A Patio and Other Progress

So when I left off here a week ago, the men had started working on the front of the casita. They were here four days and did a fantastic job. I cannot believe what a difference a little cement can make, and I keep walking outside just to look at how lovely the frames around the windows look, and enjoy my little slice of patio.

In all honesty, the front still looks a little sad because the areas that didn't get fresh cement show signs of wear and tear -- i.e., streaky dirt on whitewash -- and it will be at least a couple months before the cement has cured enough to paint. But I'm okay with that because it's still a WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN BEFORE. And I know it's simply a matter of time before a couple fresh coats of paint will complete the transformation. I'm learning patience in this whole process.

The sidewalk in front of the kitchen is sufficient, but certainly not ample, and I've had to rethink my plans for flower boxes by each window. A window box by the kitchen would block the sidewalk, so....

Moving on to Plan B: Do nothing by the kitchen window, but get two large clay pots to place on each side of the bedroom window, framing that area nicely and still leaving space on the tiny patio for several chairs. I'd like to do a mix of plants in the pots, but can't make any decisions about what kind until we have the pots in hand, and I know how much space I'll have to work with.

Progress, people, progress!

Ivan is going to hire one of Taní's guys to come finish digging the trenches for the gray water system, and while he's at it, he'll also have him dig a curving 'sidewalk' between the casita and our future house. We decided to use brick, so we'll also have him haul sand from our pile at the front, and smooth that out so we can easily lay the bricks.

As I've mentioned before, once the gray water system is done, we can begin using that corner of the lot as a depository for all the building materials left over/collected. That will allow us to clear off the slab of our future house, accomplishing two things at once: (1) we won't have to see the messy clutter of junk material every time we look out the casita (which faces the slab), and (2) it will stop the metal bits and pieces from staining our nice smooth cement slab. Although we do plan to stain it ourselves down the line, I'd rather we have a bit more control over what and where it gets stained. We'll also finally be able to get the stuff out of our neighbor's yard (who has been beyond patient!). He let Ivan put stuff there back when we first started building, before we got our fence up, and there was a greater danger of things "disappearing". There's not a lot there, but still...it's kind of embarrassing that we've lived here five months and he's still got our junk in his yard. 

We were here while the guys did all the work on the front of the casita, and it was fun to watch the progress each day. Then Wednesday afternoon, when they were about ready to start pouring the sidewalk/patio, we loaded up the car and headed to Sta. Rosa. The timing for the trip worked out well, since it would have been a pain for them (and us) to be here when they poured the sidewalk/patio because we couldn't have easily gone in and out of the casita while it set up.

We had a few days between renters, and decided to have our monthly missionary get-together out there. And one couple did join us, but the other family couldn't make it. Not that they didn't want to! In fact, they had planned to use the house this week for vacation, and I know they're disappointed it didn't work out.

They couldn't come because they still can't use their "new" car. They bought a used vehicle from another mission in northern Argentina, and one of their missionary families brought it down a few weeks ago. But because all the government offices are closed in January, they came without the requisite transfer paperwork. The other mission hired someone to take care of the paperwork the first of February, and supposedly that person did, but the paperwork which has been "in the mail" still hasn't arrived. And without paperwork, they don't dare use the vehicle. I've mentioned the numerous traffic controls they have here, and if you get stopped without the appropriate paperwork, they will impound your car and cause you all kinds of grief until you can produce said paperwork. So meanwhile our missionary friends are sort of stuck.

It's a real bummer because Steve's mom is visiting right now, and it would have been lovely if they could have gotten away as a family while she's here. We're all still hopeful the paperwork might arrive in the next day or two, so they might still make it out for at least a few days.

We did enjoy those days with Joe and Gail, however, and then headed home on Sunday afternoon. It was so fun to get home and see the patio! It's small, but then so is the casita. We cleaned off our plastic chairs and inaugurated it, although we didn't stay out there long because the weather had suddenly cooled way down.

