To Strip or Not to Strip

The kitchen door steps of my house were painted an atrocious Carolina blue. The color didn't match the rest of the house at all. I think painted bricks are a travesty in the same way that I think carpeted hardwood floors are a disgrace. However, I also had heard that removing paint from brick was incredibly difficult, so I had decided to paint the steps black to match the shutters. However, as I started to paint, I realized that there were only about 4 coats of paint on the steps and stripping them might be an option. So, I made a second trip to Home Depot for a stripper (the paint kind). I worked for awhile but realized one can was not going to be enough, so I made a third visit to Home Depot. You can see the progress below. There's still lots to be done, but there's some nice brick underneath in great condition.

Other People's Stuff

I'm making a concerted effort not to buy anything new if I can reasonably find it used somewhere else. While I'm not as hard core as these folks, I am trying to do most of my shopping for non-consumables at thrift stores and yard sales for both cost and environmental reasons. Yesterday was the Binkley Baptist Yard Sale. It, along with the ABC Sale at Chapel of the Cross, are the big ones when it comes to church sales in the area. I love the chaos of these sales. They're a great place to get furniture, kitchenware, and books. My other favorite place to pick up used things is the Habitat Hand Me Ups store in Durham. They've recently expanded and the selection is amazing!

A used tea crate I got at the Binkley sale for $2. It makes a great table!

A table I found by the side of the road and refinished. I'm happy with the result.

Anathoth Garden

One of my favorite places is Anathoth Community Garden in Cedar Grove, NC about 30 minutes from my house. I went out on Saturday for the monthly Eucharist and to pick some flowers. They're on my mantel now (see pic below) but I'm taking them to some of the teachers at school on Monday. Anathoth is a community garden started by Cedar Grove United Methodist Church. For me it is a source of free produce, good physical labor, and fellowship with those with whom I might not normally interact. Everyone from kids doing court-ordered community service to Hispanic migrant laborers to Duke Divinity School students is there. Every Saturday workday is followed by a big potluck usually with food folks have prepared using produce from the garden.