New Project -- Fireplace Phase

March 17

 This week we had the fireplace installed. 

It was so heavy that it was a struggle to get into the house.  Jim helped the three guys that came with it. 

Here it is ready to go in.

I left during the process so I didn't see all the hoses and ducts put in.  We had a duct put in to push hot air into the basement.  Jim installed the fans for that and for the main fireplace the next day. 

This morning we started a fire.  It promptly blackened the door so we couldn't see the fire, but a little fire goes a long way since the brick lining really holds the heat.  It is going to be a learning process to manage this fireplace so different than the one we had. 

I'm relaxing in front of it, knitting. 

As of today, March 29th --

The fireplace is enclosed in particle board. That was done a couple of weeks ago and last weekend, Jim put down the hearth stones and last night, he got the lights up. He had the wires ready several weeks ago, but after some trouble with breaking sheet rock with the 4" lights he wanted to use, we ordered the 

6" ones and had to wait a long time for them to come. They slid in their holes easily where the other ones didn't. Lorene was there on that day and sawed the holes, relieving Jim's aching arms. It's hard work  working with your arms over your head. 

Now that I think about it, the sawing part was Monday and the hooking up the electricity part was yesterday, because Lorene and the boys were here for a bit. 

Now, what will be next, carpet or stone?

New Project -- Phase 2

Where we are as of February 18th.

The problem with starting any new project is the other things that come up that have to be done. The "one thing leads to another" that happens.  Jim has wanted to redo the floors in this house for a couple of years. As of now the kitchen, dining room and hall are all finished with the new flooring except that the transition strips from the vinyl flooring to the bedrooms off the hall are taking an inordinately long amount of time to come in. 

Jim decided we needed to redo the fireplace this year as well.  Our house is 55+ years old and we've lived here 33 1/2 years and used this fire place heavily for 5-6 months out of the year.  We can keep the front of the house warm while turning the furnace down because it has a fan that pushes warm air out. 

The metal in the chimney is starting to warp and Jim felt it was time for a replacement. After much thinking and talking and looking at the fireplace store, we ordered the fireplace with a 6 week wait time. Then we spent additional time talking and thinking and looking and getting advice from some friends that have interior decorating experience we decided on the stone (in stock) and as of February 18th the jury is still out on the hearth stone. 

The fire place itself is gone. Jim dismantled as much of the outside until the fireplace guys came to take out the fireplace part itself and shore up the chimney until Jim gets the framing done around where it goes and then it will be installed. And since "one thing leads to another", the painted paneling is coming off, a thin layer of sheet rock going on over the stuff under the paneling.

The inner blue tape line is where the front of the fireplace will be and the hearth will be somewhere between the other two tape lines. 

The last fire in this fireplace.

Tear down.

Trim coming off the book shelves and china closet.

Jim replaced the bottom sheetrock entirely so he could move outlets and a light switch. The original was 1/2" under the paneling.

After installing the 1/2", he put on 1/4" sheetrock to take the place of the paneling.

The frame is built for the new fireplace to be installed. 

Now it's March.

Ready for mudding.

Jim found that a sander that attaches to the shop vac is a bit awkward, 

but amazing for keeping the dust at bay.

The next stage is installing the fireplace.

 

The Quote Collection

 I collect quotes and then I don't know what to do with them.  

Today is Friday and since it is still cold weather Jim is not working in the formal way that is the usual 10 hour days on Monday through Thursday.  However, since everyone else concerned with utilities 

work 5 days a week and sometimes 6 or 7, he has a few things pertaining to work today. 

He has to meet a couple of people that mean more work in the coming days and months.

We've had more snow this winter than we had the last two years with some rain as well.  We have been on a see-saw with the weather as well, having a week of zero-hugging days, then another week above freezing.  While not all the cold weeks were that cold, the fluctuation made for some soggy days that made our subdivision roads, the end of our driveway, and the road to our home shop a mess of sloppy, rutted mess.  Then after a freeze again, we would bounce over ruts and into potholes. Jim got a couple of truck loads of concrete millings to use on our property and then a little leftover for some of the potholes. I haven't been out to see how it is working, but the end of the driveway looks like we won't be sinking when we drive out anymore.

And what does that have to do with quotations? Nothing actually.  I'm spending the morning tidying up some little tasks that are written on slips of paper piled by my daily to-do list and I found some quotes I saved and since I don't want to lose them, I'm going to add them here. 

As for the rest of all the writing. Since it is morning (or not very much past) and I still have most of my brains intact, I just like to write things. 

Do not judge someone's journey by the chapter you walked in on.

We are all part of a family, so by helping the family we are helping ourselves.

Maybe that's a gift of  a long marriage, that you give up a part of your individuality to be a part of another person and he gives his up to be a part of you.

-- Laura Kalpakian 

GH 2006 "The Key of Love"

Even the closest people to you don't need to hear your every thought on a subject.  These people are allowed to have opinions of their own. They can make decisions on their own. If they desire an outside opinion, you can give it, carefully.

Thou shouldst eat to live, not live to eat.

What can you do to make someone's life easier today?

Hope in the Thing with Feathers

That perches in the soul

And since the tune without the words

And never stops at all.

--Emily Dickenson