I'm thinking we have J.Lo to blame.

We've had perfect weather - sunny skies for as far as the eye can see, and hot temperatures - ever since she arrived to shoot Shall We Dance? (Hmmm... was that a question?)

As soon as Ms. Lo finished tangoing into the night, we're hit with October-quality weather. Thankfully, most of the exterior work has been completed on our home, so the foul fall weather shouldn't hamper the contractors.

We were pleased to see the cultured stone was added to the tapered columns on our front facade and on the screen porch in the back. It looks better than we'd imagined - it creates an earthy feel without looking too heavy.

The finish carpenters have been very active over the past week. They installed all of the interior door and window trim including the headers, and sanded and installed the interior doors. The difference the trim makes is amazing. We can really feel the house now.
It's hard to articulate, but the detail work brings an tangible sense of care and craftsmanship to its soul. We immediately feel relaxed when we enter the living area, take in the soothing view out the back, drink in the aroma of the woodwork, and listen intently to the calming silence.

Silent living space

Even without the carpet in the living area, the added insulation inside the interior walls means an almost silent living space, at least until I fire up the Dolby Digital Surround Sound (TM/R) for the first time.

The finish carpenter was also set to install the tongue-and-groove 1x6 knotty pine on the interior of the screen porch. I'm quite eager to see how that looks once it's done, as the rustic nature of the pine should enhance the cottage feel of the porch. We went with chrome hinges and handles on the doors. It creates a clean look, and weathers and ages well. It also goes with almost any decorating theme.

Believe it - we finally selected our stucco colour after much constipation, er, consternation.

After hours of back-and-forth, we trotted out a loonie and flipped a coin. The winner? The medium tone of the "suede" colour.
Of course, we aren't sure what the final colour will look like, but that's secondary to the finish, in our minds.

While we would have preferred the smooth acrylic stucco you see on some houses, we opted for the more economical ³regular² stucco but with fine pointing. It will look more subtle than the sometimes-bulky stuff. I really hate packing. There, I said it, and I feel better. I¹m sure there are people out there who look forward to it, but I¹d rather be tested for a swollen prostate by a doctor with a meathook for a hand.

Part of the reason is my type-A personality. Everything has to be perfectly arranged, or I LOSE it. This affliction affected me in a critical way during my time as a grocery bagger at the local IGA in Taber, Alta.

Seriously. The eggs would go bad in the time it took me to figure out how to best arrange them. Thankfully, Rosanne is a master packer, able to quickly size up a pile of stuff and figure out how to neatly cram it into a box in seconds. We just have to make sure the cat isn¹t around when she¹s packing at full speed.