Home Improvement!

The past month and a half have flown by in a blur.  Since we returned from North Carolina in August, I have worked night and day on this house knowing that the permit would expire while we were gone in October.  I’ve hit it early, usually before daylight, and stopped only for scheduled classes or meetings and then hit it again until I was the only one hitting.  I’ve missed many social opportunities and pulled my blog, more times than not, from past compositions just so I wouldn’t be one of those disappearing bloggers.  I’m going to add a remodel photo album soon that shows the process.  We still have some superficial changes to the old part which we will make in good time.

Last night I used the clay room for the first time.  I put myself on the wheel and slapped a lump of gooey clay onto the turntable.  Though it was a demonstration, it was also a renewal.  I haven’t thrown for over a year, but because I am a teacher and have done this many times before, I found myself talking my way through it so that each step would be clear and make sense, I engaged my conscious mind only enough to be sure that I could be followed when the next person –who had never thrown before last night- would know what to do or maybe what not to do.  Throwing clay is a very sub-conscious act.  It has a releasing effect on the tensions of the body and soul.

When the piece was lifted from the wheel to the bat and the turntable was cleaned and ready for a student, I rose from the table feeling interrupted, but good.  As the student took on her first grapefruit sized ball of soft clay, I shifted back to teacher mode and hovered over her.  She did well and only needed my interference for a couple of short moments.  At first she was nervous and tentative, then slowly, she stuck her hands right into that spinning glop and I reduced my help to squeezing water from the sponge over her hands and clay while she worked.  Then eventually I backed off even that and told her to wrap it up or her clay would take on water.  She finished quickly and we cut the piece off the wheel and onto a bat.  She stopped and exhaled slowly trying to explain how hypnotic the whole thing was.  I smiled.

Sitting in the sunroom this morning, fighting the kitten off my breakfast and discussing the mysteries of faith with my husband, I found the new space, as I have since I introduced the first two chairs there, a natural, inviting place.  Though I recognize it’s newness, it feels familiar, inspiring, comforting. 

I’ve made my share of “home improvement?” jokes as have my friends.  It’s taken us almost one year to complete from the days of the monoveg in the front to the final signing one week ago today.  One friend referred to it as the longest running sit com in history.  Another called it “The Extreme Home Makeover – Woodall Edition” and quipped that it came on at 2AM between two infomercials just before the signal thingy came on.  We who have been up early in the morning knew she has no clue about modern television.  But she had a clue about our makeover.

Yet standing there last night laughing and talking as people left, enjoying the dying fire just off my studio porch, I remembered that there was one ball of clay left from the evenings efforts waiting to be thrown.  Feeling a little mellow and totally comfortable, proud and pleased with the space that I’ve maneuvered around for a year, I realized that it really was home improvement.  And while I still want some time, it will be okay when we decide to improve our home again.

Entry for September 22, 2006

Yeah.  It's over.  It's ours.  We can do as we please again!  Yippee!  Hooray!

As soon as

I'm so tired of saying "As soon as we get the house done. . . "  but there it is.  That is my life right now.  I didn't get much done yesterday because it rained all day.  Thankfully, I had been able to put the first paint and so seal the stucco on the front porch.  I didn't get it on the front corner and that stucco is quite wet.  Hopefully it will dry out and allow me to get it painted and aged before the rains come again later this week. 

I have a section of rock about 1 foot by 7 feet and a section of stucco about 18 inches square.  I also have a small kneewall to build to resolve a potential water issue and some painting and sealing.  It's raining lightly, but on the radar, it looks like this is the last band of rain for this go 'round.  I can seal and paint on the studio porch when the stucco dries completely seeing that it's all covered, but the rock has to be done when it's dry.  Louis finished all the soffits and trim and it looks great.  Now I must complete the surfaces.  We hope to have it inspected by Friday afternoon.  That would be a good thing.

Home Improvement?

My plan was to wake early, get everything ready, and head to the store for glue all or a reasonable substitute so I could get back busy on the stucco job.  I have the sunporch and front done and lack only the studio porch to be "free".

I had some other things I needed -cat dish that he can't carry all over the house, paint, something suitable for my standing rolls and rulers in the studio - so I thought I'd just buy a couple quarts of glue from the Supercenter until Lowes got some gallons back in.  After a few minutes of looking for an employee, I learned that they don't carry anything but the little project size of white polymer glue anymore.  "We have contact cement and liquid nails."

