Father (and Mother) knows best

While my Dad and I may not always see eye-to-eye on may things in life, we were definitely on the same page when he and my mom arrived last week with a full To Do list.  After working non-stop for 6 days (with a break on the 4th) we were able to check everything (and more) off the list.  If you were to walk into my house today you wouldn't be able to see much of the work that we did.  Most of the work was non-cosmetic, but I certainly notice the difference every time I walk through the house.  One of the biggest jobs that my father completed while he was here was removing all of the plywood from the attic and creating storage platforms on top of the existing beams.  This past Monday, 7" of insulation was added to the existing insulation along with air sealing and a new insulated dome over the attic entrance.  In order for the work to be done, the attic needed to be cleared out.  My father spent quite a few hours in 100+ degree temperatures, crawling around on 2" wide beams to make sure that the attic was ready.  No one will ever see this work, but it will certainly make a difference in both the summer and the winter.  I am forever grateful to both my mom and dad for all of their time and hard work! I have added some pictures below, but here is a quick run down of everything that happened while my mom and dad were here.

Dad: Hang kayak rack in basement, fix front door hinge, place safety cables on garage door springs, install a new thermostat, change receptacles and light switches in the main rooms, re-do plumbing for outside faucets, fix bedroom light switch, remove plywood from attic and create storage platforms (to prepare for insulation installation), and connect the garbage disposal.

Mom: trim hedges, fix bedroom shades, re-pot plants, removing the last bit of mulch from the driveway, wax the car (she loves to wax cars - I didn't have this one on the list), make fire starters, refinish buffet, paint kitchen and hall light fixtures and clean/polish brass door knobs that she brought from home.

This is the buffet that my mom refinished while she was here.  I am still trying to work out where it is going in the house, but it looks gorgeous after three coats of tung oil and a bit of paste wax.

The top of the buffet

The insulation was blown into the attic.

This is the AFTER photo with the plywood repositioned to create storage platforms.  The grayish insulation is the new stuff and the pink in the foreground is the extra insulation around the door.

Another look....the platforms are on both sides of the entrance.  Plenty of room if and when I ever need more storage. 

The new insulated dome at the entrance of the attic.  The difference is amazing - I do not feel any heat from the attic in the stairwell.

The #1 item on the list was to figure out what the light switch in the bedroom was connected to & why it didn't work.  Dad worked his magic and fixed the issue - now I can flip the switch and it actually turns something on!!!

Now, you may be wondering what I have been doing while my parents have been slaving away at the house.  I did my fair share of supervising, but I have also been busy working on the yard.  My garden is finally starting to produce vegetables and I have started to work on some of the overgrown areas in the backyard.

Cucumbers starting to grow

My first zucchini!

Tomatoes starting to ripen

Removing some overgrown branches and random small trees that keep popping up in random areas.

It is not easy to really notice a difference, but I cleared out the area of weeds and branches.  I left the ivy because this area does not receive a great deal of sun. 

Another view of the yard - there is a pile of branches on the far side of the yard that I chopped up today.