Getting the Gold!!

I have been camping at my house for weeks now. At times, it has been very cold. When I saw the Gale insulation truck pull up with rolls of lovely, gold insulation, it warmed my heart with the anticipation of a body. They worked all day and into the evening, but they got it all done.



Now sheet rcck has started, garage doors will be hung today or Monday. Then they will spray insulation into the spots that they couldn't put insulation bats. I should be snugged up then!! This morning it was 49 in my house with the heat set on 65 degrees. It is hard to heat the outside. I got the electric bill for running the temporary electric furnace, and all I can say about it is "yikes!"

The new bonus room with sheetrock!!


The new furnace and hot water heater. . . it is now working. It was just clogged with drywall dust and dirt.

I have survived 3 weeks without my little Checquers. I miss him every day. Thanks to all of you who wrote notes. I know that he wasn't a person, but he was a big part of my life.


Last year for Christmas, my friend, Desiree, made me this little pillow. It is a reminder to be thankful for the little simple things. . ."from simple things come simple joys."

I'm reminded every day how lucky I am to have heat and hot water. Now, if I could just have my washer and dryer back in my house. . .sigh!!

Supreme Sorrow

Checquers Oliver
June 17, 2003-November 29, 2007

Thursday night, November 29th, I met my friend, Jake, at Costco and then went to his house for dinner. I had left the pets locked inside as it was so cold, and Checquers had been outside until late the night before. When I got home around 9, both cats came running, but no Checquers. I went through the house looking for him as sometimes he will nudge a door shut with his nose and lock himself in a closet or room. I noticed the door to the garage was unlocked, and I knew I had locked it. I called Ken to see if someone had come in while I was gone. He told me the mechanical guy had climbed in a window. Checquers was very protective of our space. I was concerned, as Checquers is so dark and it was a dark night. I went outside and called and called, then got in the car to see if I could find him. He had barely made it to the neighbors and there was his little body beside the road. I called to him, but there was no response. His little body was cold and he wasn't breathing. I am so sad. He was such a dear little companion. I miss him more than I thought possible. I have been reminded the last couple of days of different little things. Robin remembered how in puppy school I had to teach him a trick. I taught him to say prayers by climbing up a 2 step ladder and bowing his head for a treat. Jan, his favorite puppy sitter, loved to take him in the pickup with her, and he was her tug of war buddy.




He loved to play with Bailey. Jake's dog. They were such buddies. He always did a happy dance before he would lay down to make sure he found the perfect spot. He was such a little guy, but he was loved by so many. He will leave a hole in all of our hearts, but mostly mine. He was my little man in a fur coat.

Thankful!

What a beautiful Thanksgiving morning. It is cold and clear. . .a perfect Idaho morning. The doors have been added to the south side of the house. The light that it lets in is amazing.



The deck has been started with the footings poured and the supports added.



As soon as the deck is complete, the rest of the rock can be finished on the cement block wall. As you can see, the siding is coming along too.



This is the new stairwell that goes from the family room upstairs to the bonus room and the original upstairs. It is in the middle of the house and totally mirrors the original stairwell. The banisters and railings will duplicate the original stairwell.



This shows the new bonus room. It is over 800 square feet. Originally, I wasn't going to finish it, but have decided that it is just easier to complete it now. It will be a fun place for Sarri's kids to play, and for me to do projects out of the way.



I am thankful for Ken Kostelic. Ken has been a friend since the late '70's. He originally built my house. He is honest and makes doing this project fun. I think he is as excited about it as I am! You can see where the old dining room/kitchen wall was. I am thankful they got the drain moved to the opposite wall, so the upstairs bathroom now is working!! Ken is marking where the cabinets and the islands will be in the new kitchen. I ordered my appliances this week. There is so much new technology in cooking that I didn't even know existed! He teases me all the time that I am the gadget queen, and he may be right. Do you think the fact that I wanted a charging station for all my gadgets tipped him off?



