It feels like winter is here now. Cold and windy! We finally broke down and called it for the year:
Wahhh!!! If we do get a really nice day, I will unhook the bike and just use the tire that is on the back, but it’s not too likely now. Good thing I hit 2500 last weekend!
On Saturday, we headed down to Ballston Spa for my football meal the the Whistling Kettle.
The last time I was here was when I met Lynn when she was in my area. Of course, it was a lot warmer last summer! I ended up getting the same tea I did then, only hot this time. Night of the Iguana, which is a chai tea with black tea, ginger, white chocolate, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. I had them make it with milk, but no sugar. They serve it in individual pots.
I love this tea! A nice spicy tea is so good on a cold day. I had a crepe with turkey, cranberry and brie as well.
Tasty! We walked around town a little bit and browsed some stores. The sun was out, but cold and windy. I saw this sign:
What is a Nosefrida snotsucker? Does anyone know? I didn’t go in to see what it was – too soon after lunch.
Then it was to home and do work on the table. I am getting pretty excited about it! I practiced staining on some scrap wood. I have never stained anything before, so this is all new to me.
The frame of the table is going to be dark and the inset pieces are going to be lighter brown and a reddish color. I am liking the grain in the Douglas fir.
Anyway, this pile of wood is going to become our table. It is going to be a heavy sucker, too!
The 1x pieces (the lighter ones at the bottom) are aspen and all the rest are Douglas fir.
John started cutting the frame pieces while I practiced using the Kreg jig. (This is the shop that’s on the back of the house, btw).
The jig makes pocket holes so that when you can screw pieces of wood together at an angle for a better hold and it embeds the screw so you don’t see it.
Neat, eh? It’s quite easy to use. There is a guide that you have on the jig and the drill bit that you set it to depending on the thickness of the wood. Then just clamp it in place and drill the holes.
It would have taken forever to drill pilot holes in all these pieces of wood, so I was able to bust out all the holes pretty quickly. We were able to get the all the frame pieces cut. Now we just need to borrow my BIL’s table saw to taper cut the legs for the table and we should be able to assemble the frame next weekend. Hopefully I can get it sanded and stained, too, if all goes well. I need to stain the frame separate from the inserts since they aren’t going to be the same color.
Progress on the table this weekend. Less progress on my sleep. I had really bad insomnia on Saturday night and I am dragging today. I don’t know if I am going to be able to stay awake for the whole Broncos game! It would help if they went way ahead by the 3rd quarter so I could just sleep 😀
Wow, you make the table sound so easy, and yet you haven’t ever stained wood before! You are so adventurous! That is a pretty nifty tool too.
Oh, the tea sounds wonderful. I have my chai spices sitting out to make a base for myself. I’ve been enjoying the candy cane lane tea a LOT. I think this might be the winter of tea (which is a good thing because I drink it plain, compared to my coffee that I have to have 1/2 and 1/2 in.
Bah on the insomnia. I treasure my sleep and really resent the few sleepless nights I have. Maybe you need a little doggie cozy to snuggle with!
Not so much adventurous as willing to follow a plan!
I drink tea plain unless it is chai and I try to have it decaf at night. My favorite tea still is Constant Comment!
Wow – I’m impressed with your table making skills!!! Chris is super handy and I can follow directions well so we do projects but it isn’t really my favorite.
I like the way y’all set up your bikes inside – pretty handy!
Don’t be impressed yet – we have a long way to go 😀 We got the bike trainers a few year ago and they have been really handy to keep the bike legs for the winter.
I’ve seen that snotsucker – it might work, but honestly, I’m glad it didn’t exist when my kids were babies. Pretty gross!
You guys are rolling along with that table! I feel like I’m reading Young House Love!!
I had to google young house love. I don’t know how they can afford to do so much to their house at once! I guess that is their job? Wow.
I cant wait to see the table as a finished project.
I have said for over a month now that I will continue my Saturday morning walk/ jog outdoors until there is snow on the ground…however I’m with you. It was freezing out there yesterday.
Lived in Ballston Spa for 7 years and never went to the Whistling Kettle. But right about now I could use a nice cup of hot tea.
Hope you have a great week.
I’ll bet that snotsucker thing is one of those teeny turkey baster-like bulbs used on infants to…well, suck the mucus from their teeny tiny noses.
Love the fir, too! Grain tells the story of the tree, and that one’s got a lot to tell.
Oh how I loved the Whistling Kettle! Their tea really is good (but the company was even better) 🙂
I swear when I saw you post about the jig on FB that you’d written keurig and I thought it was some strange attachment to a coffee maker! LOL
YES!!! to cammy. that’s exactly what I think too 😉
and ew.
Totally impressed with your skills! I hope you have a great week Lori.
Well at least I know that snot means the same here in Holland as it does in the USA 🙂
I’m impressed too that the too of you are making the table. You both have such good DIY skills. I love it!
Hope you slept better last night.
You are so talented. I can’t wait to see your finished table!
The weather has been brutal and unfortunately this time of year, whenever the temperatures do rise, it’s also raining. Blah.
I wish I was handy like you!
I’ll leave you with a lovely video – happy Monday!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGHe2mEeWgY
Ok…curiosity got the best of me and I googled nosefrida. I guess mission accomplished on the store’s part, by adding “snot sucker” it made you look. SO impressed at your woodworking talents!! Have a wonderful week Lori!
You & your talents amaze me!!!!!!!!!!!
Lori – I had some really really really bad times thru perimenopause with sleeping – I wonder if it is the hormones….
That crepe looks wonderful and that is something I don’t have around here….a good place for crepes other than breakfast offerings! Sadly, the Broncos game did NOT deliver either of our desired outcomes!