Giving Thanks

When I was a kid, we didn't go to my Grandparents for Thanksgiving. In fact, I don't remember celebrating Thanksgiving at all. That doesn't mean we didn't. It very likely means no one took any pictures. I remember best if someone took a picture. 

We went in December during Christmas break. All the aunts and uncles and cousins and cousins kids and special neighbors were there and we ate lots of food and the cousins played inside and outside and must have made plenty of noise, which me, of course, being one of the perpetrators would have no idea, then or now, how loud we were.

This Thanksgiving was at our house, which has been the usual for several years. This year was Lynette's "off year," so we were a slightly smaller crowd than usual. We have a turkey and a ham and all sit down for our meal and then the kids rise up to play. They play inside and outside and the noise depends on the ratio of inside to outside play. I stayed inside and did the dishes with the help of Lorene and Mom. 

The cousins all play together and ignore the adults unless they are forced into a game hour, which we didn't do this year. 

That's the point of this story. I went to my grandparents in the sandhills twice a year, summer and winter. I loved to go there. I can't explain why I loved that place so much. I don't remember any real connection to my grandparents when I was a kid. They were background to the whole experience. It wasn't until I was not a kid anymore that they became "real people" to me. I remember still the house, the banging of the gate into the yard and they lesser one of the house door. I remember the enclosed porch where leftovers were stored after the big Christmas Day dinner, that led to a funny little room that had stairs to the basement where Grandpa kept some of his tools and the bedrooms that belonged to Mom and Aunt Barb, once upon a time. Upstairs was the big table where we ate when the company left and the smaller kitchen where the aunties all helped with the dishes. Outside, I remember the fenced in yard, to keep the dogs and chickens out. the near garden and the far garden, the Big Hill I climbed to rejoice at the top of the world with the wind in my hair. Grandpa had his workshop in the garage. The chicken house was farther on. 

Back to the present....

We ate, the cousins played and the grandparents were in the background. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be. Kids having a wonderful time at Gramma and Papa's. I'm not looking for constant interaction with the grandkids. It's not the right time. The time now, is to solidify their relationship with their cousins and remember that Gramma's house was a good place to be.

Pie Time

Screen time

Lego Time

Game Time

Puppy Time

Outside Time

Zane is getting big enough (hee hee) and old enough that we work together some. 

He made the glaze for the ham. We needed a recipe, thus the phone. 

The difference between then and now is that all the kids come and say goodbye with hugs when it is time to go. There were never any hugs back in my day and I don't remember any "thanks for having us," but I hope there were. 

 

Singing The Blues

Now that some outside projects are completed, Jim is back at work in the bathroom.

We had Anthony and his dad make the vanity and "linen closet", since they are getting into the cupboard business so we went out there at the beginning of October to pick them up. 

There are always other reasons to visit out there. 

There are a few more things to be done in here. We are waiting on the door for the wet room, the mirror and lighting. Jim has been using the shower and tub regularly. 

Since we are waiting on the glass people for the finishing touches on the bathroom, Jim is back in the family room working on the ceiling.

 

It's A Boring Job

Before the wire is pulled through the conduits from the house to the barn, Jim did a lot of re-doing of the existing power and water lines to make it look neater down there. Then he cleaned up the whole space and put more shelving in, so we could, well, store more things on shelves. 

Conduit has a rope inside that is attached to the wire being pulled through. Jim had the rope attached to the garden tractor, and drove toward the house pulling the rope through a sheave (pronounced shiv), which pulled the wire, lying on the floor, through a hole in the storm cellar, which you can't see because it is in shadow. 

I was in the storm cellar pulling the wire off the reel and making sure it didn't get tangled, kinked or caught on something.

Before Jim went out to pull he put lubricant on the wire, which is a thing evidently, only he didn't put in on all of it and didn't require me to, either, thank goodness.

Four wires bound together.

I'm sure it's terribly interesting to know what the end looks like. 

Too bad I wasn't standing up straight to get a better photo.

I took this to show how big the wires were.

After that was all done, that wire had to be tied in at both ends. 

We are waiting for expert help on that, an electrician. 

After that was all done for the day, we went out north of town to see the Northern Lights. My phone doesn't take nearly as good of photos as everyone else's seems to, but I have two colors. 

