Woosh! ~ Week 2 Day 1 ~ crowned beauty and our library

Yesterday my Dad cut all the crown moulding

for the kitchen and installed it.

Our neighbour let use his saw and nailer.

To cut in a corner you need to cut in a 45 degree angle,

my Dad told me.

It's not easy work.

We don't know why the kitchen was left unfinished without the moulding but

it looks so much better now!

You can see in the picture above and below where

there was no moulding.

And now here is my Dad's lastest work

on making our home beautiful!

Today I think he is going to sand the new moulding and caulk

and paint where needed.

That he got the moulding up in one day impressed me! 

Now the Great Room area {kitchen, dining, living}

looks like a complete and unified whole.

Today my Dad hopes to put

sheets of a smooth plywood above the cupboards,

putting firring strips down first that will 

make it raised first;

you can't see it but the cupboards above

had no unified smooth top and where the cupboard ended

there was openings so lots of dirt and dust could fall down in them.

Now it will be ready to clean easily, not have dust and dirt

continue to accumulate and if wanted you can put things on top of the

cupboards as decoration.

(the cupboards were too low and deep set to have this possibility before).

My Dad is also working on re-staining and varnishing our

front door as it was looking quite poor and weather-worn.

*

My Mother super-cleaned our bathrooms and the office floor.

Together my parents cleaned the outside of the fridge;

my Dad did the coils, my Mom everything else,

apparently it was in dire need of cleaning!

*

Mr. Husband and I packed steadily yesterday and made

great progress.

*

At night we began our library while Dad finished up

the moulding.

*

Here's our progress:

 All shelves are up.

 Our first chapel/library icon corner :)

Some of our best books are up on the wall next to the only window

in the room, so that no light damage will happen from the sun.

Lots to unpack yet!

I hope to do more this afternoon! 

We are thinking of getting a tall skinny shelf with a door

for the wall to the left of the window...

Can you see how this wall has an unusual corner?

This God willing will be for our prayer stand and icons,

along with the 'empty' wall to the right.

And that is yesterday's progress!

*

We are really excited to be moved in tomorrow 

and continue to make our new place our beautiful home!

Sunshine, Not being in control but trusting God, Cleo and our current home library

What a long title to a blog post! 

But that is what I have to write on this morning.

But first, it is St. George Day today! 

We must take heart! 

*

Well, we got an answer that we are 

looking to confirm is final last night.

It looks like we are not getting

 the close date we wanted.

It is still in May but much later than

what we had hoped for.

Today will have many phone calls to start planning

based on this new date.

*

Meanwhile, I thought I would show some things around the house 

so I can remember things before everything is packed up for the move.

I was mailed this lovely vintage dress as a wedding gift.

It is too small for me (the giver knew only my husband

so while I look thin, it's more illusionary, as

I am more on the thin-looking-solid size 10 or something

depending on the brand).

Anyway, I had the dress as a cheery decoration on this door

of our bedroom closet for over a year and after

taking some pictures of it,

put it in the discard clothes pile as Mr. Husband is right:

we must let go of what we can before we move.

*

So all the Fiesta ware dishes are pretty much packed,

so we are using our blue willow found at rummage sale dishes now.

Since the Fiesta ware dishes had boxes made for them that we kept

this was the easiest to box up.

I eat Cheerios some days for breakfast

and Cleo often loves the little bit of milk that is left! 

The two icons you can't see in this picture are

old ones of St. John the Baptist and the Mother of God.

They came with the gift of the dress and were 

most appreciated.

The Paschal Resurrection icon is one that was Mr. Husband's 

and I believe is also the one, in a large size, that is at

my first Orthodox church, 

in the Altar... 

When I wake up in the morning I see this icon right away;

it is bracing, courage giving and heartening. 

Other icons,

Optina Fathers, the Mother of God, St. Stephan... 

candle from sister-friend from when we both lived in BC...

*

So this is our current library,

it's in our bedroom as we did not have other space for it.

Much of what you see here are all my books, icons, pictures.

Billy Bookcases, IKEA.

Mr. Husband's Dad put them together before we 

were married.

The corner icon shelves.

We have doors for this shelf too for when 

it will no longer be in a corner like that;

these we hope will all DV be in our future

library/guest room/chapel. 

St. Irene of Chrysovalantou, St. Boris and Gleb,

I still remember when I got that icon, 

my Ottawa spiritual father told me they are Passion-Bearers,

Bearers of Sorrow..., 

St. Ephraim Ephraim of Nea Makri

This icon of him (far left of picture) was at my church

in a time when icons that were at church, left for years 

from others in the past, were being distributed.

I noticed this one and asked my spiritual father about it.

He said the Saint's name and to look him up.

And so I did and found much,

including how this holy Saint helps young people,

rescuing them...

Picture of Mother Alexandra in a frame

on top left in the above picture.

I've written how she is an inspiration to me

and shows what it means to be a Mother...

I know people who view her as a Saint and 

I am so very glad I have this picture of her.

My family wedding picture corner in our bedroom...

How I love and will miss this morning view!

This was a wedding gift;

sadly got a bit wet but I am still glad I have it.

All in the end will be solved by love.

*

Please pray for us as we try to prepare for our move

and wait final confirmation of the close date. 

*

May God help and comfort us!