Something's Cooking In The Kitchen

I have been going about non-stop these past 4 days and am wore "slap out" as they say around here, so this is going to be a short post but I wanted to put up something since so much is going on in the kitchen right now.  I think I found out on Thursday or Friday that my cabinets would be delivered bright and early Monday morning and I wanted to get as much done in there as I could, so as not to be working over finish cabinetry.  So, I bit the bullet and chose my color, had it mixed and been painting and cleaning and tearing out old temporary cabinets like mad.  I'm really happy with this color; it just looks so good in person.  It has a slight brown undertone so it is very warm and inviting to me.  I think the stainless and concrete are going to really go well with it.  Oh, and it took me forever to stain all those rafter tails that show on the inside of the house but it looks good. 

And, here are the cabinets!!  They are not finished!  I asked the cabinet guy to leave them bare so I could put the natural finish on them I want.  I tell you, I can't recommend this guy enough if you live anywhere around Alabama.  He can make anything you would want I believe.  I am so pleased with his craftsmanship and the look.  Of course, these match the one in the pantry and will be finished the same way, same hardware etc.
 As soon as these cabinets are set permanently I can start installing the tile on the wall behind the stove and all.

More cabinets, drawers and a small wall open wall cabinet.  Got to trim these windows out soon too. 
Now, off to bed before I drop.

The House That Built Me

Well, I'm gonna tell you, it's been a long time coming but the outside of the house is just about done!  I've got to clean the windows and put the last few screens on and install my porch lights and that's about it for the house exterior.  The landscaping is another matter 'cause I know ya'll are all looking at that horrible yard and thinking, "you ain't goin' to leave that like that, are you?"  lol!  Nah, and...I still need to lay the stone around the bottom and pour the planters in front of that awful block down there too, as Allen keeps reminding me.  But the house itself, is done on the outside for the most part.  Well, this half anyway.  God willing there will be another half.
The landscaping that goes back here is going to be awesome.  Where you see the little dots of stepping stones will get flagstone walks and a patio all the way up to the house.  I will most certainly include a water feature of some sort and a fire ring for toasting marshmellies!  Well, I also have to get that dang pickboard off the roof and clean up there a little.


So, that's about it for now.  We've just been working like crazy to get this done and now I'll be working like crazy on the kitchen.  Hopefully I'll have some stuff to post about that soon.  Oh, I have a chicken and garden update too that I'll do soon.

Thanks to all of ya'll that chimed in with the Florida advice.  We are considering things carefully now and leaning heavily towards the Longboat Key and surrounding area.  And stuff coming and going.  Ha!
I hope all ya'll down that way ride out this approaching storm okay also!  Ya'll be safe and I'll see ya'll back here shortly!

Brushing Up

 I imagine more than a few of you will be happy to see that I'm doing house project posts again, instead of relentless chicken and garden stuff!  Just joking, I know ya'll enjoy those too.  I, however, am VERY happy to be doing house project posts again.  I'm ecstatic to have something to post in that area.  I took just a bit of a break from the pottery, as I had a little inventory built up, and used the time to start anew on the house.  Now to just keep up that momentum but still take 3-4 days a week to do pottery.  As I have some money saved up I can devote a little more time to the house and not be having to scrap every minute to make money.  Of course, not really having any bills helps too. And having the garden in full swing for food production. Our grocery bills should be minimal for some time.
So, my first priority is to finish the outside.  Every last bit!  This shouldn't take too long actually.  It's mostly just painting, which I actually enjoy.  I know most people detest painting a house but I like it. I like how fresh everything looks.  In fact, I have to resist the urge to paint stuff that really doesn't need going over again.  I know; I'm whacked in the head.  I have been alternating between finishing this south wall and the clerestory wall that you can see just a tad of.  The upper part was really done but it needed a little touch up on the caulk and trim.  I was very happy at how well the caulking etc. is holding up in that area because it receives the brunt of the weather and sun in the winter.  I always use a siliconized latex caulk with at least a 35 year warranty. (I've actually seen some with a 50 year but it's harder to find).  The siliconized caulk is flexible enough to move with the building without cracking, and the structure is going to expand and contract with the weather.  I will say though that it works better if you apply at least a 1/4" bead to cracks, joints etc.  Smaller, thinner beads do tend to split with excessive heat/ cold.  The silicone paired with the latex base makes it paintable.  100% silicone will resist paint, so keep that in mind.  You can get 100% silicone in a variety of colors though, although you may have to go to a specialty company.  This has been one item that I have tried to be very conscientious of simply because passive solar houses are designed to be exposed to so much sun. 

