Internet connection troubles ........

I hope I can keep my internet connection long enough to get this posted to my blog. I've been having problems with my Hughesnet equipment, causing my connection to come and go. The repair men told me months ago that a certain part was going. The part costs about $200.00, so they were going to try to find a used one that worked for me. I have been putting off getting it fixed, hoping they would find the part. Well, it looks like I'll have to call them next week. It's become impossible to do anything when I lose the connection every minute or so.

I apologize for not commenting on your blogs, but I have been trying to read your posts when I can. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter and hopefully I will be back soon with a properly operating internet connection.

All About Me, A-Z

Lynilu over at Never Ending Journey posted this meme. I thought I would give it a try ...

A. Age: 64
B. Bed: queen
C. Chore you dislike: Cleaning the bathroom
D. Dogs: None at the present, but I'm still missing my black lab
E. Essential start of your day: Moving slowly for the first half an hour
F. Favorite color: Red
G. Gold or silver: Silver
H. Height: Almost 5'8"
I. Instruments you play: None
J. Job title: Retiree
K. Kids: None (by choice)
L. Live: Southside Virginia
M. Mom's name: Gertrude
N. Nicknames: Claibie
O. Overnight hospital stays: Once in 3rd grade with a broken leg
P. Pet peeves: impatient people
Q. Quote from a movie: Don't have one
R. Righty or lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: One brother and one sister - lost two sisters
T. Time you wake up: Between 7 and 8
U. Underwear: Yes
V. Vegetables you don't like: Okra
W. What makes you run late: Nothing - I'm always early
X. X-rays you've had: Dental x-rays and x-ray of leg
Y. Yummy food you make: fried oysters
Z. Zoo animal favorites: Any and all animals

If you'd like to join in, post a comment with a link to your blog.

Before pictures of the kitchen ..........

Here are some before pictures of my kitchen. As you can see it is a small galley style. The door is to my pantry which has shelves on both sides and holds my trash can, the kitty litter box, and kitty food dishes. The cabinets are the orignal ones from 1975 when the house was built.



My dishwasher is leaking, so I will replace it.



The stove and refrigerator will stay. We will get a new microwave installed over the stove.




My new cabinets have been ordered. They will be white painted maple and will be arranged the same as the old ones. I've decided on silestone for the countertops but have not chosen the color. I know granite is very popular now, but silestone is less trouble to maintain and is very durable.

Below on the right is a sample of the tile I'm considering for the floor. On the left is a sample of the tile I'm considering for the backsplash. I'm having a hard time visualizing what it will look like. I'm wondering if it will be too dark or too busy for such a small room.



I also need to choose a new faucet and a new pendant light for over the sink. Decisions ... decisions ... I'm not good at making decisions.

Getting ready to update .........

I think I lost my blogging muse. Everytime I've attempted to do a post, my mind has gone blank. I lead a very quiet life, so I don't have exciting things to write about. I will try to do better.

It has gotten cold and damp again. I want those 70 degree days back. I still haven't planted any garden. I hope I can get some lettuce, carrots, and onions planted next week. I'm also anxious to get flowers planted in my pots and all my lawn furniture out and set up.

I started to do spring cleaning, but stopped. We are going to get the kitchen and both bathrooms updated, so there's no point in doing any cleaning until they are finished. We originally had plans to add on to the house when Hubby retired. We wanted to enlarge the kitchen, add a sunroom, enlarge the bathrooms and bedroom, and turn the garage into a family room. Since the economy has been weak and we've had to pay a small fortune every month for health insurance, we decided we would just fix up what we have. My house is only a little over 1000 sq. feet. Since it's just Hubby and I, we can manage with the space we have.

I've been trying to decide on cabinets, countertops, backsplashes, tile, light fixtures, etc. I've never been good at making decisions - I tend to change my mind quite often. Of course, Hubby is not much help. We're going to Lowes tomorrow and look at faucets and tile. Anyone have any advice or suggestions?

My brother has finally decided to retire at the end of April and will be moving back to Virginia. So I only have a few more weeks to take care of his house and feed his cat. It will be nice having him close by.