30th May 2022
It’s Memorial Day, and what a glorious day it is, up in the mid eighties it’s really too warm to do anything strenuous, so I’m not.
We carried the latest dresser into the house to get pictures.
We took a drive to the cemetery to water the flowers, it was quite moving, all the graves of veteran servicemen had American flags on them, it was a shame as Dave served in Korea, but didn’t get a flag, we need to look into that for next year.
29th May 2022
It was a hot day, I had planned to work on the garden and set the pond in position building a front wall to support it. I laid out the stones we got a couple of days ago to check if I had enough. It was close, I need a few extra large stones to fill in areas to match the shape of the pond, so that will have to wait a few days to get those. Kelli planted the grasses, and sowed wild flower seed, the garden is gradually coming together.
We took the dogs for a walk early to avoid the heat later in the day. We met a couple of the neighbours that we saw around but didn’t know their names, now we do.
We finished sanding the drawer fronts for the current dresser that we got free, they are birds eye maple I think, they were hidden by layers of paint and dark stained lacquer, now they live again.
28th May 2022
We had to drive to Zeeland to collect a furniture piece from Molly. She has bought several of our reloved pieces, and runs a business organising estate sales. She had found a few pieces that she gave us, which was great. Kelli’s eyes lit up when she saw them, my thought was “where are we going to put them”. We loaded everything into the back of the truck and drove to Menards to purchase things I should have bought yesterday, but forgot.
It was not a good time being a holiday weekend but I needed stuff to finish some projects. As expected the place was full with bodies buying anything and everything to do with summer, mostly grills and barbecues.
I saw several Mr and Mrs Large, a few family Gigantics and a couple of “Please don’t go out in public. The holidays bring out the best examples of unhealthy people in this area.
I had to be quick choosing the checkout that had a large lady operating, she had a special seat made from old scaffolding, which was a little difficult to get past.
I emerged into the sunlight, and we drove home. We had a friend of Kelli’s coming to collect a small bookcase, and I needed to finish putting the handles on the two matching side tables for a customer who was arriving at 6.00pm. She has bought several pieces from us recently to furnish a rental property she is buying. Kelli saw an opportunity to show her the black desk we got yesterday. She wanted a table to put a TV on and the desk would be perfect, so that’s on the list to work on.
27th May 2022
We just can’t keep away from the garden centre. We agreed that today was the best time to get a few plants for the new wild area of the garden. This weekend was pre Memorial Day so everywhere would be busy, as it is the official start of summer all the crazies would be out buying new summer tat and blocking all the roads. The plan was purchase enough stuff so that we could work on the garden without ever going out for the next three days.
First stop was the landscaping centre to buy stones for the pond surround. Kelli was instrumental in choosing the type of stone, it was the most expensive, as I would expect, but the block sizes were ideally suited. We loaded them on to a cart to take to the weigh station. Of course we had to off-load them, get the total weight, and whilst I went off to pay for them, Kelli loaded them back on to the cart. When I came back out she was trying to pull the cart towards the truck. Then we had to load them into the back of the truck all two hundred and sixteen pounds of them.
Next stop was Menards to buy another ten bags of top soil. Gradually the truck’s back end was sinking on the springs.
Then we drove to Jonkers as I wanted some wild grasses to start the planting off. We had started some grasses off from seeds in the greenhouse, but they were taking an age to grow to something decent we could plant in the ground.
Also we felt it was time to buy a flower container to mark Dave’s grave. Kelli chose an urn and selected some red, white and blue plants to put in it. The trouble was the weight of the thing. I loaded it on to the trolly,but when turning a corner the whole thing overturned meaning some careful driving was required.
We selected some grasses, and headed backroads the truck. Even more weight was added to the poor Toyota as we drove to the cemetery. As we had the urn, the plants and the dirt it was expedient to fill the urn and carry it to its location complete with the flowers, which we did, but the urn, plus a cubic foot of dirt and the three plants make it heavier. There was the sight of two people staggering towards Dave’s headstone carrying this bloody urn. Every so often it slipped from my fingers (there was not a lot to hold on to) finally we reached the place of final location, and placed it next to the headstone, there was a moment of silence, and a smile. Dave would have had a laugh watching us struggling with that urn.
26th May 2022
The dustcart struggled to lift the yard waste bin, and no wonder, it was full of the spoil from the garden churnings. There were lumps of dirt and grass, and the off-cuts of turf. I’m gradually clearing the area ready for the planting and seeding to complete the project.
