Flowers Make Everything Better

God planted these














OSHA Babe planted these













These were a gift from Daniel, Minnie, and the girls
Terri relaxing in the rocking chair

















Daniel, Minnie, Darian, and Daniella
Light fixtures, not bare wires, in the Master Closet
Looks better than bare wires, doesn't it?


















More beadboard for OSHA Beadboard Babe















Talk about high class! We no longer have to leave the roll of paper on the back of the toilet.











FOR THE WEEK ENDING September 16, 2007

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Not only will we leave the light on for you (see last week's blog entry) but there are flowers on the front porch making this look more and more like home. OSHA Babe is in charge of more than just safety around here. She's trying her hand at horticulture. God did His part as usual with the beautiful red lilies that came up again in the front yard. One of the first blog entries from September, 2006 was red lilies. Yep, that's right, it has been a year.

2. We hung light fixtures in the Master Closet and the Friedrich Memorial Mud Room. I can't tell you how much of an improvement that is compared to the electrical wire and "pig-tailed" single light bulbs that had been there. In addition to the fixtures that were hung, we got out the two original fixtures that we found. We do plan to use both of the original fixtures - one in the landing at the top of the stairs and the other at a location TBD. We are fortunate to still have some of the original fixtures to use throughout the house.

3. The end is in sight for the two largest bathrooms. We bought, cut, primed, and painted moulding for the top edge of the beadboard wainscoating. It was really a challenge trying to match up new moulding to existing moulding in the Master Bath. If you come visit, don't look too close. I made 3" wide base boards out of original material that we still had around. It's still good wood after 102 years.

I talked to the plumber to get on his schedule for installing the clawfoot tubs, toilets, and lavatories. Hopefully, that will happen by the end of this week. Also, the cabinet maker is building a vanity stand to hold a lavatory in the Master Bath. The lavatory is an original fixture as well. The vanity stand may be here this week.

4. The "Big 3" rooms are starting to get some attention. The wood trim around doors and windows in the Entry, Parlor, and Dining Room needs to be scraped, sanded, painted. Ceilings and walls need to be painted. Then the floors need to be refinished. It's good to be working on those rooms to convert them from being warehouses to neat living spaces. In the Dining Room, the cabinet maker is also working on an enclosure to conceal the HVAC unit that is unsightly. It's difficult to explain what he's doing. So rather than attempting a word picture, I'll wait until we have a digital one. Stay tuned.

5. We had 2 sets of visitors this past week. Terri, an AT&T friend from Mexico City days, stopped by for a visit. That's her pictured sitting in the rocking chair. The chair came from Pat's family in Tennessee and was built a lot lower to the ground than contemporary furniture. Terri said that it fit her just fine. Terri and husband Steve have relocated to San Antonio and are having a house built in a very nice neighborhood. Terri loved the finished floors in our house and has made arrangements for Frank the Floor Guy to finish some flooring details in their new house.

Sunday, we had Daniel, Minnie, Darian, and Daniella come for lunch after church. They are a wonderful young family who have started back attending church on a regular basis. It was fun to have Daniella laughing and playing in the house and her older sister, Darian, sitting in a rocking chair out on the balcony talking on her cell phone. Sunday's sermon was about raising godly children. It's refreshing to see young parents like Daniel and Minnie making a difference. You guys hang in there.

NEXT STEPS:

1. We need to schedule plumber for installing claw foot tubs. Hopefully, all the moulding will be up, nail holes caulked, and touch up paint done so the installation can happen late this week.

2. Paint preparation will continue in the Entry, Parlor, and Dining Room. After the door and window trim gets "Metabo-ed", everything needs to be sanded. And then it is paint the ceilings (2 coats), paint the trim (2 - 3 coats), paint the walls (2 coats), hang the light fixtures, and get on Frank the Floor Guy's schedule. I can't quite hear the fire crackling in the fireplace but OSHA Babe is imagining the 9 1/2 foot Christmas tree she bought last season adorning the Entry Way.

