2/20/2012

The counter tops are here!  We picked them up today, along with our Merlite for the kitchen and assorted other connectors and finish nails.  I think all the BIG stuff is now on site to finish out the house.  In the meantime, he's got the bathroom sanded, getting ready for texture.  He's been trimming out the closet and utility room, moving all the tools (again), and cleaning, and more cleaning, getting ready for the rest of the paint.  He put the cement backer board down and laid tile for the hearth.  We picked Colorado slate counters, which we thought would go nicely with the oak cabinets and the Travertine tile that we picked out for the floor.  Here's a piece of the floor tile laid on the counter. 

It's all very exciting.  Step by step.  Day by day.  God had truly blessed us throughout this whole adventure.

Winter Work

It's been kind of a strange winter with temperatures being unseasonably warm so far.  However, we've still had to have firewood to run two wood furnaces this winter, one for the mobile home and one for the house.  We've had paint, drywall mud, and other items in the house that we don't want to freeze, and he's had to have heat to work in the house too.  We have had a few colder snaps also.  In running both wood furnaces, we've definitely used some firewood this winter.  Of course, the three other households all use firewood too.  

Drone tries to help keep Sis & her hubby keep up, and the boys also work firewood with Dad.  He skidded some tree tops up the hill this past week.

Sis got herself a new toy:

She said she can run this one just fine:

In the meantime, Drone took advantage of the cold weather to butcher some of the werthered meat goats:

and so we spent yesterday cutting, grinding, and packaging more meat for the freezer.  Sis & Shanny came up to help, so there were four of us.  Many hands make lighter work.  We got it all done yesterday and most all of the cleanup too!  It's been a busy week. 

A Man with a Mission.

A few months ago, Drone picked up a small tortilla press at a little store in Ava.  After a little dickering, he got the price down to $10.  He was happy with that.  He found a recipe for home-made tortillas and proceeded to pick up some unbleached flour and make some tortillas with his new press.  It worked pretty good.  The only thing wrong with the tortillas was that they were too small.  He wanted Burrito-sized tortillas instead of soft taco sized.  He looked at all kinds of the larger tortilla presses online and finally decided he could and would build his own.  He talked about getting some slab lumber from the mill and having it planed.  Then he came up with a better idea.  We went to the store and bought a set of 3 wooden cutting boards and some hinges.  When we got home, he went out to the house and came in a while later with a nice wooden tortilla press.  He's used it a few times already, and it works pretty good.  

To the left is the press that he made, and to the right is the press that he bought.  Both work, but the one on the left sure lets him make bigger tortillas.  Mission accomplished.  

Our counter tops are ordered.  Now just waiting for them to be shipped to the store, so we can go pick them up.  The color/design is called Colorado slate and should go real well with the floor tile we picked out.  In the meantime, he's been hooking up light fixtures and plug-ins, and other little stuff while waiting for more big stuff.   It's all important.  Every little thing goes into making it all a home.