My pets have been a bit stressed by this remodel. Checquers has to smell everyone that comes on the job site. He is very picky about who he will let pet him. He is crazy about Ken; however, when Ken finished the upstairs a couple of years ago, he wouldn't have anything to do with him!! I sent him (Chec not Ken!) to my friend's, Jan, for doggy daycare last week. He loves it there and gets to go on long walks and explore their farm. He is always happy and very dirty when he gets home! He slept for 12 hours when he got home, and his groomer said it took her 20 minutes to comb him out! He loves checking out the new space. It makes me nervous when is up in the bonus room. He goes right to the edge and it looks like he is calculating if he could make the jump or not! Yikes!! I am thrilled about the progress on my house and am starting to envision what it will be like when its completed. Hopefully, we will have the plumbing, electrical, and mechanical inspection at the first of next week. I will really be thankful when that happens as it means insulation is next! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Another day, another gable!

I came home from McCall to find the other gables done, but that was also the day that I lost heat and hotwater. It has been a week and 2 days. You don't realize how much you love those two things until you don't have them!! I have taken baths here and there trying not to wear out my welcome at any one place! The advantage to it has been that I get to look over other bathrooms and try the tub for comfort. For those of you who are not aware. . .my bath and bathtub are a huge deal to me! It is my quiet time in the morning where I read and pray for the people I love and other issues. Yesterday, was a huge day...the walls came down opening up the old part to the new part. It really makes it easier to visualize what it will be like when it is finished. Today, Ken finished tearing out my bathroom. I wanted double sinks in the master and he ingeniously figured out how to make that happen. I also want a copper tub, and I think he figured that out too. My stained glass window, which I had purchased 30 years ago, with my friend, Chery Wold, had to come out. We know just the spot to relocate it. We passed the shear inspection yesterday. The rock wall was built to the south of the house and about 1/3 of the rock is on the rest of the house. The pets are very curious to check out the new area. Checquers has been kept very busy barking at all the subs. Today, while I was gone they relocated the relocated kennel, so they could remove the old roof. I think the barking exhaused him as he was asleep by 7.

Gables are completed!

Another view. . .



This new stairwell will join with the original stairs and share a common landing, so that you can go to the bonus room or the upstairs bedrooms from either side of the house.

My bathroom as it appears today. We fixed it so that I could take baths this weekend! I have no guarantees of privacy; however, as you can see!


This is my one working sink and toilet! Again, not a lot of privacy. The wall and door that were there are now open to the hall and the former laundry room.

Crazy Daze!

In the last week, I have logged many miles. . .to McCall for a couple of days. . .it snowed. . .I woke up to this beautiful snow covered scene.





The trusses went up. . .I came back from McCall and headed to Portland with my darling friend & adopted nephew, Jake, for Pam's birthday and to get a different car. . .



The cupboards came out of the kitchen as well as the sink, and all appliances. I'm camping with a microwave and hot plate in what used to be the dining room.





Madeline and Garrett, Sarri's 2 "bigs", love their Nana, and were right in the middle of her opening her gifts.



Carter gave his Nana a big flower!




Jake was a little stir crazy on the trip home! Really, it was just a swinging lamp, which was right above his head! He wasn't actually wearing the shade!

Waiting for Trusses

46 days and counting. . .

I guess we can take 10 days off of my count. I am counting from when we got the building permit on August 30, 2007. The first dirt was moved on September 10, 2007. First we waited for the excavation, and then the concrete guys really worked hard to get all the footings in and the flat work for the crawl space and the parking pad in front of the garage. Checquers has been so unsettled as the first thing to go was his kennel. We finally got a temporary one set up in the front yard and he is much happier. It took quite some time for the concrete to be done, and I hadn't seen a stick of wood until last Monday, October 6th. Now the whole downstairs is framed and the sheeting put on to stabilize it. They should hang the trusses this week. Here are a couple more pictures to show the progress or not. I can't figure out how to post them in the right succession.