This morning when I woke up, I went out to see if the baby raccoons were still in the tree, and sadly, they were gone.
So I proceeded to carry on with my day.
But when I went out to get the mail, 2 were huddling together on the ground by the trunk of our huge Sasafrass tree and 2 were up near the hole…
Then later in the day we didn’t see them anymore. I went out to the bushes and heard something squeaking…there was only one left and he was climbing up a small tree in the bushes… my hubby went and brought out some dog food kibbles and tossed it in the bushes close to where he was. Then my hubby got out his 10 foot ladder and said I should go up and see if any of the others were in the hole…they weren’t. I put some kibbles in the hole…just in case.
I named this lone little guy Simon. He is all by himself and I feel so badly for him.
Needless to say, we spent too much time with Simon and not enough time in the sewing room to accomplish much to make an interesting post. But I’ll try.
I just looked back at when this sewing room renovation started. I wasn’t entirely sure. It was on May 7th when I showed the post of getting the desk at the antique store and my hubby taking it apart. I showed you my warpy paneled wall and my hubby took the paneling off the wall that day. That’s when it all began… I never dreamed it would be 20 days and longer before this would end. It’s not over yet, but it’s getting closer.
Here are some tidbits to share…
I thought maybe you might want to see a closeup of my silhouette pictures…
I did get my holes spackled where the old pictures were taken down. The wall has had a pretty nice coat of paint too!
I finished my white bookshelf and can’t wait to see how pretty it looks with all my colorful fabrics laying on the shelves.
I also wanted to remove the pull down board that I use for my cutting table and taking my pictures. I wanted to be able to use it wherever I put that dresser that has the low cut out on top. Being attached to the wall limited me and I could only use it where that dresser was. It had a piano hinge that let it down and it rested between the two high ends on that dresser.
First I took it off the wall, then had my hubby cut 13″ off the end of it… which still left it plenty big for a cutting table and also for taking pictures of my dolls.
We didn’t get it finished, but my hubby figured out a way that I can just slip it under a block screwed to the wall. When I want to use it I can just slip it under that block and it will stay put as it rests on top of that dresser. It’s not in the correct position in my picture, but hopefully you can sort of see what I mean. If I don’t want it on top, I can slide it behind the dresser…
My hubby and I decided to tackle the wood that needed to be filled in along the edge of where the house stopped and the porch (aka..my sewing room) was added on. Because it was a porch, they are generally made so the water slopes away from the house. Well, I guess that’s why the edge of the floor was giving us so much trouble…
We needed to add a piece of wood in the groove along the floor so there is something to nail the baseboard trim to, but it was concrete along the living room wall side. So we had to fit the wood in and it had to be custom cut longways and then the height and the width as well…it was quite complicated…this was our paper of measurements…
…I don’t expect you to understand, but here are a few pictures of the job…
We finished up about 9:30 and were starving so we had a little mini pizza…
We are REALLY hoping the flooring comes in tomorrow…
Well, that’s about as interesting as I can make this post… just look at it this way, I’m closer to be finished today than I was a few days ago…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
More cute raccoon pictures! You know, it could be they have just found other hiding places, or maybe mom has found a new “nest” and is moving them there. Little Simon does look lonely; I hope he finds his siblings and momma soon!!
Cound me among those who love the silhouette pictures!! It seems like one of my great-aunts had something along that order, many years ago. I thought they were charming.
More progress! (I wouldn’t have wanted to give up any cutting-table space, though! I know, you don’t need a lot of room to cut out doll clothes, but still….)
Yes, that sketch made sense to me, and very clever of George, to shape a piece of wood just right so it will fill that spot! (Mini pizzas sound pretty good to me, too!)
Aww poor Simon. Hope mom raccoon gets him back with the others.
I am enjoying the home renovations you document here.
I’m going back to see a surgeon today. Last week I had a piece of my ear removed. I have a problem spot that gets a sore that never heals. The lab report said it was benign, the appointment is just to check on the area and make sure that is healing.
Dear Julia, I am wishing you well and sending you prayers.
Young raccoons can become very tame. You might have a new pet around. A friend of mine had one as a pet years ago that is until it became mature and bit her. Do you have a wildlife rescue group in your area? We do. They would trap and take them until ready to be released in an appropriate place. We have a fawn rescue group too. He’s awfully cute.
All of those details to fill in do take time, but look so nice when completed. And seeing the lovely floor in the living room is a vision of what’s to come. I’m so glad you are doing all of the renovations because it will add value to your home as well as be a much more useful space. Hopefully, unlike me, you will remember where you put everything. 🙂
Another very hot day today here. 77 already inside with all of the windows and doors open to let in cool air. Can only get warmer. 🙁
Forgot. I have two of those silhouettes hanging in the kitchen. Picked them up years ago at a flea market I think. They too are of a Victorian couple. In the second picture, the gent is carving their initials onto a tree trunk. Very sweet, but not too environmental.
