New Look in the Kitchen

A little over two weeks ago I received news that my estranged father had passed away.  Lots of drama and strife of course, so in an effort to ignore all that for a bit, I decided to finally tackle refinishing my kitchen island.
About a year after we moved in to this house, a store called "The Mill Store" opened a little under a mile down the road. I loved roaming the aisles and smelling the fresh pine scent of all the unfinished furniture. At one point, we got a great deal (well under 200 dollars) on an unfinished wood kitchen island. That was over 15 years ago. Other than putting a few hooks on it and getting some  metal baskets for the shelves, I didn't nothing to personalize it.

This is what it looked like after using it for so long and not having it finished. There are also two wood slat shelves that sit underneath.

So, in a fit of despondency and a strong desire to get something accomplished, I decided to paint and refinish the butcher block top. Tip: if you have a butcher block top you may want to do a little wet sanding before you oil it next time. I am happy I did!

After sanding off the parts that the cats used as a scratching and rubbing post and painting it a nice old fashioned cream color, my husband and I created a copper hang rail for it and I painted the knobs for the drawers black. I am looking for some nice, small, glass knobs, but that can wait a bit.

Here is what it looks like now:

We are hoping to create a paper towel holder using more copper, but I love having it handy there. I don't use paper towels often, but when I do it is almost always right there at the island with goopy hands, so having it here is perfect. Those holes behind it were from the original wooden hooks, I will probably hand herbs from it during the summer to dry.

This side is the copper rail we put up. It is just 1/2 inch copper pipe and brackets from the plumbing section at the hardware store.

So Much Dirt!

Oh Spring how I love thee!

So far this season I have had some health issues (big surprise) and  a lot of pain, but the garden will happen again this year. The garlic I planted in the Fall is sprouting, thought not as vigorous as I would have liked. 

I wasn't taking a picture of the garlic specifically, so this is a fuzzy picture. Still, there is that green! I covered the bed with landscape fabric to keep the soil warm during our frequent cold snaps.

I also planted a bed with spinach and other early direct sow crops, and there is some sprouting happening, though the local wildlife likes to dig in my root crop beds (turnips, carrots, beets). My experiment in growing potatoes in a tall laundry basket is also testing my patience.

What started as six little strawberry plants last year has expanded greatly. My husband and I are working on a vertical planting system for them using PVC. 

This is what they looked like last year at planting. 

That entire patch of the darker green? All strawberry plants that overwintered.

Only one of the rhubarb plants made it through the winter, but I have many seedlings living the good life in my kitchen, so maybe there will be more later My neighbor has tried growing them in containers, but that isn't working out for her.

Now yesterday was Easter, and the weather was lovely. We had the family together for a few hours and I served deviled eggs, fruit salad and a lovely bread pudding using croissants and buttermilk.

The trick is to make the filling creamy enough to be tasty, but dry enough to hold its shape. I am working on it. :)

While everyone was eating, I tackled the old compost pile that I started 17 years ago as well as creating a raised bed for the asparagus I have coming in today. Sadly, I can't find a picture of it for a "before", but this is what I have the clearing down to:

17 years of composting leaves, scraps and rabbit poo, all finally getting used.

Where did I put all that compost? Why in a new garden bed of course!

Half done!

I am using building materials that had been left with the house.

When we moved in there were a lot of building materials laying around. The bricks were used as a walkway in the main garden bed and the concrete blocks surrounded the daylilies. I will be planting marigolds and such in the concrete blocks because asparagus doesn't play nice with other plants, but marigolds are helpful partners in the garden attracting pests away from the other plants as well as attracting pollinators for all.

I won't lie, it is hard doing all this will a busted up back and the other health issues, but even with the ouchies, I feel much more centered when I am out in the fresh air helping nature along. 

And, one more note on Spring gardening, my raspberries are growing beautifully!