The Elves Have Returned from the North Pole

If you look closely you can see the drawing for the 

Front Door Trim

And the Trim Work is Up

Side View of the Front Door

Wainscoating Going Up in the Dining Room

 

Door Trim, Wainscoating & a Column That 

Really adds to it All. When we saw it in the Drawings

we knew it would look great. And it is.

Transom Window over the door to the Kitchen

Mullions will be Added

The Stair Trim has Begun

0 Degree Weather and Plenty of Snow

I think it's Going to be awhile before the Outside Masonry Work

Starts Up Again

So I’m pretty sure now that Christmas is over it’s safe to say that the elves have been relieved of their toy making duties and have now returned to work at our house. Thank you Santa.

Truthfully, it has nothing to do with Santa. Or the subs. It’s all about proper scheduling. And if the backroom doesn’t get it right and schedule the subs properly then the work doesn’t happen. Plain and simple.

Speaking of subs, we’re fortunate that we have true craftsmen doing the interior work. Finish work is not easy. Corners must be mitered correctly. Doors must close correctly and everything must fit together perfectly. This is what everyone sees and when it’s not right, most, maybe not all, but most will notice. And that’s what they leave with. We know when we have visitors they’ll see the fine workmanship of the carpenters who are putting the finish trim work in our house. We hope they like what they see. We do so far.

Enjoy your week.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from our Home to Your Home

(Via)

Had a visit from a Red Tail Hawk

That was Playing with It's Food

It used It's wing to block Escape

Only about 15' Away from Me

A little Wild Life Video

Note the really steady camera action and ya, that

was me whistling. It didn't care.

A Visit to Newport for Dinner

New Fangled Christmas Tree Stand

2" PVC Pipe stuck in a Hole in a work stand

Happy New Year!

I was on vacation last week which happened to coincide with another week of no contractors on site. While most would attribute it to the holidays (or lousy scheduling), I’m wondering if they knew I was on vacation and with my propensity to ask about the why’s and how’s of their work they beat feet to other locations. I tried to make the best of it.

With winter less than 10 days old I’m already feeling cooped up. So I told my better half that I was going to do some work outside over at the other house. She looked at me with that look of “What could he possibly be doing outside in 20 degree temperatures? But he’s driving me crazy…” “Ok, have fun!”

I thought I would go fill in a hole that needed filling with the material that was stacked next to it. The same material that had been soaked with rain, turned to mud and then subjected to 20 degree temperatures. I figured I could use my heavy steel pry bar to break it up. Ya, no. A couple of hard bangs on the frozen dirt that had the cold steel vibrating through my gloves into my hands told me that wasn’t happening. It’s funny how you can so quickly change your mind from what you thought was a really good idea to thinking that was a really stupid idea. So I figured checking the mail was going to be something else I could do.

When walking to the mailbox out front something caught the corner of my eye. Holy gadzooks (my better half made me change what I wrote originally). It was a big Red Tail Hawk and it was only about ten feet away from me. Now most birds fly away as soon as you get within viewing distance but not this one. It wasn’t concerned at all with me because it obviously had not listened to its mother growing up and was playing with its food. Not being sure how protective it could be of whatever it was playing with and having grown up watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Animal Kingdom (back when we only had three TV stations), I knew its talons could make quick work of my face. So I backed off a bit and watched. I have to admit it was pretty cool watching this large bird play around with something in the grass and completely ignore me. I watched for about ten minutes and then decided to move off in case it got bored with the small thing it was toying with and started looking for something bigger to play with…

2013 is now a memory. Outside of an economy that is still in the doldrums and a do nothing congress, it was a good year for me personally and I’m thankful for any blessings that came my way large or small. I hope the New Year brings an even better year for all of us.

2014 is starting out with today’s Pro Jo (Providence Journal) headline reading “Region Braces for up to 10 inches of snow” I’ve gotta go brace. Whatever that is. I think it means get more coffee.

Enjoy your day.

Enjoy your New Year.

Christmas Eve

Barrington, RI Congregational Church

Built in 1806 using timbers from the 

Orginal Church built in 1711.

Children's Christmas Eve Service

If you look closely you can see the old doors on the pews.

The doors kept the heat in the pew space when the families brought 

small coal burners with them to stay warm.

Christmas Eve with our First Tree

Merry Christmas to All!

The Christmas Lull

In 2011 We started with this

Thought we were Going to Do This

Had this happen in between

Now we have this in Lull Land

Christmas Cookies

My better half made some Christmas cookies with plans to bring them into work and give them to friends. I had other plans for them.

Shortly after making them she asked “Who has been eating the Christmas cookies?” What? We’re not supposed to eat them? Crap. 

Now truly, my contribution when invited to help making them was putting boobs on one of the snowmen (women?) after which I was told that my help was no longer needed. I thought it would be funny. The funny part was she wasn’t amused. Much.

So with there only being two of us I did what I had to about the missing cookies. I said, “You know, someone has been drinking my beer too. I wonder if the same person that ate the cookies is the same one that’s drinking my beer?” I pretty sure she didn’t buy that…

Back to the house.

Twas a few nights before Christmas and all of the contractors have headed for the hills. The house work has come to a complete stop. 

It wouldn’t be so bad if it hadn’t come to a complete stop a few weeks ago. Much of it is due to scheduling conflicts. Some of it due to the Holidays. We had a good meeting yesterday with the builder to go over a few items that we had concerns about including the apparent stop work that was only missing the picket signs. They have a sub that needs to wrap up a few things outside in order for the house to move forward. Fortunately, our Project Manager, Joe, is on top of this and we have a commitment to ramp back up next week at the start of the New Year. In the meantime I’m going to have to drink a lot of Christmas Cheer to feel better about this lull.

