Friends and Philly

No truer sign that spring is here than to see the Robins in my backyard.  They have been much more frequent lately, and that's just fine with me.  Today, the winds are strong and the temps have dropped back to the normal 50's for this time of year.  But last Friday's temp of 82 was awesome!

And speaking of awesome, my presence for jury duty was not required last Thursday!  Sweet!  With my DIY project behind me and no jury duty, I was able to prepare for some special guests this past weekend.

Two friends, 

Kate of Chronicles of a Country Girl and Daryl of Out and About in New York City,

traveled to Philly and we didn't waste a moment once they arrived.

We headed down to the Italian Market since it was an area none of us had explored.  

It did not disappoint. 

Even being a cold and rainy day, we had no problem finding things to capture our interest.  

Of course, I enjoyed capturing Kate & Daryl (and some young man's butt .... ha!).

Later, we happened upon Queen Village, 

one of the city's oldest residential neighborhoods ....

 and I continued capturing Kate and Daryl!

While there, we happened upon Mable, an English Bulldog, 

who was very delighted to have her photo taken.  

Isn't she just adorable!

Soon we were ready to leave the village and head towards 

Penn's Landing.

With the weather a bit nasty, we decided to take a break and have some tea on the Moshulu, one of Philly's finest restaurants.  She's a beautiful boat and here's a bit of her history from her website should you be interested:

"Since the launching of the Moshulu (pronounced Mo-shoe'-loo) in 1904, she has had a long and exciting career on the seas working the ports of Europe, South America, Australia, America and Africa. She was confiscated by the Americans in one war and by the Germans in the next. She has traveled around Cape Horn 54 times. She has hauled coal and coke, copper ore and nitrate, lumber and grain. In lesser days, she has served as a floating warehouse. In grander days, she won the last great grain race in 1939. Today, the Moshulu is the world’s largest four-masted sailing ship still afloat."

Just to give you an idea of how windy and nasty the weather was, 

we captured this window reflection of ourselves.  

Like our comb overs?!

Come Sunday, we had brunch down in Manayunk at Bourbon Blue and strolled around bit.  

When leaving, I captured these two walking by.  

Look at that pup's long face .... 

he didn't get a pit stop at that post!

~sigh~

Later that afternoon, Kate and Daryl headed home.

It was a great weekend to share with friends.

 

AND  

I got to take lots of pics, 

something that I had been missing

over the last two weeks due to that DIY project.

: : :

Hoping life gets back to being a bit more normal now

and I can make my visits more regular.

Hope your week is getting off to a great start!

(Oh, in case you're interested, all of these shots were edited in

Dynamic Light.)

Later friends,

My name is Reena and I'm a rehab addict

I thought I'd start this post off with something pretty like the view across my yard this morning.  Because what follows isn't all that pretty.

As promised, I said I would share with you my DIY home project but before I jump right into that, I should let you know I love construction. I love watching shows like Renovation Realities, Rehab Addict, Holmes on Homes, Income Property, or Disaster DIY.  Love watching the transformations that take place.  They make it look so easy and get it all done in 30 minutes!

When we moved to our current home in 2005, we hired an architect and contractor and pretty much had the home gutted out.  Everything was updated, or moved or replaced.  Everything except one upstairs bathroom.  It was outdated but in very good shape and besides, the last child was off to college, so why update it anyway.

Well, seven years later and that bathroom has become an eyesore ... at least to me.  The more rehab shows I watched, the more I believed I could rehab my bathroom myself.

How. Hard. Could. It. Be.

So, two weeks ago, I began my own DIY project.  Here is my story.

Cost to remodel a bathroom:  $15,000
Cost to do it yourself:  $3,000, 2 bottles of ibuprofen and 23 band-aids
Knowing where the water lines are:  Priceless!

This is the place I have inhabited the last 2 weeks.

These were my best friends.

This was my old retro bathroom.

 Capturing evidence of outdatedness.

 And the demolition began.

Breaking through the tile and cement!

 All ready to begin laying a new floor.

