DIY

Jo Studio Clear Up

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Our back bedroom is a huge room that I use for a studio/office.

Each fixture in the back bedroom has two bulbs.

One of the first things I did was to change out the overhead lights.

Shoe boxes, sewing supplies, and off-season bedding among other things will be stored in this closet.

Then, with Charlie’s help, we added shelves to a small closet on the window side of the room.  I keep my overflow shoes and sewing supplies in there.

The closet behind the bifolds is unfinished but fully insulated and furnished with electric ceiling lights.

The bifolds on the back wall access a 4-foot wide closet that runs the length of the room.  The 2-door closet houses our Christmas decorations, wallpaper supplies, and extra music equipment.

The carpets have been recently shampooed.

When I shampooed the upstairs carpets I included this room.

The lumber (on the floor) has been there for over a year.

In order to thoroughly clean the rug I removed the wood that had been piled on the floor since removing the built-in bed in the primary bedroom in December of 2024.  We keep our printers in here on my cedar chest where I store old rolls of wallpaper just in case I need some inspiration.

The twin bed is for napping and dreaming.

On the side of the room opposite the window is a sliding glass door that has its own balcony.  (All bedrooms on the second floor have their own balconies that overlook the Chesapeake Bay.)

Even after a good cleaning the trivet looked grimy until I painted it.

One quick project I painted was a trivet wall sconce that belonged to my mother.  It hangs on the wall near the bed.  I’m still looking for an appropriate shade.

You can see the lamp on the desk in the 4th photo.

I’m using this lamp on the desk.

The trivet lighting fixture goes with an old fashioned lamp I previously painted. This lamp has a pretty silhouette but wasn’t my style so instead of getting rid of it, I painted it.

The color will probably be a pale, barely there true blue.

Without actually having painted the walls (yet) it seems the color of the room will need to be something that blends with the green in the area rug and bedding.

These lined drapes used to be in the main bedroom at our former house. They are meant to frame the window, not fully close.

Next project:  Hemming the curtains.

I’m hoping to make this a true studio with reminiscences of our travels.

Then: Paint and hang more artwork.

Jo

February, 2026: Gonna

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February is here at last.  Spring cannot be far away.

The hopeful start of spring daffodils.

We planted some daffodil bulbs last fall.  I can’t wait to see if they’ll grow.

Don’t let that innocent look fool you — he’s plotting.

Dash will be 8 years old on the 6th of the month. He’s grown into a darling yet bossy member of the family.

In February I plan to:

  1.  Try new dermatologist.
  2.  Go to the dentist.
  3.  Look at 2027 travel plans.

    We’re hoping to visit an authentic sauna in Finland in 2027.

  4.  Decide on and begin 2026 Lenten practice.
  5.  Eat vegetarian for a week. (#62)

    I’m ready for a week of roasted vegetables.

  6.  Attend US Sailing Basic Race Management Seminar.
  7.  Celebrate my birthday.
  8.  Get clothes together for Norway/London trip.

    I’m hoping our Iceland wardrobe will suffice in Norway.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: PREPARE.
  10.  Write a Do-it list for March, 2026.

Jo

January, 2026: Wrapped

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January seemed to pass much too quickly.  However our plans for a kitchen renovation are coming together at long last.  The designer and potential contractor met to confirm measurements and supplies.

The white water birds are swans that migrate during January and rest in our shoal.

Here’s what I was (we were) up to in addition to my preplanned numbered list:

  • I purchased a 2nd remote control for our ancient garage door opener.  It arrived in 3 days for less than $20 and it works.

    This old remote still works (most of the time) so I gave it to Charlie.

  • I started practicing tai chi with my old group via Zoom.
  • Son upgraded front of Grace Cottage (shore house) with stone.

    The stones should keep weeds and tall grass away from the foundation.

  • Son also installed new ceiling fan in back bedroom of Grace Cottage. Oddly it is a plug-in situation.

    A modern ceiling fan is a good start.

  • Charlie and I resealed and weatherized our double garage door.

    We glued garage door threshold to the floor to keep water and dirt outside.

  • Son blew leaves from the gutter over our garage.

    Our son has his own equipment.

  • We visited the local yacht club to hear about the regatta schedule.

    The clubhouse was designed by Victorine du Pont Homsey who was  inspired by the bridge of Alfred I. duPont‘s yacht, Alicia.

  • Son finished insulating the ceiling in the back room of Grace Cottage (shore house).

    Next task: Apply drywall.

