Episode 13: "Let there be Light" (and heat and a tile floor)

On Monday, November 28, the electrician came and installed the light fixtures and the baseboard heating unit. Since then, this week’s progress has been slow and steady, as the tile was fixed with adhesive and the grouting process has begun. Gina has been doing the tile work while Greg the Builder did some exterior work, digging a small pit into the frozen earth around the porch extension and bringing in a long slab of cement which I think is intended for cutting up and placing in the walkway.  Unfortunately, our luck with Mother Nature did not hold—the steps and path are not accessible for me and the porch isn’t finished, although there were several days they could have done this. (Greg said that some workers were supposed to show up but didn't. I thought there would be a pool of eager workers, given the economy....)  I wish they could have done that exterior work before we had our first significant snowfall. I don’t think I’ll be able to take the garbage out this winter unless we have a melt and they work diligently. (Just think what my kitchen will smell like by Spring!)

Taken a couple days before Thanksgiving, this is Phil working on the porch.  He thoughtfully created a place for lawnmower storage and was responsible for the exterior painting, as well.  It seems that Phil can do just about any step in the building of a house. I wish he could have returned to finish this porch project, but I think he was sent over to another project. The porch really is almost done now, except that it is partially unpainted and a couple more spindles need to be installed.

Here is a chance to admire the glowing ceiling fixture, the partially installed tile and the partially finished table that my son-in-law Mike is refinishing for me as my Christmas gift. He made some progress on it over Thanksgiving, but because the heat wasn't installed yet, the stain adhered to the top rather than permeating the wood. I'm hoping he can come to Milwaukee for a "workation" soon so this work table will be ready for clay by the time the studio is done.

I love the tile, made by Seneca Pottery in Attica, Ohio.

Here is Gina at work installing the tile.

Friday night was "Christmas in the Ward." The array of sculptures were awaiting transport last Thursday. The sculpture of Rumpelstiltskin leaping over a fire is my newest one, just out of the kiln Thursday morning. I was thinking about how the miller's daughter carelessly bargains away her future for the present, promising her firstborn if the little man would spin straw into gold for her. Fortunately, Rumpelstiltskin is a game player and when the miller's daughter becomes queen and has a child, he gives her three chances to guess his name; but people are not always as lucky as the queen.

Here is where we are now with the floor.  The tiles are in place and have been treated with sealer and the original grout has been placed.  I admire Gina's skill and stamina, since it has been a very long week with this.

(It's now December 5, the evening of St. Nicholas. I want to remind you to put your shoes out for St. Nicholas' visit. I hope nobody gets a lump of coal.  George doesn't know it yet, but in the morning he'll find two boxes of the liqueur chocolate cherries from Trader Joe's. All our Milwaukee friends are invited to stop by for a first-hand look at the studio....and George can share his chocolates if there are any left!)