"Occupy noTTafarm"

Be patient, blog followers! We're here and loving it...but I haven't had time to post any pithy stories. Perhaps Monday evening I will catch up. Check back soon!

Have I Mentioned that We're Moving In?

The sale of our house in town is a done deal - or at least it will be when we turn the keys over Thursday afternoon (the 27th) - so what better way to spend a Saturday than by moving to noTTafarm!

We were very blessed to have a great crew of family and friends help out.  Monte, Amy, and Brenna came from Bellevue in Monte's big pick-up, Tim drove Shirley in from Millard, and Pete convinced Andrew to take the short trip from Dundee.  Add in some wonderful packing help from Carl and Marita, and we were able to make a huge dent in the process.

Because I was so busy bossing people around and keeping Leo from running out the door each time it opened, I didn't take many photos.  But trust me, it was a great day!

While everyone lunched on Jimmy John's, Brenna pretended to take a nap in the backseat of her daddy's truck.  She helped her mommy pack 8 boxes of books and did a great job!

Andrew hauled countless picture frames.

Just when I thought we were "working", an improptu woodchopping session broke out.  Pete did a pretty good job for a beginner.

Of course, Tim had to step in to teach those Camp kids a thing or two about the Ward way.

Andrew's getting the hang of it!

Stay Tuned for Our Next Adventure!

Kitchen Improvements

If you have have visited noTTafarm at meal time, you know it's a stressful experience.  No, not because I'm a terrible cook - but rather because of the penisula-style cabinet (or should I say "obstacle!") in the center of the room.  When the 1972 addition was constructed, I'm sure the new kitchen was a huge improvement for the Norgards' growing family but how Doris and her girls put up with that layout for nearly 40 years is a mystery to me.  One of the things I insisted upon happening prior to moving in was figuring out a solution.  Luckily, I'm married to a smart architect!

First, the doors came off.  I was willing to sacrifice 42-inches of countertop space, too!

After covering the stove top, Scott used his circular saw to cut through the Formica counter.

Go, Saw, Go!

Lifting off the top.

Well, that first step seemed pretty easy!

Next, Scott used his M-12 oscillating saw to cut through the cabinet.

After a series of cuts, all that remained were the 2x4s which held the cabinet in place.

It may not look like much but turning the penisula into an island is already my favorite noTTafarm improvement to date.  You'll note also that I kept busy by pulling the old laminate floor up while Scott dismantled the cabinet. 

Stay Tuned for More Kitchen Fun!

A Late Start . . . But It's A Start

Last week, I was excited that the upstairs floor refinishing would begin on Tuesday, October 18.  We're a little peeved and inconvenienced now because the floor refinishers waited until Friday, the 21st to start.  With the time it takes to do the work and then time for the finish to dry and cure, it will most likely be Saturday the 29th before we can officially "live" at noTTafarm.  Here's the progress, so far . . .

The floor contractor brought in two big sanders. 

The crew re-installed the flooring in the hallway which Scott had removed earlier this year to make room for the expanded bathroom. 

Removing the wall separating the two bedrooms left a pretty wide void.  The floor crew installed a few perpendicular planks and Brazilian cherry floor vents to fill the gap.

We are exercising our patience and are very happy to accept an offer from Carl and Marita to bunk with them for two nights - after all, the "new people" move in to our house on Grant Street on Friday the 28th! 

Stay Tuned for a Progress Report!

Bye-Bye Extension Cords

The refinishing of the second floor wood floors will begin on Tuesday.  On Sunday, I helped Scott install a ceiling fixture in the hallway and two ceiling fans in the bedrooms just in case the floor guys need a little overhead light.  We were quite happy that the fixtures went up without much fuss, and Scott even let me assemble the fan blades!

We bought two of these fixtures at the Minneapolis IKEA back in July.  The other fixture will be installed over the stair landing.

I was worried when I unpacked the first ceiling fan.  It seemed like it had so many parts!  Luckily, my husband is an experienced light fixture putter-upper, so each fan only took about a half hour to assemble and install.

The finished product!  

Stay Tuned for More Enlightenment

from noTTafarm!

Technology Progress

noTTafarm is finally connected to the outside world via the Internet!  Scott was so excited to get the new CenturyLink modem set up in the kitchen.  He's tested his laptop, his old laptop, and his iPod ~ all with success.  He still has quite a bit of work to complete the whole-house connectivity but at least I can be assured of keeping the blog up-to-date when we move to noTTafarm.

 Setting up the new modem

The modem wasn't the only new technology this Saturday; Marita brought her new iPhone 4  for Scott's review.

Stay Tuned for More!

Speaking of Storage . . .

