Snapshots of Progress

Last week once the insulation was put into the attic Isabela was overcome by how suddenly the cave of a room felt like a real room. And I agreed. The sound changed in there altogether and felt much more like a space that we would actually inhabit. I had settled into my living room chair to do embroidery and she bounded in and said

"Come on, lets work up in the new studio!"

"No way, it's a mess up there, and there's no light," I laughed back.

"But Mom, its your new studio, and we can take a light and put blankets down over the dust," she pleaded.

"Oh, Belle, I just don't want to be in a mess, I'm too comfortable down here, sorry."

And then when I looked for her at bedtime, I found her and Eleni just as they are shown above. Staking their claim on the space while its still in this fort-like adventurous state. Her pure eagerness came as such a needful reminder of my good fortune in creating this space.



The next morning, they hauled loads 12ft long drywall sheets up through the scaffold and through the open soon-to-be window hole after they had papered all the floors to protect them from the coming mess.



And speaking of messes. We finally had some sun the other day but our window space it still mostly boarded up until the real windows are in place. This eager sweeper mumbles at the bottom of the stairs everyday for a chance to go up and act out the role of worker. He watches Geoff and Pat in action, and then tries to emulate their skilled labor. Mostly that means he stands near some wall or structure, pushes on it, and grunts to make it sound like really hard work. I love watching him figure out this big mess that we're making, and also getting to watch the details of putting it all back together.



And today, after the long and boring, 10-day drywall process is finally complete, Pat watches for Geoff's signal to send up more oversize materials through the scaffold and window hole 3 stories up. The scaffold is set against the house right next to one of the current studio windows, and so every now and then my peripheral vision catches a man scaling the side of our house. (It keeps you dressed in your own home, that's for sure.) But Roman. Oh my goodness, if he sees them climb up, he gets so excited runs to the chair under the window, does his own scaling up to the back of the chair, and watches their every move as they unload all manner of wonders out the back of their work van.



This week should see all the built-in shelving go into place and at least one large window installed, and if we're really lucky, a power coat of primer paint on everything. And then, pals, we'll have another look. Okay?

Feeling united in sadness & prayer with so many souls across the world for Japan.
love, Anna Maria