Counter-top Decisions, and the Kitchen Plan Refined

Today we got ALL the counter top samples that I had ordered! Amazing! Thanks to Wilson Art and Formica customer service! The small chips were from local retailers Kurtis Kitchens and Baths and European Cabinetry.

I set the samples side-by-side with the various cherry samples I have. (None of which is the quartersawn natural cherry we are going with. I should have just gone online and ordered a door.) I also have a sample of cork flooring so I had that texture to compare.

Design is too large a scale...But I love those greens. The adjoining family room is Benjamin Moore's Potpourri Green after all.

 Solid surface. I like the texture... but it is too stark white.  Jonathan Alder's new designs great, but the colors too intense... except the linen which is too pale.

The warm colors in Daisy were amazing with the wood, but the scale of the design is too big.

 

"Endora" is pink and gold, and I think it would be great in my bath remodel.

"Betty" looks pretty good and we like the teal and orange. The design elements are are better scale.

This solid surface seems 'right' with the cherry.

So...'Betty' laminate, or the solid surface? We are getting a quote on each.

Here is the kitchen.  Sink and stove corner...

 and fridge and pantry on the other wall. And yes, that is a carpeted floor. Horror!

We need a working kitchen that will accommodate our needs as we age.

Here is what we worked out with Jen:

The sink will be where the range used to be. The cooktop is not to code in its current location.

The sink peninsula will become all countertop! What a nice prep area. The view opens to the family room and sliding door to the yard.

The range will go where the fridge used to be...with a venting hood, which we have never had before. 

Again, lots of counter space. And drawers, not shelves. Plus some glass doors for pretty displaying.

The new fridge had to go on the fourth wall, but will be 'built in'. Finally, a closet for my Swifter!

There is still open space for the table and chairs in front of the window area.

I feel some guilt putting so much into this kitchen instead of doing a DIY cool and cheap upcycling of elements. (I don't think I'm cool enough to pull that off!) 

We justify it because it is our 'forever' home. And we lived in provided housing most of our marriage, but for seven years in a Philly rowhouse. 

But mostly because this room is the center, the heart of the house. You have to pass through to get anywhere. I want a room that makes me smile, a room that I feel uplifted in. 

May in A Year With The Fairies

May Day

The rollicking, frolicking Fairies are gay,
A-tripping the woodlands the first day of May,
A-hoppity skipping, now here and now there,
A-picking and snipping the flowers everywhere.

The rollicking, frolicking Fairies delight
For dear little children to work all the night,
Filling their baskets the first day of May
To leave at the door ere they scamper away.

The May Queen

The Fairies choose at peep of day

Their fairest lady, Queen of May,

And make for her a throne of flowers

All festooned round with leafy bowers.

They make for her a crown of roses

And wind her little want with posies,

And sing and dance till close of day

Around their dainty Queen of May.

The May Pole Dance

The Fairies dance with song and shout,
And some trip in and some trip out
Around a Dandelion tall
Whene'er they hold their May-day ball.

Swinging, swaying, see them bend,
Hear their voices sweetly blend
With the silvery fairy strains
While they weave their Daisy chains.


from A Year With The Fairies, Ann M. Scott, 1914

Kipling &Trix by Mary Hamer

"Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." Henry James

2015 marks the sesquicentennial of Rudyard Kipling's birth. He was the most famous and popular author of his time. He won the 1907 Pulitzer Prize, the youngest recipient ever and the first English speaking recipient. His stories endure and have been turned into Disney cartoons and movies.

"In consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of the world famous author."The 1907 Pulitzer Prize citation 

It seemed a perfect time to learn more about the author of Kim, The Jungle Book, Captains Courageous, and the many poems including If.

Mary Hamer's book Kipling and Trix was published in England in 2012. She chose to novelize her story because she "wanted to make emotional sense of these lives". Hamer's extensive research in preparation for the book brings authenticity, and her ability to capture the inner lives of her characters allows the reader to forge a deep connection.

Family tragedy changes a person. Consider President Lincoln and his wife Mary after the loss of their son, or Teddy Roosevelt after the death of his wife Alice and his mother on the same day. Childhood trauma has a lasting effect. When a person has endured childhood trauma and mets personal loss in adulthood the outcome can be disabling.

Rudyard Kipling and his sister Trix (Beatrix), like the other children of British civil servants assigned to India, were sent "home" to England for their education. Rumer Godden awrote about the same experience: a childhood spent in India, separation when sent to England, homesickness for their childhood family, and idealization of that first home. Kipling and Trix were not just unhappy and stifled in England, their caretaker hated Kipling and manipulated Trix. The abuse of her brother was witnessed by Trix and left a deep psychic scar. Kipling never got over their parental abandonment or the sense of responsibility for, and failure to protect, his sister. Kipling's story Baa Baa Black Sheep gives insight into their experience.

