the coziness, there are no complaints these days. I like the small rooms and my wood stove is my favorite thing! There is still a lot to do but one day it will be more finished and it will be all worth it. I have taken pictures documenting the process.

Talk to you later, Sign me, Living simply in the little yellow house, M

Plumbing Problems 101

2008-01-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a rather slow day with DH trying to get some kind of valve off of the water heater. As I have said, plumbing is not something that I plan to learn. I defer to DH. He was so frustrated with that valve that he went to be early.

I had hoped that the water would be running by then...lol. No problem. Frustrated, ticked-off DH slept well and I got him up early this morning. He has spent four hours outside boxing in the water pipe that comes from the well to the house. It comes out of the ground right by the house so there was not a long length of pipe to contend with, thank goodness. Anyway, he has just gotten the water running. I am very grateful! First things first, water is very important.

He was at the window asking me to turn on the pump to see if the water pipe was not thawed out. We both did our gratitude yell! One plumbing problem down, three to go. There is a Higher Power!

So now that the water is thawed out, I have a load of dishes to wash. Since the water heater has never been connected or working we don't have hot water. Just like the good old days, I have to heat the water on the stove to wash and rinse dishes. Living simply does mean living without all the frills, right?

The DH Plumbing Problem List:

1. The pipe outside had burst when it was so cold last week. It really needs a box around it with some extensive insulation. There used to be a rather ugly (large) wooden box around it when I first started cleaning things up. Now we know why it was there. Ooops!

2. DH is hoping to get the water heater hooked up today. That is plumbing problem that has been a real headache. The cottage was empty for a long time and with all the pipes broken we did not know if it worked. We are going to find out today...lol.

3. I have a lovely shower unit sitting in the bathroom. It was a real bargain and we are both very pleased with it. DH has the drain, pipe, etc. ready to plumb that before Saturday. Can I hear an Amen from the back of the room???? Washing up in a pan is not a real problem. I just miss having a shower.

4. The pipes in the kitchen need cut and the counter/cupboard need moved over to accomodate the change in the pipes to make room for the shower hookup. DH says he will get that done before Saturday.

With a plumbing problem list like this, I am VERY happy that DH knows how to do this work. We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination. And you may ask what I am doing while he is working on the plumbing? I am insulating the kitchen ceiling. Just ran out of staples. Need to go to the hardware store to get more.

Talk to you later. Sign me, Staying out from under his feet in Small Town America, M

The Other End of things

2008-01-04T17:03:00.001-08:00

When I bought my little fixer upper I really saw potential in the place. Some of my friends scratched their heads wondering what I saw in the abandoned house. I have before pictures and I do understand their disbelief...lol.

Here is a picture of my little living room; it is 12' x 22' so it is not really big. Although it is far from finished this is my favorite space. It is a little quaint being a cabin. Hope that you like it! Sometimes when people cannot see what you see, it is because they do not have your vision. They are just not seeing the true potential of a property.

Sign me, Living Simply in The Little Yellow House, M

(Owning a) Fixer Upper 101

2008-01-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

7:45 a.m.

It was cold here this morning. I had to let the woodstove cool off though. Before Christmas I broke the glass door in my woodstove. The cost of ordering the part from the company that made it was pretty reasonable; it arrived yesterday. So this morning when it was 48 degrees in here I had to take apart the door to make the switch. There were no directions but it looked fairly cut and dried. Taking the door completely off seemed to work the best. Got the old philips screwdriver and removed the strips that held it in place. Voila! My grandfather would be proud of me. Anyway, the door is back on the stove and I put the fire in. Waiting now for the place to heat up.

Being a homeowner who lives simply does mean that I don't call someone to fix things usually. I save money when I can. That money will help pay for things like insulation, right. Everything is a trade off. I would do it again in a minute. Paying rent on someone else's place seems so financially foolish. Thinking about buying a fixer-upper...welcome! Read on, take a deep breath, and buy some tools.

1:00 p.m.

