Bits of apple.

by the Artist

I've been thinking about interesting things to write about. I have bits of this and that in my head that might be something to post. There is so much going on.. how to narrow down to share? As this humid summer winds down our life speeds up. I will share the "bits". Because the bits add up to a whole don't they? Or shouldn't they? Shouldn't all our bits of time add up to some greater purpose? I'd like to think so.

We took a short trip to White Fish Bay (outside of Milwaukee) to visit a cousin of mine whom I hadn't seen in 17 years, a couple of weeks ago. We only live 5 hours apart. It was amazing to see him after so long. I used to babysit him and his brother. Now he has his own child. He lives in this amazing historical home. I appreciated every nook and cranny. 

After our visit we traveled up the Wisconsin "coast" of Lake Michigan. We ended up in the town of Port Washington. We had so much fun. That lake is amazingly blue. We walked way out over a very scary skinny concrete pier to a light house. I felt woozy as the waves crashed against the rocks on either side. But it was worth it.

We ended our day at the Green Bay Packers stadium. The Carpenter was awestruck. And he is not a Packer's fan. The funniest thing.. we saw a wedding party exit the bar. The same wedding party we saw at a gazebo getting married in Port Washington.

A recent Sunday we visited my friend (who has started a granola business- ohyumgranola.com) at Linden Hills Farmers' Market where she was selling her wares. It was a beautiful day. It's just the right size market. We then headed to a fancy bakery and enjoyed some fabulous quiche. Yes carpenters do eat quiche! 

This past weekend involved some Applewood work. We drove to a spot near the St Croix river to preview a potential project. I go along when there is possible redesign. As we drove out into the country the Carpenter commented about the yellowing corn. He said "oh I hate seeing that". It means the "old man" is just around the corner. Winter. He hates winter. So much more headaches at project sites. At the house I found a mug from Big Bear Lake, California sitting on the counter. A good friend moved here years ago from Big Bear. The homeowner who isn't living in the home yet doesn't know where the mug came from. Kind of small world. 

The Carpenter is extremely busy with preparing multiple bids. We are scheduling work into November. He has also been meeting with potential new crew members. Our fall is looking bountiful for many reasons. 

Where to start...

by the Carpenter

I think this has been my longest writing dry spell….

Not sure where to start.

Through mid winter to early summer we were at the Modern Farm house project. The Artist has kept you in touch with all of that. We are moving on to new things. I do already miss the interaction we had on a daily basis with the family. It was a good job and hopefully more will be generated from it. Loved working on the beach of in my opinion the most beautiful lake in the Twin Cities.

Onward and upward as they say.

Our next projects are not as large as the last, but just the same, work is work. It does not matter what the projects are, we put the same effort forth every time. That’s what I have tried to instill into the crew for a long time. It doesn’t matter what the job or who the customer is, it’s the most important job and the most important customer. Period! We may not always be able to start your project at the time we discussed in the beginning planning stages, but that’s because we always finish strong to end a job right. That means when we are finishing your job, we are not pulling off just to start something else. We will finish strong.

A couple of other things have taken our time of late also. The Artist's mom passed away on July 5th. Somewhat of a surprise, somewhat not. I know she has talked about this in other posts so I won't repeat what has already been said. I do however want to honor her in my own way. It has been difficult for over 36 years to have a relationship with my in-laws at 1200 miles away. Distance does make a huge difference. A lot of guys would say it would be great to be that far away from their mother-in-law.

I never thought that.

Her and I always had a connection. Now I didn’t get out to PA a lot over the years. 10-12 times maybe since 1980, but it didn’t matter. I always got a big smile, some with tears, always a big hug and always, always a cheerful “how are you”? She really wanted to know. It wasn’t a veiled question just to ask. She really wanted to know how I was. I always appreciated that about her.

She introduced me to iced coffee with heavy cream and sugar. The best drink in the world. A couple weeks ago I made some for myself. I found myself in mid stir, getting emotional thinking about her, realizing that with all that has been going on in our lives, I never really grieved for her, really still haven’t. I’m sure it will happen.

She introduced me to New Hampshire. We were able to get there twice over the years. That was her teen, and adult years vacation land. She was thrilled each time we got there. The "Man on the Mountain", "Polly’s Pancake House", "Rattlesnake Mountain", "On Golden Pond" (Squam Lake), and my first hurricane. Memories that have become even more important now that she is gone.

