In January I was enjoying working on the Octagon Bedroom.

All re-lathed!

The poor mantel was in rather deplorable condition.

And damaged by a long-term water leak from above.

I removed the whole mantel, having no idea of how many months would pass before the restoration was…

…completed. Note. too, repaired floor.

Even the bent shelf was bent no more. Yes, I am a magician.

On January 21st, something happened which compelled me to bedeck the house with American flags. My country…and decency, kindness, and intelligence…were back.

After who knows how many decades, the tower, once again, had a huge, undamaged sheet of curved glass on its first floor big window. You can imagine my…great excitement. I was in shock, too. Was it REALLY done? Really? Did you see it, too?

Piles of oak were ordered by The Other Justin to begin the restoration of all the second-level flooring.

And much repair was needed. The flooring dates to circa-1929.

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The crazy big 5-foot x 5-foot shower pan for my bathroom arrived.

And many months later the shower was finished.

One day, while carefully taking down a loose blue tile in the Round Bedroom, all at once all the tiles started to fall to the floor. I threw my body against the avalanche. While no tile broke…a miracle…I had aged ten years in just a second. Slowly, I tip-toed backwards out of the room, closed the door, locked it, and vowed to never enter the room again.

Kenny and Jet made the first of numerous visits. And, like Santa, kept bestowing the Cross House with gifts.

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Ta-Da!!!!!!!! The cat fence resumed. Then…poo…died again. Sigh.

Cody kept finding window sash pulls and other hardware bits.

After much ado, the main downspout (the widest on the house) was artfully positioned smack between the huge kitchen windows, thanks to a custom-made elbow.

With great excitement, I began removing the 1960s sheetrock from the third floor ceiling, revealing the original beadboard.

Areas of the beadboard had been damaged by fire.

And with most of the sheetrock gone. The white walls are also beadboard.

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Restoring the original wainscoting finish in the kitchen proved a struggle.

Early in the year I focused a lot on the kitchen, even creating a mock-up of the soapstone sink I had planned to order.

A new maple floor was installed over the highly damaged original. Cabinets for the island were ordered, and I thought the kitchen would be done by the end of the year. Then…all the work stopped, and I canceled the endlessly back-ordered cabinets.

In anticipation of the first Cody arrival, the Octagon Bedroom was made ready for its first guest!

And said guest!

After the huge shower was installed in the SE bathroom, I decided to add an arch.

My decision was a good one.

Then……………all worked stopped on the big house while attention was redirected to the long abandoned carriage house.

The basement was a horror of black pythons and spaghetti wiring and debris. Note three boarded-up windows.

No more pythons. No more spaghetti. No more boarded-over windows.

After removing the plywood, I discovered this lovely arched sash! Its outside was caked with six-inches of spray foam which needed to be chiseled off.

Ta-da!

After the new HVAC trunk line was installed, the basement door was too tall. So we cut it down. But tall Scott and tall Justin objected…

…and created a solution.

More basement windows being restored. Each one is different!

A very dirty before.

Few things make me happier than assuring sunlight. The wood is shellacked.

The dining room, looking east into the kitchen. After demolishing the huge bathroom protruding into the large dining room, it was with considerable excitement when new studding was installed.

Then sheetrock. Ye gods!

What I believe to be an original kitchen cabinet was, at long last, set into its new location. Note original floor, sanded.

And now with 1940s wallpaper as a backdrop.

The door between the bedroom in the SW corner and dining room was blocked up…

…leaving the entry via a hall tucked under the stair, hence the name Secret Bedroom.

And, back to the big house! Remember the poor arch?

Squee!

After much much MUCH ado the 1894 screen doors have been restored. Thanks, Dr. Doug!

And, back to the carriage house! Also after much much MUCH ado, the infamous green sink was finally hung.

All new water lines were installed! Note custom-made super low HVAC trunk line, left. A Ross idea!

After much much MUCH ado, new joists were installed above the living room to correct a dangerous sag in the ceiling.

And Cody’s smile was wide in the de-forested living room.

In the new first-floor bathroom, Cody found the perfect sink. It was installed with alacrity.

In the sunporch, I begged The Other Justin to install boards I removed from the front porch, which I demolished in 2015.

My begging was rewarded. Golly.

Thanks, The Other Justin!

I also begged to have the second-level SW bedroom have its floor redone, which was caked with carpet glue. I was, again, rewarded. Thanks, Justin!

The dining room ceiling was cut open to install new electrical and plumbing. Hi, Scott!

And the lovely dining room, with its dignity at long last restored. Decor by Cody.

The living room ceiling was popcorn sheetrock. Oh, the horror. For seven years I wondered: What is it hiding? And, in 2021, this was the answer.

Evil, vanquished.

The living room. No longer a storage room.

And y’all remember my Kate Winslet moment.

ZOUNDS! One of the new tenants has moved in!

Not every project was fun.

The best-ever Cody find.

Back to the big house, this single drawer is the first part of the main pantry to be…drum roll, please…RESTORED!

Saving the best for last: Happy butts!

I asked Vicki and Bill to pretend they were on a ship, sinking to port.

Cody (right) arrived for a 10-day visit to the Cross House, the first time we had met. His mom, Linda, also stopped by, with her husband, Ted. Blake, who works with Linda and Ted, is left. It was a delight meeting everybody!

During the middle of a severe earthquake, I managed to get a picture of cousins Sarah (L) and Cathleen (R).

In October, I enjoyed a visit from Mellissa (R), and her mom, Liz (M), and Liz’s friend, Kathleen (L). Somehow though, this was never posted. My bad!

Phyllis and Louis celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the house.

Justin (R) and his dad, Kelly, toured the house, a gift from mom, Dianna.