While Scott and Carl worked at Grant Street, doing retaining wall repairs, Marita and I got busy at noTTafarm.  We are quite proud of ourselves because we were able to put together three 48" wide x 72" tall chrome shelving units without any help from the boys.  And they passed Scott's inspection, too!

Now the hard part ~ moving things from Grant Street to noTTafarm!

Thanks for your help, Mama Marita!

Insurance Policy

The wood floors for the first floor library and parlor have been ordered, and now the waiting game begins.  We are at the mercy of everyone's favorite large Omaha-based furniture store, hoping that the order will be processed quickly.  But - just in case - we've got a back-up plan in place for storing our furniture.

Scott ordered a 20' long x 8' high storage container.  It is now parked on the east side of the house in the space formerly occupied by a string of dumpsters.  This container is more than large enough to store the living room and dining room furniture if need be.

Of course, the thought did cross my mind that Scott simply wanted to procure a sturdy fortress to house his Audi TT until our garage is constructed.  Do you think the storage unit's serial number foretells its future?  Will the TT call this (costly, rented) steel box its home?  Only time will tell.

The Heat is On

Knowing that moving day is, at most, 20 days away, renovations at noTTafarm have shifted into high gear.  Scott has been on the phone all week, scheduling a variety of tradesmen to help get things in order. 

One major thing was crossed off the list on Saturday, October 8.  Our favorite contractor, Terry Hurt, sent two of his crew to noTTafarm to work on the library floor.  One floor joist was out of whack and created a big hump in the middle of the room; repairs were necessary before new flooring could be installed.  Jarrick and Collin made quick work of stripping off the old plywood sub-floor, shaving down the whacky joist, and gluing/screwing down new OSB sub-floor.  What may have taken Scott and me a full weekend to accomplish, the boys were able to do in less than one day.  Plus - they left the room and basement below cleaner than when they arrived (and they were cute, to boot!)

Jarrick and Collin started replacing the floor at 7AM Saturday.  By the time we got to noTTafarm at 11:30-ish, they were nearly finished!

Scott checked to see if the new sub-floor was level...of course, it is.

Also on Saturday:  

Double-decker Dining!  Tux and Bibbers shared a meal.

Also accomplished:

1.)  We selected and ordered flooring this week from the Furniture Mart.  The parlor and library will have 3/4" solid birch, hand-scraped, dark brown wood floors.  We're excited to have this done before moving day!

An illustration from the wood flooring cutsheet.

2.)  Scott is getting estimates to have the floors upstairs refinished.  As you recall, the drywallers and insulation installers left quite a mess behind - so we will have the beautiful Douglas fir floors upstairs re-done before we move in.

3.)  Cody the Plumber is coming back soon to fix a leaky drain pipe which means I'll be able to use the dishwasher.  Yay, Cody!

4.)  Scott also talked to Terry about having concrete poured in the barn next month.  He (Scott) is determined to keep the barn badger-free . . . as if a little concrete could stop a badger from making his home at noTTafarm. (Ha!)

5.)  The remainder of our time this week has been devoted to buttoning up Grant Street.  It needs to look as fabulous as possible for the appraisal later this week, and the FHA inspection left us with quite a to-do list.

Check back for more as we progress toward Moving Day!

A Beautiful October Begins!

September missed out on much noTTafarm activity but our efforts at our city house paid off in a major way.  We were able to list and sell the house within five days . . . not too shabby in today's wacky real estate world!  So, it was a great relief to spend time at noTTafarm on a beautiful sunny Sunday!  In addition to enjoying the perfect weather, Scott put up a couple of pieces of drywall in the bathroom, and I tidied up the garden area of the barn a bit.  We'll be back in full noTTafarm swing by next weekend, trying our best to complete as many tasks as we can before the end of the month.  That's right; our move-in date is now around October 28!  We're keeping our fingers crossed that all of the closing items are easily fulfilled, and that the new owners of the home we've loved for 20 years are good stewards of the property's future.

Stay Tuned for Our Next Adventure!

There's a New Boss at noTTafarm . . .

 They must not sell "noTTafarm Boss" brand implements (yet).

On Saturday, October 1st, while I went to Lincoln for an afternoon of shopping with Lauren, Karolyn, and Mommy, Scott went on a little field trip to the local small engine retailer.  To my great surprise (not really), he made a purchase!

Meet the newest member of Scott's tool brigade . . .

Stihl MS 290 Chainsaw with 18" Blade and 56cc Engine!

Scott introduced the new Boss to a large limb of the fallen Osage orange tree near the driveway.  He was quite pleased with the large number of logs he was able to cut in about 17 seconds (give or take a half hour or so.)

Ready for the next Lumberjack Days!