In January I accomplished the following items:

  1.   Make travel plans for London. I arranged our UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in about 20 minutes via www.gov.uk. I chose 7 possible theatre productions in the West End to consider attending. I’m hoping to get in 4 of them.  Finally, the most daunting of the tasks was to determine the best (for us) transportation from the cruise ship (in Tilbury Port) to the hotel (near Charing Cross in London).  I hope my plan is both practical and cost effective.

    We’ll be boarding the Neptune, launched in 2022.

  2. Organize a few items in my studio/office in back bedroom (#63).  Get rid of old paint which I was going to use on the walls but have decided to go in a different direction.  The paint is history and the clear up has started.

    Before

    Thus far

  3.  Work on tax return and required minimum distributions including the charitable variety (#2).  Now that we’ve moved 100 miles east of where we used to live I have found a new tax accountant and have given him all my paperwork for our 2025 tax return. I have also chosen appropriate assets to divest.
  4.  Shampoo upstairs carpet (#28).  I began in the primary bedroom and finished all the 2nd floor wall-to-wall carpet which I had cleaned about a year ago before we moved furniture into the house. Even after vacuuming the area very well, the PetPro Bissell shampooer picked up a ton of dog hair.

    The gray rug on the 2nd floor landing was especially full of hidden dog hair.

  5.  Put away all Christmas decorations.  With Charlie’s help everything was stashed for another year.

    The enclosed storage space at the back of the studio is perfect for seldom used items like Christmas decorations.

  6.  Empty at least 3 boxes in the garage to make room for new kitchen items. I stashed CDs, tapes, and records in a safer place until we can set up a music system. I also reviewed the old (heavy) Martha Stewart magazines I had been saving from 1999-2002.  That was a box in itself of which I am now free.

    Before there were 3 piles of bins and boxes.

    I whittled down more than 3 broken boxes and emptied 2 plastic bins to create only 2 piles.

  7.  Remove trim from kitchen pantries and save for future use.

    Before

    The doors are off.

  8.  Read a book.  Finished V is for Vengeance and read Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night which, according to Samuel Pepys, is “not related to the name or the day” of 12th night which is on January 5th. .
  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: STRATEGY.
  10.  Write a goal list for February, 2026.

Jo

Garage Door Upgrade-ish

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We have a vintage wooden double garage door on the northeast side of the house.

The garage door was scruffy brown.

It gets very little sun but lots of wind and weather.

The garage door is now navy blue.

The first thing I did was to stain the dark brown door navy blue (actually Cabot Newburyport Blue Solid Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer in One ).

Charlie muscled the old weatherstrip off the bottom of the garage door.

This sealer was nailed along the bottom edge of the door.

Then we ripped off the old bottom weatherstrip and replaced it with the Frost King product in the above picture.

We used the nails that came with the rubber strip and applied them in a zigzag pattern.

Next we replaced the stationary garage door seal on the top and sides of the opening with 40 feet of  Elvone Universal TPE Weather Stripping.

We attached the sides before attempting the top span.

Of course we pulled the old stuff off first then cleaned the area very well.  We had planned to stick on the weatherstripping which has an adhesive backing but it would NOT stick to the wood.

Charlie drove in the screws that came with attached black caps (matching the weatherstip) which we did not close until we were certain the garage door would ride up and down.

Instead I started holes about a foot apart with roofing nails which we then pulled out and replaced with the provided screws.

I laid out the floor strip and marked both sides on the floor with pencil.

Finally (and my favorite) we added VEVOR Garage Door Threshold Seal Strip.

Two tubes of adhesive were included in the kit.

Charlie ran adhesive inside the lines according to the instructions in the package.

I held the unglued end of the strip so it wouldn’t get stuck down prematurely.

Then he carefully laid the threshold strip between the marked lines onto the adhesive.

I waited 24 hours before driving over the strip.

We’re hoping these new measures with help keep water, wind, and weather out of our attached garage.

In spring I plan to touch-up parts of the door that are now unpainted.

When everything is closed up the new installments are unnoticeable.

Jo

January, 2026: Gonna

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2026! WOW!  Happy New Year to everyone.

Sky graffiti.

While I don’t make resolutions, in 2026 I do plan to:

  •  have a new kitchen installed.

    Can hardly wait for a new kitchen.

  •  finish staining the outside of the house.

    This east wall remains unstained.

  •  paint the front hall which is 2 stories tall.

    I think this will be a tricky job.

  •  travel to far off lands.

