Close Only Counts in Horseshoes

When we began the shower adventure, the plan was to have it completed for Peter's mum to be able to use it when she visits this year.
She arrives Thursday, and here is our progress so far:
1. Tile sun porch floor to use it as a clay studio -check
2. Make clay extruder for accent tiles - check
3. Make accent tiles - check
4. Build shower stall - check
5. Tile shower stall - ummmm...


Well, we got close didn't we? This is how close. Note, one wall is 3/4 tiled, another is 1/2 tiled. The other two walls are still untiled. No door, no floor, no glass block window either.


Even if we tiled tomorrow night and Tuesday night, and all day Canada Day, I doubt the tiles would be all finished, and then it takes a couple days to set before you can grout it. We are not moving too fast. What you see is the result of 8 hours work. Four hours yesterday morning and 4 more today. And frankly we're pooped. Tile setters earn their money.

So If we worked really hard and ignored Betty altogether during her visit, it might be ready by the time she leaves.

Valiant effort, but still a failing grade I'm afraid. Poor Betty will just have to have a bath.

The holes you see in the corners will be shelves. And the blue tiles (that look quite black in the picture) are going to interfere with the escutcheon on the tap so we still have to figure out how to cut them elegantly around that. Our tile cutter won't cut circles, and the wet saw seems to chip them quite a bit. We think we will just grind them down a little.
I have to say though, I do like the look.

Happy Summer Solstice

I have come to realize that I eat my way through the year.
First it is fiddle heads. This is a favourite of the other one, being from New Brunswick originally. Fiddle heads are eaten by the pound with every meal for about 10 days until they disappear from the roadside farm markets.
Fiddle heads are followed closely by asparagus and rhubarb. Creamed asparagus on puff pastry. Asparagus quiche, asparagus steamed, asparagus raw and direct from the garden patch when i'm weeding.
Rhubarb custard pie, rhubarb crisp, stewed rhubarb and ice cream.
Last week I gorged myself on foreign cherries while waiting for the cherries on my tree to ripen enough for the birds to cheat me again (for the 6th year in a row)
This weekend I indulged and bought the first strawberries on offer to make shortcake. That will keep me happy for the next 14 days until new veggies for hodgepodge come along, followed by raspberries, blackberries and peaches, tomatoes, peppers and squash.
All these things I have in my own garden, but mostly I buy to supplement what is never enough.
We spent the weekend with friends at Milford House down by Annapolis this weekend. We hiked in the rain and ate. Kayaked in the rain and ate. Read books by the fireplace and ate. Knitted by the fireplace and ate. And one clever spouse was observant that we are all fortunate to live in such a place.
Indeed. Happy Solstice.

Suffering for my Art

On Tuesday evening Patsy and Edwina crashed the NSCC graduation ceremony at the Middleton Campus. A friend had the misfortune to be Valedictorian for the COGS campus so we went to hear his speech (and freak him out a little).
In fact his girlfriend (not shown here) made the crowned crusaders a trio. Her pale lavender gown complimented our lime green and pastel pink ones perfectly. When we stood together we looked like moon mist ice cream.
We were a hit with every little girl in the room. And truth be told, people were taking our picture while we were taking his as he crossed the stage.
It was a memorable evening, but the junk jewelry have given me a painful rash on my neck and ears.
And before anyone comments, fur is a renewable resource.

Shower Power

Last weekend we added a layer to the shower system. This is the kerdi membrane that makes the layer of already water proof concrete board more waterproof. We did this Saturday and then had to let the mortar set for at least 48 hours before the tiles could go on, so Sunday instead of shower building we built a back step outside the sunporch door, because some people find a 15 inch drop to the ground a little uncomfortable. Go figure.

Harder Than It Looks

There are too few hours in the day to do all that needs doing it seems, but last evening I was feeling like I should put in an effort to stack some of that firewood we had delivered, oh only 3 months ago. Nothing like getting a chore done early I always say.
Peter had made an admirable start, and one half cord was already neatly stacked. How hard could this be I thought? The theory is simple; stack bits of wood three across and three lengthwise on the ends to make a tower that holds up the bits in the middle. My stack got up to about four feet high, and then one end collapsed. While I was rebuilding that end (and attempting to keep the middle from collapsing any more) the other end collapsed. After 45 minutes of work this is what I had to show for it. Note the nice straight upright Peter stack behind.
I gave up and went to bed feeling pretty much like a Townie out of her element. I mean let's face it, when I was growing up if you wanted the house to be warmer you just turned up the thermostat. On Mondays at school, I would hear stories from other kids about how they had to stack wood all weekend. Now I understand.