Chapter 4

This is going to be a 4-room cabin.  As of this weekend, anyway, that is the plan.  There will be a master bedroom about 9 X 12, a bathroom with tub, shower, stool, sink and stackable washer and dryer and even a little closet space.  There will be an upstairs "loft" and a livingroom.  Oh, well, and that wonderful big front porch will be another room!  When we build the dogtrot, that will be another room and more storage. 

If you look closely, you can see a line on the floor.  There is the bathroom with, to the left, an area for the stacking washer and dryer and a closet (under those boards), then a pedestal sink, a shower/tub and the stool.  No window.  Look up.  There's an exhaust fan!  Except today Himself said, we'll see . . . about a little window on whichever wall the tub/shower is NOT.  maybe. 

And see those half circle windows leaning on the back wall?  They will go in the dogtrot to provide some natural light. 

Now there.  You can see the tape.  Here is where we will enter the bedroom.  We will have two nice big windows, to catch the summer breezes.  There will only be room for a queen size bed and a nice size dresser.  We might squeeze in two bedside tables to hold the Vicks and the Icy Hot close at hand. 

Here is where we will enter the new cabin, from the old cabin.  Himself and I discussed whether we would need a wall to close off the bedroom.  I said, let me think about it.  I came back later and said "we DO need that bedroom wall.  We need it in case we are still in PJs or in case we want to hide from whoever is coming to the front door!  lol

And this, this is a view out the living room windows.  There are the rocking chairs that I carried up yesterday and there is the Shagbark Hickory Tree left standing and intact, throughout the construction.  I love that old tree! 

Chapter 3

Another trip to Mo to check the progress.  The shell is complete except for the "brick" that will finish off the front of the cabin.  Tim, the builder, is visiting family in Wisconsin and will stop in Des Moines on his way home to pick up the brick.  One day this coming week, Tim and Himself will lay the brick up the front and then all that is left to do this fall, is to settle up -- pay Tim for the labor and pay for the materials and then get back to work, nose to the grindstone, and save and save so that next spring we can insulate, put down the upstairs floor and plan and do whatever else we can afford.  It will take us several years to get everything done and paid for.  We are sure looking forward to the adventure!

We have had a few lively discussions (disagreements?), negotiations, changes of mind.  We have some challenges ahead.  We hope this adventure keeps us young and motivated and forward looking.  You all come along for the ride! 

We slapped together some steps this weekend for this end of the porch.  We borrowed the ladder from the boat for the other end.  Himself put on the doorknob and locks at the backdoor and we picked up, putaway, and planned and plotted.  Saturday evening was so nice, we even moved the rocking chairs from the little porch to the big porch and this time of year there are no insects! 

Here is Himself, deep in calculation: 

          insulation, check. 

          wiring, check. 

          light fixtures, check. 

          outlets, check. 

          braces, bolts and bolsters! 

The other side is thinking, now the davenport will go here, the round table there, we'll hang a little flat screen and here's where the coat rack will go.  lol  Not quite that extreme -- but, well, you know how it goes. 

Poor little cabin looks like "poor relation" now but don't worry, little cabin, we have plans for you!  There is a new roof, new siding and a new doorway or two in your future! 



Big Cabin sits up big and tall.  We (I) did not imagine the size and I always thought it would sit lower but I will adjust and get used to it and I think, when we are done, it will look "all of a piece".  Or so I hope! 

There's a big room upstairs, waiting to happen.  We are glad we put in the bigger windows up there.  We had thought to put in windows half that size but these will allow good ventilation and light up in that loft. 

You all come back in a few days.  Himself and I laid out the floor plan this weekend.  We marked them out with masking tape.  Everything subject to change, of course!

Inside out, mostly

Himself checking out the view to the south -- over the "little" cabin. 

Way up there you get a view of the Lake!

This is the upstairs room.  It will  be about 12 X 24. 

It might be the bunkroom!  or the sewing room.

Maybe the office?

This eventually will be screened in, I'm thinking. 

This is probably about where the stair will come up/go down,

looking into the living room. 

This is the Master Bedroom.

Don't you love those windows?

This is the front hallway. 

Straight ahead is the front door out onto the big porch.

Just at the left, is the "connecting" door that will take you to the little cabin

through what is now the bedroom window of the little cabin.

And this is the living room, looking out toward the road up the hill, and out of the park.

It faces that big tin shed across the street but when the trees are leafed out,

there is not much you will be able to see out these windows except trees and leaves! 

What do you think?  Won't it be fun?

Won't it be fun after Himself and I discuss and argue; negotiate and bargain; bribe and blackmail, while making the decisions involved in finishing it out!  For instance, one issue already won and lost was the bathroom.  I thought there should be a window in the bathroom.  Himself did not. 

None of our bathrooms on Chestnut Street have windows, said Himself. 

No, they do not, said the other side and I've always wondered why? 

So three days straight I texted or telephoned and said, what about a window in the bathroom?????

Well, scroll down to "bathroom". 

See who won Round 1!

One round down, 101 left to go!

There's the bathroom -- way back there in the far, dark, corner of the cabin,  with nary a window cut out! 

House Raising

Our neighbor at the Lake, called these the concrete mushrooms.  She emailed and said we had "concrete mushrooms" sprouting on our lot!





I am just going to put these photos in for now, and let them stand on their own!

I have been waiting for Himself to Blog.  I even offered him photos for him to write around but he has projects at both ends.  Not only is this cabin rising in northern Missouri but our heat pump is being replaced in southern Iowa.  In addition to that, he's working half days at OMC and trying to finish trimming the house.
We expect to make a trip down and back middle of this week and may get there again on Friday.  I would enjoy being there for the WHOLE thing but we are really busy and struggling at work, what with this "going paperless" project and I hate to turn my back!

Anyway, I am really liking this addition.  I didn't know it would be so big!  Himself says from the upstairs loft, one will be able to see over the little cabin.  It won't look "of a whole piece" probably until we can get the little cabin resided and the dogtrot added on.  But still, we will be able to use the livingroom and our first interior improvement, we hope, will be the bathroom with shower!  Anyway, lots to tell and lots to come and I know Himself will join us soon.