This will make our third Christmas owning the property, paying mortgages and trying to make something out of it. It’s been frustrating but we know 2014 will be “The” year.

In celebration of our two year anniversary of owning the property, I invite you to read one of my older blogs. It will make you laugh and like a Christmas Carol, it is the Ghost of Christmases to come.

http://www.theimpatienthomebuilder.blogspot.com/2013/04/flashback-our-first-week-you-cant-make.html

Enjoy your weekend

Starting the Stone Work

Bobcat Moving Material 

(I need to think of way to convince my better half

that we need one of these.)

The Stone that will be Used in the Stonewall

Leveling up Under Where the side Porch will go

(They put down a barrier cloth to help prevent weeds)

These Stones will provide the type of wall that we are looking for.

Future Steps leading from Driveway to Walkway

Blue Stone Caps for over the Garage wall Stone Veneer

Blanket Material to help keep the Ground from Freezing

This will be the side patio.

It will be nice once the Porch is Built

Perfect. The stonework starts and it snows.

Then it Rained and Froze and now we have a Front Yard Skating Rink

While most of the inside work has come to a lull as the different contractors are off on other sites, we were pleased to see the stone work outside started. 

Mike from Stone Age Masonry had a crew there doing the prep work of laying down the base material. It starts first with gravel which provides for drainage. They would put the gravel down in layers and then use vibrators to compact it even further. Later they will put a few inches of sand over the gravel before laying the pavers over the sand.

The plan is to have a stone wall alongside the driveway with steps and a walkway leading to the porch steps. There will also be a small patio alongside the porch. I’ll have to dig up what everything is constructed from other than stone and concrete. Sorry. Long day at work.

Of course, within a few days of starting, it snowed and rained and the temperature dropped to the teens. Work has stopped for now but we have a nice skating rink in the front yard.

It’s the little things isn’t it?

Enjoy your week.

Prince Snow Farm

Ribbon Hand Stamped with Peace

Hand Stamped Gift Tags with Fabric Ties

Small Muslin Bags

(My Better Half said no, I cannot use them for screws)

Hand Stamped Lavender Bags

(My Better Half claimed these right away)

And my Personal Favorite - A Large Still Life Print

So while everyone is out buying lottery tickets for the $400 million mega millions I found my “win” in a very nice package sent to my house.

Recently I entered a Blog Give-a-way courtesy of Prince Snow Farm (http://nantucketdaffodil.blogspot.com/) and I was lucky enough to win some very nice gifts. If my better half hadn’t have been standing there watching me open the box I just might have had some nice stocking stuffers. Hmmm, maybe I’ll do that anyways.

Monica has a great blog with her writings and beautiful pictures. She is also a great artist and makes some really nice hand crafted gifts and other things that you just won’t find in one of those big box stores. Please visit Monica on her post (above) or see what she has for sale on Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrinceSnowFarm?ref=em).

You just might find some of your own stocking stuffers.

Kitchen Work Continues

Upper Cabinets are In

Starting to Add the Doors

Trash Compactor will go in the Opening on Left

Dishwasher will go in the Left Opening

Refridgerator on the Right

Stove will go in the Center

Drawer Microwave in the Facing Cabinet

Brushed Stainless Handles and Knobs

 We purchased a Kitchen Floor Display for Basement Cabinets

I liked it just for the deep stainless steel Franke Sink which 

we'll use in the kitchen.

I do the dishes so why not?

I had to spend about Three Hours removing the Silicon that held it

in place on the Display Cabinets

Bathroom Vanities Delivered

The kitchen work continues although it was more of a lull this week than continuing. You can really see how the doors make a kitchen. Right now it’s just a bunch of white boxes hung on the wall with the doors leaning against another wall. I’m not sure why they haven’t hung them all yet but there must be a reason.

Riley Kitchen & Bath is opening a new showroom so they put all of their display units up for sale at significantly reduced prices. My better half suggested that we buy one to use in our future Family Room in the basement. I looked at her with that “Are you crazy?” look because why would we need two kitchens and that’s just more money we’ll have to spend. Her reasons made sense (to her) so being the dutiful husband I went along with buying these beautiful cherry cabinets at a price we (? She) couldn’t say no to. Truthfully the display had a really cool deep stainless steel Franke sink (I’ll get the measurements). When I found out we could use it in our new kitchen instead of the standard one that comes with the counter top, I went along with it. After all, we have an agreement. When she cooks, I clean up. Which means that I clean up all of the time.

Once we took the display apart and moved it, I had to spend about three hours gently removing the silicon that was used to attach it to the display cabinets. I used some Motsenbockers Lift Off Silicon Remover to help remove it all. It was still a lot of work and I had to be careful not to scratch the sink. It will look great in the new kitchen.

My better half was successful in picking out some really nice brushed stainless steel handles and knobs for the kitchen cabinets from Top Knob. This was despite my offer of assistance with such gems as:

·         “You probably want them to match.”

·         “They have websites that have a lot of them.”

·         “The website will give you suggestions on the handles that will go with the knobs.”

·         “You probably don’t want to mix companies with knobs and handles.”

·         “You might want to make the picture larger so you can see them better.”

She went into the other room to look more. I think it was because I was being so helpful.

Enjoy your weekend.