That's All Well and Good

I really had good intentions of blogging more often, but that has flown out the window.*

I've complied a few photos of May, that give a picture of the busyness of the month. I left out some photos because they didn't turn out. 

This is not May, it's April 26th, but I wanted it in anyway.

Graduation Day -- RN program

Calla -- 7 months

Fishing is the order of the day for everyone except us. 

The end of the school year means field and "play" days, spring concerts, ball games, track meets, and gymnastics shows. 

And more fishing, although it looks like they spent some time turtling.

First in 50m, 100m and long jump

Barry and Christian run for their "play day", but also do things like "egg in spoon races, hula hoop races, jump rope races, and skipping races in the morning, (the eggs are ping pong balls) and things like frisbee throw, baseball throw and corn hole in the afternoon.

I didn't seem to get my camera ready in time and it's hard to take a picture on one kid in a running mob.

I got to a couple of Zane's track meets. I missed the one where he did a 5' high jump.  He's also doing 200m hurdles and the 400m run. 

 That meet he got 3rd in the high jump and hurdles and 6th in the 

400. The meet in the photos, was a 10 school invitational and Zane got 6th in the 400.

I enjoy watching the boys do things.

Running for home.

I enjoy watching the girls do things, too. 

And...

here's some more sayings.

Shoot yourself in the foot

When pigs fly

All the tea/rice in China

Not the foggiest idea

Honest to Pete

Lost your marbles

That's all well and good

Disclaimer: I don't really care if some are repeated from earlier posts.

 

Fireplace Phase Continued

Work is slow going on this project because spring is here and there is more outside work to be done.

In the last week of April Jim started on the felt paper and expanded metal that goes underneath the first mortar coat. 

Jim is methodical and careful so he taped off all the edges.

A close up look.

The taped off board is where the mantel will go.

Jim put in these can lights sometime during this process and the mortaring in done, well you can see how far it is done.

The mortar was all smoothed on and them combed to make ridges so the next coat that is under the stones will stick.

Jim put vent holes up at the top so heat can escape and is here cutting out the hole so stone can be put around it and then a vent cover eventually.

Jim found that putting up the stone went quickly and easily. It took more time to lay out the patterns than it did to put it up. Here we have the next section laid out with discarded choices all around.

The process -- Spray, apply mortar, stick on the "wall", and apply a few seconds pressure.

All we have finished so far.

I have been missing this clock. It hasn't been on the wall for a few months and I was still looking at the place it wasn't for the time. Jim made this from an ash bole before we were married and since I don't wear a watch and spend a lot of time in the living room, a quick glance tells me the time. Jim doesn't have all the grouting done between the stones, but he set in a screw for the clock to hang on and it will be there as long as the fireplace lasts when the grout is put in.