I've been painting off a ladder a lot so it's handy to use a hook like this to hang your paint can and it leaves your hands free to caulk or hold onto the ladder!  I just had a thick piece of copper wire that I bent into an "S" shape.

I also love these little mini roller screens designed to fit a gallon can of paint.  I hate using a pan and avoid it whenever I can and many times if you are painting the exterior of the house you don't really have a flat place to sit those pans.  You can get these for 5 gallon buckets or these gallon sizes and they are much easier to use and faster to clean up than the pans and all that crap.
So, I'm going as quickly as I can on the outside because that means I can then start on the kitchen!!  Actually, I can start doing a few prep things on the kitchen in the evenings after supper and I'll show ya'll a few of the things I'm working on there.

Keeps Gettin' Better

So, here is the pantry after I cleared all the junk out and had prepped the walls for painting. And yes, I know that many of you are sitting there thinking, 'she put plywood on the walls?' Well, in the pantry, yes. This was actually Allen's idea way back. I wasn't too sure of it at first but I guess it was a good idea. I mean, in a pantry you are going to be installing many shelves and attaching various things to the walls. Well, this way you don't have to worry about hitting a stud. The plywood is 1/2" I think, so it is very sturdy and it is easy to tell where the studs are also. Plus, most of the walls will be covered with supplies, boxes etc. on the shelves, so it's not like you are going to see much of the walls anyway. And, it's a pantry! who gives a crap; it looks smooth and it's easy to clean. One more note; that is plywood not OSB. Which is shit. Mashed, hammered shit that will begin to expand on you the first time it gets wet. I hate that stuff.

And here it is with the final coat of paint (I used a kitchen and bath semi-gloss) and the window trimmed out. The only thing I don't like is that, if you look real close, you can see a slight crack where the sheets of plywood butt each other. But! I have a trick for that I will show ya'll later. I did skim some areas of the walls with sheetrock mud. It adheres to plywood just fine and sands real smooth.
Now, I just have shelves to put up over the window and around the other wall and move the freezer etc. back in. Oh! I forgot, I am going to go ahead and install the flooring in here also.
I have picked out some really neat stuff I will show you later.

In other news, Jack installed a sink for me in the basement/ studio. Man, this helps me SO much with my pottery and just everything. A friend gave me the old cast iron sink, the faucet and the countertop, so that was great! We also had the lumber for the legs and framing so the only things we bought were a few fittings for the plumbing that I did not already have.

When Allen and I first did the plumbing in the basement he stubbed out for hot and cold water and the drain line by the washer and dryer 'cause he knew my studio was going to be here at some point. I was really glad he thought of that because it made hooking things up a snap. Just cut off the caps, sweat two fittings on the lines and install the valves. Jack says I did most of the work because I sweated the 2 fittings on, but he really did everything. And I think he did a real good job.
But seriously, if you are ever running any water lines and think there may be the slightest chance you may want to put some other fixture anywhere in the vicinity, go ahead and stub out at least some partial lines. It hardly costs anything for a few inches of pipe, a couple of T's and 2 caps and you will be SO happy if you ever do install the other stuff.
I thought about showing a step by step of how I connected to those water lines but wasn't sure if ya'll would be interested in that.

Now, from some time ago I know a few of ya'll had wondered about my support for the pantry shelves I have installed. Here is a photo of the steel braces that are in the center. I know some people seemed skeptical of my methods but you have to consider the materials. These shelves are a FULL 1" thick and they are old-growth pine. That makes a tremendous amount of difference as compared to the 3/4" sugar pine (new growth) they sell at Lowe's. That stuff will warp and sag all over the place! Plus, the shelves are doweled into the wall. These brackets are 1" wide x 12"x 8" and they are 44 3/4" from the wall supports. I could load these babies up like hell and they ain't goin' nowhere.

So, hopefully I will have more finished pantry photos soon. My Be Prepared Challenge is probably going to go slower than the other peoples, since I'm dealing with new construction not just organizing, but that's okay. I will finish the challenge and be stocked up. Plus, it also involves accruing a decent first-aid kit and similar things, not just food. This is something every home needs. If any of ya'll are participating int he challenge, even a little, please let me know how it's going for you.