3. The Cabinet Guy needs to continue working on OSHA Babe's plate rack, the bathroom vanity, shelving for the small bathroom upstairs, a seating area in the Mud room, and the HVAC corner downstairs. It's a little expensive but worth it to put those details into the house.

We'll Leave the Light on for You

Loyd and Wilma - Leaders of the "Work For Ribs" Program
Jan and Dave came over for Sunday dinner
New fan and light fixtures in the kitchen
Loyd and Bo working to satisfy OSHA Babe's fever for more beadboard
Master Bath - Before and ...

Master Bath - on the way to being finished
Downstairs Bath has come a long way - from this...
....to this

We'll leave the light on for you!

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For the week ending September 9, 2007

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Although it has been a while since we reported construction progress, you loyal blogsters have noticed that we have been active. After last week's birthday party (see the blog entry from the previous week) with a whole housefull, we had a slow visitors week. Loyd and Wilma came from Houston this past Wednesday and worked on tile floors, painted, and played cards at night. Loyd had some tile work to do back home so he took the "Master Tiler" saw back with him. Wilma and OSHA Babe painted their hearts out in the Butler's Pantry, Master Bathroom, and Friedrich Memorial Mud Room. On Thursday night, OB cooked excellent ribs in the "magic pan" and upheld her end of the "Will Work For Ribs" program. We appreciated their help working with us and value greatly their friendship of more than 25 years.

Newer friends, Dave and Jan, came over after church for Sunday dinner. That seems to be a custom that has fallen by the wayside. Dave is retired from the Army and he, Jan, and their family have lived in many different locations. We look forward to getting to know them better.

2. We got some electrical work done since last report. By the title of this week's blog, you can see that we are particulary happy to have a new light on the porch. There is now an outlet in the wall for the washing machine. I'm really going to miss the extension cord that had been running across the floor. The kitchen now has a light fixture over the sink rather than a dangling electrical wire and a new ceiling fan with the smallest blades I've ever seen.

3. Bathroom floors have taken shape. Both the master bathroom upstairs and the downstairs bathroom now have tiled floors. Loyd was a big help in getting the downstairs one done much quicker than I could have done by myself. The floors look nice and will really add that "old time" feel when the claw foot tubs and fixtures get set in place.

4. Four additional rooms have been added to the "Painted" list. The Master Closet, Butler's Pantry, Mud Room, and Downstairs Bathroom all look better with the walls painted. There is still beadboard to be painted but we're getting there.

NEXT STEPS:

1. We're closing in on completing the bathrooms. The list of "to do's" is down from 20 items to a handfull - beadboard wainscoating, baseboards placed, tubs and fixtures set in place, doors refinished. It will be nice to have more than one functioning bathroom in the house for your next visit.

2. We have talked to the cabinet guy about some additional work that includes a plate rack in the kitchen, locker type seating and a utility sink in the Mud Room, a vanity stand for the Master Bath (that will hold one of the original sinks), and a nice enclosure to cover the ugly opening where the AC unit downstairs. This could be a slow process.

3. We've had no luck finding someone who can/will work on doors. There are several that need to be hung along with some that need to be adjusted. Also, we want to get the pocket doors worked on. This one doesn't look like it's going to be easy to wrangle up the help. But we'll keep after it.

4. We're down to doing some serious paint preparation on the three main rooms that are left. The Entry, Parlor, and Dining Room are large in size but don't have a lot of intricate work to do. After we get the trim sanded and painted as well as the walls and ceilings painted, we'll get on the floor folks' schedule. Stay tuned.

A little more playtime

Happy Birthday, Sean!

















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Party in the pantry-one step closer to a dining room



This is what a kitchen sink is for!

