Saturday, September 1
Things were busy, busy in Braintree today, kind of like on 'This Old House' when all the various tradesmen show up. Besides Gary, his partner and the plumber were there. The plasterer and the concrete guy who will be pouring the basement slab both came by to coordinate their work, and the excavator who started the 'Big Dig', dropped by just to say hello. The deck is all framed and by this time tonight, the decking and stairs are probably on as well. The shower moved from outside on the driveway to its place inside. And the new light for the deck fit perfectly in place.
posted by Judy at 10:39 PM|link
Thursday, August 30
The final evening of my Vermont visit, Marcia and Jay hosted a fabulous garden dinner party. Preparations began early on Saturday, with Jay working on the almost addictive salsa verde he served with the salmon (request the recipe from him at bingbrk@together.net), and Marcia getting ready to arrange table centerpieces of sunflowers and red peppers. When I say early I mean it. Notice the fresh bread stacked up on the table, already baked by Jay at the start of the day. Grand plans included carrying the oak table from the dining room outside, and stringing lights and lanterns so the party could last into the evening. Once the party started , there was the usual pre-game warmup for a closely-contested match of boule . And serious boule it was, though all disputes were resolved in a friendly manner despite appearances. Not everyone got involved in the game, though towards the end of the match, the table area had been vacated, just waiting for dining to begin. And once we were sitting around the table, instead of feeling like it was outdoors, it felt almost like being in a private room, with light above but darkness all around. Good thing we strung up that second set of lights.
posted by Judy at 5:04 PM|link
Wednesday, August 29
Of course my Vermont visit didn't end with pizza night. The next day I spent some time with my two nephews, Remy and Jordan, building outdoor structures to mimic the virtual structures of computer games they play. All the time they talked about the buildings in game terms, assigning resources and then upgrading them with more imaginary types of warriors for fighting and defense.
posted by Judy at 11:45 AM|link
Tuesday, August 28
I finally made it up to Vermont on pizza night to see what all the excitement was about. The best 'Pizza on Earth' happens every Tuesday and Thursday in the pizza hut at Jay and Marcia's Bingham Brook Farm, where they also have a farm stand for their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) customers. When you drive in it's crowded and finding a parking place took all my Boston skills. The scene inside the separate small pizza hut is busy, busy with Jay keeping track of orders and everything in a high-tech way, perhaps a bit unexpected for Vermont. Most people get their pizzas to go but some apparently just can't wait , and simply walk out and settle down next to the fields to enjoy them. Being family has its perks though, and we got both of the night's special pizzas delivered right to the kitchen table.
posted by Judy at 5:55 PM|link
Monday, August 27
Lots of progress since we were last in Braintree. All the siding is on along with the roof trim. Inside everything is now framed, with an opening left to get the shower stall in, and the wiring is all done. A couple of the same old shots verify changes on the outside while the two inside views give an idea of what it will feel like to sit and look out the windows.
posted by Judy at 11:27 AM|link
Sunday, August 26
Before we head down to Braintree again this afternoon, here's a quick and belated update on progress as of last Wednesday. Most of the exterior siding is now on, and inside, the framing is started and the ceiling rafters are in place. Stay tuned for another update tomorrow.
posted by Judy at 4:31 PM|link