I had twelve drawers to stain and seal, while Kelli set up the sprayer ready to paint the carcasses.
The wet afternoon predicted never happened, instead it was very humid which made paint and polyurethane drying take for ages.
I decided to start filling the yard waste bin with more stuff, I’m hoping this will tip the dust cart over next week.
25th May 2022
It was a shit day from morning to night.
Kelli had a bad night, leading to a bad day, her hormonal rage complimented the rain storm.
I tried to work in the garage but didn’t “feel” it.
Kelli went for a drive, revving the engine, and racing along the road burning up what fuel there was left in the tank.
I had to get out of that toxic atmosphere so I went for a walk. It was a long walk, as there is no bar very close, so I headed for the cemetery to visit Dave. He had left this world for a few years now, but it’s one of the few places of peace. Kelli turned up a few minutes later, I guess we shared the same thought.
There was another school shooting in Texas, there is shock and sadness, but nothing ever happens. The thought of gun control comes up, but there are alway politicians that disagree with any form of restrictions when over half of Americans want it, I don’t get it.
“ It would effect jobs” that’s all I hear.
American is a dangerous place to live, that is obvious, schools and churches should be the safest places, but they’re not. Woe betide I get on the wrong side of someone at Menards going after the same plank of wood.
24th May 2022
We had the nod from the customer that she wanted the two tall side tables with a stained walnut top and drawers. So we went all out to get the pieces stripped. Layer after layer was removed, just leaving the factory finish that was as hard as nails. With a lot of elbow grease, it was down to raw cedar.
But first there was the matter of collecting a furniture piece that Kelli had bought from Goodwill whilst she was out shopping with Greer. After the last long heavy dresser that we did, I suggested that we stop doing them because of their size and weight, and also the space they take up in the garage. Well she took note of that, folded it up and filed it away in the waste basket, and bought one anyway.
Getting to Goodwill and seeing it I couldn’t contain emitting a squeal of shock. After taking the drawers out, it was still bloody heavy, but we got it in, along with all the drawers, yippee bloody yippee.
23rd May 2022
We drove to Jenison to collect a pair of tall side tables, to find a matching pair is quite rare, so we shouldn’t have much trouble selling those.
On the way back I stopped off a Menards to buy some bags of top soil for the new planting area. I loaded ten bags on the trolly struggling to push it to the checkout. By the time I spread it out on the garden, I wondered where it had all gone. I recall what six cubic yards looked like, I would need 216 bags to equal that.
Back in the garage Kelli immediately started work on the new side tables but removing the old knobs. They were a fleur de lys style which is okay if you are French, but in America? Not a hot selling point.
Kelli was also doing a selling job, contacting the recent customer who had already bought a couple of pieces from us to furnish a rental house. There was definitely some interest there, so she will continue to subtly push.
22nd May 2022
As it wasn’t raining I did a bit of gardening, working on the new planting area. The newly turfed lawn has grown, but I have to leave it another week before trimming it.
We had another sale, this time it was the cabinet with the baskets that was bought by the lady who purchased the long dresser.
We also had the couple who bought our old bed frame. I did a short tutorial on how it went together as I couldn’t find the assembly instructions. We helped them load it into their truck and off they went.
Kelli started on the latest acquisition a tall white dresser covered in a bad paint job. I sanded off a drawer front to see if it was good enough to be refinished in a clear coat.
Sometimes there is a hidden gem under bad paint, but often there is a ugly stain, hence the reason for the paint. These were salvageable fortunately.
21st May 2022
After all the excitement of bed building yesterday, today the headboard was delivered.
“This shouldn’t take long “ was my optimistic thought, I was wrong again.
Because the bed frame and headboard were manufactured by two different companies the attachment holes were slightly mid-aligned.
Fortunately there were enough plates, bolts and washers to make the assembly work.
Next job was a leaking toilet. Since I replaced the cistern there was a slight leak coming from one of the fixing bolts that hold the water tank to the pedestal, I had followed the installation instructions, but I needed to stop the water getting on to the wooden floor.
I disconnected everything, and rebuilt it moving the rubber washer to places I thought might be more effective, and it was!
So two success’s in one day, things could only get better.
Sales for the month had been a bit stagnant, but suddenly there was a flurry of activity on the large dresser. This was eventually sold, and we also sold one that wasn’t even posted thanks to brilliant salesmanship by Kelli.
Another Lifetime to go 