Half Wall

Ever since purchasing our home, we have struggled with the post and  beam in the center of our formal living/dining room. We were told the only way to get rid of the post was to have a steel beam installed. The cost of this was just too great.

To divide the rooms and incorporate the  post, we built a half wall. The post will get wrapped by a column and another column will be added for balance. The goal is that the columns will be seen as architectural details and the ugly post will disappear.

This half wall is also creating a new hallway. When you enter the front door there will be a hallway on the left and one on the right, adding symmetry to the downstairs.

Super Dog

Carol, the dog walker, said that since construction started, the dogs have been very pully when she walks them. I think that the dogs are nervous from all the noise.

It seems that "pully" is an understatement. I came home the other night and grabbed Coop's green leash. I tried to hook it to his collar and realized the metal ring had snapped off.

I was amazed that little Coop could snap a thick piece of metal. It turns out, that Oti is really the "Super Dog". The metal hook from the green leash was still hanging on Oti's collar.

Dr Duffy said that Otis was a big muscular dog. I guess we now know just how strong he is!

Before & After

The outside work on the house is almost complete.

This is what our house used to look like:

This is the new look:

Always, Always

It has been 2 years since Danny passed away. The ache in my heart has not eased and I often think about what should have been.

When I step outside on warm sunny days, an image of Danny stretched out on the grass and soaking up the sun immediately comes to mind.

Jeff reminds me that we were lucky to have had such a special dog to share our lives, even if it was for a too brief moment.

When I think about Danny, I often smile, but sometimes I still cry. Today I will mourn a companion who was taken before a lifetime of memories could be made.

I miss you Danny....

Staircase

When we bought our home in Wilton, we had hoped to increase its size thru an addition. Unfortunately, this was not in our budget.

While we are not increasing the square footage, we are trying to make the house feel bigger. To help accomplish this goal, we have opened the wall alongside the staircase. We wanted to remove  the post at the end of the staircase, but it is a structural support.

With the open staircase we can see from one end of the house to the other.

Box Bay II

The second box bay window has been installed.

Favorite Spot

The new front door has been installed. The sidelights have quickly become Otis and Cooper's favorite spots.

Coop loves all the light that comes in. Otis loves to bark at the birds and squirrels in the yard

A Sense Of Humor

It's good to have a sense of humor when doing a major construction job.

I came downstairs one morning to find two big holes in the front of our house where a picture window and the front door used to live.

I mentioned to Steve, "Looks like we're doing the door and window today, right?"

"That's the plan", he replied.  Then he added, "I've only got one tarp and a half sheet of plywood left, so I hope it doesn't rain."

I just left for work hoping the rain holds off.

Me Help

Whenever I come home, Otis likes to pickup something and parade it around the house hoping that I will chase him.  Sometimes he grabs a shoe, a ball, or even a dish towel from the kitchen.

When I came through the front door the other day, Otis looked down where we usually leave our shoes and there was nothing there.  Then he ran towards the kitchen, but it was zipped up from the day's construction.  Otis rushed into the construction zone and picked up the first thing he could get his mouth on; a piece of scrap 2x4!  After he showed it to everybody, chasing ensued...

Goodbye Carpet

The carpet in the family room has been removed.

The hardwoods underneath are in fairly good shape. This floor and the foyer will need to be sanded and stained  to match the existing hardwoods. It has taken 4 years, but we will finally have the entire first floor in hardwood.

The master bedroom is now the only room in the entire house that does not have hardwood flooring. At some point, I hope to change that.

Stressed

We are all feeling the stress of renovating the house.

I stepped out of the shower the other day and nearly squashed Cooper. Poor Coop was squeezed between the tub and bathroom door shaking from the noise of the saws running downstairs.

When I arrive home at night I never know what parts of the house will have power. When we had to disconnect part of the basement lighting, I thought that was no big deal. Next we lost the outside lights. The final straw was coming home to no power in the office when I needed to work. Thankfully we have heavy duty extension cords.

Between the dumpster and the construction crews trucks, getting out of the driveway is no simple task. Even our garage is no longer accessible - it is full of construction supplies.

I miss having a couch to sit on and space to walk in. Dust is everywhere.

With 4 weeks left to go, I am starting to wonder what were we thinking when we began this project.

Box Bay

To add some visual interest to the house, the front windows are being replaced with box bay windows. Unlike a typical bay, these panes are all straight. There are no angled side windows.

June 22

Oti's surgery to remove his cancerous tumor is scheduled for June 22.

Dr Duffy is a great vet. We are hoping that Oti's surgery will be as successful as Cooper's was.

More windows

Both windows on the side of the house have been replaced.

These are the old windows.

These are the new windows.

Closets

The original closet has been removed  to open up space in the foyer.

Two new closets are being added to replace the old one. Increasing storage space was one of our goals.

Old vs New

You can see the difference between the old and new windows.

 The amount of light entering the house will be doubled when the construction completes.

Another First

Earlier this spring, our tree peony finally flowered.We now have another first. Our other peony has also flowered.

We bought a White Flower Farm peony at Stew Leonard's a few years ago. We planted it in a  semi-shady spot and every year it produced leaves but no flowers.

