Adventures in Renovation- Learning to let go....: We have "final approval" and are moving in!

I haven't written in a few weeks..... but we have passed final inspection. I have a new septic pump, a screened in porch with storm windows in place keeping out the winter winds, a real front door installed and finished on the outside (waiting for the storm door), a completed front porch with a wide entry step, and a kitchen with warm floors, cabinets, lights, big windows, running water, a sink big enough to wash a dog in (I love it!), and a real roof. The tile work is complete and I love my cooktop backing.... it reminds me of Italy somehow...and so easy to clean. Yes...we are cooking in the kitchen. Still figuring out all the tweaks of the new appliances but I have a dishwasher that cleans the dishes and is so quiet it's amazing.... my convection oven is great! My old oven was so small and heated so unevenly- this is fast, clean, and big.

George brought in an old TV set and plopped it up on top of the refrigerator so he could watch his news in the AM while we have breakfast.... I'm hoping for a flat screen for Christmas and suspect he is just trying to figure out placement/ size/ etc..... that would be nice. I need to put up shelves in the corner to hold coffee cups and such but otherwise much of the kitchen itself is complete.... still waiting on putting in my antique big cabinet but it will get there eventually.

We temporarily moved in my old center island and a small
table and chair set to mimic the "island" table I hope to build
next summer. It works for now and fits into the space.
Note my fabulous backsplash behind my cooktop - it's great!

View from the porch entry door into the kitchen.

View of the sink/ dishwasher area

The last few weeks have been hectic. coming home from work and trying to get all the door staining/sealing, painting, chinking, etc. done in order to keep ahead of the contractor. Irv finally seemed to get a fire under his tale and I had doors arriving needing painting, lumber to stain, holes to fill, etc..... but we are "done"....at least his side of things.

Front entry...

And this is the dining room.... still waiting work. But all of this
was on my side of the to-do list and will have to wait until I have time to do....
It's like living in a war zone... well, no guns or explosion but very messy.

I still have a check list of about a page and a half and as you can see by the photo of the dining room, everything is still in crazyland. But at least I can start to move into the kitchen. I filled the last of the holes today on the woodwork and hope to get paint touch-up complete this week. Then I can really move in and put things in cabinets and such. George started the move last week so I have some pots and pans but still no place to put dishes/glassware until we have the big cabinet installed. I'm working to get that cleaned up and braced before moving it in place. Just hard to find the time.... King Lear opens in three weeks so as you can imagine, I'm pulling the long hours at work (and on Saturdays) so by the time I'm home the last thing on my mind is refinishing cabinets or painting..... I just have to get to Thanksgiving.... then I will have some time....