THE OTHER HOUSE: 2
If you want to learn about My Other House, click here.
The east kitchen door. It is beveled glass, and I installed it like 20 years ago. Of note here are the ceramic tiles to the left. I needed to finish tiling the wall.
The tall tiled walls are a theme of the kitchen.
I needed to cut some tiles to fit around the light switches. But I kept breaking the tiles at an angle. Then I first scribed the needed cut with my tile scribing tool, and only then used the tile snipper.
It worked! Gadzooks!
And this small area mostly done. Baby Steps, dahlink. Baby Steps. I will next strip the door to bare wood and repaint it in the not-quite-black color I will be using. The cats like the door. When the indoor kitties are in the fenced yard, they claw up to the bottom trim of the glass, and hang there with their little heads peering in until I spot them. I usually hear them before seeing them. I then open the door and they rush in. Even New Kitty has figured this out, which kinda amazes me. Did she get instructions via text?
Another long unfinished area. The final row never installed.
The row of tiles cut! And this was the only work I did that day on the kitchen. But…it meant that I was one more step towards the finish line!
Tiles installed! The project for that day.
Last row now grouted and finished after ten years! Trim painted (mostly), and installed! Gadzooks, again!
Another narrow row of installed tiles and trim! And, yes…say it with me…gadzooks! The wall heater came with the house but I don’t think it is safe to use at this point. S0, I either need to have it professionally worked on, or cover it with a cabinet. The issue is that it does not use electricity (unlike the central heat). Thus, in the event of losing power in the winter (which happens) I can still have heat.
Working on my house every day, no matter how small or large the effort, is my own Project 2025. And, so far, I am very pleased. I find it diverting and satisfying. For, every day, something positive gets done.
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Good work! Congratulations, especially on that last row of tile. And, I am working on restoring my 50 year old Tudor dollhouse every day, thanks to your inspiration and famous patented Baby Step method. Today I installed a brown window frame around an interior bay window in the kitchen. I am working on building, painting and installing 15 Tudor style windows. There are about 7 more that will wait. Next I will install wallpaper in the kitchen, and the hardwood floors in the kitchen, living room and two bedrooms. Thank you for your continuing inspiration Ross. However, I must tell you that achieving “crispy” in miniature is a true challenge. I do try. We can restore these houses, big and small!
My two outdoor/ indoor kitties alert me that they want in by climbing on my gas meter and patting the window screen. I then go to the front door and they come running around the corner to come in! One evening, I heard patting at the window, but it wasn’t my cats. The ears were too rounded. It was a big raccoon who had seen the cats patting the screen, and was trying to figure out what they got out of it. He crawled around on the screen, patting it all over, for half an hour before I shooed him off by tapping the window. It was wild watching him!
Yes, cats learn by observation just like dogs. Freyja has picked up quite a bit from observing Diana.
I notice your little creative cat doors cut in the bottom panels of that one door. I’ll assume it will be finished off a bit at some point but still open to cats?
You can paint that wall heater with high heat appliance spray paint so it doesn’t look so bad. Call your local utility and they may come out to inspect it to see that it is safe to use. Even if it is, your insurance company may require it be removed.
Last Monday I went to the movie theater for the first time since way before Covid. I was early and on the way I noticed Santa and his elf in his little house all alone with no children. So I went in to say hi and sit with him for a bit. He gave me the same Baby Step™ advice you have for getting things done around the yard.
I made a trip to Home Depot yesterday for rebar and blocks. Today I will make one trip for fence boards and another to a different store for pressure treated lumbar. That should finally complete my materials list for repairing the gate and fence. And if I can’t get it done by Monday I will just extend the hold on my mail until I can get it done. This is a situation as once I take it down I can’t stop until it is back up or the dogs can roam the front yard at will so I can’t unlock the front gate for USPS or deliveries until the fence and gate are replaced and secure. I’m gathering up everything and doing as much as I can before the dismantling. I know I can build a gate in a day and replace a length of fence in a day, probably both the same day. It is the posts I am not sure about.
Yes, it is satisfying to look back on the day and see something got done. See it, physically.
I read your Other House story yesterday and I have been thinking about it since. How amazing are you Ross? It’s really not the Cross House house that helped restore you, it’s the Other House. I love how you took us through this tale room by room pointing out the mismatched floor levels and the ruined parts. I know I will come back to it to read it again. I love how you Dr. Seussified parts of the exterior and it sounds like you had some fun. Why not? It was a ruin and now she is habitable and beautiful. I still check every day to see if you have posted and now I know why there are gaps. I applaud you and your vision.