In fact, looks like we're in for a spell of cooler weather, and I must say I'm enjoying it! It was in the low 60s yesterday, which meant we wore jackets all day (even inside, since we didn't want to turn the heat on, it was in the low 60s in there too). We turned the air conditioner off before we left last Wednesday, and I don't think we'll have to turn it back on for at least 10 days, if the weather forecast is right. It's supposed to gradually get warmer, but even next week the highs will only be in the high 70s or low 80s. My kind of weather!

Lots of rain in the forecast, though, which is why it's probably going to be a couple months before we can paint the casita. From everything I've read, we'll need several weeks of rain-free weather in order for the cement to properly and completely cure. Oh, and I was happy to see that y'all approve of the proposed yellow-with-white-trim that we're planning. Go Team Yellow! 

This is the rainiest summer anyone can remember. Which has been good for our lawn, but not so good for other outside projects. Although even the rain isn't enough to really help portions of our lawn. Those parts up front where the previous lawn came back are doing great, but the portion Ivan planted is not doing so well. In fact, the first area he cleared and seeded, and initially grew so nicely, has completely disappeared! We aren't sure what the problem is, but our theory is that the seed we used isn't good. Because the second area he cleared and seeded, and initially did well, has also started to die. Major bummer! But hopefully getting some good seed will fix the problem. If it's an issue with the soil, well, that's fixable too, but not as quick or easy.

This is going to be a busy week, as we have lots of get-togethers on the schedule. I'm looking forward to cooking a couple meals, along with putting together picada for a few meriendas with friends. For one of the meals I'm making the roasted asparagus and caramelized mushroom quesadillas that we liked so much recently. One of our friends absolutely adores asparagus, and he sounded excited about trying a new dish that features it. Maybe we'll enjoy some of our get-togethers on the new patio!

I'm also looking ahead to next week, when I hope to get started on the bathroom. As with the hallway, I expect it to take three days: one day for sanding and prepping, a second day for sealing and a third day for painting. The ceiling in the bathroom is really tall, and I'm not looking forward to painting it while perched on a ladder (considering my fear of heights) but as I used to tell my kids: "It doesn't have to be fun, it just has to be done." And I DO look forward to having that done!

Monday Meanderings

~ I really need to finish a book before I start recommending it. There were parts of "Come Rain or Come Shine" that were rather disappointing. In the words of a friend, "There's a whole lotta whining going on" in one section that deals with problem relationships. While I want friends who are honest, loyal and steadfast, I think it's ridiculous to expect a friend to turn down work because it involves someone you have a personal problem with, but has nothing to do with them. There were other essays I took issue with as well, but I won't bother going into those. Just know that while I still think "Come Rain or Come Shine" is a good book and worth reading, I felt I needed to temper my unbridled enthusiasm of the other day.

~ While cleaning recently I came across my make-up bag. I don't think I've ever talked about make-up on the blog before. It's not something I spend a lot of time thinking about, so why would I talk about it? The fact is that I have über sensitive skin and am allergic to 99% of the make-up I've ever tried. In fact, I've only found two brands I can wear and both of those for only a few hours at a time (and not on a regular basis) and they're rather pricey. Since make-up can go bad, and you're supposed to buy new every so often, I always end up throwing away almost full containers. Being of a fiscally conservative nature, that's painful! But I also don't want to get an eye infection due to icky, out-of-date mascara or a skin rash due to fermented foundation. Okay, so I doubt foundation ferments, but you know what I mean. Make-up can and does go bad with time, and I don't want to be applying anything toxic to my already senstive skin. Anyway, I realized everything in my make-up bag is at least two years old, and some of it much older. Pretty sure it would be a good idea to splurge on new make-up when we go on furlough in May and I have to start getting gussied up on Sundays again. Does anyone have any suggestions? It would be especially great to hear from others with sensitive skin. I really wish I could find a brand that (1) wouldn't cause me to break out within minutes, and (2) sells small containers, rather than the typical size. Is that too much to hope for?

