May 31, 2010

Good morning,

I apologize that I don't update this more often. I get hung up on running around and making decisions. Thank you for your understanding and interest.

We have the rough in for electrical, plumbing and HVAC. With those, we have received our construction permit to continue. On Friday they came and unloaded lots of 5/8" wallboard. It was fun to watch. They brought a crane thing and lifted the sheets to the second floor window that they had removed and pulled them straight into the house. The second floor has several stacks. The 5/8" is heavier and denser than what is usually used in a house - 1/2". It offers more fire protection, strength, sound proofing, and Bob insisted we use it. Bob is great at knowing what we need and asking all those questions to ensure we are getting the most for our money.

They finished the insulation of the walls last week. It is pink and they put the paper on the walls, tacking it all the way up on all the studs and then came back and blew in the fiberglass balls that expand to fill the spaces. Esther is wrapped in a beautiful pink cloud. They also finished the siding which required a crane to reach the peaks, they are really high). The house really looks wonderful. The new roof line, the fish scale siding in the small peak, the light blue ceiling on the front porch, all come together to create a beautiful home.

We had chosen our granite for the kitchen when Tracy was here, but they didn't have enough of it. So Bob and I went on Saturday and we picked out something else. It is a different classification, so we are waiting to hear the price to see if we feel it is a good use of our money. We like granite that has some drama. Some of it looks almost man made because it is so uniform, but this piece has lots of variation. We like that.

This past week has been all about bathroom vanities. Bob's was easy, we went into 'My scratch and Dent' and there it was. They had one still in the box. They carry lots of stuff that is not scratched or dented. The one for the downstairs bathroom, Tracy found on line. It is an antique washstand that we will convert. It will be really cool. We are negotiating price and looking at shipping from New York. The one for my bathroom, I found one I like on-line but it is 64" wide, not 60" wide. So will the toilet feel too tight if I take that 4" ? We have been measuring all weekend to try to see what we think. I think it will be OK. My thing is I like storage next to the mirror or a medicine cabinet, but that is hard to find with any thing that doesn't look like my Mom's old medicine cabinet. Having small shelves to put all my makeup on is just so nice, i am not willing to give that up but I want a nice/designer look. We will figure it out.

The next big thing is choosing tile for all those bathrooms and paint colors. I think I will go back with the colors we had just chosen 16 months earlier, but I still have to think about them to make sure I don't want to make changes. The kitchen and downstairs bath are the real questions.

The blessing of the house was an amazing experience Several people came over and did their own rituals. The walls of Esther contain blessings written directly on her studs and walls and floors, as well as, written blessings encased in plastic bags and taped to her walls. Someone said we were creating a time capsule for those who will do repairs 100 years from now. I like that thought. I like knowing I will be living in a home that is filled with blessings. It's not too late, if you would like to add a blessing, send it to me and I will put it into that pink cloud that encases hers.

We talk about move-in date, and we are not sure. It will either be the end of July or the end of August. I am in California from August 1 till the 14th. So, I think it will be the end of August. They are moving right along and we will be back home when the timing is perfect.

Have a wonderful day!

Carolyn