Stumbling

Somewhere on Mt. Desert Island, Maine. June 2012

We end up stumbling our way through the forest, never seeing all the unexpected and wonderful possibilities and potentials because we’re looking for the idea of a tree, instead of appreciating the actual trees in front of us.

~ Charles de Lint

Early on a foggy morning.  (Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia. June 2012)

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks.  Glitches with the kitchen renovation continue to happen.  That’s life.  The main thing is that progress is slowly being made, and I’m appreciating that our idea of a kitchen is now becoming the kitchen in front of us.

Communing with the sky. (A tree on the Lone Sheiling Trail. Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada. 2012 June)

The counter tops arrived later than expected yesterday.  I felt sorry for the guys delivering and installing them.  They are from “over the bridge” (the bridge being the Chesapeake Bay bridge) which is at least a two hour ride from here, and they had another job they were scheduled to do last night.  It must have been a very long day for them.

I don’t understand why the kitchen design company we’re working with contracts everything out to people who are Far Away.  I suppose they have their reasons, but I can’t think of any that make sense.  There are businesses in the area that handle the same materials so that’s not the reason.

Not quite clear.  (Mount Desert Island, Maine. June 2012)

At any rate, the counter tops are installed and they are beautiful!  M saw them first when the installers were here, and I knew something good was happening when I heard him say, “Wow!”  That was my reaction, too.  Want to see them?  Okay, I’ll show them to you.

In just a minute.  A little explanation is needed first.  I took a dozen or so photos on this gray and rainy day, and the one thing that I can not pick up is the sparkle.  Light sparkles and glitters and plays on the counter tops.  So I will show you a sparkly version that I played with in Pixlr.

Imagine that the counter tops were sprinkled with fairy dust.

Unfortunately, most of the sparkles in the image are not on the counter tops.  I don’t have time right now to figure out a way to do it.  I can’t figure out a way to get the colors to come out true, either.  I need a nice, sunny morning to bring in the natural light.  In the meantime, the next black and white version shows a little of the twinkling that happens.

There are stars in the kitchen.  (You’ll probably have to click on this to see the sparkles.  Look at the counter towards the front of this photo.  You can also see some of the curve in the counter, too.)

Here is the color, straight out of the camera version of the first photo I showed you:

The counter tops are quartz, have a variety of flecks in them, and reflect the green in the cabinets.  You can’t see that in any of the photos.  This is going to be a good photo challenge.  I’ll figure it out eventually.

During the installation of the counters, the installers discovered that our new sink is battered and bent.  So.  We have another delay while we wait for another new sink to be delivered.  Kitchen Design Girl said we should be able to get it by sometime next week.  The replacement for the damaged cabinet won’t be here until around the 20th of December.  Any bets on the kitchen remodel being dragged out until sometime in 2014?

Rainy day.  (Looking out the kitchen window.)

The good news is that they should be able to hook up the dishwasher and the stove next week.  I can live with that for now as it means I will be able to cook.  I can continue to use the sink in the laundry room for water, and clean-up, and draining things.  I won’t be able to unpack yet (because there is still work to be done on the cabinets), but I can live with that, too.  It will be worth all the glitches, when all is said and done.

In the meadow yesterday, just before the rains came.

That’s it from the Wabi-Sabi Ranch for today.  Thank you for visiting.  It’s been raining like crazy here since last night.  The wind was pretty wild overnight, but seems to have settled down a bit today.  It’s still pretty breezy, but not quite as blustery.  (As soon as I typed that, the wind roared, then howled.  Perhaps it IS as blustery.)  Last I checked, we have had about 2 inches of rain.  It could be more by now.  Back in the Bogs, they’re getting snow.  Lucky them.

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

Today’s joys:  Sparkles!  (Sparkling raindrops on the windows, and sparkles in the counter tops.)  A lovely cinnamon tea that I bought at a great Indo-Asian grocery that we found.  Clean sheets and bedding.  The genuine helpfulness and kindness of all the contractors who have worked on the kitchen.  Sorting through photos from last year.  (I still have tons I never showed you so I may keep sprinkling them here and there in my posts, the way I did today.)