Creative magic of window displays

When I was very small, my parents took me downtown Des Moines to see the Christmas windows at Davidson's department store. There were so many people there, admiring the windows, but of them all, I was proudest, for it was my grandfather who had created these displays.

Recently my dad found pictures of those windows, which he posted on his website.

The days of department store window displays are long gone. What draws shoppers now is not the creative magic of illusion, but something else, something less noble, something less Christmas.

Out walking this fall

On October 17, we went for a fall walk in our little town. If we think we have to drive "up north," to see the fall colors, we may fail to see the beauty that exists right outside our own front door.

Click on the thumbnail below to take you to more pictures.

Fall Walk 2008

Final pictures

Finally, I have added the final pictures to the web album. I'm sorry for the delay. Once it was actually done, I guess I simply enjoyed being in the kitchen versus taking pictures of it.

Just when you think you're done, you're not

I should have written this post awhile ago, but I may have been too frustrated. What you see above is a hole in the counter where the sink was, but then wasn't. Here is the brief, sad tale of two sinks.

The first sink was not level, but after shimming and caulking, it looked pretty good. The inconsistency faced the back, so no one would notice. Then we put water in the sink, and after a couple of days we noticed a one and a half inch rusty line starting from the drain--a crack. Our plumber agreed this was not good and ordered a new one.

Sink two arrives and before it goes in the "old" one comes out, only maybe it should have been checked over very carefully. Maybe I should have looked. But I didn't. I was out on the deck trying to stay out of it. I was reading peacefully when Mike came out and said, "You need to come have a look at the new sink," and I could tell by his tone of voice that things were not good.

This one was worse! There was what looked like a chip on the left front corner exposing the cast iron. No caulk would cover that one.

Remember now, the first sink was out in the truck already. Here's where our patience was tested. "No," we said, "You don't need to put the other one back in." But can't we have someone inspect the next sink to make sure it's not flawed.

I'll leave out the really interesting part where we call the plumber and set things up and miss phone calls and all that, but skip to Friday (four days later) when the third and final sink was installed. It's not perfect either, but it's perfect enough.

There were a couple of other glitches, too, after Mike triumphantly tore up the building permit (I think he tempted fate by doing that).

The building inspector decided only fifteen minutes after he left our house for what we thought was the last time that yeah, those two outlets in question need to be GFI outlets. We had to get Steve the electrician back for that.

But the glitch I love best was when the plumber used a hand cart to bring in sink number two instead of waiting for Mike to help him carry it (those cast iron sinks are HEAVY!!) and he nicked up the brand new stair metals. So, I had to call and ask them to pay for replacements. I hate doing stuff like that.

As of August 25, everything was done. It wasn't quite Thanksgiving, but it was close.

Is today the day?

The plumber came (about three hours later than we expected, but what's a remodel day without some stress, right?) and now the plumbing is done: sink, faucet (old one, but looks new), dishwasher, garbage disposal, toilet in half bath, sink and faucet in half bath.

Sorry there are no pictures yet, but soon.

There is some minor clean up to do, some putzy stuff, touch up paint in the half bath/laundry, and the sprayer leaks, so they're coming back to put a new one on (hopefully soon).

It looks great. It all works. And the days of washing dishes in a tiny bathroom sink are over.

I could almost cry. But no. I am too stoic for that.

Today is July 29, and we have lived without a real kitchen for 2 1/2 months. Today is the day we have it back.

Hallelujah!