Author: peterb51

5th May 2024

Although I enjoy what we do, and every furniture piece is different, I long to something unique.

I miss the engineering and the design challenges of making a new piece. Not that we need any furniture apart from new seating in the house, but I need the time.

I should have all the time I need, but in reality, not having the strict working day restricts me.

I have my CAD software where I can design things in space, but I crave the freedom to create these designs in reality.

I still have the back garden to work on, and that should soak up any spare creative juices, and for now that may have to be what I focus on.

There was an interesting observation in the garden this morning, it looked like a scene from a Dali painting. The siding of the neighbouring property was all warped and distorted. We hadn’t noticed it the night before, so we were concerned that something may have happened during the night. We saw smoke coming from the side of the house, so all sorts of scenarios were going through our heads. It turned out that was coming from a grill, but anyway I walked round to check.

It turned out that they knew about it, apparently they were burning rubbish a bit too close to the wall and the heat melted the plastic.

Now that could be an expensive job, they will inquired if it could be covered on their insurance, good luck with that.

Today was a little cooler, not a tee shirt day, so back on with the flannel shirt.

We took pictures of the bench, a striking yellow against a grey backdrop, it’s not a masterpiece but it looked good.

4th May 2024

It’s so nice to feel the heat from the sun, it’s not guaranteed as the temperature does go up and down from day to day so it plays havoc with Kelli’s dress routine. Not that I bother too much, I have my work attire that I wear until it stands up on its own, or when she comments about them, whichever happens first.

We took a morning bike ride, taking a slightly longer route determined to fight off the pain, and make the ride pleasurable rather than uncomfortable.

The scent from the lilac trees are all around, it’s still fresh, shame that it doesn’t last the whole summer.

Then it was back to work. There was repair to a drawer, start on the second side table and paint and reassemble the bench.

As I was working outside, I remembered my cap, and Kelli even managed to get twenty minutes of sun bathing in.

3rd May 20244

We drove to Hudsonville to pick up a free dresser. I think we would go to Timbuktu if there was something for nothing, but the new owner of the house just wanted to get rid of it as it was left in the house. It had a solid maple top with a few scratches but otherwise it was solid and the drawers were in good condition.

Once we were back I attacked the top of the white dresser with my scraper. I fitted a new blade,and the old paint finish came off easily. As the piece was manufactured in Indonesia the timber, although solid was not a timber I could recognise, but once sanded it will be quite beautiful.

Whilst I was in the scraping mood, I did the new dresser as well.

While I was engulfed in shavings Kelli managed to get a sale of the dresser she repainted yesterday, the only issues we had to drive to Zeeland to meet up with the buyer. By that time Kelli was worn out, so it was down to me to do the deed. I set the GPS and headed out into Gods country. The destination was the car park of a Burger King, the buyers liked what they saw and the deal was done and dusted.

This clinched the first sale of the month, but with two other pieces in progress along with a bench, it’s going to be a busy week ahead.

There was a bit more traffic on the roads probably because I was hitting the going home rush hour, or maybe there were more visitors arriving in the town because…… next week it’s,… Tulip time. When people travel from all over to see the flower displays.

I was travelling behind a vehicle that had a bike rack that extended out passed the back of the rear bumper, but because there were no bicycles strapped to it, it was almost impossible to see. These things should have reflectors or something, if I hadn’t been observant I could easily have hit it.

Kermit, previously known as Frog, is getting a lot of attention, it was basking on a rock, taking full advantage of the sun. It seems to be making itself at home, and will soon get its own Amazon deliveries.

2nd May 2024

Kelli was very excited, she ran into the garage to tell me that there was a frog in our pond.

She showed me a blurry picture of the creature, so I was fascinated to see it.

We’ve had the pond for a couple of years, and most of the time I’ve not paid it much attention. There is a solar pump that keeps the water moving, but now there’s life, it will be much more interesting.

However it’s going to be a lonely life for “ Kermit” until he can find a female, although we’re not sure what sex it is.

We also had our inaugural bike ride, and we will feel it tomorrow. The ache in the buttocks where the cheeks are forced apart to fit the seat takes a bit of getting used to, but we tell ourselves it’s doing us good.

Now it had been a couple of days where our last dresser hadn’t attracted much attention, so that is when Kelli decided that the colour might be the factor, so she decided to change it. Now there is no point in arguing because she has alway proved to be correct, I just let her get on with it.

I amused myself by refilling the garden waste bin minutes after it was emptied, there is so much stuff still to clear, it will be full all through the summer.

I also do the futile task of reseeding the bits of the lawn that have been destroyed by the dog piss, although I have also connected the hose so I can follow them around and water the grass after them, a kind of human flush.

1st May 2024

Five months in and what have we got? Well it was a warm day well into the mid sixties and just the job to go shopping. Kelli had arranged to collect some cushion covers from an address close to the edge of Lake Michigan, in other words the stonking rich area. Some of the houses are vast, and really over the top. People rarely have ten kids anymore, so it’s more like showing off.

The place we were looking for had a copper roof above the entrance, very nice, just waiting to be stripped off in the middle of the night and taken to the local scrap metal dealer. Not that it happens here, I’m amazed that building materials are left overnight without fear of them being stolen.

We did our usual shopping trip at the two stores, I had joy at finding another cart with the coin stuck in it, well it’s only twenty five cents, but it the feeling of getting something for nothing.

