Gathering Place

 The kitchen here is a great gathering place for people and dogs and a cat too. 

Sadie waits patiently anytime anyone is in the kitchen.  You never can tell when someone will drop something!

All the kitchen cabinets, the island and the chairs were made by Andy.  Note that Sadie blends right in.  I love the island...I can sit there and peel carrots and potatoes or stand at the end and prepare food and not be in anyones way.

The windows overlook the back yard.  The five burner gas stove was a challenge for me to use since I was used to electric. 

This is Sadies part of the kitchen.   The chair is for Adam's cat Phoebe to reach her dish on this counter.  There are two ovens...one is a gluten free oven.  

I told her "Sadie kennel up" and she did.   See how much she has grown!

Far Guy is the chief dishwasher, we help him out either drying, putting away or cleaning counters...most times it is a group effort.   There is no dishwasher because they just take up space and Jen has always had a problem with the way dishes feel after being in a dishwasher.    We don't have a dishwasher at home either...too much trouble for two people....always emptying or filling them and never really done with dishes. 

Far Side

Before and After

 Before...we had some lights under the cabinet...one was a undercabinet light that Far Guy and I strung up through the wall before we did the tile... at the time we said we will figure out something better later. We added the two round battery operated lights later...it was never great lighting. 

A blog reader/old friend saw the lighting situation and sent us a package from Amazon. 

Saturday Handy Andy figured out a way to get it all hooked up for us without taking down the tile wall.  Wires were cut and spliced and soldered together.

Now we can see the light.  We have never had so much light in that part of the kitchen!  It is also remote controlled...we can make the lights dimmer or brighter or make them flash!  Real high Tech for us old farts!

Far Side

All about the drawers

 I finished the 17th drawer yesterday...so glad to be done with them.  I have five cabinets yet to clean and the fridge....and everything on the open shelves must be washed and put back in place...that is a day project by itself....so I can see the end but I am not there yet!

Far Guy built most of the drawers and cabinets.  The fellow who made the  large pantry with drawers got so busy building cabinets that he showed Far Guy how to build them...we spent most of one summer building cabinets and drawers.   

I love drawers...so much easier to clean.  The drawers are very large and well built! The drawer and door pulls are made from black walnut. 

Spices, paper products, storage containers on the left, on the right silverware and a kitchen utensil drawer. 

Kitchen towels, table top decorations, canning stuff, junk drawer, strainers and potatoes, Chance's drawer, potholders and bread boards, bread pans and casserole dishes, Corning ware on the left.  Then on the right a full set of dishes, cookie sheets and roasting pans, cast iron fry pan along with misc fry pans and pots with covers. 

Yes we still have a drawer for Chance...he used to lead people there.  We still have some collars a couple of leather leashes, various brushes, a number of new balls, a water dish and a food dish and a jar of food.  Kinda sad to clean that one out...everything was put back in.  Little Elvis might need a snack some day..or a good brushing...the water dish goes outside come summer...used to be for Odda now it will be for Baxter and Little Elvis when he visits.

I like drawers, no losing stuff way in the back or getting on your hands and knees to retrieve something! 

I dislike the time change...not sure why we do it anymore.  Here in Minnesota it is too cold to sit out and enjoy an extended evening.

Far Side