Our kitchen-and-bathroom saga is almost over. The kitchen’s been done for a couple of weeks, my parents’ bathroom was finished on Monday, and mine is 98% done. Everything except the pipe/traps under the sink (as in, if you ran the water right now, you’d end up with a puddle of water at the bottom of the vanity–not really optimal usage!

  We went from this–that’s a scrolly-shaped blue tile floor (with scrolly-shaped, impossible-to-clean grout), formica vanity, blue sink and toilet, and blue tile wainscoting on the walls–and a matching blue tub and tub-enclosure behind the door….

  … Through this–no vanity, no toilet, no floor, and um, that’s the closet door leaning against the wall…

  …Past this–that’s the new floor (a blue-gray, slate-like tile–not yet grouted), and the matching acrylic “insert” wall from inside the tub, covering the blue tile on the walls….

  … To this! New, completely mirrored medicine chests (bigger than the ones before), a dark blue counter top, maple vanity, new Moen faucets and matching hardware for the soapdish, towel racks, etc, new Koehler toilet….

  And, you know, the shower/tub . . . I know it’s a very sterile white, but that’s why I went for the dramatically dark floor and counter. A bathroom can only handle so much white without looking like a laboratory. (Not that there’s anything with with a lab, but I don’t much care to bathe in one.) Next decision is what to do with the old wallpaper . . . I mean, yeah, replace it, but with what? . . . and what accent color I want the shower curtain and towels to be. Not exactly an urgent thing to decide at all, and for now, the gold-colored curtain is fine.

If only the sinks had running water . . .

Chappy, meantime, is exhausted, but happily collapsed next to me right now, glad to have just his family in the house–no workmen. (He doesn’t know that Ben is supposed to come back later to finish hooking up the sinks. I think I’ll wait to break the news.) I did some cleaning this morning, but have been trying to let him get some rest.

I’m almost done with the front of my NbaT–at least, I’m just about at the armhole. I got quite a bit of knitting done out on the deck with Chappy yesterday, though I didn’t do any last night–I was too tired. Instead, we watched “In Good Company” with Dennis Quaid, and I read through “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” (Next Saturday, it’s on to book #3!)

The fiction that I’m reading now is “World Without End” by Sean Russell, one of my favorites. It’s a fantasy book that takes place in a world similar to ours in the 19th century–except this world used to have mages, who have since died out. The main character, Tristam Flattery, is similar to Darwin, in that he’s a naturalist, interested in the study of plants and animals, unwilling to accept that there might be some magic left in the world. I love the book, love the world, love the characters, love the writing, love the story. This is the first book I’d read of this author, and remains my favorite, though his writing style is just superb. Eminently readable, interesting.

My Dad is having a good Father’s Day, too. I defrosted the little, mini, Christmas Stollen that’s been in the freezer since December for his breakfast. (Stollen is one of his absolute favorite things to eat, ever, which is the only reason I go to the extreme trouble of making it for him every year. He IS worth it.) He got out for golf. He came home to an apple pie and a happy grand-dog, and is now watching the US Open (or some other sport thing–he flips channels). Pot roast for supper. And, oh yes, at his Member-Guest tournament yesterday, they named something for my uncle, the “Boyken Pull” in honor of him and my Dad. Isn’t that nice of them??

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