 First, half-inch plyboards are cut and stapled down.

Things are moving right along.  Cement board is measured and cut.  And then ... first snag.  Screws are not going in easily.  Having to pre-drill each hole.

Can you tell where the water pipes are hiding?

This is what happens when you drill into a waterline in the floor.  Main water is shut off until the plumber can come the next day to cut a hole in the master bathroom ceiling below to repair the water line I have damaged.  I write a $650 check to the plumber.

Upon discovering that the Lowe's employee handed me the WRONG screws for cement board, I obtain the CORRECT screws and finish the installation of the cement board.  Unfortunately, having to countersink each screw hole.  The beginning of my first huge blister.

Knowing there was no way I was going to attempt to remove the wall tile, I hired a company who repaints the tub and tile.  Here, they have prepped the room for it's coat of paint.

No more yellow tile!  Woot Woot!

With the painter gone, I return to my next task.

Laying out the 1-inch hexagon black tiles.  Next time, (if there ever is a next time!) I'm choosing very LARGE tiles!!!  Do you have any idea how hard it is to cut a one-inch tile on a wet saw????

Took two days to lay the tile.  One day to set it into thin set mortar.  The second day to grout.  Oh, my aching knees and hands!

Of course, I had supervision.  But Boss Kramer was not very encouraging.  In fact, he was downright skeptical of the work in progress!

 But finally, the day had come.  All tools could be put away.

 So, come and take a look.

 What do you think?  Like it?

 Now I can rest.  All is well.  

Well, not all is well.  I still have a large hole in

my master bathroom ceiling.

And then there is our unfinished basement.

Oh, I need a 12-step Rehab Program!

While I was away ...

 I'm baaack!

As I blow the dust off my keyboard and take a look out my window, I can't believe how spring has suddenly burst forth.  For the past 11 days, I have been consumed with a DIY project (which I'll share in the next few days) that is now almost complete.  Complete enough that I can come up for air and join all of you again.

I have MISSED you!

I feel I have even missed Spring's opening!

 Our tulip tree is in full bloom and so pretty.

And I almost missed capturing it!

I have also missed my backyard feathered friends.

 

I love seeing the Goldfinches begin turning their bright yellows again

in preparation for spring courting.

Speaking of courting, 

that reminds me of 'court' which reminds me that I have

been summoned for jury duty Thursday.

First time.

I have no idea what to expect but sure am hoping I'm not needed.

The Professor suggests that I wear a T-shirt that says

"Fry the bastards!"

Think that will get me off?

Seriously, we both understand that democracy depends

on involved and informed citizens.

So I guess jury duty is a small price to pay for that.

As long as they let me bring my laptop!

 ~ ~ ~

Perhaps I underestimated ....

Still in the middle of my 

DIY project.

Oh, my aching back ... knees ... fingers ... thighs ...

You get the picture.

Between tasks, I spend my time on Google and YouTube 

reading/watching how-to videos.

Really, though, I'd rather be in either of the two photos I merged above

using a program called Pixalmator and framed using Snapseed.

NYC meets Anna Maria!

Two of my favorite places.

Yep, I"m a little loopy.

I'm on break today while an outside contractor does his thing.

So ...... 

I get to do my thing.

Take a few pics of my feathered backyard friends

and come visit all of you to see what

YOU have been up to!

And, by the way, this weather?

Sweet!

Later, my dear friends,

 

A view beyond

i lie here

the sweet fragrance of azaleas

float upon 

the ocean breeze 

caressing my cool skin encased

 in sheets

still filled with travels of the night

the blue of the sky 

beckons

 and yet

i resist
its invitation

too soon to return 

i try in vain to remain 

in night's grip

before the day
thief
steals my dreams

~ ~ ~

The photo above was from a window in the Picasso Museum, Antibes, France. 
I think it would be a perfect bedroom view!

Hope you all had a great weekend! 

I may be a bit slow with my

visits this week as I'm in the middle of a

home rehab project that is taking longer than planned.

Pictures to come later.

That is if I survive!