Life does not end with a stage IV diagnosis (really!)

How cute is your van Sandi! Bliss - mountains and trees, right up my woodland street, but shocked to hear about the huge loss of life in the fires Emac.

Here's what I've been up to:

Six weeks ago I decided it was time for some cosmetic updates to the kitchen like new paint, curtains and light fixtures.

I'm just now wrapping things up. It took forever. The kitchen seemed to fight me every step of the way.

I bought and rejected 8 different beige paint samples: too light, too dark, too grey, green, pink. Lucky #9 winner-Sherwin Williams "Natural Linen", a soft neutral beige.

My choice for the doors and trim was a warm white which looks great but painting the ceiling with it darkened the room! I couldn't live with it. Dh was NOT happy having to repaint it a brighter white.

The brown kitchen table got several coats of the same warm white but the clear sealer I applied yellowed the paint and I had to start over with more primer and paint. Used the right sealer the second time; love the results!

My attempt to swap out a dark bronze light fixture over the kitchen table for one with a brushed nickel finish went bust; it didn't look right. So instead I found a pretty down light in dark bronze to replace the uplight. And I bought 4 different lights for over the sink before deciding the one I already had looked best.

I tried swapping out the tie-back curtains for sheer panels with grommets hung on a decorative rod but again, it didn't look right. I ended up cutting the old curtains down to simple valances and love the clean, uncluttered look.

During all this buying, trying, returning and reordering, the 12 year old dishwasher died and it took weeks for the new one to arrive, so it was back to hand washing for awhile.

A few other issues were dealt with, then came the final and most arduous task: stripping the old wax from the vinyl floor. I called 4 cleaning companies hoping to hire it out; they all said it wasn't something they do. So with the help of a stiff brush on the cordless drill and a spray bottle of wax remover, dh and I each tackled small sections of floor at a time over several days. After mopping it and applying a new coat of wax, it literally looks brand new! And feels delicious on bare feet!

I never expected the make-over would be so time-consuming and take so. much. work. but it was well worth effort!

A before and after shot:

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Divine, nice job! I have been thinking of painting my dark kitchen cabinets a lighter pewter shade. Scared.

Just moved and have so many projects..excited.

If anyone has advice..please jump in.

Thanks for the compliments. Twelve years ago, I had a complete kitchen remodel, a somewhat overwhelming process but much needed in this old house. Two years later came the mbc diagnosis. My life spun in many different directions at that point and this is the first time since then that I've circled back around to do some tweaking of the original upgrade.

The table area does have a cozy feel to it now, just what I was going for. My son's rental house has the prettiest light fixture over the dining table and it inspired me. Dh thought I was painting the chairs, too. I said, “no, only the table; that will bring out the warmth of the wood on the chairs." Judging by the blank look he gave me, I'm pretty sure he had no clue what I was talking about! Haha!

Shetland, there are a few different trains of thought about painting cabinets. I would definitely use primer first, Zinsser 123 is a good one. Some people swear by oil based paint for cabinets but there is a strong odor with it. Others use enamel and there is a newer paint called alkyd thats supposed to be very similar to oil but I've never tried it. I did a lot of internet reading before painting my table, so you might start just by looking at articles on cabinet painting, there are many.

Paint is transformative. You get the biggest bang for your buck, more than any other home improvement. I hate, hate to paint! But I've done tons of it in my life (ever since I was a teenager) because the results are so....well, transformative!

Sandi, glad I could inspire you. Another tip, I don't know f you plan to get new door knobs or door pulls for your cabinets after they're painted, but so, check prices on Amazon. I used to buy them at Lowes but Amazon has far better prices when you buy them in packs of 5, 10, 15, ect.

Dh and I took a late afternoon drive the other day and went past a lake where he likes to fish. You can see the water was beautifully calm and mirror-like.

Caryn, I'm sure it was worth the wait to get the fridge you wanted! Did you have to keep your food in a cooler or something while you waited, or did you manage to replace the refrigerator before a complete melt down?

Hi Everyone ..love the refurbishment chat ..so love wood furniture with history... attached is my grandmas door which I had in storage 30 years in mothers garage shed... then relocated to new addition 10 years ago with coloured glass. It was looking sad in need of new stain varnish so I bit the bullet and now have glam front door so making me happier

Lots of garden projects to keep me busy as we go into summer

Good vibes to all

Bright in hope

Camping and biking. Do what you love while feeling well.

I deleted because I got scared I was too public and people would recognise me.. maybe I will repost..hmmm. What do you think?

I am having fun right now while I feel okay, even with Xeloda side effects. I will never be who I was pre 2016, so just created a new personna and living with it.

Sandi, it's a personal choice to add photos of one’s self to this forum and altho I don't do it often, every once in awhile I will for a personal touch and because I think it's nice for others to attach a face to a screen name.

Here's a pic from last week's leaf ride. The overcast skies seemed to deepen the autumn colors.