    We’ve seen the Northern Lights but might have the opportunity to view them from a dog sled.

  •  incorporate a weight lifting routine as a health boost.

    I’ll start with light weights.

  •  lose 10 pounds.

    I keep an accurate scale in my bathroom.

Charlie and I haven’t got any special plans for January in terms of parties or travel.  I’m still trying to round up a contractor for the kitchen project.

We’ll be doing small projects around the house.

In January I plan to:

  1.   Make travel plans for London including transportation from the port to the hotel, UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), and potential theatre shows/tickets.

    We hope to see a few shows in the West End.

  2. Organize a few items in my studio/office in back bedroom (#63).  Get rid of old paint which I was going to use on the walls but have decided to go in a different direction.

    Christmas decorations and Charlie’s clothes are messing up my studio. That will change.

    I am calling this room JoStudio.

  3.  Work on tax return and required minimum distributions including the charitable variety (#2).
  4.  Shampoo upstairs carpet (#28).

    The upstairs wall-to-wall carpet gets a lot of foot action.

  5.  Put away all Christmas decorations.

    I like to carefully pack away Christmas decor so it will be ready for next year’s holidays.

  6.  Empty at least 3 boxes in the garage to make room for new kitchen items.

    Records, papers, and books were unboxed to dry out after a heavy rain wet their containers. This month I’ll sift through and limit what I keep.

  7.  Remove trim from kitchen pantries and save for future use.

    We might need some of this trim in the new kitchen. (The bifold doors are leaving.)

  8.  Read a book.

    Love a Sue Grafton mystery.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: STRATEGY.
  10.  Write a goal list for February, 2026.

Jo

December, 2025: Score

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December has been a cold and windy month on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

We have been experiencing some fiery sunsets.

In the meantime we’re still trying to enjoy the season and get to know new people. By the way, I met and remembered 10 new people.

In addition to the pre-planned numbered list I also:

  • Contacted 4 contractors to come to see the project and give me a proposal.  Only 1 has visited the house so far.
  • Made meringue kisses for a potluck supper.

    I enhanced my contribution of meringues with some colored sugar and seasonal gummy candies.

  • Attended a choral concert with a 60 voice choir.  Lots of music including a sing-along Hallelujah Chorus.
  • Got a new battery for my car.  The old one lasted more than 6 years.
  •  Weatherstipped the bottom of the garage door.
  •  Purchased a bistro set for my balcony.

In December I wanted to:

  1. Celebrate Christmas.  We really celebrate the holiday the entire month of December and let it drift into the New Year by taking a special class, decorating a little bit, getting in touch with family and friends, meeting new friends, and remembering the highlights of the past year.

  2. Work on an inside project from my 101 in 1001 list.  I wrote at least 7 notes to friends (#4) — not just Christmas cards because I’m not really a card person.  I wrote actual notes.  I also piled up Christmas decorations that no longer suit us and gave them to my son’s wife who is welcome to toss them.  I just couldn’t. (#27).
  3.  Continue packing up kitchen items, removing cabinets, patching holes, and maybe even painting.  The first potential contractor came for a look early in the month so I got busy right away packing up items we seldom use.

    Everything gets carefully packed up.

    I used multiple size and shape boxes since kitchen items are both fragile and oddly shaped.

  4. Get rid of a pile of clutter from the master bedroom. Part of the clutter was Christmas gifts which have now been fully distributed.  I also moved a box of bank statements to my studio where I expect to work on our tax return for next year.
  5. Choose new appliances: Stove and exhaust fan.  I’ve chosen a Frigidaire 30-in 5 burner 5.1-cu ft Freestanding Natural Gas Range (Stainless Steel) and a Hauslane range hood.

    What an improvement this will be!

  6. Make a dermatologist appointment.  I called in the middle of December and made the first available appointment which is not until February.
  7.  Read a book.  I read the final (5th) book in the Thursday Murder Mystery series, The Impossible Fortune.  I was on the waiting list for quite a while but finally nabbed a hardback at the local library.
  8.  Get a COVID booster.  I tried to get one at the local health department but they have some kind of computer glitch that won’t allow them to take information. ?????

    Vaccinated!

    So I went to a local pharmacy and received the newest vaccine since we’ll be traveling in 2026.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: MARVEL.
  10.  Write a Do-it list for January, 2026.

Jo

December, 2025: Aims

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December is a wonderful month to look back and dream forward. We’re working diligently this December on dismantling the kitchen.  We haven’t had to live without a kitchen at Christmas since 2013.

