The
last time we saw Bill he had just celebrated his 70th birthday.
Now it's two years later. Why no update last year?
All the work was hidden.
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 For example - here you can
just see Bill's blue plaid shirt peeking out from under the house as he
jacks it up and puts in a new foundation.
I could hear the house creak as he jacked it up - waiting for it to crack and break. But it didn't. And now our house is (almost) level. Ready for some before and afters? |
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 The new kitchen taken from the same
spot. The door is now a French door opening onto either a
sunporch (Margaret) or a mudroom (Bill.) Right now it's a
tool shed until Bill gets the two-car garage with attached workshop and
second story guest apartment built. Must be a year four
project. Still plenty of work to be done as you can see - still the old
floor, still working on refinishing and fitting in cabinets.
Supplies are sitting where a dishwasher will go. Ah
well.
Something is stopping Bill. What could it be? Six months of gardening. Last year he told me he would refinish the cabinets during the winter. During the winter he told me the weather was too bad outside to refinish the cabinets and he couldn't do it inside. I said, "So I'm never going to have a finished house?" Bill said nothing. But a couple of weeks later he started refinishing cabinets - outside. |
 More garden problems. I refuse
to turn on the stove during the day in order to keep the house cool
since we
lack airconditioning. 10 minutes of boiling water
and the temp goes up 5 degrees along with the humidity. Let's
not even talk about what the oven does.
I say, "I like to eat fresh-from-the-garden corn raw." Bill says nothing. But he waits until after 7 PM to start canning. I help some nights. Other nights I'm working on my own big project. |
 Our
new bath addition with the walk-in shower, a cabinet made from an old
dresser and the not-quite-finished door frame. We're still
waiting on that workshop so Bill can cut, mitre and stain the wood
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 The original living room. Lots of paneling. An old style gas heater. Tiny doors leading into other rooms - you can see just a bit of the kitchen there. |
 Let there be light. Rip out a wall or two. Put in new windows (next spring - new hardwood floors!). In fact - coming up next- here's my favorite window that floods the room with light . |
 Here's where you'll sit if when you come visit. Kick back in the recliner and watch the colorful wild birds flying from tree to tree. (If we ever get DSL that satellite dish is history.) I say, "Bill I love this place. I love what you've done." Bill says nothing. But his eyes smile. |
 PS. What I almost didn't show you - the part that isn't quite done. Almost there but then it was time to plant the garden. This part used to be a separate living room. There's another bedroom back behind that door. And that monstrous fireplace soon to be covered with field stone. Please don't tell me you love it. When people say that I wonder what kind of nightmare world they live in, ok? Now here's the project that's been keeping me busy. |
| The
book. Don't let anyone tell you it's like making a baby. It's
not.
Making a book is a lot more work than that. In His Footsteps:How I learned to be happy driving in rush hour traffic, dealing with frauds and facing a mountain of manure. Here's the In His Footsteps site to find out more about it and see it up close or download and read the first chapter for free. Family and Friends discount is 30% - just enter FF in the voucher or coupon code box. |
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to the Beginning
End of Year 1 |
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