As I headed for the car after getting the other items I thought I'd just go home, but I realized I can't do any more stucco until I get the glue.  So I headed to Home Depot the "We can find it; you can help," people.  The helpful guy tried to convince me wood glue was the same thing.  No, it's not.  "I'm sorry, we can't help."

I headed over to Sutherland.  This nice man came right to my aid.  "Well, there's carpenter glue."  Looks like there's a space for glue-all, but no glue.  "This isn't my department.  The paint guy will know.  I don't see him right now.  We have these little bottles."  I need LOTS of glue.  "Well the paint guy is around here somewhere.  He's wearing a red shirt and shorts."  I smiled as sincerely as I could and headed out.

Yeagers is on the way home, so I pulled in.  Low and behold among their tight, cluttered isles is Elmer's Glue All in gallons and beside it sits Elmers Masonry Glue in gallons.  After reading both labels, I decide to stick with what I know and buy 2 gallons of Glue-All, all they had for now.  Squealing "Yea - -"  I hurry to my car. 

I got the car unloaded by 11:30.  I have a class at 3.  I fed the little nameless cat climbing my leg, put away the groceries and scarfed a little food.  It's noon.  I'm beginning to feel cornered, claustrophobic.  By the time I change clothes and make up the muck I might not have enough time to spread it before I must get ready for my class.  I head for the back porch and see the cleaning job I began yesterday in my studio.  Sigh.  I put together the frame I bought to hold the stuff I piled on the tables.  It's close to 1 PM.

I had a plan.  Really I did.  It was not my intention to blow a whole morning.  This is home improvement!?

Ode to a Beautiful Floor

I do not know what chemicals were in the mortar mix

Or what the make up of the Portland that my tiles fix

The awful smell that wafted up from sealer - finish spread.

The dust and fumes that round me rose and breathed into my head.



I am not sure what damages were done to my poor back

by lifting, moving, carrying the buckets and the sacks

And I’m uncertain just how long my nails will hold the stain

of colored mortar.  Will they ever really be the same?



“Why did you do it?” some may ask when taking in my plight.


“A job not made for ladies fair,”  I guess perhaps they’re right.

But standing back, I take it in and noone could ignore

that I am happy as can be with my new slate tile floor.

Cycle of water

It seems each time one family swims in my pool I get algae the next day.  Then I battle it awhile and slowly I get rid of it.  They come back and it comes back.  Not that I’d not have them come, mind you, but algae isn’t easy to get rid of once you get it.

My husband and I have discussed this and come up with a couple of thoughts.  First, it’s probably from the floatation devices they bring that are frequently used in the lake.  Second, knowing this should bring an immediate reaction after their departure.  But algae are tenacious.  I wish I had its determination and strength!

I’ve learned that algae can pass right through a sand filter unscathed.  Filtration is just a water ride for these little buddies.  So on the advise of my pool doctor, I’ve learned to waste water them.  It takes consistency and time but the real problem for a conservation minded lady is the whole “waste water” concept.  So my mind again collaborated with my brilliant husband to come up with a plan. 

I have the gardens you know.  The problem is they’re up the hill.  We have an awesome Jacuzzi pump that will tear a garden 10 feet above it down to the subsoil in a matter of seconds.  I placed the hose in the waterfall for a time, but we’re back to the whole wasted water concept in less than a minute.  This is what we came up with.  50 gallon barrels with spigots and 75 feet of waste hose.  Well that slows the water suction on my vacuum system a little, but it’s doable.  Attach a garden hose to the spigot, and voilla recycled water.

Yesterday, I bought the stuff -50 bucks worth- and put it in place.  Then I got in the pool and began vacuuming algae that hasn’t gotten too out of control yet.  Well, with a few glitches, the system worked well.  The peach tree and iris garden got a good soaking and didn’t loose their topsoil.

Because of the dry spell, we’ve had quite a few leaves blow into the pool.  After the vacuum, I used the leaf net and then proceeded with my lap swim.  It was beautiful.  The pool was almost clean, the air warm, the water mildly cool.  Perfect! 

Then after about 4 laps, I felt a cool breeze and the sky darkened from the north – ugly clouds.  Our 40% chance was about to be reality.  I got out and started toward the house when a heavy gust turned me around to see a huge cloud of leaves heading for my clean pool. 

I cried out “Noooooo!” moving toward pool side in useless defense.  It would have made a great movie effect!  With heavy drops announcing the coming storm, the wind died off and I stood beside my algae reduced pool full of leaves and sighed.  Well, now then, isn’t that a new take on the cycle of water?

Last night, we discussed pool covers!