~ After months of waiting to get the front of the casita repaired, Taní and his crew started work on it this morning! They're also plastering the side of the house that borders our neighbor's yard; it's the last portion of wall to get plastered since Ivan did the other side and the back before we moved in (with help from our friends). While they're here, Ivan has asked them to dig the remainder of the trenches for the gray water system since his shoulder is keeping him from finishing the work himself. And they'll be pouring a patio/sidewalk in front of the casita as well. Hurray for progress!

~ We'd planned to install simple wood baseboards throughout the casita, but realized while painting that the walls are so wonky, baseboards aren't really a viable option. We briefly flirted with the idea of using narrow tiles but although the tiles would be shorter and work better than long lengths of wood baseboard, we're concerned that the walls are SO wonky, we'd STILL have problems getting them to fit around all the bulges and curves. So after much discussion we've decided Ivan will go along all the edges, filling in cracks and spaces with the same red grout to create a more seamless, finished look, and I will paint the walls right down to the floor. Hopefully our solution won't leave it looking unfinished. Vamos a ver.

~ I've got a "bee in my bonnet" about painting the doors to the bedroom and bathroom a color other than white. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we've gone predominantly white in the casita; it helps the small space appear larger and brightens rooms that only have one window each. BUT... that said, I do miss injecting a little color into my space and I thought the doors would be a fun -- and unusual -- place to do it. I'm leaning toward yellow for the bathroom door (since that room is mostly yellow) and blue for the bedroom door. Not just any blue, but either Tiffany blue or a pretty aqua. It will be a while before I need to make a decision, but just wanted to throw it out there and see what kind of feedback I get. Which camp do you fall in? Camp Color that says, "Go for it!" or Camp Caution that warns, "You'll regret that!"

~ On another color front, we've been talking about what color to paint the exterior of the casita, now that it's finally getting a facelift. White is a common choice in this mostly hot climate, since it reflects the heat of the sun rather than absorbing it. But I'm not a fan of a white exterior for two reasons: (1) it gets dirty quickly, so unless you want to be constantly doing touch-ups, you have to learn to live with a certain level of messiness; and (2) bright white can be blinding on really sunny days, and we have a lot of really sunny days. We've agreed on a lighter shade of greige for our future house, and frankly greige goes with almost every other color so that leaves us wide open for choices for the casita. Those of you who know me, know I have a thing for yellow. I was especially drawn to the many yellow houses in Ireland, and even bought a watercolor print of a little yellow cottage to take home with me. So naturally I'm leaning toward yellow; a lovely shade of butter yellow. Which would go well with greige AND do a sufficient job of reflecting the heat of the sun as well. But we aren't 100% decided on yellow yet, so there's time to add your two cents worth, if you're so inclined. What color would you choose, and why?

"Come Rain or Come Shine"

This week I started reading one of the free Kindle books I downloaded recently, and I am enjoying it so much! "Come Rain or Come Shine: Friendships Between Women" is one of those books that inspire, inform, and entertain all at once. Would highly, HIGHLY recommend it to all my female friends!

It's a compilation of short essays by women all over the U.S., and their stories will make you smile, laugh, nod your head and possibly even tear up on occasion.

I've had reason to think about this topic a lot over the past year and ponder how grateful I am to have so many good, dear friends. Where would we be without our girlfriends?!

It's not only us girls who are discussing the concept, either. I think I first saw this link about male friendships on facebook, and the article was so good I forwarded it to Ivan, who then forwarded it to some of his friends.

God talks a lot about friendship in Scripture so it must be important. If you want to be encouraged to not only seek the right kind of friends, but to be the right kind of friend, you might want to mosey on over to amazon.com and take advantage of this free book. You don't need to have a Kindle in order to read it; you can download it to your computer too.

It has made me think about what kind of friend I am, and how I want/need to change to be a better friend. Since I'm human, there's quite a few areas that could use improvement! One of the first things I'm going to work on is being a better listener... but I won't stop there.

