Painting and the Pantry

Are we having fun yet??

As everyone knows, I have been working on painting projects outside.  The fence is almost finished.  I just have the three gates to paint, which is a little time consuming to paint around the hardware.  My husband made new pickets to replace the ones that were rotted and they have been painted.  So, why haven't I finished the fence?  I ran out of paint on Tuesday.  In the days of old when I was working, I would have rushed out and bought another gallon.  Not so now.  Sherwin Williams is having a sale starting tomorrow and I can certainly use the 30% off coupon I have on that gallon of paint.  It was worth waiting a few days. 

In the meantime I have been painting trim on two windows on the south side of the house.  There are 5 colors of paint on the window trim and I should have taken a picture.  Perhaps tomorrow.

I want to be done with the fence and those windows by Monday.  Then, if the weather holds I can finish the easiest of the outside painting projects which is to paint the the overhangs over the dining room window and the living room window.

It is looking pretty good out in the back yard.  It's amazing what a coat of paint will do.  Also amazing is the foot traffic by our house watching me work on these projects.  In the end it will have taken six gallons of paint to paint the fence at a cost of $32.00 per gallon.  It was expensive but far cheaper than replacing that wooden fence with vinyl fencing @ $100 per 6 feet. 

Yes, all of you have followed me on my painting journey.  While it has been work, it has also been very cathartic.  I have listened to pod casts on my MP3 radio and beautiful music.  I have at times just painted without the MP3 player and let my mind wander and think.  While my back has hurt most of the time, I have enjoyed the peace, quiet and alone time. 

When these outside projects are done, the painting continues inside but that will be a little different type of painting - faux painting. Also, while I have been working outside I have been pondering some different designs to paint on the ceiling of the living room.  Could be interesting and if I don't like it, I can paint over it. 

In the meantime I have also been working on putting a post together listing the contents of my freezer and pantry.  It is time to reap the rewards of stockpiling.  We have many expenses coming up over the next few months.  We have paid for 1/2 of our son's Senior pictures and tomorrow I pick them up and pay for the balance.  Then there is our 30th wedding anniversary in November and Christmas of course.  So, I will be making up the majority of our meals from the freezer and pantry and will see how many weeks of meals I can come up with and supplement with fresh produce and dairy products.  The only items I will stock up on over the next few months will be flour and sugar. I always stock up on those items at this time of year.  Oh and if I am able to clear a space in the freezer I also love to pick up two turkeys at Thanksgiving.