Bo worked while Steven gave us a tour of the San Antonio missions








HIGHLIGHTS OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND

1. Bo's sister Shanna shared her children and grandchildren with us and we celebrated Sean's third birthday with a Thomas the Train party. Though the blinds weren't hung or a second bathroom finished, the guest room was ready to set up the porta crib and the rocking chairs on the porch were waiting to be filled. Maddie marked a milestone crawling for the first time across the area rug in our den to share Sean's birthday toys and got a bath in the kitchen sink. Those are the memories with which we are thrilled to be filling this old house. Aunt Stacey came over from Austin for the party and Buck and Katy joined us as well. Other guests included Steven's high school friend David and his family. Though most kids would prefer hot dogs or a happy meal, Sean chose fajitas for his birthday lunch.

2. OSHA Babe's tour guide agenda was expanded by history teacher Steven's suggestion to visit the San Antonio missions. There are four in a national park area just south of downtown. The grounds are beautiful. Request that they be added to your itinerary when you visit.

3. Bo worked on the bathroom floors in preparation for installing the lavatory next week when our cabinet builder returns for his second phase projects. This coming weekend's blog will include pictures of all the rooms he has been working on so hard-mudroom, downstairs bath, upstairs master bath, and master bedroom closet area (the old back porch upstairs). We also have new lighting fixtures and a fan that have been installed in the kitchen and a light above the front porch. We're making progress and are grateful for the family, fun, and friends along the way.

Playtime's Over!

The guest room is NOT ready for guests

This is the area that had to be finished so we could hang up our clothes. The tub will go in the master bath-that is the "What's next"
Sharon and Steve, our good friends from San Jose, spent some time in San Antonio after dropping Bethany off at Abilene Christian
Shelley and Stacey in photo op with Uncle Bo and with Nathan

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Pat's birthday continues with lunch on the porch

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Highlights from August 19-August 30

1. Tomorrow is great-nephew Sean's birthday and we have the great privilege of hosting a Thomas the Train party this Saturday. Steve and Sharon left on Monday and we regretfully returned to the work that somehow didn't get done while we went to Gruene Hall, met good friend Dani at "Bless Your Heart", shopped for antiques, ate at the riverwalk, and watched "The Alamo" starring John Wayne. The guest room was piled high with all the clothes and stuff from the room that is our master bedroom closet/laundry room. Bo hung sheetrock, floated and taped the walls, and I helped prime and paint so we could get our clothes hung back up and have a place for Steven, Michelle, Sean, and Maddie to sleep. Tune in on the Monday after Labor Day to see the finished result and pictures of the birthday boy.

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2. Last Saturday the ladies from Austin (our nieces, Shelley and Stacey) surprised us with a stop by visit when they came to San Antonio to pick up a car for their Uncle Frank. Stacey's friend Nathan accompanied them. It was their first time to see the house and unfortunately we didn't get any work out of them. The paint brush and paint can in the picture were only props for a Kodak moment but they have promised to return and lend a hand one day soon. Shelley would like to take advantage of a First Friday sales opportunity in the King William area with her art. She is doing some wonderful, fun creative work in a retablo style that is catching on in Austin. I will try to include a link to some of her art soon.

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3. One of the best compliments we have had came this week when my friend Mary Dean came to pick me up for lunch. (I love that it is the end of August and I am still celebrating my birthday!) First she wanted to check on the progress we have made since she was here last spring. She went out on the porch to try out my new birthday rocking chair and looked so happy and comfortable, I asked her if she would like to just sit on the porch and have a sandwich instead of going out. She said she would really like that and I was thrilled! This is what we want our home to be-a comfortable, welcoming place for family and friends.

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So, yes, the hard work is worth it. It really is hard work. Lots of it. That is why I am doing the blog this week. Bo has been doing the work of a whole crew. You'll see those pictures next week!

Since the 4th of July.....

Pat and Kathy work first, then are ready to play


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Dennis signed on for the "Will Work for Golf" package




















Dennis and Donna came to claim their prize




OB goes back in time to when little boys and babies were part of her life .