The kitchen is in the far corner behind the post.

In the meantime we’re still trying to enjoy the season and get to know new people.

In December I’d like to:

  1. Celebrate Christmas.

    The polar bears are protecting the scaled-down Christmas tree.

  2. Work on an inside project from my 101 in 1001 list.  Could be writing notes to friends (#4), scanning  the  Mommie photos (#11), old Christmas decorations that no longer suit us (#27),  and/or work on studio/office in back bedroom (#63) — so many choices, so little time.
  3.  Continue packing up kitchen items, removing cabinets, patching holes, and maybe even painting.  The painting will depend on how far we get with the tearing apart.  Much of the wall will not show when the kitchen is finished but I would like it to be fresh and clean before the cabinets are installed.

    The living room in Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster.

    I’ve chosen the color Alabaster like the living room.

  4. Get rid of a pile of clutter from the master bedroom.

    Most of the stuff on the left has got to GOOOOO.

  5. Choose new appliances: Stove and exhaust fan.

    This dinosaur has outlived its era.

  6. Make a dermatologist appointment.
  7.  Read a book.
  8.  Get a COVID booster.

    Glad we no longer are required to mask up.

  9.  Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: MARVEL.
  10.  Write a Do-it list for January, 2026.

Jo

November, 2025: Score

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By November the setting sun has moved from the west to the southwest so we get really stunning sunsets over the water.

The sun goes down in an orange ball then fires up the sky when it sinks below the horizon.

In addition to the numbered list below I (we):

  • went birding at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge with 3 experts. Apparently we saw over 48 different species of birds.  I learned a thing or two but (unfortunately) not much more than that.  Happily I will have more opportunities in the future.

    We saw many bald eagles — one of our companions with a real camera took fabulous photos.

  • watched the 1957 film Funny Face starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn.
  • had our outdoor TV antenna upgraded.

    There’s a man at the top of our antenna tower pulling up the antenna on a seriously windy day.

  • witnessed the Northern Lights across the marsh — an unusual sight in Maryland.

    Not only is the Aurora visible but I can also see Orion’s Belt, Taurus, and the Pleiades.  I’m learning!

  • donated the first 4 Thursday Murder Club books to my local library since they do not own them.

    I’ve donated 1-4 and am still waiting for #5.

  • saw bright shooting star during the Leonid Meteor Shower.
  • bought 2 cords of seasoned oak for the wood stove.

    2 cords — some need stacking; other need splitting and stacking.

  • began an Advent study at a local church.
  • had Thanksgiving dinner on Tilghman Island at a local crab shack.

    Thanksgiving buffet was loaded with seafood specialties. I enjoyed short rib Wellington after baked oysters.

In November I had planned to:

  1.  Continue to take apart kitchen.

    We started taking down cabinets from right to left — one by one.

    The upper cabinets are mostly down and removed from the kitchen.  Charlie is planning to use them in the shed.

  2.   Bring down Christmas decorations to go with this year’s theme — Wildlife: whales, ponies, polar bears, birds.  The theme highlights this year’s travels.

    I inherited this little bird sculpture.

  3.   Work on new appliances for kitchen renovation.  I ordered a new dishwasher, sink, and faucet.

    I’m sticking with a champagne bronze finish for the fixtures.

  4.   Order backsplash tile.

    Enough fish scale tile for the backsplash.

    I came up against a little issue where I had to visit more than one Lowe’s store to get the full amount we’ll need.  Done and done.

  5.   Wrap, pack up, and mail Christmas gifts.

    All wrapped up — no peeking.

  6.   Read a book.  I’m working on the Thursday Murder Club Mystery series. Just read the 4th in the series: The Last Devil to Die.  I’m waiting for The Impossible Fortune (5th installment) to become available digitally through my library card.
  7.  Work on contractor possibilities for kitchen remodel. I have contacted 4 possibilities by email with photos of the project.

    I’ve decided on a 2-tone kitchen — blue (Upwards) on bottom, cream (Sandhill Crane) on top.

  8.  Work on a paint/stain project.  Charlie continues to stain the exterior of the house while I spray painted dead olive trees for some outdoor Christmas decoration.

    Spray painted silver/bronze.

  9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: ENJOY.
  10.   Write a goal list for December, 2025.

Jo

November, 2025: Aims

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Wow! This year has flown by! Already November and we still haven’t finished staining the entire exterior of the house which we started in June.

A lone great white egret studies his reflection in the marsh.

More recently I have been exploring the local area with some experts in birding.