She introduced me to miniature schnauzers…enough said!

She wasn’t a smoochie touchy feely type of person, but you knew she loved you. You knew by her smile, her greeting, her meals she made for you. Her concern for when you worked long hours, her willingness to mold herself to know what interested you and learn about it. She liked to be your cheerleader.

I regret not being out there for over 3 years before she died. I am thankful that I was out there 3 years ago to spend Thanksgiving with her while she was able to enjoy us as much as we enjoyed being there.

Mom, you are missed. Thank you for all you meant to me. The cool thing is, we will meet again. See you then!

 

 

 

, ,

Between.

, ,

by the Artist

We are in the between time. Just wrapped up the Modern Farmhouse Project. Starting a couple new projects. And in between we take care of the little jobs that have been on the wait list as we gear up and get into the groove with the new projects. 

It all works out. A balancing act for sure. This week as the Carpenter and I looked at the white board to schedule out the week.. I had to write a bunch of question marks. Between times don't go in a straight line. They are fluid. We have to be flexible. Rather.. I have to be flexible. I like plans and orderliness. I'm not good with changing plans or not even making a plan. No. Not for me.

I did take the time yesterday to head over to our completed Modern Farmhouse Project http://www.applewoodremodelers.com/recent-projects/ to take some final photos. Wow. I hadn't been there in awhile. Seeing it totally finished was amazing. What a contrast from what it used to look like. It must feel like living in a brand new house to the homeowners. It would feel that way to me. 

Here are some photos I captured yesterday. The house really turned out lovely. So simple and sleek. So fresh. I think you will agree. I've also attached some "before" photos just so you can see how transformed the house is!

The abundance of now.

by the Artist

I looked out my window and saw a profusion of beautiful Black Eyed Susans that have taken over an old garden. The bluest of blue overhead. The air warm but not wet. A light breeze cooling. It hit me... I am only guaranteed "abundance in this moment". 

We've had a different sort of summer. Our vacation did not turn out as planned. I had spent the winter months planning how I was going to fix up our newest RV. (the playhouse I always wanted as a child I finally got). I set money aside, I had fun outfitting the camper. I just couldn't wait to leave for our very first two week vacation by our favorite lake. Then my mother died and the Carpenter needed surgery. 

With the events of this summer I've been feeling the frailty of life. And it is giving me some anxiety. I normally have a certain amount if I am to be honest. And having your own business adds to that. The Carpenter is much better at being self-employed then me. He handles the highs and lows very well. Me not so much. Oh yeah I said that already.

I walk a fine line on this blog between being transparent about our build life and being positive about our business at the same time. It is a balance. I want to be real. I want to share this crazy adventure. On one hand I can say... we need more work. On the other hand I can say.. we have so much work we need to hire. This isn't for the faint of heart.


But today's epiphany made me realize that all I can do is be in this moment of abundance. It is all I have. We can strive for an abundant tomorrow, a worry free future.. but that isn't realistic. There are just too many things out of our control. 

But I'm beginning to realize that, that is okay. All we have is right now. The future will work itself out. I know that. 

Unexpected.

By the Artist

On the road.

It’s been a busy summer. The Modern Farmhouse project is wrapped up. You can see photos of this project on the link here. http://www.applewoodremodelers.com/recent-projects/

Three weeks ago along with the crazy of finishing up project details.. my mother died. She had been sick for a very long time. It wasn’t expected but it was. Knowing she is no longer suffering helps just a little.

We headed to PA for the Memorial service and to see my family for a brief visit. The Carpenter isn’t fond of flying so we drove. Twenty one hours one way. Kind of intimidating to contemplate. It took us two days to get to my parent’s house. We had a good road trip all things considered.

One thing when you drive.. you see things you would never see if you flew. Little slices of America. Troops of boy scouts on an adventure, two deer running through a cornfield, their coats catching the last golden rays of sunset, a woman riding her horse on early on a Sunday morning, two fawns on a hillside, old barns, a caravan of kids on a missions trip… their cars colorfully lettered… “honk for Jesus”.. we honked like crazy. Some beautiful dogs (of course the Carpenter had to stop to pet the dogs and speak with the owners)… a black English lab with a curly coat named “Curly” and an English Cream Retriever called “Sam”. Another lab on the road trip of his life.. traveling from California to the east coast before setting sail for Paris with his owners.

