You can thank Lisa

I wasn't going to post pictures of my new cabinet because I figured you're probably getting tired of witnessing my glacial progress ("Hmmm, great, Ben got a piece of trim installed..."), but Lisa said she wanted to see these photos. So you're stuck with them. Ha.

The cabinet pieces.

Putting the pieces together.

Fitting the top and bottom halves together. If you're wondering why there's an iron on the bottom shelf, I was using it to install edge veneer on the plywood edges. The edge veneer is very thin and has a glue backing that melts when you iron it on.

The finished cabinet (uninstalled).

The finished cabinet (installed). And with the countertop base, also.

The new cabinet from another angle, which lets you see the rest of the countertop run.

American English – Colloquialisms Update

During my expedition this past weekend (to Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina), I met a number of the peoples native to the South Atlantic region. During one of our ritual feasting events (lunch), I witnessed one such individual telling a story about receiving an Edible Arrangements® as a gift. She said, and I quote, "We ate on it for several days."

Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to properly discern the provenance on this young woman's choice of words. But, nonetheless, I wanted to share with all of you this curious, yet beloved, expression.

The Boy and His Ice Cream

Peter had his first ice cream recently. No, it wasn't that food of the gods otherwise known as Oberweis - he snubbed that at his first chance. Didn't even taste it. Mom didn't give him second chance, it seems. But Peter had some time to reconsider while socking away the hours in his car seat on our road trip to Florida. So when we got back to Michigan and visited Cook's Farm Dairy, he was ready.

This time, it was Dad with a Pistachio Almond single in a cone. Peter was cautious at first, then decisively agreeable to the whole thing. He needed a bite every time dad had one and sometimes an extra in between. His motor skills became suddenly more precise and his arm strength seemed to double. It was all over before a drop of melted ice cream could hit the ground.

Peter in his cautious, exploratory stage.

Almost gone. Sorry, there are not intermediate pictures - it just went that fast.

After filling his belly, Peter tried to make friends with the cows by offering them the last bit of cone.

FYI new post on mike's blog

In case you are bored and want to read a new post on my blog, I made one. Bob has been asking his brothers and sisters to submit a story from childhood and is going to to put them together for my Mom for her Birthday in July. I copied the story to my blog.

'Mr Barnhart- tear down that shed'

Oh wait that's the wrong quote, I was thinking of 'Mr Gorbachev- tear down that wall' . This blog could also be titled 'What I did on my spring break' I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Oh Happy Day!

Took my long awaited first shower since Thursday morning- doctors orders. Felt really good to be clean again. I must say I never really got stinky- must have been some type of miracle. Got to unwrap my bandage and get the first look at my "new" arm. Looks pretty good, a little lumpy but better than I expected. And I am typing this with both hands so you can see I have full function of the arm and hand for which I am thankful. I still have to wear the sling until Friday I think to keep the patch job stable while it heals. Thanks to all for your prayers and concern.