Nothing I Can Do About It Now

Well, I got as much done as I could but, due to persistent rain, it didn't amount to as much as I would have liked. I did manage to get this window trimmed out. I thought they might want to take a photo of one of the few finished areas of the house! It looks so much better with trim on it. Nothing like a little publicity to throw yer butt in gear. I also got a few things cleaned up in different places and finally put a switch cover over the porch light switch.
We kept waiting for the rain to stop to attempt to get the brackets and pick board up on the roof but it just would not quit completely so we just went for it. Allen made the brackets (you can see one on the far right under the board) and we got them all ready and secured and hauled that heavy ass board up there. This is the 24' board and it weighs about 150 pounds. If the roof had been bone dry it would not have been as daunting but we got it anyway. As Allen said, things are better now because before, if we fell off the roof, we would hit the ground and roll off into the ditch at the foundation. But now, we'll just hit the ground!
In this photo you can (maybe) see that I had painted the plywood and I managed to get the rafter tails finished too. The wood looked so aged and bad I hated for them to take any photos of it like that. It looks much better now.
So, I'm going to try to get home tomorrow a hour or so before they get here and maybe tidy up some more. I just hope to don't say something too stupid in the interview part.

*Willie Nelson

Smooth

This cabinet does have a door but I want to make a very simple stained glass insert for it before I put it on. Mouse made this for me, along with the coolest drawer and 'skirt' for underneath the bathroom countertop. He is, by trade, a cabinet maker and does some really pretty work. I wanted a very simple wall cabinet for the bath so he made this from my description. I've had it for a while but really need to get off my butt and get it installed, so today I started with the first coat of finish. I am using a spar varnish, as I did on all the woodwork in the bath. It is the best kind of finish you can use on anything that might be exposed to water. Not that I expect to be flinging water all over the walls and stuff but you never know....just messin'. The humidity produced in a bath is reason enough to use a spar. Now, spar is a type of varnish, not a brand. It has a slight odor until dry but not overwhelming and imparts a soft, golden glow to most woods. You can easily see which areas I have applied it to in the photo.
Now, your finish is only going to look as good as the tools you use, so buy a decent brush! A Purdy or similar and make sure it is for the type of finish you are applying. Not all paint brushes are for paint! Some are only for varnish or oil-based stuff etc. It will say plainly on the cover what that brush is for and yes, you should only buy brushes that come in the cardboard covers unless it is just for some real messy something that you are not going to see later.
Sand your piece well and the last pass should be with a fine paper like a 200 grit. Then, go over the piece well with a tack cloth, or at least a lightly damp cloth, to remove the dust. Make sure it's as clean as you can get it.
Apply one coat (not too thickly) and make sure you don't have any runs. Now, after this dries and you run your hand over the piece, it's going to feel rough but that's okay. Sand it again with the 200 grit and clean with the tack cloth. Apply a second coat of finish. When that dries you can feel it and decide if you want it smoother. The more you sand and reapply the finish, the slicker the piece will get.
This is an old painter's trick to extend the life of your sandpaper that some of you might not know. If you don't have a sanding block this is a good way to make a stiff surface for your paper and not screw your paper up. Fold one sheet in quarters to crease it and then tear one crease only to the center of the sheet.
Fold one quarter up so the the paper back is together.
Fold that quarter (which is actually two) over so that the abrasive side of one is touching the paper back of the other half.
Then, just fold up that last quarter. The idea is that none of the abrasive sides should be touching, so it will not wear itself out. You can then refold the paper as one quarter wears out and it provides a stiffer sanding surface than just one sheet of paper would. Pretty cool huh?! Those old painters do know a few things.
I also put the last finish coat on the drawer and skirt, so I should install them tomorrow. I'll post pics when I get that finished.


*Santana

Lonely At The Top

I'm almost there! I did get that piece of metal trim put up around the stove pipe where it passes through the eave and also got the painting done as far as I could reach. I hope to move the pick board up one more time and then I can paint the very top of the gable and be finished with this part!! I had a couple of spots to patch on the rafter tails and this and that, so I ended up working on this all day but looking back it doesn't seem like there was that much to do! Oh well.

Not much other news. Oh! some chance of snow for here tonight! Everybody is going nuts as usual. The state has screwed up my unemployment payments so looks like I might be doing a little yard work or something to get a little money. Maybe it won't take too much time from the house.
Well, maybe I'll have something a little more excited to post next time. Oh yeah, to those who subscribe to my blog: if i go back and edit any old posts, does your service send you a notification when I repost? I need to go back and label some old posts but don't want to drive everybody crazy with ya'll getting 50 posting notes in one day. I have no idea how those things work.

