Kitchen Remodel day 2

It is the end of day #2 and this is what I came home to. Now the wall is gone and the room is open to the dining area. I have hated that wall since the day we moved in 30 years ago. Yes, I'm glad it is gone.

I see they have also repaired the part of the flooring that had developed a soft spot. I think it is amazing that we didn't have to replace more of it.

They will be back tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see what I find tomorrow night.

Kitchen Remodel has begun

We started our kitchen remodel today. The Rev and I have wanted to do this for a long time and now the time has come. Carol and Christy and I cleaned out the cupboards and prepared the room last night getting ready for the start today. Here are the before pictures.

  

Brandon and Daryl arrived at 8 AM this morning to get started and by noon this is what we had.

This looks like a good start to me. By the end of the day it should look even uglier. This getting exciting.

I should probably set the stage a bit. We have been working with Brandon and Daryl from Ideal Construction on getting this project done. They are the guys that did our basement remodel a couple of years ago so I have trust their judgement and direction. Brandon suggested we contact Jeri Duenow at the Ar-Jay Center for the cabinets. So off went to see Jeri. She did a great job of designing our new kitchen and getting the cabinets made. Now it is time to get to work on making this new room a reality. We will see how it goes.

Are we headed for a hot dry summer in Iowa?

When I read about the drought and brush fires in Australia I have to wonder if this is a foreshadowing of our coming summer. Not my idea of fun in the sun.

As Australia bushfires rage, warning of more heatwaves (via AFP)

Firefighters were battling scores of wildfires raging in Australia on Saturday, as a government commission warned that climate change had raised the risk of scorching heatwaves becoming more frequent. In the eastern state of New South Wales, some 1,000 firefighters were attempting to douse about 94…

US National Cathedral opens doors to same-sex weddings

US National Cathedral opens doors to same-sex weddings (via AFP)

The Washington National Cathedral, a focal point of Christian worship in the United States, said Wednesday that, effective immediately, it will officiate same-sex weddings. In a statement, its dean, Gary Hall, said the cathedral -- one of the biggest in the nation -- would marry gay and lesbian couples…