I was impressed with how many Americans are out there on a road trip. You see the long lines at the airport on the news. You don’t see the busy service areas along the turnpikes. It really was heart warming to see all the families.

The Carpenter commented that all you need to do is smile and say hi and conversations start. He met a guy at one of the hotels where we stayed. When he found out the Carpenter had a construction company he said.. ”hey I’ve been looking for someone to remodel my kitchen”. The Carpenter said… “well that would be nice but you live in Cleveland and I live in White Bear Lake!”.

We arrived back in Minnesota just in time to head out for our annual July camping trip. We were exhausted and very ready for a few days of rest and relaxation. Well we had to cut our vacation short as the Carpenter ended up in the hospital with a serious staph infection. The cause? A stubbed toe and the perfect storm of circumstances that allowed the staph to grow and attack. Sad to say he lost a toe in the deal. He’s had a very wonderful attitude about the whole ordeal. 

The good of this situation is that it has forced him to project manage and meet with customers only, while he recuperates. And this will become his new "normal" after he has healed. It is a very very good thing. I have wanted this for a long time. And now he is finally ready to let go of doing the actual work. I'm sure he will write about this change in his life soon.

Since being home from the hospital.. our crew has managed well. I am encouraged and I think the Carpenter is too. He's able to drive so is getting to the project sites as needed. 

So this is why we have been absent lately from this blog and Facebook. The month of July was a bit of a bust for us. But we are looking forward to a fall of new beginnings, plenty of work and letting this eventful difficult summer pass. Hopefully we can head to our favorite camping spot when the leaves start to change. We will look forward to that!

And we look forward to working with you! 

Second Act.

by the Artist

It's gonna be good!

We're on the home stretch at the Modern Farmhouse Project. When I look back at the start of the project it was bitter cold. The crew had to clear the snow to work. Seems like a long time ago as I sit here feeling the warm breeze coming in through the window. It is hard to imagine how winter could be so cold and how a home could look so different in really a short space of time. The cold and white is gone, and so is the old stucco, the old windows, two old fireplaces, old lighting, old hip roof details, and old rot. Along with warm breezes has come new windows and doors, a revamped roof silhouette, lighting, a more spacious kitchen (with the demise of an old gas fireplace) and more expansive views of the lake. And of course a lot of internal "new" that won't ever be seen but has made the house solid and energy efficient for years to come.

It has been a long process, but with perspective so much has been accomplished. It's kind of like being in intermission waiting for the curtain to go up. It will be well worth the wait!

North.

by the Artist

Sweet nibble 1

Sweet nibble 1

North.. isn't that where little polar bears live?

Yesterday the Carpenter picked me up and we headed to our first "interview" for the Snack Manager open position. Well it wasn't exactly an interview to pick a candidate, but to meet the nice people from where our next snack manager might herald from.

We traveled north of the Twin Cities to a town called Bruno. Bruno? Bruno Mars? I had never heard of Bruno. Along the way we passed a town called Askov. I recognized that because of the store that is in Minneapolis - Askovfinlayson. As we traveled I saw a group of white horses in a wooded area. White horses! We finally arrived to "Welcome Home Labs" http://www.welcomehomelabs.com/ where homes are identified by "fire numbers"! Not house numbers! We were in the country!

Our arrival was observed by three "light yellow" (the type our Gracie was) labs calmly peeking through their fencing. They just watched. No one uttered a bark. We had a great visit with the breeders. They were very informative and friendly. The Carpenter found out the husband had also been a contractor. We appreciated how much care they put into their labs. I'm sure they were "interviewing us" to see if we would be good owners for one of their precious pups. 

We were just on a "meet and greet" mission. We held some adorable "cute nibbles" as my sister called them... and met some adult labs. It was fun. We left without a pup. As planned. As the rain pounded down. The afternoon was a nice diversion from our usual Applewood routine. We got to relax, hold some pups and just get away. We stopped at a popular local area restaurant Tobies (where I had a not so good meal- my typical restaurant luck but I did buy a couple of their famous sticky buns!) then headed on our way. As we sat there I said to the Carpenter.. "it's so weird to be out sitting across a table from you.. not working". He agreed. We need to remedy that!