*Randy Newman

Why

So these photos are fairly crappy but I think you can get an idea of what I'm showing. That gap in the top of the louver is for it to fit around the ridge beam, as Ed correctly assumed. The whole louver is sitting on a horizontal 2x4 that was placed in the framing at the appropriate height. We set the louver back in enough for when the 3/4" trim is applied to the edges, it will be flush with that rafter, as you can see in the next photo. I don't think there is any standard way to do this, we just thought this looked best.
Here the trim is on and I have caulked some of the joints. This looks crappy I know but I'll get a better photo when it is completely painted and all. It was just about dark and I was in a hurry this afternoon when taking these photos. Rain is coming and I wanted to make sure I had everything put up. Anyway, just a couple of other details you can't see: I stapled screen to the back of the louver, completely covering the whole thing, to keep out insects and birds. It would probably be a good idea to cover it with a layer of hardware clothe too, to keep out squirrels and such, as they can chew through thin screening. Since the screen is on the back, critters can still get up between the louver planks but you wouldn't want to see the screen.
Obviously, the louver boards are slanted downward to shed water, although I think rain will only reach this one on rare occasions. Also, any exterior finish I put up is primed all over before installation. Any trim, siding, anything like that gets one good all-over coat of paint and so you may have noticed that this louver was primed all around, inside and out, even though the inside won't show. Some may consider this overkill but I think it's a good safe guard. Moisture problems are one of the major repairs done on houses and so I go the extra mile on trying to avoid this in the future.
I went with spruce on the trim for a couple of reasons, mainly I was afraid I would not have enough of the cypress that I am trimming out the rest of the house in, so I chose to conserve that material. I should have thought about this and made sure I had enough cypress but I made a mistake. I didn't want to use pressure treated, like the louver itself, because it has a tendency to shrink and I don't want the trim to develop cracks in the joints if I can help it. Spruce (or fir) is a good straight, clear wood and I think it will hold up fine, especially being painted.


*Annie Lennox

Shape Of Things

This is not a particularly good photo but you can sort of see the new colors of the rafter tails and all. I took Richard's advice and changed to a darker version of the siding color for the trim and soffit. It looks much better. The window sashes will go the same cedar color that is on the rafters. I've just got to finish painting the windows and do some touch up on the siding and I can move the pick board down to the other half of this side. I absolutely hate working off these pick boards as they are only about 18" wide. I'm only about 12 feet up but still, that's enough to break something if you fall. It's funny, I don't mind much greater heights at work at all but then, we are tied off there and I know I can't go far.
They called early this morning though and said they will be picking the machine up this afternoon, so doing final work with that is the primary concern today. I've got to clean up this large tree, dig out a couple of stumps and set a few more smaller stones if possible. Don't any of you squeal about the tree. It was rotten on the bottom and had virtually no limbs on it, so it was butt ugly and posed a risk to my house. It will make good firewood. I don't like to cut trees but this one needed to go. You can see how close it was to the house but Allen did a good job of landing it in a safe area. I appreciate him helping me even if he did take it as an opportunity to taunt me that I do, at times, need a man. I will not repeat the ugly words that issued from my mouth in reply.
The weather here the past couple of days has just been incredibly nice. It is so cool I have actually had to put on some clothes in the morning! Looks like this will be a good week as far as more nice weather and I will be able to get the waterproofing done and backfill behind the house. Wooohooo! Only been undone for 2 years! God, I'm ashamed of that. But it seemed other work was more important and I can only do so much.
I need to get out and do some kind of socializing this week also. I've been by myself too much lately and I'm beginning to feel it. Not sure what to do but I'll find something.
Hope you all had a good weekend.


*The Yardbirds

Whiskey and Green Tea

This house is the one I am kinda using as a model for the colors on my house. The colors that you have seen on the house so far are primer. Some of the trim is the correct color but some of it is going to be restained. I really liked these colors. They feel very earthy and organic. Even the red and I think they all go with the galvalume roof well. And I think stone will look really great next to the green, if I ever get that done, that is. Of course, the architect hates it. I think he just fusses just to have something to disagree with me about. I don't have as much that I can paint red, as this house, besides my door though. I may add some steel brackets to my clerestory overhang and thought they would look good in red. I could add some window boxes as this house has but I have never really liked window boxes. Well, it will work out. As I said before, I think, I am using an opaque stain. It is water based, basically an acrylic resin. I am very happy with it so far but I wonder if it will be prone to fading.
Not much has gone on with the house this week. I have had to attend to some of the issues with the land. We finally pulled that tree up out of the creek and cut it up and I had to go down the driveway trimming limbs and saplings back. The grass seed I sowed is coming up great! Finally, the runoff is slowing down. I have started on a small retaining wall around the parking area. Planted a few more flowers.
We left work a little early today due to a strong lightning storm. If it just rains we have to wait until the boss calls it; lets us get out of the rain. But if it is lightning then we are allowed to call it. I was glad for a little rest as it was still raining when I got home. My back is pleading for more rest though! We have had to grade gravel for concrete slabs all week and that sucks. If you have never had to pull gravel then be very thankful. It does build up good stomach muscles though. I'm very anxious for the 3 day weekend coming and maybe I'll get a lot more done on siding.

