What Happens Next

Someone's In The Kitchen

When last we visited the kitchen, somewhere around here, it was a very lonely place. Pigeons and the occasional tumbleweed flew through, on their way to more pressing matters. Everyone had somewhere else to be, something else to do.

Ha. Not any more.

Something's definitely afoot here. The wheels (or table saws) of progress are absolutely turning.

There's even sheetrock on the walls!! But that is a different story for a different day.

A closer look, perhaps?

There was a plan. The plan was, we shipped this beautiful cabinetry from California to Texas to use as a majority of the kitchen. Yay! These cabinets, which were fixtures from the gift store that Daughter and I had for many years, were going to go to Dallas and begin their exciting new life as a kitchen. Proving once and for all that the five years they spent in storage was money well spent, after all. Pure genius! Yay for us!

Well, this is the only section that fits the footprint of the space, as it turns out. The beautiful plaster archway that frames the area just wreaked havoc on our best laid plans. We tried and tried to redesign to accomodate other pieces, but they are all just too wide to fit correctly. All but this one. And it's my favorite, anyway. Even if it had to be taken apart and stretched and retrofit and bears only a passing resemblance to it's original self. Even if.

So the other sections of cabinetry are all busy finding homes in various bedrooms and miscellaneous places. There will also be a happy ending for them, for sure.

So, voila. Here comes Kevin to the rescue, and boy is he working fast! He's a blur!! Now, granted, it helps if Daughter is closely supervising the plan, and it definitely helps if your supervisor, the brave Thomas, can fill in as a babysitter as needed.

But what helps the absolute most is that Kevin is father to the Daughter, so of course grandfather to The Boy. Wow, there is ALOT of nepotism talent on this jobsite! The man is a genius at his trade. There is no one else I would ever have build something for me if I could possibly help it. He is painfully slow (sorry, Kevin) but his work is nothing short of spectacular. You'll see.

And The Boy calls him Baja. Or Baha. I'm not really sure how he'll spell that. But since he's learning Spanish, probably the former.

So now we have a full-fledged woodshop in the sanctuary. Gone are the wide open spaces. Man, is there alot of sawing going on down there! And a couple of dumpsters full of sawdust as well. And alot of discussions, and plans, and revised plans.

And that arch laying on it's side? That's the framing for the top of the island. 8' x 13', including the step-down on the back side. I'm thinking it really COULD qualify as an island!

See, the guy that was standing behind them finally got tired and left, and they're still planning and plotting. They must be hatching something big. Oh no, this could take a really, really long time!!

And don't be misled by these other guys in the photo. I'm not even sure who they are, honestly. Subcontractors of something. Anyway, Kevin works alone. He will cut every board, glue every joint, nail every piece of molding himself. As is always the case with the handwork that others do, I am amazed by that. I am always amazed by that. To witness this stack of lumber, or raw material of whatever type, transformed by a pair of human hands into something of singular beauty is just a privilege and a thrill every time.

And since he lets The Boy hang out in the cabinets when he visits the jobsite, of course he is a rock star to him. So I think I will let him take the last picture.

"Say cheese, Baja!"

The View From Here

Chilly days have arrived here in north Texas. And along for the ride came an equally gorgeous sunset. This is the view I am privileged to enjoy from the third floor of the church, where I have set up my glass "shop" for the duration of this project.

Unfortunately, the sheetrock crew and the painters have been camped on the third floor for over three weeks now. Nice for getting a break from working, bad for progress... So I have enjoyed a week-long trip back home to California with Daughter and The Boy. Ahh, those beautiful Southern California winter days! Lucky for us, we left just before the rain hit there.

So back to work, right? Wrong. Still not finished up there. To the credit of the sheetrock crew, they found areas that needed further refining after the paint primer was on, so it's pretty hard to argue with that. As a result, my worktables are still covered with tarps and pushed to the side while the sanding goes on...and on. Sigh.

For the meantime, I will console myself with the view. It's enough.

