Katie's Making Bagels!

When you are a displaced New Yorker, sometimes you must take matters into your own hands. (The kitchen is gutted right now, as you can see in the background.)

Preparing the dough

Letting the shaped dough proof.

Boiling the bagels.

Good enough to eat! (Even if the focus is off.)

Want a bite?

Baby-San

I found this really cool pattern for kimonos on the internet. (Thank you for sharing, Amy Finlayson!) This is a test run, with some pants from another pattern. We think Leah Carole looks very nice in her Japanese getup.

February Cookout

Benjamin had been collecting the funny pages out of the Meadville Tribune for almost two years. The collection was threatening to overrun the boys' closet and take over their bedroom, there to stage a complete upper story takeover within months. David and I convinced him to get rid of the comics, only by offering to let him burn them in a fire outside. Benjamin, never one to miss an opportunity to press his advantage, agreed to this ONLY IF the fire were accessorized by hot dogs and marshmallows. Knowing when to take an opportunity and run with it, I went right out and got the junk food that day. We ended up cooking the hot dogs on the stove, but there was just enough heat to partially cook the marshmallows. I am glad we did not need this fire for survival!

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Here is a question for debate: Is this wallpaper coming in or going out of style? Either way, it went out the door, along with the paneling that had been on top of it. The "gutted" picture will come later.

Working on the Kitchen

Farmers are not known for having a lot of time to work on their houses. It is hard to get a big house-remodeling project done when you have to keep stopping and going out for chores. We have been working on our kitchen for a long time. The demo is done now, and wiring is underway. After wiring come drywall, trim and paint. Then there is the tile and grout. After that, install the appliances (come on, dishwasher!), and, in our case, the wood stove. There is a cabinet to put up, new countertops to install, new windows, and I am sure there will be a punch list that hangs around a long time. It is a lot of work, and we keep changing our minds about how we will handle things. Here are some pictures of the progress:

pantry cabinet before...

David helping to take down ceiling tiles...

pantry cabinet after!

Breakdown in Communication

We had leftovers for lunch today. I let the kids choose their poison, and asked them, "Beef stew or beans and rice?"
Katie: "I have Beep Soup!"
Amanda: "What kind of bees, the big ones, or the little ones?"