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Mom got another rocking chair for her birthday
Uncle Doug and Aunt Gloria with OB












Pat with Aunt Martha and Billy Roy - the little bed was Aunt Martha's when she was a girl and OB slept on it when she went to Grandpa's house














Grandma Mattie's pantaloons as modeled by OSHA Babe
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See the Possum? Our latest addition to the list of critters


















HIGHLIGHTS:

No, we haven't fallen off the face of the earth. But we have been to what seems to be its edges. The summer is winding down and a lot has been done. Some of it has been work on the old house. Let's try to summarize (or is it "summerize") and get back on the blog track.
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1. A 2+ week trip to California + a 1000 mile trip to Atlanta + stops to visit aunts, uncles, and dear friends in Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas, were sandwiched between two sets of visitors.
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In the days before we left for California on July 13, longtime Dallas friend, Kathy, ignored all warnings of "Visiting the Brockmans could result in Manual Labor" and came anyway. In between morning coffees on the balcony, a bit of shopping at Bless Your Heart and a tour of the historic Steves Mansion, Kathy and OSHA Babe sanded and painted the bead board in the Butler's Pantry. It looks great and is one step closer to being the breakfast nook.

On August 7, the day after returning from the Eastern road trip, OSHA Babe's sister and hubby, Donna and Dennis, arrived for a sample of San Antonio summer. (You may recognize them as the winners of the "Name that Song" contest. Yes, they did collect their margarita on the riverwalk while they were here.) Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the sisters shopped, primped, laughed, visited, poked around antique stores, spent the night (with their husbands) at a bed and breakfast in Comfort, TX, and generally had a good time. Dennis and I played golf twice, got the washer and dryer hooked up, and hung sheetrock in the little room between the kitchen and the back door. OB is ecstatic about not having to go to the laundramat. Dennis and I thought that after he gets through superintending in Washington state, we might start Dos Gringos Sheetrocking Company ----- NOT!!!!!!! That is hard work. We have ordered the Friedrich Memorial Mud Room plaque in honor of your hard work.

Later that week, Uncle Joe and Nettie stopped by after a doctors visit in San Antonio. We enjoy every one of those visits and look forward to more.

2. "So," you say, "tell us about your travels." (Thought you would never ask.) Hold on to you seats for this ride.

The trip to California was prompted by babies - one born in June and another scheduled to arrive in October. OSHA Babe exchanged her hard hat and safety glasses for a mother's helper apron during the trip to San Jose. Adelle and Gabe became parents for the second time with the arrival of Michael on June 25. Gabe's Mom had been there for the birth. We arrived as the second shift. Michael's days consisted of eating, sleeping, and digestive calesthenics. Needless to say, Adelle and Gabe are not getting as much sleep as they are used to. OSHA Babe helped out by changing diapers, doing laundry, and shuttling big brother Colin to swimming lessons and soccer. It took her back in time and she loved every minute of it.

We stayed in Gert and Cornelia's home during the time in California. They were all away when we arrived but had left a key for us. Cornelia returned after we had been there a week. Working around her work schedule and OB's exhaustive social calendar, we did get to catch up on our visiting with her. We missed Gert, Marne, and Danielle but look forward to seeing them in the future. Thanks for your gracious hospitality.

The weekend before we returned to Texas, Pat was part of a group that hosted a baby shower for Heather and Jeff's little one who is scheduled to be here in October. We attended their wedding during the summer of 2006 and are thrilled to see the home that they are creating.

In the nearly 20 days we were in San Jose, we enjoyed the cool evenings, pleasant days, and most of all, the opportunities to visit with church friends and former work associates. I believe that we had at least one meal each day with some of those friends. It was wonderful to hear what everyone is doing. Each of you is very special to us.

I did get my 2007 quota of golf in during the trip. On two different occassions, I joined church and work friends for "All You Can Eat--All You Can Play" at Coyote Creek. One of those days, Jess and I got in 45 holes of golf! In addition to the days at Coyote Creek, Charlie, my former boss both in Mexico and California, graciously hosted 3 of us at CordeValle (a stunning country club nestled in rolling hills just south of San Jose) for a round of golf. Pat and I joined him for dinner and caught up on how our families were doing. If you're going to lug your clubs with you, make the most of the opportunities.

