#renovations

Weekend mural progress! Finally starting on the details - the outlines and patterns. I’m so happy with how it’s looking and I’m already excited to start the next one. I took the selfie in front of it to try and give some context to the size of the panel (though for some reason it looks like I’ve been copied & pasted into the photo?) - the panel is 1.6m x 1.2m. If it wasn’t propped up on the bench, I’d only just be taller than it.

Overall it was a fairly quiet weekend - F had basketball on Saturday and played a really good game, and then his best mate was playing the next game on the same court so we watched that, we had dinner with friends on Saturday night, we pulled up the carpet in the living room for the new flooring to go down later this week, and got a little gardening done.

The cabinetry went into the living room late last week, and I love how it looks. It’s the same colours / style we’ve chosen for the kitchen and now I’m even more excited for the kitchen reno to be done. (Painting will get done once the kitchen is finished, architraves around the new cupboard still to go on, curtains also to be replaced.)

Drawing the water from the well for the first time

Dragging wooden beams from the ruins to my shed (I own a fucking shed). That one long beam irritated me so bad.

Trying to fix a wall using diy clay and plaster mix

Fishing out a live lizard from the well and releasing her into the wild

Cooking a lentil soup over the fire on a makeshift stove!

By Kinnia Cheuk 06/12/2026 01:57 PM EDT

The newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool seems unable to escape an old scourge: algae blooming in the shallow water.

Thin layers of algae floated on the World War II Memorial side of the pool Friday morning, even after workers were seen cleaning out algae from the bottom of the pool Wednesday.

The reflecting pool construction project started in April and work was completed last week as part of President Donald Trump’s sprawling plan to spruce up the capital ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The president has characterized the century-old pool as “filthy” and “dirty,” claiming that the pool would look “far more beautiful, more beautiful than it did in 1922” upon renovation.

An Interior Department spokesperson said that the current algae is “residual” from supply lines that sat dormant for eight weeks during construction. The residue is part of the normal startup process, the spokesperson said.

For @bucktommyfluffebruary Day 5: Renovations

He was totally not hiding behind the coffee pot when Tommy entered the kitchen.

Unsurprisingly that didn’t work. Tommy spotted him the moment he came through the door. He stalled almost imperceptivity when he saw him. Buck was pretty sure no one else had noticed, but he had, because it was Tommy and Buck couldn’t ever not look at him.

“Morning Evan,” Tommy said, sounding as if the last time they’d seen each other hadn’t been Bobby’s funeral several months ago.

“Hey Tommy,” Buck aimed for the same unbothered tone. “Did you want coffee?” He picked up the put to fix Tommy a cup without waiting for the answer.

“Yes, please.”

Buck prepared the coffee the way Tommy liked it and tried not to notice that Tommy was happily chewing on one of his muffins when he handed him the mug. That’s what he had brought them for after all, for people to eat and enjoy them. Tommy liked sweets, so of course he would like them. Nothing special about it.

The butterflies that had taken up residency in his stomach during that hurricane a year and a half ago and refused to die didn’t care.

I don't know what's going on with this 1911 home in Spokane, WA, but I do love before & after photos. This house sold in 2019 for $900k.

The new owners completely redid it, and in 2021 the 5bd, 4ba, 5,520 sq ft home was sold for $1.15m. It was recently relisted for $1.212m, but was taken off the market. Check out the before & after.