Rainy Monday

The weather actually turned Spring-like for the weekend. We took Friday off and went to some garden stores to pick up some vital supplies. Black mulch for the front garden and some potting soil for the deck plants. We also bought some beautiful ceramic pots and planters, including a metal stand to hold an enormous pot for the floral centerpiece on the deck. Smaller pots for some vegetables were also purchased.

We didn't buy any plants. They're not in season yet....but, if we ever DO have a Spring, we're ready for it! Temps are in the mid 40s today, steady rain and possible storms forecast for today and tomorrow.

So ASSUMING the weather will eventually change, I've started planning my Springtime projects. They include (but are not limited to):

1. Wood Working; the master bath still needs the vanity finished. I have promised a small set of drawers on the vanity top, and possibly a shelf. I also want to make a towel rack/cabinet.
2. Wood Working; the dining room table top needs to be refinished. You would think furniture would hold up better after only 35 years, but it hasn't. Liberal use of a belt sander should fix this.
3. Wood Working; the back of my desk side computer is exposed. I would like to build a small screen to hide the cables.
4. Home Clean up: Pressure washing the house. Well, not all of it. The replaced siding needs to be cleaned and the slider onto the deck should be washed off. Also, a white railing for the deck is pretty but shows the dirt well. The surface of the deck also needs to be washed but I'm not sure if I can use the pressure washer on the Trex planking.
5. Wood Working; the garden bench was blown down the hill once too often. The cast iron sides and back insert are fine but the wooden slats are shattered. I'm thinking about replacing all the wood with composite materials.
6. Home improvement: Garage stairs. I want to replace the builders single stair with a better staircase, landing and railing.
7. Wood Working; My wife wants a small sofa table to fit behind the love seat in the living room.
   

Obviously I didn't list the stuff that is real work...like planting trees and shrubs, or other garden work. I've also left the basement off the list. We plan to get a storage shed to relieve the congestion in the basement and the work involved sorting the junk from the treasure will be daunting. Since we are down to one income right now we figured it best to do a bit less stimulating and a bit more financial planning. The shed will just have to wait.