*Supergrass

Anticipation

That title doesn't have anything to do with the photo here; I'll get around to the photo in a minute. I am in kind of a "hurry up and wait" situation now with the house. I am just waiting on the filter media to arrive. The shipping company called today and said it would be here tomorrow. I am just waiting on the propane company to come set the tank so I can then hook up to the house and have heat. Of course, I have plenty of other stuff to do. Those are just the last two things I need to move in. Well, technically I need handrails on the deck but I can do that right after moving in. The insurance company only needs to see them when they come out to inspect the house. I did receive the very last of my shower tile that I had to reorder so I can finish that completely. Turns out I was able to order only what I needed, not a whole new box so that was very good. Lots more painting to do this weekend and maybe put up a couple of small, temporary kitchen counters. I also really need to go ahead and purchase my refrigerator and get it in the house. I am having another panic attack over that one. I would really like to have a side by side but I am supposed to be building a "green" house. Living a more sustainable life, you know, and side by sides use a good bit more energy than a regular fridge. Now, having a side by side might allow me enough storage in the freezer that I would not need another, smaller freezer which I had thought about purchasing. I would like to be able to put up some veggies from my garden and stuff like that. Of course, I have looked at the Energy Star side by sides but I know you can get even more efficient fridges. The real kicker is that the one that I found that I really, really, really like is a side by side and not even a Energy Star! But it only uses $8 a year more energy than Energy Star of equal size. If I buy it I'll feel like a hypocrite. Allen just rolls his eyes at me. Am I being too.........nutso?
Well, on other subjects, the photo shows some of the many rafter tails that I have had to cut in around. I love that detail but it is a pain in the butt to do. I did learn one trick to painting close to something like that though. I have several areas in the house where drywall butts up to wood or steel and it never seems to finish nice right on the edge. It's always got a ragged little crack and you just can't make a straight paint line there, or I can't anyway. So, what I learned to do was, after I had sanded the sheetrock as best I could, I ran a small bead of clear, siliconized acrylic caulk down this joint, making it very smooth. After the caulk dries (clear, it will be white before dry) you can cut in a very smooth paint line against the wood and if any caulk gets on the wood or steel, you don't see it.

Well, I am afraid I made a butthole comment on Florida Cracker's site about his little talking Christmas tree and my wanting to smack it with a stick. I hope I did not offend him; I was really just joking. I wouldn't really hurt it but those things like that kind of give me the willies. Oh well, sorry.

Minute By Minute

Here is some of the stuff we worked on this weekend. I bought a vent free propane wall heater for the house and installed it on this wall between the kitchen and living room. This gives it a central location in the house. Sorry the photo is bad but I have trouble getting good detail at night. I framed out the middle section of that wall to give it some visual substance and the chase formed by that will accommodate the ductwork for the vent for the range hood on the opposite side, gas lines and some electrical. I sheathed the wall in Durock because I want to tile this wall. Being a ceramic artist, I must make some tile of my own for the house and thought that this would be a nice accent. Plus, I'm hoping that the tile will absorb heat from the heater and help warm the house. I have had a lot of questions about the heating and air system for the house and I'll tell you why I put this thing in. I am planning on installing a HVAC system but I would like for it to be a geothermal system which means it uses underground water to supply the heat and cooling. It is obviously more complicated than that but that is kinda basically it. They say the systems are like 400% more efficient than normal HVAC systems and use a lot less power. They are also more expensive to install. If I go this route I would prefer to put it in after all of the house is built, not to mention, I can't afford any kind of HVAC right now so temporary heat is it. Now, after finding a wall unit this attractive, I may keep it permanently installed because in the case of a power outage, any kind of HVAC is going to go out. And if I am old and/or sick I don't want to be chopping wood to keep warm. The looks are a little deceiving though. From this photo and the one on the box, it appears that the heater is recessed into the wall and that is not the case but after installing it I think it still looks OK.
This is just the backside of that same wall and you can see some of the wiring for the kitchen counter tops. Oh, there will be bookshelves on either side of the heater up to that bar height which is 4 feet. On top of this wall I can display some ceramics or sculpture.
And look! that is HOT water coming out of that shower head. Wooohooo!! No, I have not actually taken a shower yet. I can't find a #$%^&* shower curtain rod that I like. And I really need to install the new sediment filter, which came today, and get the water cleared up. The filters that I have on the lines now also greatly reduce the water pressure so I am anxious to get them off and this new filter on. It is supposed to only reduce pressure by 1 psi which should leave me plenty. I'll show lots of details about that as we install it.
And I painted this wall, almost. It needs another coat as I saw tonight that I have lots of holidays in it. I also need to get a taller ladder or shorter scaffold to do the rest on the right there. The color is a darker version of what I did the bedroom and clerestory walls in. I like earthy, vibrant colors as you can tell. Wait 'til you see the kitchen color! You can also see one of the ceiling fans here. I don't remember if I have shown them before. They are an industrial type fan in brushed nickel.
Well, the countdown is to be in before Christmas. I told the guys at work that I am going to go ahead and buy the biggest Christmas tree that I can afford and keep it outside until I move in so there is no backing down now! I might be decorating that tree on Christmas Day but it will be there!!

