After a couple of weeks of sanding, varnishing, and clear-coating (hmmm...don't think that's a word) nearly every evening, I am pleased to say that it is finally finished and we have a kitchen table to eat our meals at again. Being my first refinishing job its not perfect--the varnish turned out a little lighter in a few spots and the last coat of clear-coat has tiny bubbles in some areas--but overall, Bruce and I agree that it looks much better than it did and I LOVE how the dark finish seems to tie things together in the kitchen and dining area.
On another note, we've also had a little visitor around our home. A few weeks ago, a stray dog started hanging out in our front lawn. To Bruce and I, it looked as though she had puppies within the past 3-4 months so I hated the thought of not giving her food and water. (As someone that spent 20 months nursing a little one, I know that when you're nursing you're almost hungry enough to eat a horse.) So, after a few days of just letting her hang out on the front porch, we (and when I say we, I'm saying that rather loosely and really mean 'I') moved her to the backyard. I didn't want a sweet, well-behaved dog like her to fall into the wrong hands so she was put into the back while I could find another place for her. Well, fast forward two weeks to this past Saturday, Brinley and I were finishing up dinner (Bruce was having to work) and while Brinley is occupied at the table, I step out on the back porch to give the stray some dog food. I stepped back into the house to rinse out and refill her water dish and when I step back out on the back patio I immediately noticed that the stray wasn't eating. This was highly unusual for her because any other meal she had been given she would practically inhale. It wasn't five seconds later and I realize that there is something coming out of her...yes, as in a puppy! I peek through the window to make sure that Brinley is still occupied at the table in her booster seat and I quickly grab one of the towels that the dog had been using as bedding to help catch the puppy.
Puppy #1, a male born at approximately 7:30PM.
Soon after I made sure the puppy was okay and the momma dog cleaned up most of the mess, Bruce arrived home. It was one of those evenings that I really had to make a grocery run so I went to SuperTarget and when I got home that evening I found a second puppy. Thankfully, that is all that the momma dog had and both puppies and Momma dog are doing well.
Puppy #2, a female born at approximately 8PM.
...And the proud momma dog.
Now that fall is officially here, the weather has been a little more bearable than it was in the middle of summer. Our high's are still in the lower 90's and our low's at night are still in the low 70's. Rain has been sparse the past several weeks and we've been having to water the lawn to keep it somewhat green. However, within the next few days things are supposed to cool off a tad and our highs are expected to be in the mid 80's and our low's in the low 60's. Woohoo! I think if I could have one birthday wish (hint, hint) it would be to have beautiful fall-like weather the weekend of my birthday. I guess we'll have to wait and see how things pan out. :-)