The bright girl who dreamed of writing married too young, and married badly to a man who relentlessly pursued her then expected her to become a regular Stepford Wife. Trix was able to publish verses and several books. She suffered several nervous breakdowns and became obsessed with Spiritualism and 'automatic writing.'

Kipling was still a boy when his father secured him a position in India. A compulsive writer, he published his first collection of verse in 1886. He lived life at a frantic pace, suffered a nervous breakdown, married, and settled in Brattleboro, VT. An ugly court case involving his brother-in-law sent the Kiplings to England. A winter holiday to South Africa brought Kipling and Cecil Rhodes together, and the Boer War became Kipling's new cause. He became obsessed with the idea of raising children to be soldiers.

Kipling changed after the death of his daughter Jo. Trix spent most of her young adulthood under her parent's care, mentally distraught. During World War I Kipling's son John died fighting in the Battle of Loos. It was after that loss that Kipling wrote, "If any question why we died/Tell them, because our fathers lied."

Fame, success, marital happiness, and wealth could not drive out Kipling's demons or save Trix.

I received a free ebook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Kipling & Trix
by Mary Hamer
Aurora Metro Press
ISBN: 9781906582340
$22.95 paperback

Michigan 101: Fort Wayne in Detroit, "Where No Shot Was Ever Fired In Anger"

This weekend we visited historic Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan. It was my first time at the fort.

http://www.historicfortwaynecoalition.com/fortabout.html

Some shots were fired, as these slugs embedded in the limestone facade of the 1848 Old Barracks reveal.

The building was part of the improvements made under command of Montgomery C. Meigs, completed in 1851, costing $150,000.

There has been a military site here since 1701 when Cadillac built Fort Detroit. The fort was surrendered to the British in 1760 during the French and Indian War. The Brits built a new fort and occupied it until 1796 when the Americas retook it and named it Fort Shelby. During the War of 1812 the fort was surrendered to the British without a fight. The Brits abandoned it, and the Americans moved back in!

In 1815 it was the site of the Treaty of Springwells bringing an end of hostilities between the Native Americans who had allied with the British during the war. In effect it absolved the Native Americans from 'taint of treason' for supporting the British during the war, and allied them with America.  Lewis Cass and future president General William Henry Harrison were present at the signing.  The interpreter was James Riley, brother of John Riley whose bible was passed down in my husband's family. See my post about the Riley family  here. 

The fort was named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, but a treaty was signed before the canon even arrived. The fort was then used as an infantry garrison, but was not needed until the Civil War. During WWII Italian prisoners of war were housed here. It became a primary induction center from the Civil War until Viet Nam.

http://www.historicfortwaynecoalition.com/fortabout.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Wayne_%28Detroit%29

The walk to the Sally Fort entrance.

 Entrance into the interior of the fort.

 

Inside the Star Fort is the original barracks.

Canon  mounts along the Star Fortification faces toward the Detroit River. It was built on a sand mound that was an Indian Burial Mound.

The view looks at the Detroit skyline in one direction, with the Renaissance Center (RennCen) seen behind the bridge in the distance.

Across the river is Ontario, Canada. A freighter was docked there.

 Industry along 'down river' can be seen.

 

The powder house, seen below,  is the oldest structure in the Fort.

Several boys in Civil War reenactment costumes were at the Fort. The boy holding arms told me all about the Fort's history and about the group of reenactors his father and he participated in.

The first floor of the New Barracks had this door to nowhere. It gives one a lot to think about.

The path up the hill to the cannonade is embedded limestone. How many feet have trod this land? 

The site has nineteen 1000-year-old Native American burial grounds. No wonder some think the fort is haunted. Events held at the fort include ghost hunts, war reenactments, vintage baseball games, Swing dancing, Civil War Days, Medieval Days, and an annual flea market.

Our Kitchen Remodel Getting Underway!

We have the table.

We are in the final steps of planning the remodeling of our retirement home kitchen. The house was built in the early 1960s and never updated. No dishwasher. Little counter space. Shelves that are not adjustable. Our new refrigerator does not fit in the old place! We have a hutch there now.

The cabinets were made by a local man who did all the houses around here. The Alder Kay logo is still on the sink cabinet. Our contractor Jen once worked with the son of our cabinet maker!

 My brother refinished the cabinets in the 1980s, so they look pretty good.

We will stay with the slab cabinet style already in the house.

