Sunday June 19 and Monday June 20, 2011

Busy, busy lots to do.  I’m trying to write every day, but it can be so hard because of all the projects I have going on.  I was determined to get some projects done this “summer.”  Well, the spring has really only started, and tomorrow is the first day of summer.  Of course, it is also the solstice, which means that though it will be the longest day of the year, it also marks the six month decent into darkness and rain… and less light and ambition to get some work done around the farm.  All in all, we haven’t even been at this property for a year, and the improvements are wonderful, so who am I to complain?

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I decided to tear apart the playroom and see what I could do for some restoration.  Behind the horrible 1970’s paneling, I discovered some beautiful wood plank boards.  The ceiling, the walls and the floor were all this beautiful wood.  I know what I want to do with the room now, but it involves getting the ceiling done first.  I had to remove 4 layers of wallpaper from the whole ceiling, which was a nightmare.  It involved steaming and boiling water and scraping paper off the walls at 4 am while the kids were asleep.  I was glad when that was done.  Next came sanding, and that was just as bad.  I like to sand, but not really up over my head.  It took about 5 hours to sand the ceiling,  But boy was it worth it.  That ceiling looked amazing sanded down and loved.

Enter milk paint.  I’ve known about milk paint for a while, but I’ve recently fallen in love with it.  I have plenty of milk around, and plenty of lime.  It is so easy to make.  It is also non-toxic, so when the kids want to help paint and they all but roll in it, there is no harm.  In fact, they could eat the stuff and be just fine.  It is also the most durable paint in the history of man, yep, really.  I hear that if you want to change the color of something painted with milk paint that you actually have to sand the top layer of the wood off.  Luckily, I went to Europe and studied art and painting and pigments, so making my own colored paint wasn’t so hard on me.  The first coat of the ceiling is red.  Oh man, is it a beautiful red.  I almost swoon every time I walk into the room.  And though I am going to paint over the red with something less dramatic in the future, I am enjoying the red for now.  In fact, I might just clean up the room and let it become a playroom for another few weeks while I admire the best paint job anyone has done anywhere.  It is THAT good, I mean it.

I had made a gallon and a half of milk paint for the ceiling.  I didn’t want to run out in the middle and have the color change on my slightly.  Well, it was way too much paint.  As I was contemplating what to do with it, i.e. where to dump it, it occurred to me that the red chicken coop in the barn could use another paint job.  And so, off the kids and I went to work on yet another project.  Painting the chicken coop was so far down my to do list that it hadn’t even made it on the list yet, but I must say that it makes our place look pretty darn spiffy.  It is a nice, dark, deep, rich red.  I like it.  I do have to coat it with a sealant, but I won’t mind looking at that color for the next 40 years of my life.

Today, Monday, I headed over to Julie’s house to eat breakfast out, just for fun.  MMMMMM, poached eggs and scones.  We then headed to check out the nitty gritty details of another friend’s new house that she just moved into.  it was built in 1920, and it is cute.  I love looking at old houses.

We then went on a hunt for a place to pick strawberries that did not spray fungicide this year.  The berries we picked first this season were sprayed.  The berries are so porous that the chemical can’t be washed off, and the berries actually taste like chemicals to me.  I picked another 30 pounds of berries for the freezer.  I think I’ll be done in two more picks this year.  Lots of work, but we will have lots of berries.

I was feeling overwhelmed with all that I had to do when I got home to make dinner tonight.  I then checked my email and saw that we are well on our way to turn the farm’s lease into an actual purchase.  In fact, a little bird says we may get to sign the paperwork this week.  This put it in perspective for me.  This truly is our little spot of Heaven, right here.  I’m so happy and honored to live here that I could burst with wonderful joy.