Tag Archives: tree house

Would You Let Someone In Your Brain? Pacific Rim…A Movie Review of Sorts

Posted on by


DSCN2653With Hubs on vacation this week, he’s had three main goals. One, to fix the tree house. Two—to sleep in. When you’re a doc, sleep is like water or oxygen, you value it with your life. And three—to watch movies and basketball, specifically Bulls’ games. 

Well, the tree house is under construction, and the new roof is coming along. Learned some new words this week, like gambrel, jig and truss. And can’t forget gussets. Sure, the house will look more like a barn when it’s all said and done, but the key is SHE LIVES! Yep, the tree house is like our sixth family member, and we’re so thankful the Town of Oyster Bay gave her a permit to live on! And provide many more days and years of climbing, swinging and sliding fun. And of course, Hubs is already dreaming of ways to make it bigger and badder than before. The good kinda bad. Does anyone still say that, anymore?  Continue reading →

The Drop Off

Posted on by

 

Here’s hoping the lights won’t go out on our Tree House!!

Woke up yesterday with two yikes on my mind.

My parents are coming!

And…the yard is a leaf-covered mess!

Okay three…

I need to drop off the tree house Permit application.  

The third actually gives me more heart burn than the first two. Since hubs left for work already, I decide to vent to my brother-in-law who came in last night. Nothing like a heart to heart over a cup of early morning chai.

“Why is it so hard to be responsible?” This is how I start the conversation.

Arul nods his head and a smile spreads across his face. “I totally understand. There are things I just put off doing, but they’ll be right there nagging my mind. If you had any idea how many things go on in my mind at once…” Yeah, we have a bit in common.

“So what should I do? Should I just get a work out and rake the yard?”

Arul uses his arms and puts on his best big brother tone. “You just need to stop what you’re doing and F.Y.F.!”

“F.Y.F.? Explanation, please.” I’ve heard of F.Y.I.

“Face your fears.”   Continue reading →

How Do You Move a Tree House?

Posted on by

[Note: This is part 3 of a week long of Tree House stories…]

When the dust of emotions settled and reality set in, Hubs and I both knew that we had no choice. The tree house had to be moved. It was the only chance of the Town removing the charges and the only way we could pursue a permit. But the question evaded us:

How EXACTLY do you move a tree house?

It’s not like moving a piece of furniture, manageable with the help of a few flexed muscles and a dolly. The tree house has a tree going through it. And although it doesn’t sit on a tree, our wooden castle is no dog house.  Continue reading →

Friends I Dig…

Posted on by

I had to beg these guys to take a two second break and pose for this pic!
And not everyone who helped is even in the picture!!

When we first moved into our little house in Locust Valley, we began to see little puddles of water in the basement every time it would rain severely. So Hubs and I drive over to Home Depot [thank God for those carts that look like cars for the girls!] to find a solution. At first we were going to break the ground in one corner and install a sump pump. But then a guy who had had a similar problem with his basement gives us different advice.

“If you want to truly waterproof your house, especially since you live on a hill, you should attack the real problem.”

“Which is??” 

His eyes twinkles with that spark that I’ve seen many a time with Home Depot employees. These guys, generally speaking, love to talk about a project, how to do it, and what supplies you’ll need.

“Come with me.” Continue reading →

Operation Save the Tree House… Part One

Posted on by

Almost five years ago, hubby began dreaming about building a house. But not just any ordinary castle. His idea was to create a structure that would both invite and delight. A place our daughters could play in. And a home that they could share with their friends. A tree house.

So hubs did what all dads without Engineering degrees do when they want to build something. He drove to Home Depot, talked to a bunch of employees, each with his own idea of which tool will do the job, and then he bought two books on Tree Houses. And Hubby doesn’t consider himself a reader.

Almost a year later, neighbors were asked and informed, consulted and queried. Everyone gave his idea two thumbs up and back to Home Depot Hubs went. To buy the first of many pre-cut pieces of pressure-treated wood to protect the developing structure from the elements of wind and rain and snow. Because he knew and we all knew, that this baby was not going to be finished in one day.  Continue reading →

A Week of Storms… Tears for Colorado

Posted on by
 
Shout of to ALL who HELPED Build our Tree Castle Blog

It’s raining in New York.

All week, my life has played out like a perfect storm. Full of lightening, thunder, sunshine breaking through the clouds and even a rainbow. Unfortunately, when the rain stops, the thunder subsides, and the clouds roll back, the damage is still there. And clean up is hard. Sometimes impossible. 

Without going into great detail, this week I’ve dealt with family health care obstacles, paper work nightmares, countless hours on the phone with banks, my Blog Address expiring unexpectedly and a traffic ticket via those darn traffic light cameras. All when I went grocery shopping after the storm that wrecked Morgan Park in Glen Cove, the friendly Shop and Stop cashier rings up my bill. 

“That’ll be $66.66.”

Gulp. Just glad there are four sixes and not three.

The guy behind me in line said something like, “And I thought I was having a rough day.” Continue reading →