Remodel Update

So exciting. The bathroom remodel is just about done and we can't wait to kick the boy out of our bathroom. He was very considerate and didn't really get in our way, but we're not used to sharing. The pictures show the new flooring (travertine), counters (tumbled marble), shower accent (travertine that matches both the floor and the counter backsplash), and paint (Broome by Ralph Lauren). Pat did all the plumbing last night so the sinks and toilet are back in service. I caulked the bathtub and sinks (still need to do the toilet). Only a few things left to do: towel bars and tp holder; hang the mirrors (yes, two); touch up the wood trim; caulk the toilet; install the shower curtain rod; and optionally, paint or antique the cabinets and install the knobs. That's it!! So, here are a few preliminary pictures:


You can see the new trim and the paint color in this picture.


Here are the new faucets and sinks and one of the mirrors. Not sure we want to leave the cabinets white.


You can see the floor here. The old floor was gray and pink linoleum Vast improvement.

Girls' Weekend

We tried to take a long walk every morning with a stop at the coffee shop. It was SO cold and windy we couldn't bring ourselves to go out on the last day. You can see the snow on Darla's back in this picture.


We each brought a project to work on. This is Darla's quilt. She cut and sewed the entire top. Judy finished a quilt top too and sewed binding on another. Rhonda finished a pair of socks she was knitting for her son and worked on the coolest Christmas stockings for the twins. Stephanie worked on a sweater for her grandson and I finished my first pair of toe-up socks.


This is what the weather looked like the entire weekend. What the heck...snow in April.


The socks.

In addition to our projects, we ate really, really well. Each of us was responsible for a meal. We had homemade scones, granola, and croque monsieur for our breakfasts. Dinners were spinach and cheese in croissant dough and chicken curry. Of course, girlie appetizers were plentiful as well.

On our last day we went into Bend and had a lovely birthday lunch at Chow. The food was terrific; we shared 5 entrees and dessert and our tab was only $60 including tip. Especially yummy was the chickpea and barley salad.

We also hit the BJs Quilt Basket and a great new quilt shop Sew Many Quilts. After lunch, we went to Juniper Fiberworks to play with the yarn. I found a several skeins I 'had' to have.

The Last Crossing - Guy Vanderhaeghe

Another great book selection from Sunriver Books and Music. This was March's book selection and is the story of three British brothers, two of them have been sent by their father to the U.S. to locate their missing sibling. Lots of character development, a little love story, adventure and some history. Really enjoyed it.

Race for the Roses

Half Marathon. 13.1 Miles. Surprisingly fun (except miles 10-12). Great Finish. Lovely breakfast at an old favorite, Zell's Cafe. (Gingerbread Waffle, avocado omelet & fantastic potatoes). All in all - a great day.

The Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

Another book I've started to read several times. It came highly recommended and was a quick, fun read. I'm not sure I would recommend it as great fiction, but the Scottish history is interesting. It was a little to much like a romance novel for me to really give it a thumbs up...maybe thumbs sideways?

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Classic book about the '20's. Goes to show that people are the same almost 100 years later.

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

Very interesting book about what causes something to become popular or 'epidemic'. I especially enjoyed the sections on teen smoking and Blues Clues.

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

I really wanted to like this book, but the author seemed way too depressed and worried all the time. I can not relate.

Grandmas

Portland Trailblazers vs. Wizards

On our way home from Sunriver, we made a stop at the Blazer Game. Must have been our good luck, they won!

Sunriver Weekend

We had a fantastic long weekend with Jill, Nathan, Bill and Darla. Of course the focus was eating, spending time outdoors and hanging out with each other.

A special treat was Easter lunch at McDonald's. No, not that McDonald's, our friends who live in Bend. They put on a fantastic spread of bouillabaisse, salad, vegies and dessert. We had a great time visiting with them and reconnecting with their kids and seeing the hoard of grandkids for the first time.

Monday was spent skiing/snowboarding. The weather was nice and the snow was great, except on Outback. For the first time, we packed a lunch. Must say our 'sack lunch' was far superior to the food offered at the Mountain.