Happy 4th on the 5th!

I hope all of you had a great 4th of July. Mine turned out different than I planned/expected but all in all a satisfying day. I started out with coffee and HGTV. After breakfast I got dressed, gathered my project items and headed for my parents. I headed out about 12 noon. I had talked briefly to my mom about the screen. The only thing I had not thought through was how the bamboo was going to be secured on the screen. I wanted leather strips but did not know where to get them. Michael's Craft store was open so we bombed over there after I arrived at my parents. We also stopped at Goodwill after Michael's. My mom has some photographs of her with each of her sisters taken recently. She wanted them all framed but did not see any she really liked at Michael's so to Goodwill we went. In helping her look for frames I found an awesome cow print made by a local artist 3x5 size. It was in a okay frame but I figured I could spray it the color I was going to use the screen. A sweet deal for $1.99 and the frame turned out great.

The next step on the screen was to sand and use a Dremel tool to get all the paper out of the insert. I thought it would go much quicker but it took me the better part of two hours! Really, I was surprised it took that long but the part of using the Dremel was very slow precise work. While I was vacuuming the whole thing I found a crack that needed to be repaired. A bit of wood glue and a clamp called a halt to painting for the day. I would rather do it right than have it broken later.

The heat drove my parents into their air conditioning. I don't have that at home so I'm used to the heat. It did not really get to me. I had planned to finish prepping the bamboo but my hands were vibrating from all the power tool usage. I snipped off about half the nubs left from unwanted branches. The garden snips were no match for tough bamboo. I need to get out a knife and whittle but felt that would be a task for another day. I don't want an ER visit anytime soon. That also meant I would not be varnishing the branches. So be it. I knew this was going to be a multi step project. I'm just so excited to see the finished product I want to speed it up! I really need a place closer to or at home so I can do my projects!

My mom's sewing machine was put away for company (Aunt Kaki) so I could not do that phase of the project so I washed my car. Random choice but needed. It was almost dinner time and I was stinky and dusty from the sanding so it seemed the thing to do . My poor car had not been washed since the spring so it deserved it! It actually took two go rounds and four buckets of soapy water. I did not finish before dinner so I went out to finish after. I finally got done around 7:30.


Dinner was BBQ'ed rib eye steak, sauteed mushrooms, garlic bread and an awesome salad. My mom can make a salad! We had a splash of red wine with it all. Quite tasty. After I finished the car we had ice cream with fresh Oregon strawberries. Yum. My mom is a good cook. Wil is too but not the seasoned pro like my ma.


The folks were supposed to come over to my place after dinner to watch fireworks but they pooped out. I was a bit disappointed but understood. I have not actually been home on the Fourth for the last 8 years. I have been at DJ and Renee's for fireworks, food and fun. DJ said that he was not having the 4th this year but what he meant was not at a new house. I am not a mind reader so . . . Wil had a wedding so he was off.

I did not realize all the fireworks I could see from my place! After I took a much needed shower I sat by my garden and watching in awe. I could have watched the PGE Park, Water Front Blues Festival and Oaks Park displays from the Rec room but I did not want to get dressed. I'm not disappointed. I enjoyed.