We're Baaaaack!!

Hey! We are up and running again! We had a thunderstorm here about Monday, I guess, and it zapped the computer even though we have a surge protector and all that. I know I am a moron for not having hard copies of a lot of stuff and I lost most everything. Most of my house photos, files, documents, etc. Anyway, it took a couple of days to get our programs loaded back up after we got the computer back but I am posting again! Quite a bit has been happening at the house. I have finished painting the bedroom and clerestory wall after much touch up. This is a real sagey (sp.?) color. I like it and think it will look good with the natural wood trim. I will start running trim tomorrow as a matter of fact. It's some really nice pine I had leftover from a job so I won't have to buy any of that for a while.
We have set the toilet but have encountered a problem with that. Here, Allen is removing the center of the toilet flange. It's made to pop out like that; they make it in there so that debris does not get thrown down your drain during construction. The toilet is left over from one of Allen's jobs and it's practically brand new. It's been several years since that job and we both forgot why the owners didn't want it. Well, we found out after hooking it up. There is a slight crack in the upper part of the bowl, so it leaks! But, I have various products for repairing porcelain and ceramics so I drained the toilet, let it dry and then patched the crack with a glazing material that you don't have to fire. Should work fine but it has to cure for at least 10 hours so it will be tomorrow before I know if it is OK. But that's what you get when you use reclaimed material. Most of the time stuff is in great shape but sometimes you do have an issue to deal with like that. Some people won't accept anything but perfect stuff but it doesn't bother me. The crack is on the side away from the door and under the seat, so no one will probably see it anyway.
Here we have put the wax ring on, note the kind that has the little plastic ring built in. Allen thinks these are better than just the wax. I know this is just riveting information but I don't have photos of much else! If you have never installed a toilet before though, this might come in handy someday because you never know.......
Allen secured the brass bolts in the toilet flange and then placed the toilet carefully down over them. It helps here if you have someone (me!) guide the bolts up through the holes in the toilet bottom because he was mostly concerned with getting the wax ring in the right spot. Then you press down evenly on the toilet to squish the toilet down over the wax ring. Allen just sits on it backwards; that mashes it down pretty good. Then you put the washers and nuts on the bolts and carefully tighten to snug the toilet down. I grouted under the toilet instead of just caulking because the slate, being natural stone and therefore of varying thickness, left a little bigger gap between the toilet and floor than say, VCT or linoleum would.
Well, hopefully my next post will be a little more exciting or at least more aesthetically pleasing. I am about to start setting light fixtures on the clerestory wall and I am going to be making these myself so you all have to help me and tell me if they look stupid or not. I'll show you what I'm thinking of doing; it's one of the best recycling projects I've come up with. Anybody out there drink a lot of wine?

Watchful Eyes

This is Slim, my cherry tomato guardian. Can you see him? He's right in the center of the photo. I keep a cherry tomato plant on the patio right outside our little apartment and I came out one morning to see evidence of a tomato hormworm. Horrors!! I hate those things. It had eaten a couple of the ends off 2 limbs and pooped everywhere but as I scoured the plant from top to bottom, I couldn't find the worm anywhere. Then I saw Slim here, perched right next to one of the areas (and poop) where it seemed the nasty caterpillar had last been. I guess Slim had a good meal too. Anyway, he's been hanging around on the plant for the last couple of weeks so I try to make him feel welcome. Unfortunately, praying mantis will also eat beneficial bugs like honey bees but if he will eat tomato hornworms then he is fine in my book.

