Time for a cup of lemonade!

by the Artist

The other day the Carpenter came home after work and told me a sweet story. He had visited a little lemonade stand that had been set up across the street from one of our projects. Two adorable little sister girls were manning the table. Of course the Carpenter bought a cup and gave them a generous tip. 

Anyway he went back to the job site and happened to look up and see a group of boys biking onto the street. He heard them say.. "Hey a lemonade stand! Let's take it!". (I go right to the bully scenes in a Christmas story.) The Carpenter headed back over to the girls and made sure the boys left them alone. He asked the little girls if they knew the boys, and if they were mean to them and they said yes. He said "well if you have any more trouble come get me or better yet... go get your Mom!" The boys left without a sip of lemonade.

Now how can you not trust a Carpenter who defends little sister girls at a lemonade stand from a pack of bully boys on bikes? I think he will more then care for your project. And he also wouldn't mind a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day if you have one!

PA or Bust!

by the Artist

My Mother's vintage rose bush. Was from my great grandmother's bush. Beautiful blush.

I've been away. The Carpenter had to take care of business, home and puppy duties on his own. While I spent two weeks in Pennsylvania helping my Dad transition into life without my Mom– who passed last July. What I anticipated being two weeks of clearing out clothes, light organizing and throwing expired items out of the frig.. ended up being two weeks of dealing with my Dad's mounting health concerns.

I had a crash course in senior issues. 

Doctor visits, scans, PT, senior community housing tours and looking into when long term care insurance could be activated occupied my days. It broke my heart to see my 6'3" executive father in a weakened state. And harder yet to see my sister struggle to handle all the crisis' as the "first responder". (she lives near by)

We had a nurse visit the last day I was there to do an evaluation on my Dad and his home. She just shuddered at how dangerous his home is. No light for the stairwell to the second floor! area rugs, narrow crowded pathways and a large step-in tub. Not to mention the beautiful 3 acre property is a landmine of tree roots and uneven ground. What made this home so beautiful is now a hazard to my father.

He wants to stay there.. not sure how that will shake out. In the meantime we need to make the house as safe as possible. Lighting for the second floor staircase, a lift chair for both staircases (one for the basement), clearing furniture clutter, somehow simplifying his complicated lifestyle.. he's always loved antiques, feeding the birds and working in the yard.

It's gonna be a huge job. A bigger change. But one that is doable if done with sensitivity and firm positive steps.

Hopefully my Dad can stay where he lives for the foreseeable future. He will be able to continue enjoying the birds, deer and turkeys and putter around. If we can make his environment safe, and get him the in-home care that he will need.

One thing I noticed about the house. It has lost its heart. My Mother was the heart of the home. She had a lovely warm decor style and a soft presence. I always looked forward to her big smile when I arrived from Minnesota. She was always so happy to see me. And she never complained about anything. Never made me feel guilty for living so far away. I missed her terribly this visit.

I'm sure I will be heading back to PA sooner then later. It's hard being 1200 miles away. I wish I could bring the Carpenter along in my suitcase to help. And maybe the snack manager to brighten the day with her antics!

"Noticer"

by the Artist

"In every nook, I find little things that tell me about her. She was a noticer... for all the shelves are lined with shells, bird feathers, dried sea grasses, pebbles, eggshells. They're just bits that were lying on the ground, that anyone else would step over or on, but she saw that they were beautiful and brought them home."

---

I am currently reading a book and these words jumped out at me. I haven't heard that term "noticer" before but it resonates with me. I'm a "noticer". I have collections too of bits of egg shells, feathers, a piece of birch bark. I walked last week up in Brainerd on a nature trail. I kept my eyes on the ground constantly looking. I'd rather take a photo of a detail of nature then of a human. It's just how I'm made. 

The Carpenter is a "noticer" too. Nothing gets by him. He notices when something is ever so slightly out of level, when there is a small gap, when something doesn't quite line up. He notices subtle variations in matching stain hues. After so many years..he just knows and can "see". And if he notices he makes sure it is fixed. Nothing is going to change that. Our lead carpenter Adam who is in his 10th year with us notices now too. Our standards are high. I've said that before. It's not gonna change.

So if you want your project done right, even in the "unseen" areas.. you probably want to give us a shout. We'd be happy to be a "noticer" for you.