Last fall we moved the peony to a sunny spot and this  spring it has produced several blooms.

Windows Installed

Once the temporary wall was built, the first windows were installed.Originally, there was a sliding glass door in this room.

Now there are 2 windows along the back wall.

Conman

I got home from the grocery store and Coop began to whine to go out. Since it had been a few hours since his morning walk, I quickly put the groceries away and called to Coop and Oti to go for a walk.

Coop quickly did his business, but Oti just walked along, not showing any interest in the trees and bushes. After a while I gave up and headed for home.

When I got to the front door, Jeff was coming out. His comment was, "Did the dogs fool you into walking them again, they just went out before you got home!"

Temporary wall

The sliding glass door in the dining room no longer exists.  When the sheetrock was removed, Steve, the contractor immediately recognized a problem.

When the door was originally installed, it seems that the door was too large for the framing. Rather than reframing, the installer cut thru the structural beam to make it fit. Steve said that there was no safe way to easily  remove the door  without the entire wall collapsing.

A temporary wall was built, so the door could be removed and the windows framed.

I asked if this was a unique situation and Steve said no, too many people think they can do-it-yourself and don't realize that construction needs to be done in the right way.

Foyer

The tile in the foyer has been removed. This makes me extremely happy. The tile had been installed over the hardwood floor and the tile was 2 inches higher than the rest of the flooring. I am always tripping over this.

The original hardwood floor will need some repair, sanding and staining.In spite of that, I still think the floor already looks better than it did.

Insulation

When we renovated the upstairs bath, we found out that there was no insulation in this room. That made me wonder if there might be other rooms that were uninsulated.

When I arrived home on the first day of construction, I was happy to see insulation in the dumpster.

In speaking to the contractor, he said that when the front window casing was removed, they noticed there was no insulation along the edge of the window. I said I wouldn't be surprised if there was no insulation  in the wall.

Out came the hammer and sure enough, there was no insulation. I am dumbfounded. Why insulate 2 exterior walls, but not the third ?

1000

Otis has cancer.

We have had 4 Goldens with 4 different types of cancer. What are the odds of that ? If this were baseball, we would be batting 1000. I am unbelievably tired of hearing that diagnosis.

Oti had his annual vet appointment. This was a simple exam and shots appointment. I asked Dr Duffy to examine a lump on Oti's side. Dr Duffy thought that it was probably a cyst or something benign. However, to be sure, it was aspirated.

Dr Duffy read the slides immediately and came back with the bad news that this is a cancerous tumor. The good news is that it is slow growing and once removed the odds are that Oti will be fine.

I asked Dr Dufffy if we needed surgery immediately or could it wait. My concern is that with the construction going on Oti is completely stressed and hyper-excited. Our vacation is coming up and Oti will be in a kennel (risk of infection). Dr Duffy said that Oti will need to be shaved and have a 3 inch incision on his side. He agreed that it would be ok to wait until we returned from vacation and Oti can recover at home.

In a few weeks, Oti will be having surgery. We are crossing fingers and paws and hoping for the best.

Life in a bubble

We are living in a plastic bubble.

Jeff says  the rooms outside the plastic are like Mars - barren and cold. The kitchen and bedroom would be the space station.

Two people, 2 dogs and 200 sq feet of living space. Will we all survive this 6 week journey into the unknown?

Back to the basement

I am lucky enough to have a job where I sometimes get to work at home.

Unfortunately, during construction, I cannot be at home with all the noise and distractions. While this will be tough on me, it will be harder on Cooper and Otis.

When I am home, the dogs spend the day on the bed. Now, they will be in the basement.

Destruction

Today was the first day of construction. The house is in shambles.

I keep telling myself that the mess  and disruption will be worth it.....

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Here is the St. Anthony's High School Choir performing "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

Anxious

The first floor of our home is almost bare. Rugs have been rolled up and moved out as has the furniture.

With each  item that leaves the house, Cooper and Otis grow more anxious. Considering their background, this is not surprising. Coop's family moved away and left him chained in the yard with no food or water. Oti's family had a foreclosure and he was dropped at the pound.

I try to give the dogs extra treats and hugs to reassure them that we are not abandoning them. However, they both look at me with doubtful eyes. Their life experience has taught them that nothing lasts forever.

Now, when I head out of a room, both dogs are on my heels. If I go outside, Coop begins to bark an anxious and desperate call.

Can you hear me now?

I was in the office, spending another night on the phone with Japan, when Coop wandered in. Otis was downstairs with Jeff.

Coop stretched out near my chair. Every few minutes, I would hear thump, thump, thump. Coop was wagging his tail and demanding to be petted. I leaned over gave him a pat and everything was quiet. 10 minutes later, thump, thump, thump.  This went on for an hour.

I looked at Coop, stretched out and content, wanting affection and thought time really can heal some wounds.

Thief

Every afternoon, after Carol walks Cooper and Otis, they get a snack. I left 4 milkbones and Carol's check on the counter and headed upstairs to get ready for work.

