Buzzings from a quilter who bumbles her way through life!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Hill Country House Update and a Babysitting Adventure!


Things are moving SLOWLY in the hill country! We did finally get the countertops installed after 9 weeks of problems that delayed everything else! Once they were in, the Vent-a-Hood was installed and then the vent surround went up. We had a local craftsman make the surround. We will be plastering the top, curved part of it.



The walls with no dry wall will have limestone rock installed.
It was supposed to go up a week ago, but surprise, surprise - all they have done is chip a few rocks for the column three days after they were scheduled to start and we haven't seen them since! 
The floor was supposed to be started this week, but they are waiting on the stone to go up. We have also had to postpone delivery of the appliances because the floor needs to be down first.
We did get the cabinet installed for the back entrance.

I also got all the painting done and "spruced up" the bedroom a little before my kids see it. (I will decide later how to decorate it, but it looks clean and neat for now.)

(See the little wicker chair to the right of the bed? I found it a few weeks ago at a thrift shop - $13!)
While all the work at the hill country house WAS NOT getting done, I was a thousand miles away with my grandkids. I asked the youngest what he wanted to do while I was there. He said, BAKE!
I gave him a Christmas cookie magazine that I had picked up in the airport and had him mark every recipe he wanted to make. Then we spent two days that weekend baking. 

We started with hand washing! (Do you see the little mosaic trivet in the picture? His daddy made that when he was 9 years old!)

He was very proud of what he accomplished!

He made 6 batches (all different recipes) of cookies (all safely stored away in the freezer for the holidays). He even woke me up at 6:00 in the morning on a Saturday because we had dough chilling overnight and he was ready to bake!

I also taught him how to make chicken tamales. He did everything himself during all the baking and cooking!

There are now 4 dozen tamales in the freezer.
Although I didn't get a good picture of it, my granddaughter wanted to learn to make fudge. She made two batches - one chocolate and one Dreamsicle (creamy orange like the ice cream bars we used to get as kids!). She is already an accomplished cook. Her time these last few weeks have been taken up by soccer and softball.


I bought a few dollar store village pieces and let her paint them each with glossy white paint. Her brother helped her glitter each roof and tree with sparkly snow. This is only a temperary set up for a picture. They will arrange them nicely closer to Christmas.


After all the fun with grandkids, I came home this past weekend to find that it is fall in the hill country!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week (if you're in the states!). If not, just have a wonderful week!

18 comments:

  1. I love that your grand children love to cook, I have my crew here from TX and we are cooking and decorating. Your kitchen is going to look amazing.

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  2. Even unfinished your kitchen looks beautiful and will be an amazing place to cook and bake! Sweet pics of your grandkids!

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  3. Oh, I bet the fun cooking with those gk's helped soften the blow of not getting your own kitchen done (and what a wonderful finish that will bee, wow)! good to see the happy times there ~
    :-}pokey

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  4. Your home is showing signs of gorgeous! I love seeing the progress. Us gals from the Lone Star State love our Texas furniture don't we !

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  5. The kitchen looks wonderful and will be a perfect space for those adventurous little cooks! They are darling.

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  6. Your house is getting there, Linda. Sounds like you had a lovely time with your grandchildren.

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  7. Wow, look at the size of that kitchen! Too funny that your grandson woke you up at 6 a.m. to bake. So, did you get up and bake them?

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  8. It never ceases to amaze me the timeline of the contractors in our great state! Never experienced anything like it anywhere else we've lived. But.... the house is looking beautiful! And what memories you've made with the grands cooking. That's the best part!

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  9. Oh I am getting excited for you!!!! That house is looking great! I hope my grandsons will bake with me too! I can't wait...but wait, I can...I don't want them to grow up!!!

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  10. Such a fun time baking wonderful! But, I've gotta ask...care to share your dreamsicle fudge recipe? We just love those. Made peanut butter fudge last week...that was a big hit here!

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  11. It is so fun when your grandchildren love to bake and cook, my son always loved baking Christmas goodies and he grew up to be a professional chef. Your lovely home is coming a long and will be so beautiful when it is finish. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Hugs Sandra

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  12. I have that same bed in my guest room and have considered buying another for my room. Love it! Can't wait to see it after you decorate. This is so fun (for us) to see the progress although I feel your frustration. I dealt with contractors this summer and they showed up to do the work as we were having the wedding... They couldn't have timed it at a worse time. We had waited months for them to show up, so my house was a mess for wedding week. I wasn't going to let them leave. lol
    Your time with the grandkids sounds like fun. Memories made for sure!

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  13. I love seeing the progress on your house - it's fun to see it come along though I admit my patience would be wearing thin about now. :) And what a treasure trove of memories you now have with your grandchildren! blessings, marlene

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  14. You are cordially invited, anytime, to come teach me how to make tamales. YUM! They are hard to find here, and, being native Texans, we love them! My mother didn't/doesn't cook, so, no help there. Hopefully the kitchen will be done by New Years. Love that bed.

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  15. Great progress on your home. The bedroom looks so inviting.

    It looks like you have a professional baker in the making there. :)

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  16. Okay, the votes are all in and you have just won the Grandmother of the Year Award...by a landslide! Your home is going to be so gorgeous...frustrating now, but wonderful in the end..hang in there.

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  17. looking good Linda....steady and even with unfinished it looks so lovely..

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  18. Your home is going to be wonderful real soon! and I adore that bed!!!

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