The Plum is Re-homed!

Thanks to Puddles for coming to take the plum tree to its new home! Glad to save this tree by giving it new life in another yard!

Now, to mow that grass...

Found some great stones!

The other night I was searching the internet for pavers. I found these stones:

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They are currently available in Tigard, Oregon. Click on the source link to check out the listing.

They remind me of these:

I took this picture downtown (in Portland). This is the only picture I have of them. If i get another, I'll update this post, but you get the idea. I love that the stones are less than refined, but are still fairly regular and even. For now I can only hope to find something similar when we are actually ready to use them.

I know many people search Craigslist for building/landscaping materials, fixtures, furniture and appliances. Have you found any great steals on Craigslist? Do you know anything that is listed currently that shouldn't be missed? It would be great to know what's out there!

New Homes for Old Friends

I am happy to report that I have found homes for the plum tree, the Japanese maple and the lilac.

The plum tree was handed to me 2 years ago, after it had been out of soil for nearly a week. It has ONE root (picture a dandelion root, or a twisty carrot) and no foliage. Even though I see lots of plum trees doing really well around Portland and the Pacific Northwest, our tree has not yet bore fruit. I'm sure one day it will have at least a few delicious fruits, but they will be enjoyed by our friend, Puddles.

I will miss the lilac the most. My grandma had a lilac for years. I remember it was big, and tons of [almost too] fragrant blooms. I loved that tree, and have enjoyed this one as well. I think our friends Rebekka and Randy are going to love having this at their house!

The same folks are taking the Japanese maple. This tree is still young, and will likely do well in the hands of a Green Thumb who knows better how to care of it, and can help sculpt it into a graceful, mature umbrella shaped canopy.

Some Home Improvement Perspective

Three years ago, I was reading the 1912 Bungalow blog, and followed a link to Joyce Wadler's 2008 New York Times article titled "Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Solvent." If you have ever worked on a home improvement project, if you enjoy old houses, or need to hear someone's story (because the house in the article was in way worse shape than most!), I recommend reading the NYT article (and pictures).

Early in the home's life:

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Taken from the article, the following points were pulled from home owner (and home-improvement saint) David Giffels’s list of tips for taking on would-be-condemned house, found in the NYT article. These particle points really spoke to me:

"Invest in a heavy-duty vacuum." I couldn't agree more! A good, heavy-duty vacuum can be really helpful when trying to control dust, clean up after a job or sweep up spilled dog food/flour/anything. I used one today to dust the back the desk.

"Exploit the sweat equity of family members, but remember that if somebody gives you a day of work, you have to give one back down the line." Amen! We have a few neighbors that are GREAT at lending a hand. Because their houses are also in various states of home improvement, there is usually SOMETHING we can all pitch in to work on. And the work seems to easier when working as a group, I think.

"Do not be afraid to try things you have never done before." So true! Speaking of the neighbors, I'm always amazed as I watching them tear (sometimes, litterally) into a new project. It always encourages me to go home and dive into our next project.

“Anyone who paints a hinge spends one day in purgatory for each hinge that she or he has painted.” and “Every single person you ask how to get rid of squirrels will have a different method they swear is foolproof, and none of them work.” These two just make me laugh!

"Do not begin one project until you finish another." I swear, my husband must have read this list. He insists on finishing one project before starting the next. It drives me nuts at the time, but later I am grateful.

“... the last 10 percent of any project takes as long as the first 90 percent...” True of removing wallpaper, stripping paint, and just doing the laundry. So stinking true.

Do any of these points speak to you too? If you read the article, I'd love to know what really stood out for you. It's a great story, and easy to relate to. It's what we're all doing, but it is definitely on a greater scale than here at our house.

Several generations of the Giffels's work boots:

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I want to give credit where credit is due, so again, the 1912 Bungalow post can be found here, Joyce Wadler's New York Times article can be found here, and the photos are posted here. Enjoy!

Saving on Power

Like us, frugal home owners everwhere are unplugging the dryer, have the television, gaming platform and DVD player on a power strip and have been known to shower with the light off (no? Just me on that one??). Then, I learned about something else: variable billing rates on electricity.

There are many similar programs out there, but I'll focus on our local service provider Pacific Power and their program "Time of Use" billing. After enrolling in Time of Use billing, for 12 months your power bill with reflect usage during On-Peak & Off-Peak Hours.

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In the Summer, On-Peak hours are billed at a rate of $0.06124 per kWh. Winter On-Peak Hours bill at $0.03316 per kwh. Year-round Off-peak hours are billed at -$0.01125 per kwh. Did you see that NEGATIVE rate for Off-Peak hours??

"You will receive a credit for the number of kwh of electricity you used during off-peak hours and an additional charge for the electricity you used during on-peak hours." source

I'm still reeling.

So, should you make the switch? Pacific Power recommends taking this short quiz to help you make the decision. We scored 10 points on the quiz, so I'm feeling pretty good. But I'm happy to know about this program. This may be something to consider in the future. Maybe by then we can talk the oil companies into "off peak driving hours" or maybe the banks will offer "off peak spending hours"...