Stairway To Heaven

I am constantly amazed at how often my breath is taken away on this project. There seems to be no end to the lengths (and heights) these guys will go to get the job done. And in this case, the job entails stripping and staining all of the wood ceiling beams, window casings and stair railings in the sanctuary area of the church. I use the term "guys" because that is the only gender we have on this crew. The only females involved are yours truly and the Daughter. And since she is the designer on this project, she is involved pretty much full-time with buying stuff and pointing at mistakes. That's right, I said pointing AT. And trust me when I tell you that there is alot of pointing going on right about now. Just sayin.

So as the whole ladder thing goes, this isn't TOO bad. They are barely reaching two stories high, the angle of the ladders is pretty good, and there is that whole brick wall providing a sense of stability. Not sayin I like it, but okay. It's not like it's the roof, after all. I'm calm.

And this is even better. He's only on a seven footer...what could be the problem here? Well, on closer inspection, one might notice that the slightest false move, or even an innocent sneeze, and he could go right over the edge of that balcony! Kind of makes me feel guilty that he gets nervous having his picture taken. (Too bad he already saw me.)

BUT THIS!! People, this is just not right. This is the kind of thing that puts ME right over the edge, even though I'm standing smack on the ground. These ladders are reaching 35 feet in the air, almost straight up, and barely leaning against a beam. Nope. No sir. Please. Stop. Doing. This.

Even though no one is on these ladders at the moment, trust me when I tell you that they do work up there. Even though I have repeatedly asked them not to. So now, whevener they see me coming, they scurry down at breakneck speed and pretend to be doing something else. See the heat gun hanging from the ladder on the left? It's still swinging. And when they go up and down, the sway on those ladders is truly disturbing. If this whole construction thing doesn't work out for them, they could probably have a bright future in the circus.

Remember when I told you about the lovely shade of baby blue everything was painted? The lighting in these two photos is really showcasing that heavenly hue.

Ahh, a close-up. Looks like someone built himself a cute little platform to stand on. Sorry. Still a no.

Look, I'm not entirely ladder-phobic. In the younger days, when I was spunkier and more agile, I was the one working at the Laura Ashely store who would stand on the very top of the ladder and change the bulbs in the recessed lights. Yeah, the SIX FOOT ladder. The civilized ladder. I don't think I even realized that ladders could stretch out to such dizzying heights unless they were attached to a fire truck. And then they came with firefighters, and so of course courage was a given. And besides, they work with nets, right??

If we could please turn our attention to the other side of the room, you can see that we do in fact have scaffolding on site. Brand new, heavy duty scaffolding capable of reaching the very top of the ceiling. Much, much better. Although, I'm still not sure that I could be happy working up there. Of course, that would be if I could even GET up there. Sigh.

One thing that can never seem to make it anywhere is Felix's shirt. No matter the weather, homeboy will end up at his workstation naked from the waist up. Seriously, what is up with that??

Here he seems to be demonstrating his superior range-of-motion while "sin la camisa".

Either that, or he is accusing Riccardo of tossing his shirt off the edge of the platform again. See it hanging there? Guys, please try to come to a peaceful resolution. NO MORE DRAMA!

Up On The Roof

Sometimes you just have to take a moment to assess your situation and formulate a mental game plan.

This is Thomas, our construction supervisor, and he seems deep in assessment, don't you think?

Of course, when you find yourself over 50 feet in the air, balanced on the tip of a very steep angle, it's always a good idea to go slow and focus.

And always have a buddy with you.

Or two buddies...even better.

Our first go-round with roofers on this project wasn't a happy one. They were clearly unprepared for the challenge that this building presented, and let's just say that their skills were found to be sorely lacking. There was a contractor in place for that phase also, and wow, can I just say that he was the poster boy for everything that is wrong in the remodeling industry. Dude, please find another line of work.

Here's a good look at one of the challenges. My, my, that is certainly a long way down!

