Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Sunday, October 29, 2006





My Sunday drive found some more work done at the new home. Window trim, soffits, copper roof, front porch floor and support beam are done. This coming week the framers should finish up with the stairs leading up to the porch and a few other minor items. My daughter, Ann's, baywindow bedroom has a deeper than normal closet to later accomodate a mainfloor laundry room ... it's now had the plumbing roughed-in. Everything is moving right along. We had snow flurries and sleet today ... with some snow showers expected tonight.

Saturday, October 21, 2006


We have windows!! (a nice surprise today)

Friday, October 20, 2006






ROOF IS UP ... I'm so happy, so very happy ! Last week it rained inside my new home ... the roof was not completely covering the top of the house. There was water everywhere ... but by the following day, it was 90% dried out ... Now it can rain all it wants, as long as the wind doesn't blow rain sideways through the window openings. The color is called mission brown ... so is my basement floor color (um). Two bathtubs have been "installed", the rough-in plumbing for the entire house is about completed, and the bonus room above the garage now has a framed end wall, flooring, stairs, and the bathroom. Here's a few pictures I took today.

Thursday, October 12, 2006






Walls, roof trusses, stairs ... beginning to take shape. Tomorrow (Friday) I'm off to pick out bathroom and kitchen tile and countertops.

Photos: 10/12/06 of new home under construction ... furry friend ?? Just a visitor that my kids thought I should have brought home!

Friday, October 06, 2006


This past week interior walls, doors, windows and one of two stairways were framed. Plus 80% of the exterior walls were covered over, and they started building the front porch. Ann's closet was expanded a bit to eventually convert to a main floor laundry room, and I gave up a corner cabinet of the kitchen to put in another very convenient doorway (before, there was just one way in and one way out). Next week we should start on the second floor above the garage and the roof trusses. Progress is sweet.

Photo: Ann standing near the storageroom door near walkout basement, 10/6/06