Busy as Beezzzzzz

Our lightning fast carpenters managed to get the roof of the porch covered and some plywood down so we could use this entrance for the weekend. It was a thrill to sit out there and watch the rainstorm. Made life a little easier for me to get the groceries up from the driveway yesterday evening as well. I had wanted to get some sushi all week and since Bob was heading out for an evening with his buddies I took advantage. Lucky for me, James was just getting off work(he works about a mile away) and had stopped by so I got help from him unloading the groceries.

Debra mentioned in her comment that she thought it was going to be a separate structure for the kids to live in. The laws of this quaint little village we live in(grr)do not allow for that. You cannot build a second structure with a kitchen. They almost will not let you do that for a build on.We had to jump through hoops to get the design of J&Ds house approved and get the permits. They don’t want people to have a rental space on private property. If you want that type of thing you have to have different permits and pay business taxes etc. I can show you about 50 places right near me that have illegal apartments  and have for years. I know, I lived in one. There are a lot of blinders worn for different people in a small village. It’s all about who you know and how much you want to spend under an invisible table. I’m sure it’s like that all over the country. Now and then they make an example of someone and there’s huge fines and a big deal made about it but on the whole it pretty much gets overlooked…unless…you are wanting to build something like we are. So no, the separate structure on this property will be a 3-car garage to be built into the hillside above the current circular driveway at the top of the hill.  The plans are drawn up but we need to get a variance for it since it’s on a slope and will be a little taller than the average garage. James plans to put a lift for working on cars into the center section.  He has plans for his sports car and that center bay will be his baby. Right now the sports car is off the road and on his bosses back lot for safe keeping. Sigh…cars guys.

Anyway that’s the update for now. Thanks for checking in. I’ll be out on the porch if anyone needs me. I am squealing with delight. It’s 10 feet across. Lots of room for a sewing corner, dinner table and even a sitting area over on the kids side. It will have two large overhead fans as well-mosquitoes don’t like big fans. They begin demolition of the inside of Bob’s house Monday and joining the houses together on his side. Talk soon.

In the blink of an eye…

It sure seems that way. In just a few days we have gone from framing to tomorrows roofing. The roofing will include building the new covered porch(sqweeee) that will extend from J&Ds house back to my front door as you can see in the first photo. It’s going to be ten feet deep with a nice railing and we can’t wait. If you look at the round things on a couple of the pics you can see the porch footings. Next week, after the roof is on the main structure and the porch, they will break open the old part of the house up and down and attach the houses. Then the electric and plumbing begin. That will be the part that takes the longest since the old structure needs re-wiring and of course the central air part with ducts and such will be a big project. They will eventually break through my basement and connect all the basements into one huge area. The man are all excited about that with visions of power tools and manly stuff to come and never forgetting the Man Cave under James’s house. Dani and I have been put on notice to keep out. Hrrummph…that’s OK though, we have everything else…haha.

Seriously though, it really is starting to look like a house and that makes us all happy.  

The long wall that was torn down will not be replaced until the work  is finished in the area I’m showing you since that is where the carpenters, electricians, and plumbers have to set up their supplies. There is another huge dumpster in the driveway so it remains a major challenge to get up and down the hill. The weather has not been great. It’s very stormy today so no work is happening until tomorrow. There is no such thing as a simple rainy day any more around here. It is either humid and hot or storming and torrential rivers of water. They have had to put hay bails around the driveway to stop the sand and dirt from going down the driveway too much. The hay bails are growing mushrooms. Very strange looking…

I finished the Granny Square wall hanging and decided that I like it so much I will use the color scheme to decorate my kitchen when we get around to that. That lovely French fabric looks so bright and cheerful I would love to see those colors all around the kitchen. Speaking of which, must go and figure out something for dinner later.

By the way. Do yourself a favor if you have Netflix and download or order “The Way” with Martin Sheen. You will thank me for suggesting this moving, beautiful little film. I’ve watched it twice. Once for the movie itself and then again for all the amazing and breathtaking scenery. I read the book, “Along the Way” a few months ago. It’s also wonderful. Telling the story of Martin Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez, who made the movie. They each take chapters to tell about their life and I could not put it down. “The Way” is about the road that thousands of travelers take on foot each year called Camino de Santiago de Campostella. Don’t miss it. The only minor complaint I have is that they didn’t show enough of the inside of these amazing churches and cathedrals along the way. I’m a real nut for religious iconography and were it me I would have taken three times as long to walk the Camino because I would have lingered in these places for so long. You get to see a lot of the churches but they don’t spend much time doing more than filming the outside. Beautiful nevertheless.

On the flip side I began watching “Boardwalk Empire” last week and am now hooked on that series. Talk about switching gears in entertainment. From the sublime to the underworld of Atlantic City in the 20s and 30s.

Back soon with more.