Prepping For Kitchen Cabinets

Bill has been painting the kitchen window trim before the cabinets are installed here. I bought Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo oil base trim paint in "Decorator's White" to match the walls. The solid mahogany trim boards were sun bleached and water stained, so we felt ok making the kitchen a little whiter this way. Nothing is level in this modern kitchen with the windows off one way and the floors the other. We are starting at the corner installing cabinets and will shim a 1 1/2" difference out. The cabinet below is called a "Super Susan" and can house an entire set of heavy duty "All Clad" pots and more. The sink plumbing has been moved and all new  electrical wiring, outlets and plugs are installed.

Our Anders 9/13 - 1/4/23

 Adopted 11/29/13

New year's Eve, our family dog Ander's was diagnosed with a devastating cancer. What seemed to us like an indestructible cross bred puppy rescued from Georgia, fell ill on Christmas and fighting for life in a week. He never looked his 9 yrs. old and called "handsome" by most greeters. As his caretaker, I am faced with parting from a family member willing to do anything for those he loved beyond measure, which is heartbreaking. He no longer barks in distress when I cry. It is for him.

A Past Post & Tribute To Our Anders

Having a dog on a farm is a good thing. Our Anders is a rescue puppy from GA who came with a docked tail and willingness to protect our properties from other stray animals. It is lovely to watch him sit so steadfast for hours in a central location to us, just watching. It is a beautiful landscape though and even better
with him on board.

Inside...or out, he has our backs.

God bless Dr. Hostetter and the Hopewell Valley Vets for superior knowledge, dedication and care whenever you need it most! Anders being transfused New Year's Eve.

Anders & his good life.

Merry Christmas

All in the family will be here for Christmas and I have had time to decorate our tree with Leif's help and old family ornaments. Our Christmas cards included a wedding and baby on the way.

Selling A Wood Stove

Facing the coldest Christmas here since 1958, we quickly listed and sold Leif's cavernous Jotul F600 Model 12 Wood Stove, which has been discontinued. Although it had a catalytic converter, it's ensuing model without, was considered the largest cast iron wood burning stove in the world. Ours went to a large home to heat a vaulted family room and sold for the cost of a newer Jotul F500 replacement. The sale was nearly immediate and move took four men, a truck, trailer and dolly. The F500 is side/front loading, and heats equally with a cleaner burn than the F600 M12, which is top/front loading while needing the catalyst replaced every 3 yrs. Both beautiful wood stoves!

Repairing & Replacing Woodstoves

A priority before winter at Leif's, was to repair or replace two Jotul woodstoves in order to work on house systems. This weekend we drove to PA to purchase a 2 season used Jotul F500 ($1000 & sells for $4,500 new) to install upstairs, while we continue replacing parts on the same model downstairs. The repairs may cost the equivalent, however having nonelectric heat in the house has been key. 

Both F500's will heat Leif's house until he decides on mini-splits and solar panels (or a fireplace insert upstairs) for this house in future. For now, his dead Ash Trees will be cut, split  and burned.

Christian's equally critical Jotul F400 was also $1,000, used twice, purchased in ME and leveraged into a Volvo 740 wagon by Bill & Alex! It was installed before the floors were in, but it was freezing with much work before the new boiler could be used. 

Two old beams were notched into place to lay a true 1 1/4" plywood subfloor, after fortifying the stove foundation and hand digging out the basement. The bricks in the new hearth came from our house and fallen chimney stack.

Finally, most sheetrock in Leif's kitchen has been replaced after installing new electrical wiring and Roxul insulation on the exterior wall.  The chimney wall of sheetrock was replaced now that both flues are newly lined and operational; drying out the wall from an earlier roof leak and disintegrated sheetrock.

The TT Gallery

Bill's studio is now shared by select students of Toshiko Takaezu who is a legendary potter known world-wide and former professor at Princeton University. During the holiday open house it was lovely to see some of her collected pieces on display in the new gallery here.

Holiday Open House

This coming Sunday, Dec 4, from 1-6pm will be Bill's Christmas studio ceramics open house at 1177 Croton Rd., Quakertown NJ. He will have garden seats, bowls and mugs for sale along with colleague's work.

His most recent sculptures, tiles for a table, stool, garden seat, egg and mugs etc....