I made it to the computer lab this morning for a couple of hours after I fixed the door. When I came back the house was still cold so again the fire is the first focus. Adding hard wood to get it going with more firewood seems to work the best. It is now 60 degrees in here. Sometimes it is up to 90 degrees depending on the type of wood I have to burn. It is a lot cheaper to burn wood than to be paying for propane.

The pipes have been frozen for two days due to the extreme cold. I had hoped that they would thaw today since it is in the 30's now. That sounds like a heat wave. There is just one place where the pipe comes in from the artesian well that is the culprit. Although it is wrapped in insulation and taped, that is the spot where it freezes. I keep a DeLonghi heater in the bathroom to keep those pipes from freezing.

When I was growing up in Newfoundland I remember my mom always kept her taps running just enough to keep the pipes from freezing. We did not have central heat so it was pretty chilly in the morning. Do you remember waking up to frost on the windows? I do. We had a wood cookstove in the kitchen and it was the best place in the house. We washed up, bundled up, and were glad for the wood heat. We lived in Town but we lived simply even then.

People ask me sometimes why I love living in my little yellow house. The place is small but it feels so comfortable. I look at is as a one-bedroom apartment with a big yard! It is just a summer cabin that I have winterized. Now it is a year-round cabin. Nothing grand...lol. I am learning as I go as far as repairs go. My next job is to insulate the kitchen ceiling. I had someone who was going to help me with that but that fell through. Onward and upward! Here are the pictures for your review...lol.

That is where a lot of my heat is escaping to say the least. I have to remove all the screws and nails in the 2x4's before I put the insulation up. Cutting and stapling the insulation is easy enough. I want to get some pine on the ceiling to get the cabin look going on. However, they warned me at the lumber yard that with the "cottage-grade" pine boards that they carry the knots may come out and you will see whatever is underneath. Seems rather foolish to put up chipped board or drywall and then to put up the pine. Think it might be a little heavy...any suggestions?

Sign me, staying busy and warm (70 degrees) in the little yellow house, M

Bird Watching at the Little Yellow House

2007-12-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

I was chatting on the phone with my eldest son this afternoon when I noticed something rather odd. The feeder had frozen several days ago. I had dumped the frozen seeds out on the top of a pile of topsoil before refilling the feeder with fresh seed.

Just outside the living room window I noticed a squirrel had stopped by to help himself to some sunflower seeds. He was sitting right on top of the topsoil mound. Nothing odd about that but he was sitting right next to a blue jay. The blue jay was just looking at the squirrel. On the other side of the squirrel sat another blue jay who also eating sunflower seeds. So you have two blue jays and one squirrel having lunch together in my side yard. No problem, but I have never seen such lunch partners so close together. The were doing pretty well until a cardinal started moving in from the left. One of the blue jays chased that interloper right out of the picture! No, I did not think to use my disposable camera! I just enjoyed it immensely; if they come back I will be sure to snap a shot of the dining rarity. Has anyone else seen such lunch guests?

Before I forget, later when the squirrel left, the cardinals returned. There were two of them and they had their lunch without further blue jay interference. I also dumped a lot of squash seed over by the other fence so maybe they were busy trying another delicacy...the blue jays, I mean. Sign me, Enjoying the Birds at the LYH, M

December 26, 2007

2007-12-26T06:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, Christmas is over. Whew! I did go to a friend's house for supper last evening. It was fun to watch her grandkids open the gifts. It was nice to visit with them.

Today, I am enjoying another quiet day. I was going to go to the computer lab but I want to clean house a little. Living in a small house does not leave much room for clutter. I hate how small my bedroom has gotten. You see, about a year before I moved here I had bought a lovely queen-sized bedroom set. Large. It is such a pain now that my bedroom is tiny. I wish I could sell it and buy something more to scale. I just don't have the room for it. I just want to keep my mattress and box spring...it is just the best to sleep on. Comfortable, yes. (Hey, Cindy the bus driver, want to buy a bedroom set?)

