Some "Pretty" to report

FOR THE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 19, 2006

From this in October...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .To this in November

Who is this masked woman?

HIGHLIGHTS

1. This week had some milestones. For the first time, there is some "pretty" to report. The fireplace was completed! As the 2 pictures above illustrate, it came a long way. The mason, Donicio Neaves, and crew worked hard over the past 2 weekends and got it done. The parlor feels cozier already. ("You light the fire, I'll place the flowers in the vase that you bought today... with 2 cats in the yard, life used to be so hard..."--Can you name that tune in less than 5 notes?)

2. Carpenter work continues with soffit, facia, and rain gutters being replaced. Another "pretty" to report is the milestone of the first paint going on this past week on a section of soffit that they put up. It looks a lot better than unpainted, but, man, there is a bunch of it to do. How long did it take Leonardo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

3. The multi-talented OSHA Babe is another "pretty" to report. You see her sanding the mantel in the picture above. She schmoozed with me at the City of San Antonio Historic Design Review Board meeting on Wednesday, composed "Ode to Little Leo" (see her 11/17/06 blog entry below), and stepped into a phone booth and changed into Silver Lady for a weekend sales trip to Dallas. Isn't she something? The only thing I have found effective in slowing her down is general anesthetic.

4. The saga of the hydraulic machines in the back yard was not a "pretty" sight. In trying to move one of the machines, 2 hydraulic hoses broke and spewed red oil all over the driveway. The owner is real good at excuses but not so good at spending the money it is going to take to get both of the machines hauled off. I really need your prayers on this one.

5. The plumbing network is laid out under the house. We need the hot water heater moved to its new home in a closet on the yet to be built deck before moving forward. Deck work is scheduled to begin this week. Stay tuned. (I have a difficult time calling plumbing infrastructure "pretty". However, it will be a beautiful thing if there is good pressure and no leaks when completed.)

6. The visitor roll was slim this week. The only ones who showed up this week were the workers. But that's a good thing.

NEXT STEPS

1. Deck work is set to begin this week. We'll see if the hydraulic machine mess in the driveway impedes this progress.

2. There are 2 - 3 days of carpenter work, i.e., soffit, facia, and rain gutters, still pending.

3. There is beautiful wood grain under 3 layers of paint on the mantel. OSHA Babe is leading the sanding/stripping charge on getting this done. She may begin endorsing paint stripping methods. Maybe there is a shoe contract in the wings. (OB, it's Nike on the phone calling for you.)

4. It is Thanksgiving week and there is much for which to be thankful. I'm thankful for family and friends who have helped along the way and the Creator who has blessed me beyond anything I could have hoped for or imagined. Thanks for your encouraging words.