Are you tired yet? Hang on to your hat because we were off again. After landing in San Antonio about 10 PM on July 31, we were on the road at 6 AM the following morning for a 1000+ mile drive to Atlanta, aka the "Eastern Roadtrip", for an Aug 2 closing on the sale of the condo we had bought while working there in 2001 - 2002. We spent 2 nights with Brian, Beth, Ashley, and Katie, dear friends from SBC-Mexico days, and also got to share a meal with Ken, Crystal, and daughter Amy, church friends from St. Louis days.

Then it was off to see relatives. From Atlanta, we drove to near Huntsville, AL to spend one night with Uncle Doug and Aunt Gloria. I guess that they consider Pat to be the prodigal cousin because they rustled up a couple of their daughters and killed the fatted catfish, and we all enjoyed an evening of reminiscing and catching up.

The following morning, they sent us off with a mess of okra to take to Martha and Billy Roy. They live on a beautiful 400+ acre farm in central Tennessee. Pat's Aunt Martha and her husband, Billy Roy, graciously passed on pieces of furniture, some of which have now been in the family for 4 generations. The marble topped dresser, washstand, rocking chair, and bed now grace the house in San Antonio. A quite interesting heirloom that we received is a pair of Pat's Great-Grandmother Mattie's pantaloons. You can tell from the picture above that they were built for comfort, not for style.

After loading the pickup, the San Antonio Clampetts, Rufus and Minnie, were on the move again. About 300 miles later, we stopped in central Arkansas to visit our dear friend, Tressie. She has been a mother to both Pat and me as well as a grandmother to our sons. We went to church with her on Sunday night and she got us out the door bright and early Monday morning for the 650 mile trip back to San Antonio. Boy, were we ever ready to be home for a while.
Then, company arrived. (See Item 1 above.)

3. The house was basically in order when we returned. I was devastated that no work had been done on the house while we were gone. I thought that this would be easy and automatic. But no, you actually have to be here to get work done. Oh, well. We'll keep plugging along.

The installation of the washer and dryer was HUGE! Thanks, Dennis, for the idea to move the dryer to the outside wall. It sure made the venting easier. In addition to the sheetrocking in the Friedrich Memorial Mud Room, I had a couple of guys start sheetrocking the two remaining bathrooms and master closet. There is still taping, floating, texturing, priming, painting, wainscoating, tile, fixture setting (including the clawfoot tubs). Does that sound like we're nearly done?

4. The cats survived our absence. Two neighbor boys (probably with help from their Mom and Dad) fed them while we were gone. Bad Girl and Grey Girl are back to eating and napping and think that life is good.

Speaking of cats, we did get an update on 3-legged Little Leo. You will recall that he was the first of the neighborhood cats to befriend us last October. At that time, he had four legs. Tragedy struck and he had to have a hind leg amputated. (I still subscribe to the theory that it was a covert terrorist attack that did him in.) Our tenderhearted neighbor, Mary Alice, and her family cared for Little Leo during his convalescence and now report that he is at home with her parents, their two other cats, and a couple of dogs. He is reported to be getting around fine when he's in the house and able to climb and run well when outside. He has figured out that if he jumps up in Mary Alice's Dad's lap, he can usually watch TV and get petted all at the same time. He thinks that is pretty cool.

We have added an opossum to the list of critters around here. This one was climbing around in our back shed one evening. Possums sure are ugly.

We dogsitted (sat?) this past weekend. The neighbors who fed the cats went to the coast for a weekend and needed someone to take care of Pippi, an older, female Chihuahua. It only took her 2 days to train us that she was a lap dog. How could I resist those big, soulful eyes? (And the dog was sweet, too.)

