Bob: Well, finally, we can show you how the dining room turned out. For the longest time now (since we moved in, in fact), a lot of things were being stored in this room, like rugs to be cut for the bathroom closet and the pantry and the utility room, and, well, other things. This is a nice shot of the Nan's china hutch, which seems to set a nice focal point for the northeast wall. Nan painted the oil above it in the early 80's.
Nan: Sometimes it was very difficult to walk through the dining room, both physically and emotionally; the "stuff" in the way explains the physical; the "not being able to always envision the end results" occasionally got me down. I wanted it done yesterday! And though it looks great, and I love it, believe it or not, it's still not done.
Bob: Yes, this is a work in progress.
Bob: This corner will serve Nan in the future as a sitting and reading corner (still to come: a nice little table and reading light). Also, that rocking chair is sorely in need of refinishing, maybe this summer? The clock was my mother's, the picture to the right is a photo of all Nan's children (nine!), presented to us on our wedding day, and the small box on the left is a memento of said wedding last summer.
We've decided to reserve the walls in this corner for pictures of family.
Nan: This rocker is another side-of-the-road find. Well, dumped on a pile of stuff in the
backyard of a place that had evicted tenants; we got quite a lot of recycle, repurpose stuff
from that pile. This summer, I will sit in my screened-in gazebo and laugh at bees while I strip
this chair, then Bob can put a nice new finish on it. He also has to build up the rockers front
and back where someone's puppy chawed on it. But, never fear, Bob can do it. Super Bob to the
rescue again!
Bob: This is the kitchen door, to the left of the china hutch. Nice ambiance here of the way into the kitchen. We love the way the downstairs turned out.
Nan: The little drop-leaf table in the kitchen makes it an eat-in kitchen, at least in theory. Bob usually sits there and works crosswords or sudoko while I am busy washing dishes or cooking.
Ron, the little red bicycle in the transom is the one you gave me when Charlie and you
were living in Darlington. It has a perfect home up there, doncha think?
Bob: MusiCom, complete. Dan Rather looks on, above the "Dan Rather Signature" Floating Speaker Platform. Wired and ready for NOISE!
Nan: Alan and Kevin: this music center has morphed a lot since you last saw it, hasn't it?
I painted the structrual supports and Bob helped me paint the shelves. It now looks so
much better for being in the dining room. I like the way it sets back from the dining
room arch; it doesn't show from the front door when people knock. Someday we'll find a real
piano stool, instead of a shower stool. :)
Bob: Nice shot through the dining room and into the living room, through the grand arch. Shows the birdies in their cage and a little of the street scene outside.
Nan: Too bad we didn't have the lights on in the living room when this shot was taken. But, that just gives you a reason to click on the living room webpages.
I've already served two Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in this room. The next Great
Celebration dinner we'll serve here will be our First Wedding Anniversary. Steak and baked
potato? TV Dinners? Ramen noodles? Not telling, but I'll bet you can guess. Oh, and a nice
serving of wine for toasting the next 20 years of anniversary dinners served here!