I'm Here ... Really!

For those of you who don't read the boys' blog or follow me on FaceBook, my apologies.  I really haven't dropped off the face of the earth.  I've got two major things keeping me occupied right now:
     1.  Dave, my Guide Dog for the Color Blind, as I mentioned in my last post, is recovering from some back and neck problems.  We're gradually letting him build back up, but haven't tried the stairs yet.
     2.  We're having our kitchen ripped apart.  Well, not exactly, but we are making some major changes in there - new countertops, adding under cabinet lighting, adding back splashes, and a few other things.  I've promised to show pictures to so many people that I think it will be easier to post them here!

I really like my kitchen, but some changes will really help out.  Here are a few "before" shots:

From the breakfast room, looking into the heart of the kitchen 

Basically, looking the other way ...

It's hard to get a feel for it from those pix, so I used one of the panoramic photo apps on my iPhone and took some more.  They're fun, if nothing else.

The first shot was taken from the breakfast room, panning from the built-in desk, into the kitchen, then you can just catch a glimpse of the dining room:

The desk top will be changed out, too, and will still match the kitchen counters.  The biggest change will be "straight ahead" in that shot.  See the bar-height part of the counter?  The guys are cutting that down, and the entire counter will be one height.  Still eat-at-able (my spell check let that one fly; isn't that great?), but lower.  We'll swap that stool with a lower one we have elsewhere in the house.

Changing perspective just a tad, let's look at shot #2:

I was standing in the doorway to the laundry room for that one above, just beyond the desk.  You can see the dining room, just beyond the kitchen wall, the door to the deck, and the breakfast room.  The door faces west, so we get tons of sunlight in there!  It's a bright kitchen, so I rarely use the center light fixture.  Having said that, when we had the house built, I asked them to install under cabinet lighting.  The builder looked at me like I was from the planet Neuxenius and was asking for Zackton gas to fuel my spaceship for the drive back home.  That was way back in ... 1998.  Yeah.  Stone Ages, apparently... let's move along.

Panoramic shot #3 was taken from the door to the living room:

Not much to say there, other than I didn't line my shots up very well, so there are blurry areas.  Oops.

Oh, actually... see how we don't have back splashes?  There is a 4.5" wood strip where the counters meet the wall, but not an actual back splash.  We'll be adding one; I think it will make a great difference!

Pan shot #4 is in the same doorway, but giving you a look into the living room.

OK.  The photo above is really for my friend Shelli, the Macon Bag-a-holic.  Zim is in there on his bed, looking really adorable, and I knew she'd like this.  (Plus, she helped me name the planet Neuxenius and decide it was a spin-off from Neptune.  Seriously, how many of you have friends who wouldn't bat an eye when you text them that you're trying to make up a name for a strange planet and need their help?  The least I can do is post a picture of Zim being remarkably cute.)

Oh!  And look!  My Gettysburg Battle Flag quilt is hanging above the TV!  I love that my husband wanted it somewhere where we could see it all the time!  :)

The last of the panoramic shots is with my back to the door, shooting the whole scene:

That door to the right of the desk is to the laundry room -- machines are to the left, facing us is the door to the garage, and to the right, with my bags hanging on the handle, is the door to the pantry.

OK!  So ... those are the "before" shots!  I'll be back within a couple days to show you some of the choices I've made and some "in process" pix!  This is very exciting... albeit messy, a lot of work, and expensive.  It'll all be worth it, though.

Thanks for reading!
 (proud resident of the planet Neuxenius, finally getting that Zackton gas!)