In November I plan to:

  1.  Continue to take apart kitchen.

    Here’s a preliminary plan for the renovated kitchen.

  2.   Bring down Christmas decorations to go with this year’s theme — Wildlife: whales, ponies, polar bears.

    My polar bears made the trip to our new house unscathed.

  3.   Work on new appliances for kitchen renovation.
  4.   Order backsplash tile.

    Multi-toned blue fish scales in my first choice for the backsplash.

  5.   Wrap, pack up, and mail Christmas gifts.
  6.   Read a book.  I’m working on the Thursday Murder Club Mystery series.

    Just finished this one.

  7.  Work on contractor possibilities for kitchen remodel.
  8.  Work on a paint/stain project.
  9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: ENJOY.
  10.   Write a goal list for December, 2025.

Jo

 

October, 2025: Score

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Often Charlie and I travel in October but this year we are staying home and enjoying our beautiful surroundings while also planning and scheming some future events.

Even at high tide the bay and marsh are beautiful.

The longer we live here the more interesting activities we’re discovering.

In addition to my planned list I (we):

  • received 3 dozen fresh from the henhouse eggs from our neighbor so we made a pound cake.  Yummy!

    We found a great pound cake recipe that calls for a dozen eggs.

  • attended a revival at a local church.  Charlie was the musician.
  • trained for a walking 10K.

    Some days I started slightly before sunrise while the fog lingered.

  • began an online study focusing on history, literature, and a general understanding of the Bible.
  • Fought hordes of swarming gnats in the house most of the month.
  • Attended a local production of Hot ‘n’ Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration! Cole Porter is one of my all time favorite composers who also writes his own lyrics.

    The onstage band is getting ready.

  • Planted some daffodil bulbs and a peony root.

    Not much to look at now but hopefully pink Shirley Temple peonies will bloom in spring.

  • After a long hiatus from reading, I read The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.

    The next one on the list.

    I plan to continue reading the series.

We also focused on finishing some of the major projects we’ve already started:

  • staining the exterior of the house,

    The front of the house is totally stained.

  • planning a new kitchen,

    We’re moving the stove from the center of an island to an outside wall.

  • starting with the demolition of the current kitchen,
  • lost the “e” key on my computer which ended up costing about $20 to replace.  It would have been half of that but I was unwilling to try and replace it myself.

    The new key works just fine.

  • clearing out the garage,

    One of the streamlined areas in the garage.

  • making a heartfelt effort to minimize clutter in the primary bedroom. I started by washing the windows which were very murky due to spray from the gnat infestation.

The numbered list for October has some time-sensitive, must-do items:

  1. Purchase a major appliance for the kitchen.  The first major appliance I bought for the newly designed kitchen is a side-by-side refrigerator.

    I can’t wait to start using this BIG BOY.

  2. Choose excursions for Norway trip.

    After the sled ride we’re being treated to dinner by a famous Norwegian chef.

    Among other things we have an evening dogsled ride for me and an organ concert for Charlie on his birthday.  Of course we’ll attend everything together — that’s part of the fun.

  3.  Drink a glass of water every morning for an entire month.  I drank a glass of water every morning for the past month while brewing my coffee.  I’m planning to continue the habit.

    At least one tall glass every morning.

  4.  Clear everything out of pantry.  This was a BIG project — basically I packed up everything I had unpacked when we moved in a year and a half ago.

    From this . . .

    . . . to this.

    Then I had to find a place for it which turned out to be any empty spot on the first floor.

  5.  Unpack 3 boxes. I got rid of 3 boxfuls of old stuff when they fell over in the garage and spilled all over the floor.  GONE!

    I’ll used these newly emptied boxes to pack up more of the kitchen.

  6.  Bird tour at Blackwater Federal Wildlife Preserve.  I planned to go on a second birding tour since this is the season when migrating birds are prevalent in our area. The weather didn’t cooperate so I’ve rescheduled for early in November.

    There’s an eagle in those trees.

  7.  Finish shopping for Christmas.  I ordered all my gifts and have received all of them including a few souvenirs from our trip to Canada to mail and distribute closer to Christmas.

    I’m planning on a calm and unhurried holiday.

  8.  Donate or throw away something we don’t need anymore.  I got rid of an old refrigerator, a wooden bench, and a pair of box springs thanks to my darling son who hauled them away.

    Among other items this working refrigerator is gone — hoping someone else can use it.

  9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: FOCUS.
  10.  Write a goal list for November, 2025.

Jo