Renewal And Redemption: What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

   Yes, I know. You thought I'd given up on keeping up, what with no entry since October. Frankly, Ed was just burnt out on construction, and who could blame him? After working like a man possessed for six years, he finally took a breath. He built the barn to keep the tools. He built the apartment to live in during the house construction and then he built the house. And all without a trip to the emergency room. No I managed that one, and in a garden, no less. But that's at the end of the story.

    And of course, he's back at it. The Man Cave has been patiently waiting for his return. First things first...we need a sign. We found a font he liked, he traced it on the board, routed it out and painted it. Then he ran it through the planer one more time, stained and varnished the rest. Since he's going to put a bathroom in the basement, we though a manly sign was in order for that too.

   This afternoon he installed the Man Cave sign in the stairwell down to the basement...just so you know exactly where you're going. No girlie stuff down here!

   He also put the baseboards in the theater room and unpacked the rest of the chairs. There are four chairs in the front row and three in the back. The next step will be to build a raised platform for the second row so that whomever is sitting there can actually SEE past the first row. He put together the mining cart table and set it on an old wool blanket. Fear not! The blanket isn't an antique.

    Yes, that is a popcorn machine in the background. What is a theater without popcorn? Ok, maybe it's a clean theater, but it just wouldn't be right. That is a contribution from my son-in-law and daughter to the project. Soon we hope to have Soup-And-A-Movie night with friends and neighbors.

   And then there is the saloon. You will recall I scoured the internet for a wagon wheel light fixture. That little item merited some snickering. But now...it fits right in. Ed is working to build an old fashioned cowboy bar. He's using more of that old spruce tree that fell the first year we were here. We're still working on a plan for the back bar.

   I've been working on some stained glass and on my vegetable garden. In April the garden very nearly did me in. Ed and I were outside putting the PVC hoops in place so I could start planting seeds. We started spreading the plastic over the hoops. Note to self: Do not stand on something tall and lean over. I caught my foot, went over the top and smacked my head into the 2x12 that forms the raised bed. This is not a good thing when you live an hour from everywhere. I'll refrain from posting trauma pictures, but the bruises turned some amazing colors of green and purple. The stitches weren't so bad though. Ed said the first thing I planted in the new garden was my face.

   The garden has redeemed herself though. I planted seeds May 1st, and there is stuff growing everywhere. The tomato seeds I direct seeded did better than the ones started in pots. Around here, tomatoes are iffy, so I'm pretty happy. In order, beets, garlic, carrots, sugar peas, green beans, radishes, onions, lettuce, swiss chard, broccoli,  kale, cabbage, spinach, spaghetti squash and tomatoes. The potatoes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and zucchini are in the fenced garden by the chicken coop. This morning I thinned things out a bit. Sugar snap peas, radishes, spinach and two big bunches of kale are now in the fridge, and plenty more still in the ground.