The process has been delightful

The process has been delightful. Wonderful really. Years ago, in my wildest dreams I never would have imagined that this much work could result in such a beautiful and fulfilling outcome. Compared with what general society produces with an equally measurable amount of time and efforts, why would anything other than such beauty be produced? I was at the local mall lately and noticed something. America suffers from much disease, boredom being chief. Among the many other medical ailments one can notice from the wide ranging individuals wandering the mall, I do not think physical work is one of the problems confronted. It may do them some good. As it has done for me. This process isn't easy but it is delightful. And there is something delightful to observe at the end of the day. Wonderful really. Sam

Hard to believe it is June already. Day to day things seem to go at a snail's pace but a glance back to see where we were just a month ago provides a different view. Sam is a real trooper and when my energy flags. he seems to double his efforts. We are waiting patiently for the weather to settle down so that we have a stretch of at least three consecutive days and can uncover the conservatory floor and erect the superstructure and get a roof on before rain threatens. That will finish the outside structure, save the underside of the front porch roof. Rainy days result in more interior work like the paneling shown above. I have been a bit surprised to find that the house has turned out to be more dramatic than even I had imagined! Jim

Pretty charming to be sure

Dining room

Pretty charming to be sure. A lot of work, which explained in detail might bore. So all I can say is that it is nice to see these two rooms transform.Sam

Once the woodwork is up and the walls painted this will be even more impressive! The rooms are human-scale and will be quite charming, but we have a VERY busy summer ahead to get everything together! Jim

Large upstairs bedroom

Fireplaces

It has been a long winter…as I am sure everyone in America knows! Work continued inside but at a slower pace as the snow and cold made every chore more difficult. We have four rooms that have the finish plaster on and several others that have the first coat. Sam is waiting for me to get the chimneys completed and through the roof so he can plaster the rooms they are in. As you can see, the process is partly done. The firebox and smokeshelf needed for both fireplaces are completed. Now we will set the flues. The marble fireplace, still without its installed mantle is particularly handsome. It is made of pink marble and yellow onyx.  The wooden mantle still needs its stone trim before it can be installed. With spring not far off we will soon have to turn our attention to finishing the exterior before the heat of summer sends us indoors again!   Jim

Yeah, what he said! It has been a week of moderately intense plastering. Good to get some white on the walls. I enjoy sloshing through the puddles outside and imagining green leaves on the trees. Am also particularly blown away by how spectacular the marble fireplace is turning out. How does Jim know how to do that? Sam

 

Warming Temps

Just a few shots of the work so far. A wide array of occupations. And starting to see how the rooms and house is coming together. Am pleased with the change in weather. Hope to progress and get a lot more done before we must turn outside again. Sam

Jim has nothing to say; a nice change.

Twisted

 

I'm done. I dont want to write anything. What do I have to say? All I do is work. Work. Work. Work. I posted this picture of Jim's work. What did I do? Just plastered. Rubbing white stuff over the blueboard that hardened up to create a space. What is a space? Just a place to store stuff. Stuff that one thinks is interesting and hopefully beautiful. Beauty. Why is it important? Because it pleases the eye. Well take a look. Do you see anything pleasing to the eye? Maybe your eye has been deceived. Look again. Still don't see anything, then maybe it is because there isn't white stuff smeared all over the blueboard. Oh, and Jim's work, it looks ok as well I guess. Sam

Sam has been a little distracted of late. I think he has breathed in a little too much plaster dust. It is either that or the anticipation of taking a break from the tasks at hand by attending a couple of classes in the coming months I have no choice but to keep working. The oak spiral staircase to the second floor is in...finally. It is a task I am glad to be shed of. I also have all of the black cherry woodwork roughed out for the upstairs two bed rooms on the south side where Sam has finished plastering.Next is the bathroom tile floors and the building of the two brick fireplaces in the living and dining rooms. Then it will be spring and I will be taking a break!!! Jim

Merry Christmas!

Noooooovember

Nov. 25

Hectic days getting ready for winter. We’ve moved bricks and sand into the house in order to build fireplaces after freeze-up.  The back staircase treads and risers are in and I now turn my attention to the spiral oak staircase in the center of the house. Sam has made his first attempt at thin coat plastering. He has the upstairs bathroom scratch coat on and already he is showing a talent for the work. By the time we get to the formal downstairs rooms he should be fairly accomplished at it. There are only two more door casings to hang and that tedious work will be complete. The days are shorter now but we have lighting in nearly all of the rooms so when not too exhausted by the day’s chores we will be able to work at night as well. Jim

I am thankful for stone and wood. Carbon, silicon, oxygen and more congealed together to form the structure of this mass. Without these atoms, without these bonds, there is no reason for hammer, chisel, nail, and screw. The most basic of elements gives us the greatest beauty. The smallest touch leads to the greatest change. The tree grew through many seasons, the stone sustained intense heat and pressure. Ours has been an intense process through many seasons. Many elements have come together to create this mass of stone and wood. Sam