Likely the same or similar as last Tuesday with some subtle variations. Today, Josh is finishing the deconstruction of our ‘Snug’ or ‘Jimmy Jazz’ as the little additional room to the studio is called. We keep our tv and spare modular couch (with an extra foam topper for guests!) in there with a couple of little things (movies, crochet) but it’s a tiny space – which is perfect since we don’t want to spend a lot of time in there, just have it in case. But it is the last of the rooms to be rebuilt; after this, the hallways could still use a little finishing work (some teardown in the original foyer area), new flooring in Stan (the dining type/homeskool room) and the hallways/Snug, finished walls and a sanded floor in Marion (the woodstove room), and moulding/baseboard throughout. I think that ‘finishes’ the first floor (which still also includes custom built-in bookshelves in Stan, new/better electrical outlets in the Snug which also helps our bedroom upstairs and some small bits here and there. All this is just after he’s finished the kitchen (finishing the sills/doorways, flooring, and getting the new oven in!).
The upstairs is a projekt that needs to be done but it likely requires a contractor – the drop ceilings need to be removed (with their subsequent years of mouse and bat detritus) which alters the paneling in both the cape bedrooms, the floors need to be strengthened (esp the child’s, right now it feels like it’s made of rubber, it’s so frightening) and I would prefer some natural wool carpeting up there, and the dormers removed/the roof leveled (which would increase some needed space, and fix some structural leaks from the front of the house) – which would then finally allow us to get new siding and finish the insulation. Whew!
The new-new bread oven is here so we are one more step closer to Realdom! I’m ordering business cards today, the inspection should happen sometime this month (there is no rhyme or reason to bureacratic appointments, they do it when they want) and we might have a lead on our first ‘significant’ account in addition to our wonderful direct customer relations. I just hope this hiatus (which was unavoidable, again bureacratic slog) makes our lovely customers miss us, and not move on without us. I’ve partnered up with an amazing healer and maker of earthy things to offer a nice wellness line for the Fall (details coming very soon). Soaps, salves, face masks, bath balms/soaks, teas, hand knits, and homey crochet…by next year I’m hoping to add creative endeavors such as handmade papers/inks/brushes made by our in-house nature artist extraordinaire, Duende Bloo; she’s been working on her skills!
And alas, it seems the weather has finally shifted to its nearly appropriate climate – the woodstove made its fiery seasonal debut yesterday since our mornings are officially in the 40’s. Though my dahlias and cosmos outside are not giving in yet and the Fall raspberry bushes are still fruiting, there were even purple pole bean blossoms on the vines. The bees fall into cool little naps on flower faces, the ash leaves cover the coop yard and the driveway (our only 2 trees that drop leaves – all at once – where we might have to clean them up), and the sun gets a whiter brighter hue to it as it streaks across the still green grass. The garlic is in, the hanging plants have been taken up, the ceramic pots are back on the porch, the outside wooden furniture is put away.
Joshie had a birthday (and thank you to our lovely peeps for joining us for smoked ribs, picture foccacia, kale salad, and birthday cake! And picking late apples!) which was very nice – cool days with fall foliage (he got fancy beer from our peeps and a lovely handmade bowl from D to keep his guitar picks in, I got him an espresso machine and some Marty O’Reilly records that haven’t arrived yet). I am sending gift lists out for the child and shopping a little earlier than usual for Solstice stocking gifts (it might be hinky out there for the Winter, I’ll buy local and early now). And I’m finishing a painful multiple series for Bartonella treatment (a Lyme co-infection for me that has severely depleted my quality of life this year) that I will likely have to start again in a week or two. Josh is dreaming of evenings with books in front of the fire, I am dreaming of getting any kind of dissertation work done (see ‘quality of life’ issue just mentioned), and Duende is dreaming that the new neighbors on our strip have children who want to hang out with her.
Autumn dreams; what are you dreaming for?
Rock Bottom Homestead 