Construction

Phil's shop is progressing-- see photo-- and should be under roof by the end of the month. Contractors did the concrete work and the bricklaying, for speed (Phil can do just about anything but he has to work for a living.) Phil's doing the framing and almost everything else by himself. The rafter raising will involve a few friends and some beer. The drywalling may be contracted out because we also want to finish off the room over the garage as well and drywall is heavy, awkward, and dusty. And I never want to tape the stuff again in my lifetime. Landscaping around the new addition will be done by, well, me. I'm the plant person, supposedly.

I have slightly mixed feelings about this shop. I want Phil to have a place to work; he needs it for his sanity and in retirement, and can make lovely furniture. But I wish it had ended up on the back of the house (turned out the well was too close.) Putting it on the front means I lose the window in the laundry room, and my view out the kitchen window where we eat, and the kitchen will have less light coming in the bay window, and I think it looks kind of odd to have the kitchen window be in a cave. We have a glorious huge Japanese red maple in that alcove, which I hope will be OK with this commotion. Unfortunately said tree provides heavy shade in summer over said bay window, and makes it all even more cavelike. Thankfully the window on the other end of the kitchen, that looks out over the back yard, is large and south-facing and lets in considerable sunlight. All in all I'll get used to it and there are far worse things to worry about in the world-- I just needed to kvetch a little.

Have started working on two little summer weight ponchos for Cate and her friend Hannah; winging the design, so I hope they work out.