On the previous post I mentioned VOCs and Pablo asked what that was so I thought I'd provide a little information to all on that. This is a very simple definition I found.
VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are the fumes that you smell while you paint, and sometimes several days after. A VOC is an organic chemical that becomes a breathable gas at room temperature. Some examples are benzene, ethylene glycol, vinyl chloride and mercury.
VOCs in paint usually come from additives to the paint, such as fungicides, biocides, color, and spread ability agents. High levels of VOCs in paints can cause headaches, allergic reactions, and health problems in the very old, very young and in those with chronic illnesses.
Concerns about air pollution and hazardous waste have greatly reduced the use of oil-based paints which can release high amounts of VOCs and contain toxic solvents. Alkyd-based paints and latex paints are much safer, but some still have high levels of VOCs.

One of the things I am trying to accomplish with this house is to build an environment using all natural materials wherever possible. You know, untreated wood, stone, natural fabrics etc. I'm trying to severely limit the amount of plastic which will be in the house, which are another source of VOCs and other nasty things. Besides that, it has no soul. Carpet, plywood and some paints also emit formaldehyde, a carcinogen, so no carpet anywhere in the house. Now, I have used plywood but as of now there are just no other sources available in this area for an alternative product.
Most of my family laughs at me for being concerned about such things and actually taking these steps but just by coincidence, I'm the only one who does not take any prescription medications whatsoever, is not overweight, can work the hell out of most anybody and am often told that I look younger than I am..... if they don't see my gray hair! And I have a happy personality (most of the time.... hush Allen!) Now, whether this is due to just eating healthy and staying active or to avoiding these products I mentioned also, I don't know but, you know, it doesn't hurt. To me, if you are surrounded be natural, inviting furnishings you just feel better.
I am continuing to work on the ceiling finish and priming walls today. I will try to have more photos soon. I am trying to make good use of my time off but I always feel like I'm not doing enough. Allen has been working his butt off under the house leveling out the dirt so that we can pour a slab under there for my studio. I'll get photos of that too.

Under Pressure

Here is a different view of the clerestory wall and windows that I don't believe I have shown before. I took these while up on the scaffold I am using to sand and paint this wall and the ceiling. Lots of things are happening since I have so much time now to work on the house. I have primed almost all of the walls that got Sheetrock. I completely finished painting the bathroom and it's ready for flooring. More about that later. This wall is primed and ready for the final color. The title of this post refers to the extreme difficulty I have in picking colors. The BFA is of no help lately. He is very busy on real projects so I am mostly on my own with this now. I have only my concept of what he verbally described as wanting this room to look like, which is probably nothing like what he imagined. So, we'll all get over it. It's going to look good I think, at any rate.

I also cleaned the steel beam here and it's waiting it's final coat of wax. Lots of people ask me if this beam has been painted or if I'm going to paint it and I'm not. I left the mill scale, which is a natural, blackish coating that forms on the steel as it is rolled. I love the way it looks and a good coat of wax will keep the edges from rusting. I have installed the screens in these windows so that I can keep them open all the time now. Normally, you would not put the screens in until a house is completely done (they don't usually come with the window anyway) but these windows are not likely to have anyone messing around them. I think having them open helps a lot to vent the hot air in the house. I have a thermometer in the house and with no air conditioning, the house usually stays about 10-12 degrees cooler than the outside on a sunny day. Now, that's not too bad but on days when it reaches 95, that can get warm. I think with the addition of ceiling fans, it will be a little cooler or feel like it anyway. I plan on having air conditioning but it will probably have to be a window unit for a while.

This is just a close up of the rafter tails. I am using a natural polymerized linseed oil/beeswax finish on the rafters and plywood decking. It is a beautiful golden color, completely natural, biodegradable finish, VOC-free and smells wonderful. The beeswax gives it anti-static properties also so they claim surfaces finished with it won't attract dust. I had to order this stuff from New York and it was kind of expensive but I think its worth it for the health factor. By getting so much salvaged material for free etc. I feel I can splurge some on a few things like this. These rafters don't have anything on them in this photo. The tail part (spruce) of the rafter ( #2 yellow pine) is going to be stained a slightly darker color (which I started today) to accent them a little from the rafter. It took a long time to finish around each of these tails and make the Sheetrock look good.

This is not a very good shot but I was trying to show something of the bathroom. I am having to mix my own colors due to the fact that I was given various paint. You get it free but have to take what is available. Hey, but I'm not complaining! It's worked out really well. I was able to mix up just the right color in a kitchen and bath semi-gloss. The colors are not showing up well in these photos though. This is a light sand color that goes great with the slate floor and I will have white trim. I wanted to show the shower to show that you can finish Durock just like Sheetrock. It would be pretty pricey to tile the shower all the way to the ceiling so I am going to stop it about 18" from the top. You have to skim the Durock maybe a couple more times than Sheetrock but you can't tell where one leaves off. Here, I have cut in my corners and am about to roll the walls.

