Around the Apartment

A few random comments---

 Recycling

We have a trash room on our level of the parking basement.

Inside are large bins for trash and recycling. The sign indicates that the recycled items go into the bins with the yellow lids. Poubelle translates to "trash can".

Another little thing off the checklist!

Two cupboards in the kitchen have doors that lift up. They have a pneumatic arm that holds the door up. That part was not functioning with our cupboard doors. You had to hold it up if you opened it. It wasn't safe or easy to do. We have gotten this fixed now.  The pneumatics needed to be changed. Fixed!

Warmer and More Quiet 

Our bedroom is on the end of the heating system and has a large window, balcony door combo. It was particularly cold in the room at night. Also, even with a nighttime curfew of 6 pm the street noises would frequently wake us during the night. After some research we purchased a set of noise dampening, light blocking and insulating curtains for our bedroom. Not inexpensive, but these did the trick. The room is now much quieter and warmer. The pattern is just from the ceiling light creating shadows. The curtains are just plain beige.

In addition, each window and door has an exterior shutter which can be closed to keep it warmer, especially overnight. There is a box on the inside of the window/door that the shutter "rolls" up into when it is opened. The one in our bedroom didn't have a full top cover or, likely, the insulation that is supposed to be inside the box, so that was also making the room extremely cold. We cut a piece of styrofoam and placed that on the top of the box then wrapped the entire box and styrofoam with a metalized thin insulation and then covered that with muslin. Doesn't look too bad and it is has really helped to keep the room warmer. Everything is easily removeable.

I have made another tuffet (footstool)! My craft area is not large and the parts for the tuffet were taking up space. I had to keep moving the items so I decided the best course of action was to actually make the tuffet and get it out of the craft room and into the living room.

I'd wanted to do a black and white one for quite a while and so collected all sorts of black and white cotton fabric prints: batik prints (hard to find in black and white), a fern print we purchased in New Zealand, a few pieces from Singapore, a couple from Australia and even a couple from the US. 

I wanted to keep with black and white so the permanent center button cover is black. However, I made a red/greyish pillow a while ago and we have a red and grey afghan so for now I wanted a red center button. I made a sort of small, red elasticized "shower cap" type cover that nicely fits over the button for now and can be removed in 1or 2 seconds. Now, if I change my mind and want another color center- easy peasy! A different "shower cap" can be constructed quickly.

Tale of the Suitcase

In late February, 2020, we packed up a carry-on sized suitcase with some toiletries and other things. It meant we could travel to France with just 4 checked bags (and not pay for a 5th bag). An acquaintance of Brad's checked it when he flew to Bordeaux on March 3. On March 3, we were still to fly to France on March 31 and we planned to retrieve our suitcase from the acquaintance. COVID caused some plans to change naturally. 

We have now been reunited with our little suitcase which has been living in Bordeaux for nearly a year!

Ta da! We now have extra of a few things and we found B's warm dark blue thermal shirt we couldn't find anywhere.