Why no new postings for so long now?

Well, Michele and I were real busy with something much more important than the house remodel. I know, I know... what on Earth could be more important than this?

Michele and I got married on September 2nd, 2007! It was truly a wonderful day for both of us. After our honeymoon, we focused on sending out thank-you cards, cleaning up the house, relaxing, getting back into our groove, etc.

But since we've gotten back from the honeymoon, we (I) have been working on the house. I finished the hallway (trimming, painting, door and wall hardware installation, etc.) I also have been working on the front bedroom and the bathroom. I'll put up some posts soon about these "little projects". But in the meantime, we're busy with Christmas and New Years.

So.... I'll be back with more house remodel blogging in 2008. I'll try to be better at keeping this blog more up to date. Also, it looks like the site now allows placement of video on the blog. I'll try to incorporate some video. We'll see how that goes...should be fun!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Terry, Michele, Smithers and Oso

7/14/07: The new concrete patio is DONE!!!

It took 4 weekends, 760 100lb. sacks of concrete mixed by hand in 120 degree heat, carrying it up a steep hill one small bucket at a time.... ooops, I'm getting carried away with the story here. Well, it did take 4 weekends, 216 80lb. sacks of concrete, using a concrete mixer rented from Home Depot, it was about 80 degrees, and no hills or buckets to worry about. It was fun. Here's how it went:


Smithers relaxes on the first completed piece of the patio, while Oso scratches fleas on the dirt.


A few more squares done.


Bird's eye view of work in progress.


The patio was designed to match the Craftsman windows in the house. See the resemblance?


Hey, we're almost done. At least the concrete work is done!


To get the job done, ya need someone with a strong back and a weak mind. So there's me, unloading sod in the background, while Smithers (center square) and Oso (back) wonder when I'm gonna finish.


Oso is ready for the new sod to be installed.


Whew!!! Lots of hard work, but it's done!


Smithers and his little friend, the stuffed cow, like the new backyard patio and yard.


Glorious!!!


Now we're ready for a BBQ! (When you enlarge this pic, look at the lower right square where the red potted tree is sitting. We just had to do it. Michele and I put our handprints and Smithers and Oso put their paw prints into this square.)

June 2007: Building the patio...

We knew all along that we wanted some kind of patio in the backyard. And since winter is finally over, now's the time! Michele wanted an intricate "paver patio". It's actually a series of concrete pads with 4 inch spaces in between. Within the space, we'll be putting sand and planting ground covering thyme. It should look really cool when it's done. Anyhoo...




I'm finishing up the framing of the concrete forms. In this pic, I'm lightly tamping sand that I've placed in the space between the concrete forms so concrete doesn't seep into this space during the concrete pour. Gotta save space for the thyme!


This probably doesn't look like much, but it was a lot of work getting these forms put together. More than just the forms, I had a lot of digging to do. My buddy Mark helped me with some of the digging. C'mon back, Mark....the concrete pour is next weekend!


We had to take out some sod at the bottom of the pic. We'll bring in some topsoil and sod to redo this area once the concrete work is done.


View from the back porch. Looks like Hollywood Squares! Each square is about 6.5 feet by 6.5 feet.


Mmmmm.... BBQ'd pork ribs, collard greens and cous-cous. Well, all that patio-building makes a guy hungry!!!

Stay tuned for the final patio pics once the concrete work is all done... :)

May 2007 Garden Photos
One year after our major landscape project: The plants are filling in!!!



Front entry: Euphorbia 'Despina' (Green flowers), Lavender 'James Compton', Erigeron karvinskianus (White flowers), Euphorbia 'Dixter' (Orange flowers), Pennisetum 'Hameln (fountain grass)


Side Wall Garden


Side Wall Garden


Honeysuckle Vine




South Slope Garden


The bees are happy on Salvia 'May Night'


Lavender 'James Compton' a.k.a. 'Fairy Wings'


Physocarpus 'Summer Wine'


Rosa mutabilis


My favoriate sun rose: Helianthemum 'Ben Ledi'


Helianthemum 'Ben Ledi' with Lime Thyme

More bathroom pics from January and February. Sorry about the formatting wierdness. The text isn't staying where it's supposed to. I must have done something wrong, but I don't really know what. Such is life...

Pretty snow picture of the garage.

Painting in progress.

Refinishing the door.

Stress management...

Toilet drain.

Toilet drain, say cheese!

Don't sit down on 'er quite yet, Michele!

The tank is fillin' up.

Glorious!

The paint color is minced ginger from Behr. Boy, that Terry sure does a good job with his handy trim work! :)

This window is better than the old disease-ridden moldy aluminum framed one.

Bathroom remodel (days ?? - ?? who's counting anymore)

Tiling the floor

Terry and I first installed the hardibacker over the old hardwood floor


I mortared on the tile. Very messy.



Terry's very un-ergonomic tile cutting setup is hurting Oso's back.



Lots of snow!



The tile is down.



Grouting the tile. We used a light gray color.



All done and ready to seal. This tiling process only took 10 days. We made time to go to work, eat graham crackers, go sledding and play in the snow.



Oso had a friend over to spend the day.



Smithers needed a nap with his friends.