But not to fear, Thomas and his crew corrected everything that was an issue, and we officially have a completely new roof. It helps that he was a full-time roofer for several years before he joined our team.

Might as well test the new power washer while we're up here...

And, because the roof is now perfect and leak-free, there are no worries!!

I think Thomas just enjoys the peace and quiet of the roof, and is obviously using it here as an "al fresco" office. Is this why I often have trouble finding him when the weather is pleasant?? Yeah, a good old fashioned cold snap should take care of that!

And exactly how did I get these pictures, anyway??
Hmm, I'll get back to you on that...

The Beasty Boys

Introducing the objects of my canine love.
Please don't hate them cause they're beautiful.

There just never were more lovable doggy mugs. So, so sweet...gentle and affectionate.

Almost five years ago, my family thought long and hard about what kind of dog would be best suited to our household. For all of the characterisitics that we were looking for, the English Mastiff kept popping up in searches. We had never had a mastiff as part of our herd, never even thought about one really. But there they were, all over our search criteria, and we fell for their obvious charms. Who could resist?

So after much more research by my daughter, and a thorough screening of the breeder, and she of us, Lucca joined our family. He is the handsome devil in the front.

Now the breeder, Heather, warned us that Lucca would not be our only mastiff. She told us that we would fall so madly in love that we would feel compelled to adopt another. And two years later that's exactly what happened. By that time Heather had relocated to Tennessee, and Giovanni came to us via Continental Airlines. That's how much we wanted him.

The very best part of this twosome is that they are related to one another. (Surely you noticed the resemblance?) Giovanni is the son of Lucca's favorite sister, Tilly. I cannot emphasize enough how much Lucca loves Tilly. It borders on the obsessive, and I'm just gonna say that it's probably a good thing Tilly moved to Tennessee. So now as a tribute to her, Lucca is raising her son. Awww.

Mastiffs are pretty lazy by nature. Hmmm, I wonder if that's why this breed kept popping up for us?

They are often called Gentle Giants, and for us that has certainly been true. We are so grateful to have found a breeder who is actively working to better the mastiff breed. She is obviously producing puppies with fantastic temperaments. Thanks, Heather!

English Mastiffs can also be playful. And with Lucca weighing close to 200 pounds, and Giovanni tipping the scales at 220 (and still growing!), you have to be sure not to get in the way when they decide to "horse" around!

And then there are the tender moments, and really the reason that we chose English Mastiffs. With good training and socialization, they are fantastic with children.

Mastiffs make the best sidekicks, beacause they really never want to leave you, even for a moment. In fact, their favorite place to sit is right ON your feet. And everywhere you take them, your personal security is a given.

And contrary to popular belief (on the street, anyway), this is not the breed of dog from the movie Beethoven. It is not the breed of dog from Turner and Hooch. It is, however, the breed of dog from The Sandlot.

We are hopelessly devoted.

Major Pane

Isn't this pretty? Serene and dramatic. Too bad there is another row of windows that you can't see below these. Hmmm. And more on the sides. And there are two more walls just like this one.

Then there are various rooms with these lovely duos. What could be the problem here?

Well, did I mention that there are over one hundred separate stained glass windows in this building?? Was I even paying attention at all when this fact was determined, or was I busying myself with dreams of where to put the art studio I had planned for myself?

How about here?

Okay, yikes. Someone kind of missed the boat on the old color-matching on these two. Close enough in a pinch, I guess. Or not. But in all fairness, these windows are 90 years old, and alot of damage has had to be reckoned with during that time.

Here's the thing. Once, in a former life, I had a small stained glass studio in Dallas. There was a partner in the beginning years, and we taught classes and sold supplies. It was a fantastic and fulfilling business.

When my daughter was born, I moved to a small college town, (also in Texas), and struck out on my own. I still taught and sold supplies, but more and more I did custom work for restaurants and churches, as well as private homes. In all, almost twelve years passed and I enjoyed every moment.