We hope to have the position filled in the fall.

Stay tuned!

Sweet nibble 2

Sweet nibble 2

Updating is updating.

by the Artist

Whether it is a house or an RV.

How was your Memorial Weekend 2016? Did you go to the beach? A lake? A picnic table? We stayed home at Applewood Headquarters. It was a good weekend to work on the camper we acquired last fall. It's not brand new and between a damaged floor, and some pesky details I felt it needed some updating.

I saved up over the winter. We had enough on Saturday to head to our local area Menards Home Improvement store. We spent at least half of what I had saved- man that went fast. Here's a list of what is being updated:

1. Replace flooring. It was vinyl and had split out from each heat vent located in the floor. The Carpenter picked a vinyl wood floating floor system. It has some color variation in it and looks nice with the existing cabinetry and trim. We hope it holds up to extreme temps of winter and summer storage. I always say camping in a hard sided camper is like camping in an "Easy Bake Oven". (for those of you who remember those!) 

2. Replace bathroom door. The bath is tiny. This camper is triple the size of our old one.. but the bath didn't gain any footage. I asked the Carpenter if he could put a "slider" in to expand this tiny space out but he just looked at me like I had lost my marbles. Maybe a full view glass door to make the space appear larger? Kidding. I'm settling for a new wood no view door. The existing one is a very plain flat door in the same material as the walls.. RV ugly fake wood. The Carpenter ordered a 24" wide raised paneled door. (yes those are available!) It will now match the cabinets and add some architectural detail to that area.

3. Replace kitchen faucet. Replace faucet with pull out sprayer. Will be easier to keep the sink clean and do dishes without using a ton of water. Always mindful of that "gray" water tank!

4. Replace bath sink faucet. Existing one is plastic! (even my old camper had a metal faucet!). It's just beyond ugly.

5. Replace mini blinds. In bedroom and kitchen window with pleated shades to match the rest of the camper windows. (why they weren't all the same style shade I will never know) I found a great sale on-line for 45% off. Can't match exactly so am going with a darker shade. Design rule: if you can't match exactly.. don't come close. Go at least two shades darker... or lighter.

6. Add towel rods. I know men design RV's. Minimal closet space (for clothes or vacuum cleaners) (In our case no "broom type" closet) and no place to hang wet towels! We added one on the back of the bath door and one will go on the bedroom wall. Out of sight. The best I can do if hanging between trees isn't an option!

7. Switch cabinet door orientation. We have a "5th Wheel" style camper. In this particular model you can not stand up in the bedroom area. (this calls for a certain level of flexibility) To access the tiny side closets and the overhead bed storage compartments, you have to sit on the bed. Currently they swing in towards your face! (no comment). The Carpenter will switch the hinges so they swing outwards away from my face. nice.

8. Replace lighting fixture over table. This might not happen for awhile. Current lighting is a small overhead light. I envision a small pendant that hangs down over the table. Like a mini chandelier. Mini RV chandeliers or pendents don't exactly exist. We would need to convert a standard house pendant to a 12 volt deal. That's going to take some significant persuading.

It took the Carpenter all day on Memorial Day to put in the floor. It was a lot of measuring and fuss. The camper toilet had to come out. The space was cramped. Super cramped. He thinks he cracked a rib in the process. :O It does look nice!

Now for the fun part. Shopping to provision this camper. Our goal is to have a fully stocked kitchen (except for food), bedding ready, towels in. All we will have to do is grab some food and some clothes and we're off for a relaxing weekend!

I will also enjoy purchasing a ottoman for storage (and also to make the sofa more comfortable), outside rug (a must to keep sand at bay), decorative pillows, table lamp, la la la la la. My RV's are the play houses I always wanted but never had as a child.

And now "tiny" houses are the rage! We have our very own 25' tiny house on wheels! The world is our apple to bite and enjoy! 

