It has been a while since I have posted anything, that doesn't mean things aren't happening. As of today, August 24th, the drywall has been hung in the living room, the mud finish has been done, the recessed lights are up and some are functioning, the porch fan has been installed, broken, removed and is ready to be reinstalled. And our 1890's original knob and tube electrical lines have been mostly replaced with new electrical which we hope will keep us safe for the next 100 years.
"G" and I will remember our 40th wedding anniversary as the day we; bought a new car (just to keep our debt ratio in a comfortable range), removed the kitchen wall including relocating the stove, uncovered more of the 100 year old floors and began to replace the plumbing.
Our contractor thinks the owners of this house were bootleggers because the water line coming into the house from the street is so over sized, it only makes sense if you have a distillery in your basement. Those wild and crazy guys.
Luckily the plumbing has never broken and flooded. The water pressure could have really done some damage.
So the "invisible" construction is well under way. We figure electrical, plumbing and heater vents are going to be the creature comforts we will appreciate as we age. Still don't have a solid game plan for the addition. I want to find some room for a side-by-side washer dryer and not lose any closet space, so there is still some negotiating to do.
Hint to those doing Victorian remodels. Take it in stages, work from one side of the house so you can see it unfold. We started in the front and are working toward the new addition in the back. Every day the view changes and thus our thoughts about the next step. I sat for 2 hours holding my sleeping grand baby and looking at our dining room/kitchen passage way. The plan started to change as I realized the potential mistakes we were making.
I am glad to have the time to just be in the space and appreciate the light, movement, history and style of the work we are doing. Don't rush this process. It tells a story as the house reveals itself and you want to be able to hear that story before you move in to change it.
Tomorrow the windows go in and the paint goes on! A big day, sorry I will miss it.
Added note: It is now October 25th Two months have passed and still no paint. I have no idea what I was thinking.
