Hello, this is Garth writing. I decided that Janice was having too much fun blogging so here is my first attempt.
After attending church and enjoying a delicious dinner, we had a planning session in which we discussed projects that Serena wanted to work on while we were there. Here Serena is prioritizing some of the things listed on the white board. (The long list did not intimidate us!)
Shortly before we arrived, Blair, with help from Thayne and others had just put a new roof on their house. The dumpster was still in the driveway, so the first project was to tear out the ugly paneling in the office so it could be disposed of in the dumpster. The office before we started shows the half-wall panels behind the office equipment. The wall to the left fo the picture was covered in full length panels and the wall behind the photographer had only a narrow wall between the door and a closet. This combination of paneling on the lower half with an old blue colored burlap wall covering on the upper half of the wall had combined with age to produce a most unattractive room. We began pulling things off and carrying them out to the dumpster
Serena had hoped that there would be "acceptable" wallpaper under the paneling and burlap, which would allow the project to end with their removal. Unfortunately, as the photos show, the "blemishes" of the original wall had been multiplied by solidified panel glue and a sticky residue behind the burlap. Under the full length panels was some old, quaint wallpaper on the upper half of the wall. It can be seen behind Garth. While there must have been some historical/hysterical value in it, current interior decorators insisted that had to go.
Getting the paneling off
was relatively easy compared to removing the burlap.
but the biggest challenge was removing the glue residues.
All the yellow stuff is the glue residue from the burlap wall covering. It was sticky, yucky, and very hard to remove, but Janice was up to the task.
Janice called Serena and me the "Dynamic Duo" as we worked our sanders over the persistent glue marks and other spots.
They finally gave up to sanding, which Serena and I did while Janice wiped down the walls and then touched up the holes and chips with wall compound in preparation for painting.
Janice is the best "mudder" in the world.
The "Dynamic Duo" rolling on the paint.
Blair and Serena invited us to go out to dinner at "El Patio," a Mexican restaurant with delicious food. I started to worry about missing a dinner out, because Janice said she would only go if we "finished" the office. That meant that we had to get the first coat of paint on the walls. We finished up that task and were able to make it to "El Patio" for a good meal shortly before they closed.
When Janice wasn't scraping off wall paper, mudding, painting or otherwise involved, she mended clothes for Blair and Serena.
Looks can be deceiving. Although this photo would give you the impression that I am just relaxing, I am very busy burning papers from the office that Serena wanted destroyed. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.
While the office project became the major "event," other projects included helping Blair put in a new ceiling in one of the bedrooms, (no picture) painting doors, a job my artistic wife excelled at. Here she is putting the finishing touches on closet doors for one of the bedrooms. In the next picture she is painting moldings, some of which we installed in the "new office."
Serena wanted a different finish on this wall. She and her mother applied a glaze compound with rags and created a very beautiful wall.
Three weary winning warriors survey the results of the battle: A freshly painted office with new moldings installed. Now Serena can have fun dusting everything and re-organizing her office.
