Along With the Sunshine

There has to be a little rain sometime.  Today proved just that.  For two days I was able to be outside putting 2 coats of polyurethane on 60 boards 12 feet long.  The weather was perfect for the job.  Heavy fog and dew at night that knocked down the dust from the dirt road above us.  Once the sun burned off the fog there was sun, a slight breeze and best of all no bugs.  This gave me about 10 hours of thinking and letting the mind drift away.  I love times like this and I love wood!  Seriously I do.  One of the best things for me working with wood is looking at the grain, knots and imperfections.  So many buy wood with none of these in it, the want a uniform look.   For me that means no character.  Just like humans, animals, birds etc. that is what makes my life interesting.  I don't want perfect and truthfully there is no such thing in my mind. There is one thing I don't like about imperfections and knots.   I will not put my bed under this little "knot face" on the ceiling in our bedroom.  It gives me the creeps and reminds me when our oldest son was little.  I would rock him for his nap and one time he said, eyeballs.  What?  Then he pointed to our wall which had wood paneling on it.  Yep, there they were two eyeballs looking at us.  I changed the furniture that day so we couldn't see it from the rocking chair. 

It looks a lot scarier waking up to!

Back to the "poly job".  It means one step closer to seeing the interior of the cabin come together.  Once the wood is on the ceiling we will be buying 14-12' sheets of sheetrock and 5-8' sheets.  I'm pretty sure I have mentioned my "middle of the night" ideas.  Last night was one of them.  Apparently I went to bed thinking of sheetrock and maneuvering the heavy stuff.  How am I going to hold the top piece in place while Dick sets a few screws to hold it?  I was imagining him barking orders to hold it, don't let it slip as he runs off to get the screw gun or screws that he forgot.  Not a nice situation to be around.  We can get down right nasty.  This is where when all is said and done we laugh and say, "we are both still alive or married."  Maybe  we have handled these situations so well, because of 49 years of practice.  So, as soon as my eyes opened this morning I said.............I know how to hold the sheetrock in place with no worries!  I explained we will run a board on the studs horizontally 4' 1/4" down from the ceiling, lift the sheet rock on it and waaaalaaaa!  Now to see if it works, to be continued.  It took a few different ways to explain but I think he understood.  At least he said he did!  That might have been just to get me to...........shut up!

A good feeling to finish the job.

Wood, beautiful wood.

Dick and I are definitely on the same planet but our minds, not so much!  When I try to explain something he looks like, she is crazy.  When he tries to explain something, he is crazy.  If we are lifting a large something it seems like we lift and turn just the opposite.  When we fold a tarp the same thing,  I think he does it on purpose just to cause a ...........conflict.  Much better to say conflict than fight.  One thing we both snap back with no qualms about it.

Enough of our wicked ways.  The weather turned overcast with some hard rain and a little thunder.  Soup is on this crazy mind now.  I have never made the one simmering as I type but it looked good on an Italian Youtube cooking show. 

Italian Bean and Noodle Soup:  My take and a little change up because I never follow directions in recipes or life.

Saute 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/4 cup chopped carrot, 1 tomato chopped  and one finely chopped clove of garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil.  Careful, do not brown the mixture it will make the garlic bitter.  Once the veggies are translucent add 8 cups of water, salt, pepper, bay leaf, 2 15.5 oz. cans of drained cannellini beans and a handful of chopped kale, spinach, Swiss chard, your choice or a mixture.  Cover and simmer until the greens are tender.  Next add 3 green spring onions sliced, tsp. of dried parsley and 1/2 cup of macaroni.  Simmer uncovered until the macaroni is cooked to your liking.  You may need to add more water depending on how much broth you like.  Serve with a grated Romano or Parmesan cheese on top with a drizzle of olive oil.  We like a crusty bread with it.  That is our Saturday night supper.