Quote:  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

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Carrying on.

by the Artist

Training our hearts out. That's how it feels these days with our latest hire.. Mazie. She is full of life and sass. We haven't gotten to "how to manage snacks" portion of the job yet (right now she's exploring counter cruising). Still covering the basics. We are looking forward to starting a puppy class this Thursday night. We just know she will be the smartest dog in the class! ;)

The Carpenter and crew just finished up the Birchwood Renovation Project https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/birchwood-renovation/ and The Lecuyer Project https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/the-lecuyer-project/. It was nice to work with two different architectural styles. It is always so satisfying to complete a project where the homeowners are thrilled with their new spaces. We are now full steam ahead on the Floral Project building a third garage, and adding a front porch entrance to update a rambler.

The Carpenter is meeting weekly with potential customers on a variety of projects. (we are booking into spring but still have room in our schedule for you!) He continues to manage the projects, pick up supplies and just generally be there for homeowner or crew's project concerns or questions. He is so busy he doesn't have time to write a post these days for this blog. What can I say? 

Carrying on.

Mazie's first adventure

by the Artist

It's been a hectic 5 weeks since Mazie Grace came into our lives. She hasn't started snack management training yet.. is still learning the do's and don'ts of civilized proper behavior for a lady. They say that manners have gone out of style.. well that won't be the case for Miss Mazie. She will have a lot of responsibilities and will need to know how to behave in different situations. 

We are on the home stretch for the Lecuyer Project (head to this link to see photos of this project) https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/in-progress/. I decided that it was time to introduce Mazie to a job site. Training started when she entered the crate in the car. It was an eventful trip. She is prone to car sickness. Both ends. She is amazing. ;O

Anyway it was great to see the job in person. The woodworking trim details are beautiful. The marble subway tile is the perfect compliment to the white, gray and tan color scheme. I can't wait to see the finished project. I met the homeowner and he couldn't be happier.

So here's to finishing strong this week. And for another excellent job done. And for puppies learning how to ride nicely in a car!

Heart grain.

by the Artist

Today I remembered a small wood heart box the Carpenter made for me when we were dating many years ago for Valentine's Day. I have had it out of sight for a long time. And to be truthful.. at the time I didn't think much about it. I was young and wasn't wise enough to appreciate sweet simple "heartfelt gifts" that were handmade. I was more impressed with getting a diamond, flowers and or something really impressive. Gosh I was shallow. 

I now value life differently then when I was young. Well I guess that just goes with the territory. I used to want a large home, I wanted to live in downtown White Bear Lake, I wanted a screened porch (well I still would like that). I wanted new cars and an abundance of in style clothes. A boat and later a nice camper. I could go on as I'm sure you could too.

Today I am valuing my little heart box. I'm thinking about the care and thought that a high school kid put into it. And now looking back.. if I had looked hard enough I would have seen the man the Carpenter was going to be. His good heart, his creativty, his integrity, his values and thoughtfulness. It was all for display in that little wooden heart box.

I found the box and opened it today. I didn't remember I had stored so many memories of my childhood there. My childhood dog Schultzie's tag, my 8th Grade Good Citizenship Award, my Girl Scout ring and pins, a wooden nickel, my childhood heart locket, my first pair of pieced earrings that look like lady bugs, a miniature bottle with sailboat in it from my Grandfather and a New Jersey state charm. I am not a sentimental person but looking through the contents made me positively mushy.

I realized it's never too late to start valuing the simple things in life. That homemade gift. A modest little home. Maybe it isn't the grandest nor does it have the latest sought after features.. it does hold your life and your memories. It does have value. And it does show its potential if you look hard enough. 

So heres to a little wooden heart box, and the little treasures its been keeping for me all these years. And to that high school carpenter who created from his heart. 

I do appreciate you.

Mazie.

by the Artist

We have finally filled our Snack Manager position! Introducing Amazing Grace. We are calling her Mazie. She has big paws to fill. Our Grace was a sweetheart in all ways. And she did her job well! So it has taken some time to find the right candidate for the position. Our standards are high. 

This past Saturday we drove into the country (where all dog breeders seem to live) and picked her out of a squirming loud box of white! It wasn't easy. Another buyer was there picking up his pup and we were left to fend for ourselves. We knew we only had two female pups to choose from... and it was a challenge picking out a female that was not already chosen from the wiggly loud group.

I picked Gracie 13 years ago. This time the Carpenter picked Mazie. He just knew. I didn't know. I was actually kind of overwhelmed. How to pick another docile dog? And I knew the work ahead and the lifestyle change, and that shadowed my day.

And really how on earth do you know what temperament you are getting?

We thought she was docile and quiet. Well she was docile and quiet (probably terrified!) and sick on the way home. Yep.. twice.