Two Januaries ago we fell in love with a ten year old model kitchen in a big box store in Ludington, MI. It was a natural quartersawn cherry. We can't get past wanting those cabinets. Here is a photo from the manufacturer:

We ordered new lighting for over a peninsula counter in spun aluminum:

We are considering different counter tops. I went to manufacturer's website and ordered larger samples. We have samples of natural cherry (not quartersawn) and laminate.

Three samples are Jonathan Alder's new linen look line for Formica. We have a pale blue Boomerang retro print. Some of the other samples I ordered can be seen here. I also love the upcoming retro collection found here but we would have to wait until summer to get them. I keep up on all the Retro news from Retro Renovation run by Pam Kueber, Her focus is on authentic restoration for mid-century homes.

I love the intense green and oranges, but I don't want the eye to go to the counter tops and not the cabinets. Also, the cabinets will change color with age and we must consider they will be richer and more colorful over time. Yesterday we saw 20 year old natural cherry cabinets. Amazing!

We went to European Cabinetry in Roseville, MI to look at laminate samples. The owner heard the name "Jennifer" and took us under wing. He took us to see the Cesarstone, and I have to admit he gave a pretty good sales pitch and I saw some samples I liked. Then he gave us a tour.

Here is their sample kitchen with the in-house hand-carved corbels and an amazing back lit onyx back splash.

 We will not be getting that kitchen.

 The hand carved work is amazing. The artist said it took him a month to carve one.

Back to reality...

The Teller of Tales: Stevenson, Samoa, and The Last Bookaneer

I have been a long time Stevenson fan. I loved A Child's Garden of Verses as a girl. In third grade I discovered a slim biography on R. L. Stevenson in my classroom's small library. I read it several times, fascinated by his varied and romantic life. Some years ago I happened upon a tattered copy and picked it up. It was published in 1954, written by G. B. Stern and entitled Robert Louis Stevenson: The Man Who Wrote "Treasure Island. I had copies of Kidnapped and The Black Arrow; I loved the movie versions of Treasure Island. Some years ago I happened upon The Lighthouse Stevensons by Ella Bathurst and enjoyed it.

I have also been a Matthew Pearl fan since reading his first novel The Dante Club. His latest novel is The Bookaneers, a rollicking good read with lots of twists and turns and red herrings. A Bookaneer is Pearl's imagined literary pirates, back before the United States accepted European copywrite laws, vying to steal manuscripts to be sold to printers. Their idealized rationale was that literature must be available to the readers. Their motive, more than money, was pride in being the best thief.

Bookaneer Pen Davenport has asked bookseller Fergins to travel to Samoa with him as his sidekieck. Fergins was to record Davenport's last act as Bookaneer before the July 1, 1890 deadline when copyright laws are enacted in the United States. His object is to steal Robert Louis Stevenson's current novel. Their arch rival Belial has arrived before them, taking the role of a Marist priest to worm his way into the Stevenson household. Davenport is posing as a travel writer.

In 1889, after wandering the South Pacific, Stevenson settled in Samoa where he built a home, Vailima , where his and his wife and her children lived until his death in 1894. In The Bookaneers we meet Stevenson and learn about his life in Samoa and his 'lordship' over the natives who called him Tusitala-- The Teller of Tales. In a preliterate society without books, memorizing the tribal stories by a story teller was an important and revered role. Stevenson is a real presence, his lanky frame draped sideways over chairs, or sprawled on a bed surrounded by papers while writing.

The story is framed with Fergins telling his adventures with Davenport to a young friend, Mr. Clover, a dark skinned train waiter in love with books. Fergins himself is a Teller of Tales. This device allows Pearl to manipulate the plot in ingenious ways, keeping the reader on a roller coaster ride as Clover hears the story in pieces,and in the end goes on his own search for knowledge. Several times I thought the story had concluded; but one more twist was in store.

The book reminded me of an adventure tale, a romance like the old school stories of the 19th c. I enjoyed every minute.

I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

The Last Bookaneer
Mathew Pearl
Penguin Press
Publication April 28, 2015
ISBN: 9781594204920
$27.95 hardcover

April in "A Year With the Fairies"

The Gardeners

When April comes with sun and showers
The Pixies plant a million flowers;
Each Pixie brings his little spade
And digs and delves in vale and glade.

The whole day long he spades and weeds
And gives to Earth his little seeds,
And begs from April sun and showers
Til little seeds grow into flowers.












April Wakes the Flowers

April clad in crystal rain-drops
Danced across the sunny skies,
Found Earth's children still lay sleeping,
Yearned once more to see their eyes.

So she pelted them with rain-drops,
Sprinkled them with soft warm showers,
Till the pattering of her crystals
Waked the sleep, smiling flowers.












from A Year With the Fairies, by Anna M. Scott, illustrations by M. T. Ross
1914, P. F. Volland & Co,