The rock wall is no more! Just before the driveway was poured, we discussed possibly sharing a fence with our soon-to-be neighbor. Since they were just contemplating digging their foundation, he didn’t know how he wanted to manage it. But we were left with the problem of having the west side of our backyard several [...]
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[Sitting with mom, in the wee hours of the morning, guiltily watching the train wreck known as Toddlers & Tiaras.] Belinda (21): You know what’s scary about this? Mom: What? Belinda: These people can vote.
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[Looking up requirements for various Boy Scout merit badges online.] Samson (11): Mom, all of these require explaining. Mom: Yea. Samson: Well, I don’t really like explaining.
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[Overhearing the TV in the other room while studying.] Belinda (21): It’s not even 1:00 am. Why do they have psychic commercial on?
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Monica (14): Mom, who’s Eddy Murphy and Freddie Mac?
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Alana (18): Caleb, how tall are you? Caleb (8): Not telling. Alana: Seriously, Caleb, how tall are you? [pause] Caleb: Tall enough…to not use the stool in my bathroom and still get my toothbrush.
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[Riding home in the car from the family play-on-the-frozen-lake outing.] Caleb (8): When I burp after drinking soda, my nose steams up. [Gales of laughter from throughout the car.] Caleb: I’m serious!
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Recently I told you that after a year of living in the house, we finally got our mailbox finished. I simply posted to find a mason, and within a few days, it was being completed. Now, every time I back out of the driveway, I feel good. And so does Sam. For 12 months, approaching [...]
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Suffering isn’t ennobling, recovery is. Christiaan Baarnard sait that. He’s a medical doctor. I’m not. I don’t pretend to be one or even play one on TV. In fact, although I’m not some a anti-medicine fanatic, I have spent my life noticing the almost inherent arrogance of doctors who don’t seem to notice how very [...]
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A have a new friend and neighbor down the street named Kim. She lives in another custom home — her husband is a contractor. Her home is another version of the modern craftsman. When we were building and trying to decide on some of the subcontractors, she invited us over to look at some of [...]
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Alana (18): Caleb, get me a spoon. [Caleb (8) rolls his eyes.] Alana: Where did you learn to do that? Caleb: From yooooooou! Alana: Um. No. Caleb: Yeeeeees! I saw you do it. At the dinner table. At the Harmon’s house! [We rented Harmon's house when Caleb was six.]
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If you’re looking for a seriously modern punch for your custom home, think about adding a vessel sink or two. What is a vessel sink? It’s a free-standing sink that that is placed directly on top of a counter. They are most often used in bathrooms. Vessel sinks come in a wide variety of materials: [...]
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When I got married, in 1985, wedding rings were simple. Women got a yellow gold band with a big old diamond (usually round, maybe marquis) plunked in the middle. There might be a diamond or two (or four) added for embellishment on the side, perhaps channel set. Men got a relatively simple gold band. It [...]
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Our tile installer, as I’ve told you before, was fabulous to work with. We used lots of tile in the house, even though we have all cement flooring. We used tile for showers, tub surrounds, and back splashes. I’ve told you how much I love the glass tile in our kitchen. I found variegated subway [...]
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Alana (18): Mom, is it true that most college papers are eight to ten pages long? Mom: Sometimes. Some of my blog posts are that long. Alana: Yea, but they’re about things you like to write about! Like, “Hey, I hate cooking. Let’s talk about it.”
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A year after the completion of our home, we still have a couple of minor projects left undone. One of those is completing our custom mailbox enclosure. The physical enclose was finished last fall, the mailbox securely embedded in the weatherproof material. But the cultured stone and cement number block are still waiting to be [...]
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When we moved from Florida to Utah, we had the grand idea that we were going to be gentleman farmers. We had purchased five acres of land with animal rights and were getting ready to make our way on our ranchette. We planned for horses, mini-cows, chickens, and goats. We’d also have a large vegetable [...]
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I realize I stil haven’t completed my final post on the landscape. With the end of summer and the cooler weather closing in, we’re trying to wrap up all the final issues, replace plants that didn’t survive the year (or the deer!) and get everything ready to sleep for the winter. We love the yard [...]
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Chaotic surroundings are stressful. Ordered surroundings allow peace, creativity, and all manner of good stuff to flow. For years I’ve collected brochures showing fabulous garage storage systems and steel storage cabinets. Although I don’t spend much time in the garage, my penchant for organizing means that I’d love to step out of the car to [...]
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A brand new home often calls for brand new furniture. Your new home will have it’s own color palette, new room sizes and configurations, and different purposes. The furniture should match the new rooms. Yesterday I had a couple of friends over and they asked where I got the latest additions to our slowly-but-surely-furnishing-the-home collection. [...]
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