I did a little investigating on the VOC levels in paint as far as what is considered unhealthy and all. Anything above 150 grams per liter is generally considered not good. All paint, stain etc. now has this information on the label so I checked out the stuff I got and it was all around 60-85 grams/liter except the semi-gloss in the bathroom. It was 163 g/l but I figure I will just leave the windows open slightly until I'm sure the paint has dried to let everything air out good.

Tomorrow I plan to continue finishing the ceiling and rafters so maybe I will have photos of that soon. I think it looks great so far. I am very excited!!!

Dog Dish Cobbler

Okay, let me explain this one. As I have mentioned in a previous post, we live in a very small "apartment" right now and I only have a makeshift kitchen for now. Any baking has to be done in a toaster oven and even though it's a pretty good size toaster oven, most of my regular baking pans, dishes don't fit in it. Well, Allen was really wanting a blackberry cobbler since there are so many fresh blackberries for the picking right now. We eat very few sweets but I do sometimes make something for dessert, mainly for him. Since funds are very tight right now due to my being laid off, this was a good deal also because I didn't have to buy anything to do it. Anyway, I needed a good deep dish to bake it in, couldn't find any of my regular stuff that would fit, when I remembered that I had thrown several dog bowls and had never sold them. Hhhmm. Stoneware is perfect to bake in. This one was the perfect size. And no, they had never been used. So, I whipped up this cobbler and it came out just wonderful! Stoneware really cooks nice; everything really bakes very even. No overdone bottoms. In fact, when I start throwing again, I may start making a similar form just for cobblers etc.

We received a good bit of rain over the past weekend so the garden is really doing well. Last year I planted 2 lavender shrubs ( plants, whatever) and they are really taking off now. I think they liked the dry weather actually. I have already harvested several bundles like this one and they keep producing more. I have them all hanging in the apartment drying and they really smell great.

On house news, Allen has about finished the structure of the pumphouse; just need to put some kind of siding on it and finish roof. I have started painting in the bathroom and bedroom!! Once again, my boys came through and I received enough paint to start this next step. I have primed the bathroom, bedroom and clerestory wall and mixed the color I want for the bathroom. I'm still working on the color for the bedroom. I want to finish the bathroom first so the flooring can go down because that means the toilet is next!!! The tile for the shower is going to run me about $360.00 so unless I came work some deal there, installing that may be a while. Also, as soon as the clerestory wall is done (trim and everything) I can remove the scaffolding and frame the wall for the kitchen. There is still sooo much to do but actually starting some finish work is really picking my spirits up considerable.

Sweets

Despite the drought conditions, the blackberry crop has been pretty good this year. I have been taking advantage of my laid-off time by doing some stuff I normally don't have time to. Like going out in the mornings or evenings and picking blackberries and cooking a little more etc. These are a chore to get to but worth it to me. I spent a couple of days picking the thorns out of the back of my hand after gathering these. The bowl is one of a set I made in college. One of the few pieces I have from that time. I am actually firing some pottery I made some time ago to take to a upscale farmer's market in Birmingham this Saturday. I've got to do something to get more income coming in and I usually do pretty good at this place.
On house news, the drywall is finished and ready to prime and start painting. I am kind of torn between 2 options on the paint. I could try to make the paint. I have found several recipes for natural milk paint etc. I already have most of the ingredients (whiting, mineral colorants)because a lot of them are used in making glazes for pottery and the paints are considered the healthiest. However, some don't work real well over drywall and in the very humid areas like here in the South. My other option is a commercial painting contractor that I know well. They give their leftover paint away to certain individuals because otherwise they have to pay to have it disposed of. You only have certain colors to choose from as it is just what they happen to have at the moment but I imagine that, due to the size of the company, that could be a pretty good selection and I'm sure that I could find at least some of the paint I wanted. Latex paint is considered to be somewhat unhealthy as it releases certain chemicals (VOCs) but even non-"green" paint has gotten somewhat better about that. Using the paint would keep it out of a landfill also. After it dries (in a house) I think it becomes basically inert and is probably a worse thing for it to be disposed of, even in a proper way. So... free, potentially slightly unhealthy paint that is easy and quick to apply or very healthy, very inexpensive paint that could be a real pain in the butt to make (and color) and time consuming to apply.
I will be wrecking the forms soon at the pump house and we can start to move that equipment down there and hopefully, have running water soon.