So this morning I am going to clean and put things away. I like it when things are tidy. It makes it cozy here in the little yellow house. Bye for now, sign me, M

Christmas Eve in the Little Yellow House

2007-12-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

It has been a quiet day for me here. Turned off the television since I don't have cable and I just don't like soapies. Especially on Christmas Eve, I would rather watch "It is a Wonderful Life" or something with a little more style that soapies. You know what I mean?

Anyway, while I am sitting here patiently waiting for Santa to come and visit me tonight, I have been pondering. Yesterday it rained cats and dogs! Well my little place sits in a dip and the water just ran underneath. This place sits on piers that have sunken a bit more than I am liking. I feel like I need to ask Santa for some pontoons to put under it!

The only good thing about the weather changing again is that the water has turned to ice. Now I am safe until spring. Amen.

All the kidding aside, I do hope that you are having a nice quiet Christmas. I wish that Santa would bring me some new tools and a book to tell me how to use them...lol. Bob Vila is my hero. Wonder if I could get him to make a show about raising this little place about three feet above the water....hmmmmmmm.

Anyway, have a wonderful Christmas. Stay warm, M

Lovely Day in Town

2007-12-18T14:02:00.000-08:00

Had a lovely day in town. Visited with some friends and got my hair done. Just got home and got the fire built up again. It was a little chilly in here. Once the fire gets going it will be nice and cozy again. Talk again, later. Sign me, M

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Sunday at Home

2007-12-16T13:10:00.001-08:00

It was nice and cozy here all day. There is a lull in the storm right now. We have freezing rain and that is all. The weather man says that it will change back to snow shortly. Thank goodness we have not gotten 24 inches of snow! I hope it stays like this.

Just put the trash out. Tomorrow is trash day. They come by really early so I have to get the can on the curb tonight. I just heard the news give another alert for Buffalo but there was not one flake coming down here in Small Town America. No complaints here.

Just staying in and enjoying a quiet Sunday. Hope that you are, too. Sign me, snug and warm in the little yellow House, M

Saturday in the Little Yellow House

2007-12-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

I really take this house to sleep with me...lol. In my dream I was digging trenches around it to make the water drain off. Holy Cow! I was working on getting the house raised up and putting gravel in the trenches. The front yard became a lovely front porch/sun room.

By the time I woke up I was already worn out! What a dream. Anyway, I was thinking about what I want to do in the spring before I went to bed. That must have been the impetus for the dream renovations.

It is a wonder that I did not dream about the snow. You see, they are predicting 14 to 24 inches of snow for our area. With that snow alert comes the last run to the store so I don't get stranded without food, water, etc. I did buy water,milk, and a few things yesterday. Today, I have to pick up firelogs, firestarters, and a few misc. things.

At least, I won't freeze if the electricity goes off. The firewood is a little damp but I have kept some in the house to dry better. I brought in a lot of kindling yesterday. As long as I have my wood stove I will be okay. Yeah! Just glad that the other firewood is stored in my front yard. Being a hardy Newfoundlander has helped me through so many things in life. I don't let things get me down. (Being an optimist is a tough job but someone has to do it!) Thank goodness for being brought up the old-fashioned way! Sign me, Living Simply in the Little Yellow House, M

House versus Cottage

2007-12-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

It has been over a year since I first found this small piece of real estate. I am sure my previous post alludes to the amount of work that went into cleaning up and reclaiming this little place. But the day came when I knew it was time to give up my apartment and move here. I wish I could tell you that it was finished and ready for me to move in. No such luck. The work continues even as I type.

When I first started working on things this was a cottage. A cottage would be simply defined as a place that is just used in the summer. No insulation, no winterization, no need for that as a cottage is just a summer place to hang out with family and friends. People come up to the cottage on the weekends. They barbeque and drink a few cold ones. At the end of summer they put the lawn furniture away and drain the pipes. When Labor Day weekend is over, they pack the car and go back to their house for the winter. Some people do come back for the ice fishing. The few and the nuts. I am sorry, the fishing advocates.