It was an awe inspiring sight. It gave me the same sort of thrills I got when seeing a total eclipse. 

There is just something about the majesty of the heavens.

 

When Water and Electricity Mix

October felt like September most of the time except for the few times it felt like August. It was so nice, Jim felt more inclined to work outside instead of in working on the basement. So, he started another project, running power conduits and a water line from the house to the barn. The power to the barn shorted out some years ago, so now that he cleared out a space to put his tractor and three of the neighbor's in the barn he needs some lights in there to look at them. 

I though a took a photo of the tractors. I didn't.

Boring these pipes in isn't very messy, which is the point of the whole business, not to tear up yards, but hole need dug in strategic places. Here, Jim is digging a hole because he will tee the water line to the chicken house. The hole comes first so he can bore through it. 

More of the same.

When boring takes place, (directional drilling is the proper term,) the drill bit bores through the ground, and drags the bore stem behind it creating the tunnel, so to speak, that the conduit is pulled through. Jim is using continuous conduit that rolls off a reel trailer... 

...as well as all over the lawn.

(Look how green it is for the middle of October.)

They started the bore from the barn, since it's a bit difficult to start it from the house.

Jim, of course, has access to lots of help since he owns a boring company.

Here are the two conduits for power and one water line going in.

They bored into the basement and some one is running the boring machine for the pull and others are guiding the pipe through the hole to go under our lawn to the barn.

Now they are boring from the water line hole to the chicken house.

The water line was replaced because it was old. 

The power conduits were replaced because the wire was bad. One for using now and one for a spare. 

Now, the wire has to go through those conduits and be connected from house to barn, but that is a story for another day, because it happened on another day. 

 

A Waiting Game

There aren't as many changes going on with this bathroom project.  Jim has been spending all his time tiling. As of this moment the walls for the tub/shower area are completely finished, (except for the grouting) and the floor is done except one strip. Jim ran out of thin-set and had to order more. 

These photos show the floor tiles in progress. Any more updates will be few and far between because we'll be waiting for the vanity and closet doors to be built by Anthony. 

After the final strip is laid on the floor Jim can finish the grouting.

Another thing we are waiting for is the top for the pony wall. Then we'll get the glass door to separate the wet room from the rest of the bathroom. That top will match the vanity top. Most of what needs done next, is a waiting game. 

Jim is working around the drain in this photo. Jim put tile on the drain cover so it fits right in the floor unnoticed. It's sitting to the left of the drain. 

 

A Helping Hand

Where to start? Should the floor or the wall be tiled first? Jim has done some of both. 

It isn't an easy job.  Tile is expensive and has to be handled with care.  It's a case of measuring twice and cutting once, which, of course, should be the rule with all construction projects and likely some other types of projects as well. 

Those blue thingys are levelers and fit in the spacers to make a nice even wall. 

Jim had his tile cutter set up on the patio for awhile, having to move it when rain is predicted. Now, he just walks up to the shop, cuts the tile and walks back down.  

A first peek.

Jim is working on the floor tile.  Both kinds of tiles are similar in color and design.  The floor tiles are matte and the wet room wall tiles are shiny. The floor of that room are different altogether. 

Jim is a very meticulous worker. It takes longer to get a job done. When it is done. It is done right.

Besides, it's a lot easier to protect tiles than clean them off. 

Bonita is here for a visit and a valuable helper.  It didn't help this day. I made pies, peach and pecan.

Jim has put up the railing bars around the edges for the "floating" ceiling, a grid set up with tiles so he can get the tile in place to finish that wall. 

 

Set In Concrete

Any project always takes more time and more money than expected. Jim is particular, which is a very good thing, because if you're going to make something lasting, it needs to be right the first time. This is the shower area with a bench and niche. Jim has the concrete board on here.

This is the vanity spot. Jim had his tool bench here, if you look at previous posts.  This doesn't need concrete board, but it has the kind of drywall that resists mold in damp areas.  Now he has to use the top of the pony wall as a small tool holding area.

This is the bathtub area complete with concrete board and ready for the water proofing membrane.

This little spot is where what Jim calls the linen closet goes. It probably will be some sort of storage since I lost two closets in this deal.

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Waterproofing is done on the floor.

The waterproofing stuff is "glued" onto the walls with "thin set."

 

Now, the walls are done, and fittings on. It's ready for tile.