And did I say she was quiet? Well.. that was for the car ride only. She is loud, knows her bark, uses her bark. She is sassy, spunky, smart, fearless and adorable. She is not docile. gulp. The Carpenter has already given this 7 week old pup two nick names. "Dora the Explorer" and "Mazie-a-go-go". The first night home she crawled under one of the work trailers and came out with a black smudge of grease on her face! Yep she's gonna fit right in.

It's a new day around here. We look forward to happy years with this pup. And proper snack management!

Mixed just right.

by the Artist

The Carpenter stopped back at the shop mid morning. There are days like yesterday where he leaves at 7:30 and doesn't reappear until 7:30 or later pm. So it was worth stopping what I was doing to make the most of this unexpected appearance.

I walked into the shop and asked what he was home for. He said.. "mix stain". I ran and got my phone to capture the moment (I'm always on the look out anything interesting to share).

I have never paid much attention to how he mixes stain. He's been doing it for 30+ years. He can match any existing stain or create a custom color. It's just instinct for him now. 

As I held my phone steady it hit me that he is really a stain "mixologist". A stain "bartender". He had those confident movements all the way down to the "shake". Pretty impressive. And as you will see he didn't waste a single bit of stain. Head to Facebook to see the January 18, 2017 video! https://www.facebook.com/ApplewoodINC/

So here's to our resident "stain master", "mixologist" and "bartender".

He'd be happy to mix up just the right color for you!

Full.

by the Artist

Another week is upon us. Every Sunday the Carpenter and I sit down after brunch and plan the crew's schedule. Well the Carpenter lays it out, I write and email. It's a practice I initiated after leaving my office job. All those Monday AM kick off the week meetings! Even though we don't sit in cubbies and work in different locations.. it's been a good thing. The crew knows the work load, goals and expectations for the week. It gives the Carpenter an opportunity to pause and gather his thoughts. Even though the plans always change as the week progresses.. at least we all start out on the same page. Or should I say.. the same side of a 2 X 4!

We have pretty much completed our Jay St Project which was a rather large interior remodel- bath, new floor warming system, heating system etc. It was the project of technical details.

The crew is bouncing between our Wacouta Condo Project and our Lecuyer Project. I'm particularly excited to see the finished Lecuyer Project (you can see this project photos by clicking here https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/in-progress/) because we are collaborating with Fluidesign Studio http://www.fluidesignstudio.com/on this kitchen remodel. 

I've been enjoying some side design projects. Just completed a dear friend's wedding decor. She and her husband were married at the Scandia GammelGarden http://www.gammelgardenmuseum.org/ in a historic vintage church by candlelight! It was so beautiful but very cold as the church did not have heat! I have a new appreciation for the early settlers of Minnesota!

I've also been continuing to sell our "Painted Apples" which has been surprisingly enjoyable as each piece goes home with someone who is excited to have it!

So we're off to a full 2017. Hopefully we will be too busy to notice the cold!

Egg bake and skating.

by the Artist

We had a whirlwind Christmas. Highs, lows, and in between. I'm sure like most people if you were to admit it. We decided to have a relaxing day today, build a fire in the wood stove, have brunch and open a few gifts from my family and friends from out east.

So much for plans! The Carpenter woke up to an email this morning that our fresh excavation for a garage addition had nicely filled up with water, following a day of unusual Christmas rain. And now it was turning into a skating rink. Albeit a skating rink you'd have to climb down a ladder to use.

I was busy preparing an "Egg Bake" for our relaxing day. (I have heard that egg bakes are a Minnesota deal.. and I'd never successfully made one... or a hot dish either! Not in this New Jersey girl's genes I guess). Anyway.. I know the Carpenter and I know he would not be able to enjoy my lovely egg bake (fingers crossed) knowing he had work to do. So I said.. "hey just go. We will eat when you get home." Along with... "do you have hip waders"... no he said. I have some rubber boots that go below my knees. I said... well what if the water is higher then your boots?. He said.. well then the water will go in my boots". sigh. (my sigh)

Off he drove with ladder and pump and I placed the raw egg bake in the frig.

And now I wait. And have time to share this story. And why am I sharing it other then because I have the time to... and I need to distract myself because I'm so hungry... is because this is the guy that would be in charge of your project. He's there. For whatever happens. Even the morning after Christmas on a now blustery cold winter day. In his short boots, with a pump and one ladder. Oh and also because we keep it real here.

Hurry home Mr Carpenter... the coffees hot and hopefully the egg bake is edible.