Now, the change from being a summer cottage to the status of a year-round residence involved a lot of ripping and tearing, tons of insulation, and interior upgrading. Weeks turned into months but the results were worth it. I moved in here on March 31st of this year. For clarification purposes, I never say I moved in on April 1st because that was April Fool's Day. A lot of my friends thought I was pretty foolish to be thinking of moving here. No way was I going to move in on April Fool's Day because I would never hear the end of it. You know what I mean? I am not going to make it easy for them to pick on me.

But the real point of the move was that I was going to stop paying rent and start paying a mortgage. I wanted to own a HOUSE again not a seasonal cottage. I have unpacked for the last time and put down roots. I did not drain the pipes and board up the windows. I did not get back in my car and drive away after Labor Day.

So here I am, an official year-round resident at The Lake. Again, I do not live ON the lake but I am definitely not a seasonal visitor. I have become one of the "live here all year" folks. Yeah, Buddy. I don't leave after the summer not to reappear when the weather breaks. I shovel snow with the best of them. Man, what I wouldn't give for a snow blower. I could make some hard core friends in this neighborhood. No doubt. Sign me, Living Simply in the Little Yellow House, M P.S. I have to fill my bird feeders up. My bird friends are getting mad at me.

Anyway, this little place is really only 532 sq feet so don't think I am living in the lap of luxury. There is not a boat in the side yard...yet. I don't have a 4 x 4 pickup truck. I maintain a low-profile existence with not too much excitement.

My Little Yellow Cottage

2007-12-11T17:04:00.001-08:00

It has been a little over a year since I found my little house. The first time I viewed it from the road I thought it was rather small. The weeds were all grown up with the grass coming up to my hips in places. There was a small white picket fence that enclosed a 10 x 20 foot yard. Inside the fence the grass reached up pretty close to the top of the fence. The house had been empty for some time and it showed.

I made a bargain with the owner to store some things in there in exchange for mowing and cleaning up the property. The first evening some of the young people from church came over to help. What a pile of debris we pulled out of the grass. It was not possible to use a mower on the grass/weeds/debris. So with help and working together we made the first dent in the clean up. We hauled the junk up to the side of the road. It is funny looking back thinking of the kind of stuff we found buried in the overgrowth. I remember when Ruth used a weed eater on the little front yard and we began to see the ground in there. I was pulling junk out of there and had just stood up to take a break. There was a hole on the left side of the concrete step. Well, a big furry face popped out of the hole! It looked at me and I looked at it! The thing (I think it was a large ground hog) retreated and flew out the other end of the house. We were totally surprised to see that there were tenants under the house. I have not seen him/her since.

After the help left, I returned to the property every day except Sunday for at least 3 hours. It took a lot of hard work to get it kind of cleaned up. I mowed and bagged up lots of grass, weeds, and garbage. The adjoining property had also grown up and took away from the work I was doing so I cleaned it up over time. The owner (of the adjoining property) came by one day and asked about it. I did not mind cleaning it up as much as minded looking at the junk that was laying around over there after working so hard on mine.

There were days that I worked with perspiration dripping off my nose while I kept plugging. I am not sure when it became more than a place to mow and clean up but I began to want to make it my home. I looked forward to going out there. When I did not really know what the future would bring with the MS and my own mobility or physical limitations, I could still go out there and watch the birds at the feeders. I would walk over to the lake and it just was so nice to be that close to the water again. You know, growing up in Newfoundland has made me a little partial to rock and water.

Now I pay a mortgage payment and renovate as I go. Yesterday I found some of the before pictures but they were taken further along in the process. Basically, after the clean up but before the tearing out and renovating. I have posted five of the best photos.

I will post the lovely "after" photos over time so you can see the transformation. This little shanty became a home to me. After many years of moving around hoping for a new beginning in each new place, I have just made a decision to unpack and put down roots. Welcome to my little yellow house. Sign me, M