PS And to be honest.. resale is always in the back of my mind. We sold our very old, very small "5th Wheel" RV in about 24 hours. I had updated simply (no floor replacement) and I staged it for Craig's list. We had a bid war. I wrote a post about that experience. https://andrea-olson-x9a6.squarespace.com/config#/pages/555e5b3ae4b097314db44ed9|/carpenterandtheartist-blog/2015/8/26/goodbye-little-camper I look forward to doing that again. (But don't tell the Carpenter that... he can hardly breathe as it is right now!)

 

 

Met the goal!

by the Artist

Today. The Carpenter and crew has been focused all week on achieving what seemed like an unattainable goal. Get windows/patio door on the lake side of our Modern Farmhouse Project installed in time for Memorial Day weekend. It wasn't a planned goal. It was a hopeful goal from the homeowner.

The Carpenter knew the challenges that would need to be overcome to achieve this goal. It was lofty. The weather was a player. Painting the interior side of the windows would need to be completed. The living room window roof detail would need to be built. The exterior walls would need to be finished and wrapped. I know I'm missing some items but it is what I'm remembering.

The Carpenter was tense. He was focused. And serious. He wasn't home much. Physically or mentally. He and the crew were "all in". The Carpenter even had to cancel a doctor appointment because it landed exactly when he needed to be on site.

Today. The windows are in! The crew and weather and the determination of the Carpenter made it happen. I wasn't sure it was going to happen. It rained. Yet the rain let up today long enough for the crew to tarp the area and they prevailed.

I drove over to take some photos and view the beautiful windows in place. I remembered back to all the planning meetings. The time spent measuring and remeasuring, and marking placement inside with tape on a bitter cold Saturday in January. I remembered the hours spent removing window hardware, keeping it organized, masking for hours, priming, sanding, painting. Hours of prep in the cabinet shop. It truly was a group effort. 

I'm sure right about now the homeowners are so happy to be looking out at the lake through beautiful glass! (in fact as I'm writing this the sun is coming out!) They spent three weeks (I think it was) looking at temporary plywood walls. They were living in a cave. That might be okay in the dead of winter... but I'm sure almost unbearable in the glorious spring!

So here's to our crew and a very tired Carpenter! My hat's off to you. Job well done.

 

Post sale.

by the Artist

I just walked out to the cabinet shop. The Carpenter and one of our guys is masking windows to paint for our Modern Farmhouse Project. This is phase two of "get those windows painted!". Unfortunately Marvin Windows does not factory paint any color but white. We need black. I don't understand why a company that large would not be set up to paint at least a few popular colors. 

It is labor intensive to prep to paint. All the hardware must be removed and kept carefully together. The actual painting doesn't take long. It's the prep that kills you.

And speaking of prep. We have just come off of our first "A Painted Apple" sale. It was an extraordinary amount of prep. It consumed me for many weeks. I had some friends and family help. One friend came last week a couple of days and gave it her all. Her support and her dog Dudley helped lighten the load. 

The start of the sale day was overwhelming. I consider myself to be an organized person. I wasn't organized enough. But it was the best I could do. I gave it my all. I have never even had a garage sale. I did not know what I was attempting to do. The Carpenter came through big time for me with all the painting he did. The sale would not have happened without his help. I'd still be out in the shop chasing drips!

I said I did not know what I was attempting to do. I thought you could put a bunch of colorful furniture out on your driveway and it would be snatched up! People would be coming in droves. I'm not sure where the people were. Maybe it was a too beautiful outside. I saw many boats and campers drive by. Here in Minnesota on a gorgeous spring day Minnesotans play hard. I didn't get enough signage out. Maybe my prices were too high. Maybe I didn't have enough balloons. And there's another story.. my first time ever buying balloons! I had no idea balloons were so popular. And scary to get to the car.

The best part of the day.. a couple of neighbors stopped by. One we had never met before and one we haven't seen in awhile. It was good to connect. We live on big properties where it's easy to never see a neighbor. A dear older couple we have done work for stopped by and bought a piece! Also I followed through on what I started. I finished. I painted, distressed and waxed through that pile of furniture that had been sitting out in the shop for three years. I did not quit. Hooray for me! Maybe someone can bring me a balloon to celebrate.. ;)

So now what? We regroup, and gather our thoughts. I'm going to put some of my favorite pieces on "The Painted Apple" page on this website to sell locally. And I'm going to learn from this experience. And get some sleep. yep.. that sounds like a good plan.