We returned home, had some lunch then got straight into doing some gardening. It just wasn’t worth starting any furniture jobs, so it made sense to clean up the front area where the wild flowers are, although it looks a bit sad except where the bluebells are starting to flower.

I even managed to cut the grass at the front and back, I was on a roll, and at the end felt quite an achievement.

30th April 2024

It really feels like we’re heading into full spring, the sun bursts through the bedroom window, and the dogs cannot wait to rush out and water the grass.

I made a start on the two bedside tables, scraping and sanding, wait a minute, that’s what I do on every piece, it’s about time I did something special.

Over breakfast we listen to any alternative news, I am sick and tired of the Biden/ Trump crap, both are useless old men, and if that’s the best that’s on offer, load the fan up now.

There is a lot of news filtering through of the potential damage done by the Covid vaccine, most countries around the world have recorded surges in unexplained deaths, more of this will come out I’m sure.

We made the decision to have dinner out, we invited our friends from up the road Scott and Karen to join us. We went to the Paisley Pig just along the road, when we arrived the car park was very full, and when we walked in we could see why. It was around five thirty and there were old people everywhere, the late afternoon sun was glinting off the mass of white and silver hair, I had to keep my sunglasses on whilst being led to our table.

However we all blended in well, and had a fun packed dinner.

29th April 2024

Spring is the time when the gardens come to life, the daffodils and the blankets of small wild flowers growing in the lawns. For the short time that they soften the landscape everything looks natural, that is until the lawnmowers are let loose.

We were taking the dogs for walk to the corner store when we passed a large house with a substantial garden laid to lawn, this was covered by a blanket of small purple flowers.

As we passed, the man of the house was mowing these down. Kelli almost went into a rage at the sight for these blooms being destroyed.

It’s so important for the bees to have a source of food, and all this guy was concerned was how his grass looked. As of yet we don’t have many flowers in our lawn apart from dandelions, but while they are in bloom we are doing our bit to feed the creatures.

I finished the dining table, loaded it up into the truck and delivered it to Mantesh up the road.

I took it up in pieces and reassembled it on site.

He was very pleased with how it turned out, I was pleased, and it gave us more space to work in the garage.

28th April 2024

Not a brilliant night, Kelli didn’t sleep well, the weather is rather humid which didn’t help.

I did a bit of work in the garage, mainly getting the table ready for finishing.

We are nearly finished with a dresser that I cut down from a tall combo unit. Kelli uses a dirty yellow with a stripped oak top, it’s a bit of a risk, but we have to try something to jazz things up a bit.

We had an ice cream party at Kelli’s mums house, taking the opportunity to store two dressers that Kelli collected of Saturday while I was getting merry with Lloyd.

I wanted Sundays to be a rest day, I have a number of books to read and of course the garden to tidy. That’s on the list when it’s not raining, which it is today.

I’m amazed how quickly the trees change, I’ve just looked out of the window and green is everywhere, it’s such an energising effect, if only it stopped raining.

27th April 2024

The mid century style dresser was picked up, and also a king size bed frame giving us a good start to the day.

It was windy all day, the blossom from one of our trees fell like snow on all surfaces, but unlike snow it didn’t melt, it stayed there. I managed to stain the dining table but was unable to apply the finish with all the crap flying about.

Kelli did manage to put a final coat on a small dresser, so not all was lost.

I was due to meet Lloyd at the Curragh the Irish pub in the town, the streets were heaving so I was concerned it we could even get a seat.

I had a pint of Old Speckled Hen and waited for my guest to arrive. I was a little apprehensive as I had only spoken to him briefly once, but he had worked for Baker furniture in Holland so we had something in common.

Once he arrived we started talking, and it turned out to be one of the best afternoons I’ve had in a long time. I learned that he worked at Herman Miller in the late eighties working on the shells of the Eames lounge chair, sanding and applying the gun oil to bring out the grain. He was very proud of every one he finished, but he left soon after the line was sold off to another manufacturer. He lamented the change to the company once “the people from New York” took over.

We talked for over two hours and consumed a few pints as we did so. He is a couple of years older, but we grew up in the same era of music which I’m sure we will talk more about at another time.

26th April 2024

Life is strange, I spent yesterday ranting about the lack of “friends” inviting us out, and blow me, I had a call tonight asking that I meet up for a beer tomorrow. This is an older guy I only met this week when we delivered all that furniture to the small cupboard storage unit.

It took me completely by surprise because he rang on my American phone, the first one I’ve had. So stunned was I , I had forgotten how to answer it. I must have sounded like a complete idiot, but he persisted and we agreed to get together at the Irish pub in town.

Earlier this morning we had a couple arrive to collect the long light green dresser, a welcomed sale. We are hoping that the blue mid century dresser gets picked up tomorrow.

There was a lot of activity in the garage with Kelli painting a small dresser and I took apart the bench we picked up by the side of the road in the week. The paintwork was flaking and easy to strip, but somehow the black dust covered my face and made me look like a panda.

We managed to drive down to the beach to give the dogs a good walk. It was a sunny day just right for a stroll amongst the dunes. No doubt the bulldozers will be out smoothing out the sand ready for the holiday season.

On the way back Kelli noticed that Dhama was hanging back, I was in charge of her, and didn’t notice that she was laying dog eggs on the pathway, of course these were quickly bagged up, but then it had to be carried unceremoniously back to the truck. There is nothing I like worse than holding a bag containing dog dods, other than scooping it. So an interesting day full of variety.