When it was time to leave, I noticed that Oti did not race downstairs as he usually does. I entered the kitchen and saw that Carol's check was damp and the treats were gone!

I then noticed Oti in the hallway, with his head hung down. It was obvious who stole the milkbones. I guess I should be thankful that he didn't eat the check too.

Getting ready

Work on the house should begin next week. Furniture is being moved, photos and breakables are being boxed up.

After construction completes in 6 weeks, the real fun will start for Jeff and I. We are going to do all the painting ourselves!

I like onions too

It seems that Oti also has an attraction to onions.

Cooper and Otis were on the back deck soaking up the sunshine. When I looked out, I saw Oti's head in the onion planter. Unlike Cooper who likes to dig, Oti was eating the dirt!

I yelled at Oti to stop before he got sick. I sighed, prayed for patience and laughed when Oti wandered over with dirt all over his face.

Foxes, Foxes Everywhere

Jeff took Coop and Otis out in the back yard and I heard them both begin to bark. Next came a sound like a cat yipping but louder and sharper.

Jeff came in and said the fox was near the shed and when the dogs began to bark, the fox barked back and then ran off.

A few hours later, the dogs began to howl at the door. I yelled at Coop and Oti to be quiet, but they did not stop. I looked out and did not see anything on the front lawn. However, near the pond was the fox, just sitting and enjoying the scenery.

At night, I can hear the fox barking in the woods that border our yard. I wonder if the fox den is nearby.

Finally

Three years ago we planted a tree peony. I was so excited at that time, with visions of our little peony becoming a large tree loaded with flowers.

Unfortunately, the peony has struggled and never flowered. Jeff built a snow cover to protect this fragile tree during the winter, but even that did not help.

This spring, the peony produced a lot of leaves and one single flower. I kept my fingers crossed and made sure Coop and Oti did not get close to it.

Finally, the bud opened and the flower is beautiful. I hope it is not 3 years before we see another one.

Entrysets

Now that we are getting a new front door, we need a new lockset. We looked at Klaff's which carries Baldwin, but did not find anything we loved.

We saw an Emtek lockset that we both liked. After 20 years of brass hardware, we are changing to oiled bronze. I think this will be a better match with the existing exterior lights.

Watching

Every morning when I leave for work, Otis races upstairs and watches out the bedroom window. All I can see is the top of his head as I drive off.

Sweet Rocket

Thanks to Dot F, our mystery plant has been identified. It is Sweet Rocket (Hesperis Matronalis).

This plant supposedly has a very sweet fragrance,  but I did not notice it. I will have to give it a sniff tomorrow.

Part II - What is it?

The plant/weed in our garden has started to flower. I think it is phlox.

Entry Doors

I have always wanted a wooden front door. However, several contractors said a wood door is not the best option, if the door will be exposed to direct sun. Also, when it is extremely cold outside and warm inside, this can stress the door.

Steel doors were recommended. However, we already have one that I hate so I refused to consider this.

Fiberglass is another option. I have seen fiberglass doors at Home Depot and they did not impress me. I was told that there are much nicer fiberglass doors, so off we went to WindowRama.

Walking in, I saw a Jeld-wen fiberglass mahogany entry door. This door was gorgeous and I thought, I could live with that. When I heard the price was $5K, I realized this was too pricey.

It turns out that mahogany doors are the most expensive. Doesn't that figure !

We found this door by Therma-Tru that we liked and will provide more light into the foyer.

You make me smile

I love this picture, because Coop and Oti look happy.

Why the smiles and rapt attention? Because they know there is a treat in my hand.

Contractor

I am always concerned about hiring a contractor to work on the house. You never know how good a tradesman will be. You can check references, but the contractor does not include unhappy customers on this list.

One of Jeff's associates owns a woodworking and construction company. Steve told Jeff he would usually not consider a project like ours. His preference is for custom cabinetry and woodworking. However, with a slow economy and a payroll to meet, Steve is willing to bid on the project.

I asked Jeff if hiring a friend was a good idea. Will you still be friends when the project is finished ? Jeff said he prefers to have someone he trusts work in our home. I can't argue with that.

Amazing Dunk

A new door ?

Pulling into the driveway, I looked at our home and tried to imagine it with new windows. I saw two things that made me wince.

1 - The stairs and stoop are an eyesore. Replacing them is an extremely expensive and time consuming project. Not much we can do about this one.

2 - Our 40 year old metal door. This door is ugly and has low energy efficiency. No light comes thru the door which makes the foyer dark.

When Jeff got home, I suggested replacing the door. We are currently discussing adding this item to our renovation.

Onion Lover

You may recall that last week Cooper dug out our onion planter. After that, I refused to let Coop back outside, to protect the bulbs.

It was another beautiful day and Coop sat crying by the back door. I looked into his big sad eyes and relented. As I opened the door, I said you better not dig! I think Coop stuck out his marble tongue as he raced out.

I checked on him 5 minutes later and once again, there were onions and dirt everywhere. I cleaned up the mess and blocked his access to the onion pot. I then went back inside.

I looked out and he was now digging in ANOTHER flower pot. I called Cooper inside and vowed "never again"!