5. Did you notice the rocking chairs on the front balcony? Buck and Katy presented OB with an additional rocker for her mid July birthday. A matching one from OB's favorite contractor showed up at the same time. We now have 4 rocking chairs out on the balcony just waiting for company. One of them has your name on it (if your name is "Cracker Barrel".)

6. Did you hear anything about San Antonio and rain? Last week, Tropical Storm, Erin, came through and left 8 inches of rain in parts of town. We got no damage. The grass really needed it. God sure does a better job of irrigating than we can do.

7. There are 3 little green oranges on the tree that was so loaded last season. I had not noticed any blossoms on the tree and assumed that there would be no fruit this year. If these three oranges are all we have this year, we'll have to give them names.


NEXT STEPS:

1. More visitors are on the way. Steve and Sharon (from San Jose) dropped their daughter off at college in Abilene and have scheduled a few days in San Antonio. Stay tuned for their entry into the Tobin Hill visitors album.

We have a birthday celebration scheduled for Labor Day weekend. Sean, my sister's favorite grandson, is bringing his sister, Maddie, along with Mom, Dad, and Gran to San Antonio for the long weekend. A Thomas the Train cake is to be ordered for the party. Dad Steven is scouting a football game that Friday night and is letting me tag along. That takes me back to 1971 - 1976 when I did that for a living.

2. Bathrooms need to be completed.

3. Painting needs to be done after baseboards, door and window trim is sanded.

4. Door work needs to be done. We're awaiting a bid on that one.

5. Blinds have arrived and need to be put up.

6. We need to Throw away, throw away, throw away all - checks, financial records, etc. There may not be enough dumpsters in San Antonio to do it all in one week.

Happy 4th of July!

Stars of the Schertz 4th of July parade (in a downpouring rain)

Sister Shanna and OSHA Babe painted the kitchen
Mary Ann visited from California
Kitchen bead board next to freshly painted wall
Stair trim painted

Would you believe that Hulk Hogan stopped by to help?

The "Metabo-ed" bead board

For the week ending July 8, 2007

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Let's lead with this week's visitors.

--Mary Ann, from Campbell, CA, was in town and worked us into her full schedule visits. She's a beloved elementary school teacher at the Campbell Christian School and church friend made during the 3 years we lived in San Jose. She is in the middle of her summer break and is visiting friends along the way from California to Texas and back. If you think that we are busy, you should check her agenda. She and her Toyota Corolla are covering thousands of miles and Mary Ann is visiting nearly that many friends.

--Sister Shanna came on a mission during the week of the 4th. She and the OSHA Babe attacked the kitchen with patriotic fervor and painted the walls a bold color. Big Sis has experience bringing houses back to life. She has even suggested bringing a crew of her cronies to help with painting the walls and trim in the entry, parlor, and dining room after the woodwork is prepped. Do you think that San Antonio is ready for her and her rowdy friends?

2. We did take time off to celebrate the 4th of July. The first picture above is of our patriotic daughter-in-law, Katy, and sister, Rachel, riding in their award-winning float during the Schertz community parade. The umbrellas were needed because of a steady rain that fell all morning. It is fun to be in a place where the 4th is still celebrated with 90+ parade entrants that included girl scouts, boy scouts, firetrucks, ambulances, businesses, local community politicians, little Miss San Antonio pageant participants, churches, tae kwon do teams, and umbrella-toting, rain-soaked spectators. God Bless America!

3. After a day off on the 4th, it was back to work. The kitchen painting was completed. That really put the pressure on me to finish trimming out the bead board around the granite and backsplash. It's amazing what new paint and caulked trim did for the appearance of the room.

4. We finished the painting of the trim around the stairs. You probably can't tell from the picture that there are 3 coats on it. It sure looks better than before.