Yeah for progress…and yeah for tender hearts reaching out to little Simon.
Blessings.
Dear Jeanne, you are almost there! Your room is going to be magazine page worthy when you are done. I bet you are going to have to increase your dollies’ modeling fees after this (laugh).
Jeanne, it certainly sounds like the two of you to be so concerned about wildlife! I would be just like that too,EXCEPT I could or would never get on a 10 foot ladder! I do not like heights, and maybe I can go up only two rungs, before I can’t take it anymore! I hope “your” raccoons find their way out and you don’t have to worry about them. That last picture of little Simon is so cute!
Love those silhouette pictures, as I mentioned yesterday. I remember my grandparents having some too, but have no idea what became of them. When my two kids were small, I took them to one of our department stores, and she did silhouettes of children. I still have them, but need new frames.
I love all the little touches you are making in the sewing room, and hope and pray the flooring gets there in time. Since you have done this before, it should be a snap!
All this rain is keeping us inside!
Linda, I remember my kindergarten teacher tracing and cutting our silhouettes (head and into the shoulder area), probably for Christmas for our parents. Mine hung in my parents’ home as long as my dad was alive; now I have it, but of course down in the basement–not enough wall space, and it’s fairly good-sized (life-size, I think). I don’t think my brother had his done, as he had a different kindergarten teacher, plus we moved to the “new” parsonage (and thus a new school) when he was in kindergarten).
There was a note in our neighborhood blog that raccoons should be left alone when one sees babies as they are able to take care of themselves very quickly. Those are just the cutest pictures. Worthy of a wildlife magazine.
I wasn’t going to comment on the ladder, but please stay off. I did medical transcription for years and you don’t want to know! The sewing room is beautiful already.
I remember the silhouettes, too. My grandmother had ones like the ones in the picture. I think my sister got them. I have ones of my children like the ones Linda has. Lots of nice things to remember in your posts.
Aww, Simon is so cute. I’m sure his momma and siblings are still around somewhere. I, too, would have gotten involved watching them and not kept working… animals always get my attention. When there’s a “Robbie” on my porch I know it because my kitties love to play pat a cake with him on the glass. Your silhouette pictures are pretty. I’m trying to decide if they have a Civil war or Victorian flair to them.
Your sewing room will get there and will be so easy to find what you need. I know I would attempt sewing and even craft more things if I could have things out. I have to get out the machine from the cabinet and put it on the sunroom table and then put it away, same for crafting, haul things out there and then clean it up again.
Summer has arrived. We are already having mid 80’s.
Just curious, do any of you ladies watch “The Great British Bake Off”? I am watching the end of season 2 and love seeing the creative designs the contestants come up with.
I haven’t watched but I have several of their books and consider especially the Christmas ones a great treasure.
HI Laura,
I wanted to let you know I LOVE The Great British Bake Off show! I watch it whenever I get a chance. I love the creative challenges too! I’ve learned a lot just from watching it!
Just wanted to let you know!
Blessings, Jeanne
I saw the door yesterday and really like the style. Having the bookcase in front of it makes the house more secure but having a way out is also a way of being more secure.
Raccoons are cute but can be destructive. My dad spent years trying to get rid of them.
I understand that wildlife is making a comeback. My former neighbor’s neighbor had a cinnamon bear in her backyard— the same one that was found in the kitchen last year eating her fresh apple pie, she thinks.
Now that bear story made me laugh, Marilyn. Our friends had to have their Tahoe cabin bear wired to keep them out. Expensive. But, no one wants to find bear cubs inside their place like they did. (Big momma is surely nearby.) 🙂
HI Marilyn,
I can’t believe my hubby is being so tolerant of Simon… maybe he’s just being kind because his brothers/sisters abandoned him. Perhaps Simon was asleep and they decided to leave…poor thing, even though I know they cause destruction…
That bear story was funny but scary to me ! I’d croak if I saw a bear in my kitchen… give me a lizard any day of the week!
Blessings, Jeanne
Those baby Raccoons are just as cute as the adults are ugly , mean and naughty. You and the readers may not agree but I have no patience for those critters…many many stories,
Hope your floor comes in…then it will feel like you are reaching completion👍🏻😉
HI Kathie,
I think my hubby is being quite tolerant of Simon right now. Generally he’s not so receptive to critters like him. I think it’s because he’s all alone… Surely he’ll wander away one of these days…
Yes, flooring, please come! Thanks Kathie,
Blessings, Jeanne
I love the silhouettes! One of my most treasured pieces is silhouette heads of my children. A woman came to middle daughter’s preschool and do them as we watched! It was fascinating. I like to see your raccoon pics, but around here we call them “trash pandas” and they are mostly pests. The little ones are cute, though!