Building the Bathroom

The new walls are framed in, the door has been rehung, and old chipboard has been temporarily nailed in place to give users some privacy.

The recessed lighting cans and exhaust fan are installed, and the insulation has been replaced. It's so wonderful to have all this light! And it's not quite as cold as it used to be!

Now Paul is pounding away at the concrete floor to open up a trench for the new drain line. My own John Henry aches all over, but he doesn't plan to die with a hammer in his hand.

I'll admit: this whole process is taking longer than we'd hoped. My husband is highly skilled, but highly skilled in completely different areas. He can accomplish projects on an amazingly tight deadline, but building a bathroom isn't exactly radio production.

What's unnerving is that at some point he'll have to disconnect the toilet, and at the rate we're going, it's anybody's guess how long it will take before the new toilet is available for use. We do intend to hire a plumber, but Paul also hopes to set the stage by doing as much of the prep work himself.

Well, Christmas is coming, and that means holiday travel for family celebrations as well as freelance work to fill in for vacationing broadcasters. Whatever Paul can get done tonight and tomorrow is what will welcome us when we return in the new year, and it is what we will be thankful for. Our God provides, and we are grateful.

Winter Has Come

Winter arrived with snow today after several days of cold, windy weather. And today, after two overnights in our country estate, we make our exit.

If, when he calls in to the Cook County courthouse on Thursday, Paul learns that he doesn't need to report for his jury duty summons on Friday, then we'll drive back out Friday morning.

The plan for this weekend, then, is to frame the bathroom walls, but we still need to lift some of the stubborn linoleum tiles from the concrete floor. I think a heat gun will help loosen it up, and we'll bring one out with us when we come back, but perhaps someone else has a better suggestion... ?