5. OK, OK! That is not really Hulk Hogan helping out. (But don't you think that the moustache and goatee have a Hogan-like effect?) While OSHA Babe was out getting her hair cut (she looks maaaavelous, by the way), I was using the Metabo Paint Remover on the bead board in the butler's panty to prep the walls for painting. Paint chips were flying, I was sweating, and progress was slow. After the room was Metabo-ed, I hand scraped the beads in the bead board. There's nearly 10 hours of "love" invested so far with more to come. I'm starting to develop an attitude about the butler's pantry. (Egad! Maybe I have become the Butler but just don't realize it! This gives new meaning to the Clue storyline of "The Butler did it with the knife in the pantry.")

NEXT STEPS:

1. We need to get the Butler's Pantry painted. The bead board needs to be sanded before painting. The sheetrock walls need to be painted. The last small section of the ceiling needs to enclosed, sheetrocked, textured, and painted. The built-in cabinet in the Pantry needs to be sanded and painted. The doors need to be put on the built-in cabinet. The swinging door needs to be refinished. The floors need to be done. But other than these things, we're just about done.

2. More help is on the way! Kathy, a long time friend from Dallas, is coming to SA for a few days of labor and some visiting. (She and hubby, David, are accustomed to hard work. I believe that they have produced over half the Christmas plywood yard decorations, e.g., Santas, elves, sleighs, reindeer, etc., used in North Dallas since the 1980's.) Even after reading the disclaimer - "CAUTION! BEING A FRIEND OF THE BROCKMANS COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR LEISURE TIME! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!" - Kathy is choosing to come for a couple of days.

3. Blogging will be sparse for the next month because the upcoming 4 weeks are heavy with travel. The travels will nearly take us from sea to shining sea. (No, Donna, this is not another "Name That Tune" contest.)

--A California trip is on tap to celebrate the birth of Michael Benjamin, visit with friends, and attend the baby shower for Jeff and Heather's arriving bambino.

--The morning after we return from CA, we plan to get in the truck for a thousand mile trip to Atlanta to close on the sale of our condominium. From Atlanta, we may stop in Alabama and Tennessee to visit OB's aunts and uncles. One of the aunts has offered OB some family furniture that will not only fit the time period of this old house but also bring back memories of childhood visits to her grandfather Johnson's house. "This Old House" is becoming "This Old Home."

--Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. The day after we return from the Atlanta, OB's sister and hubby are scheduled to arrive for a week in San Antonio. (Haven't you two read the Disclaimer?) Although the official word is that they that are coming for a visit, the real skinny is that they are are motivated by their margarita on the Riverwalk prize that was awarded after winning the Life is Good in Tobin Hill blog "Name That Tune" contest several months back. Seriously, we're looking forward to your visit -- and the 14 hour work days that are planned.

R & R for OSHA Babe

Beth, Lenise, and Pat and the get-away car

Look out cats, here come Annie and Layla
This was the corner that needed attention
Do you think he will ever get a chance to use those golf shoes?

Benjamin's friend

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Highlights for week ending July 1, 2007

1. OSHA Babe was picked up and whisked away for a little R & R with longtime friends Beth and Lenise. They were in the Marble Falls area for the record breaking 18 inches of rain in one night. Fortunately, they stayed high and dry and the Babe returned ready to rock and roll on the renovation. The timing was a blessing. Friendship is such a gift. Thanks to both of you.

2. Meanwhile back at the farm, good old Bo just kept on working. I returned to find the beadboard cut, primed and ready to finish out in the kitchen and nice sconce lighting on what had been dangling connections on the stairway. The kickboard and trim on the stairway was taped off, primed, and ready to paint. What a difference such details make!

3. The end of the month stirred the motivation to consolidate and move out of one of our two storage units. Hooray! Mission accomplished. It's difficult to unpack and put away with the downstairs unfinished but we are working at it. The boxes in the picture are mostly unpacked and will be on their way to North Carolina with Emma, Web, Megan, and Benjamin. We will miss them but are happy for the opportunity he has to accept a job there. Benjamin trusted me to let his little crab friend sleep over after their visit last week so I took him with me to the lake. I do thank God for all the children in my life!