Out of curiosity, what quality do you most admire in a friend?

What is your clutter level?

Since moving into the casita I've learned I have a lower clutter level than I thought. I've never been a fan of clutter, but I figured it was just a necessary byproduct of living.

But I'm changing my mind. 

I've documented on this blog, and on my P365 blog last year, my love for baskets and how they corral some of the clutter. Here are a couple photos of how I'm using baskets right now. On top the wardrobe in the bedroom I have six large square, fabric-lined baskets that hold everything from extra vitamins and supplements to DVDs and make-up:

In the kitchen I use baskets to hold small packets that don't stack neatly on the pantry shelves (not shown), and on the hutch to hold storage containers on one shelf (square in one, round in the other) and opened bags of bread, chips or snacks on the lower shelf:

I've also become a fan of open shelving in our small space, as evidenced by the shelf over the kitchen sink that holds our most used dishes, glasses, cups and mixing bowls:

The trick to open shelving for me is keeping colors to a minimum and sorting by like items.

(We also have open shelving in the bedroom and bath -- where I use baskets to keep things tidy).

But quite honestly, having an open pantry (we're just using a bookshelf) and all the stuff displayed on the hutch, really bothers me. I have exceeded my maximum clutter level! 

So last week Ivan and I began brainstorming ideas for a piece of furniture that could replace the mix of pieces we're currently using in the kitchen, and make the space more functional -- and less cluttered! Here's a rough drawing of our final plan for a long, shallow cabinet:

It will be 2.4 meters long, but only about 55 cm deep. The five separate cabinets will be tied together by one long countertop (ahhhh, I can hardly wait!) that will give me not only space to work but also room to keep my crockpot, stand mixer, blender and toaster oven on top. Neatly, of course, since everything except the toaster oven will have coordinating fabric covers.   

Two of the cabinets will each be 60 cm wide, and be primarily for pots and pans, plus a drawer for spices, and room to tuck our 3-tier vegetable stand out of sight. I'm planning to put a fabric skirt on the front of this portion, for easy access to the shallow drawers.

The other three cabinets will each be 40 cm wide and have the same number of drawers (4) in the same configuration, which will allow the drawer fronts to be uniform and symmetrical. And you know my love for all things symmetrical!

Pretty sure we'll just tile the countertop, since we have plenty of tile left over from other projects and I think that will tie in well with the rustic nature of our casita. We've already priced materials and I'm anxious for Ivan to get started on it, but we have a few other projects to complete first. Just knowing it's on the horizon is enough to keep my spirits up though.

As I've been thinking about how to make better use of our small space, I find myself drawn to articles on the topic and have found a lot of inspiration on both Pinterest and Houzz. In fact, one of the articles on Houzz was so fun and helpful, I decided to share it with you. You can find it over on my sidebar, just above the "about me" info. Click on that, and it will take you to the full article "Clutter vs. Keepers: A Guide to New Year's Purging". And then, if you wouldn't mind, come back and tell me which one you are!

Although I have what many might consider a low clutter threshold, I am an artist at heart and could not stand to live in a completely minimalist, sterile environment. I must have the things I love and enjoy around me. Especially books! And art, and fabric, and baskets...

What I'm learning is that it isn't just about the quantity, it's also "what the what". It would make me crazy to live in a place with a lot of knick-knacks or doo-dads, but a few special items are not only okay, but necessary. The African baskets we brought back from Uganda, the watercolors we've begun collecting whenever we go someplace new, the beautiful blue/green vase that my SIL's husband made, the blue glass paperweight I picked up in Ireland... For me it's about the meaning attached to the item that determines whether it's something I want to keep.

But the fact is I have a lot of things I really love, and the casita simply isn't big enough to hold all the pieces I've brought in. So I am starting to go through my home again, with an eye to not only form and function, but also how it all fits together. I'm fairly good at editing words; we'll see how good I am at editing things.