And then, one day it was just time to move back to California...to my roots, to my family. I sold the business and literally never looked back. Of all of the creative endeavors that I pursued from that time forward, none of them involved glass.

And now we fast forward 22 years. Ack! How is that even possible?

When my daughter and SIL bought this church, it was a bittersweet feeling of coming home to a place that is both familiar and beloved. Dallas is very dear to me. I spent my 20's here and my amazing daughter was born here. So the chance to spend part of my time back in north Texas was intriguing.

So now we get to the part about these windows. In the fall of 2006, I had only seen a few, grainy pictures of the outside of the church. These first pictures were taken with a cellphone, and certainly were not taken for the purposes of assessing damage to the windows. These, of course, are not those pictures.

Here is the information I should have had. The info that I really needed. This picture tells a more complete story. Click on the photo above so that you too can see the true state of affairs here. But don't even say I didn't warn you.

I was totally looking the other way, and trying to be very inconspicuous, as my SIL called several studios in the Dallas area. He was asking them to go by the property, and based solely on an outside examination, give him a bid to "fix" these windows. Of course, the bids ran the full spectrum, from trying to glue as much as possible with the windows in place, all the way to a complete removal and restoration. Two problems here. First, glue. Hello? And second, while removal and restoration is clearly the only viable option, the bid for this was close to $300,000.00. Nope, not a typo. I feel it necessary to mention here that the purchase price on this property was extremely, um, reasonable. I mean, really, what is the market for a huge-ish gothic church that is zoned residential and tightly controlled by the historic preservation committee? Anybody? Right. So, the buyer pool is very shallow, and here we come, living our lives in California and thinking "Sure, let's take this on. It'll be a challenge. It'll be fantastic!"

Look at these guys, trying to lay down all low-pro, like I won't notice them there.

Back to my story. After the absolute shell shock of the estimates, and during a November 2006 first visit to the building that was so cold I'm sure my head was half frozen, I finally asked the question that would change the very fabric of my life for who-knows-how-long. I asked, voice creaking from the cold and the fear, "Would you like me to restore these windows for you?" I had absolutely no idea at that moment just how scared I should in fact be, but it was slowly beginning to dawn on me, even as I said it. And of course the reply was "Wow, do you think you could? Really?". And me, not being quick enough on my feet to take this obvious way out, said "Yeah. I mean, they're just windows, and the design is really not that complex. It's just the sheer number that is challenging". Uh, okay. So of course, at this point there was no turning back. I'm sure I was expertly maneuvered waltzed into that moment, but did I mention how cold it was?? I would have probably said anything to get back in the car and back to the hotel.

So in April of 2007, I began. It took that long to do all of the demo on the building and get to the point that we could have a small amount of electricity. Not to mention the time it took to find glass that matches closely to the original. Luckily, the manufacturing of glass hasn't really changed in this past century, and most of the same colors are still available if you search around enough.

Those early days were spent huddled over worktables in the basement, trying to stay in the lighted area. And if you have never worked on a construction site, let me tell you what a challenge it is to hunt down your lights (not to mention tools) every morning, because another tradesman has decided that he needs it (or them), and you aren't there anyway, so what's the big deal?

Pretty. Not too complex. Only takes about a day, day-and-a-half to assemble one of these puppies. That's if everything goes well. Of course, that doesn't include soldering, puttying, attaching the bracing bars, and final cleaning. That's about another day, day-and-a-half.

Problem here is, when this one is finished, there are fourteen more exactly like it left to do. Sigh.

Here is a different design. There are twenty-two of this exact same window. It's about 64" x 27". I finished thirteen of them before I felt the need for a change of pace. Rats, I'm going to have to go back to this one at some point.

This is the back, or actually the side that will face the interior of the building, with the bracing bars attached. Those suckers take forever to solder on. Whew. And yes, these are the original bars. Yea for recycling, and yea for the construction guy who has been helping me power sand off the accumulated 90 years of oxidation and paint so I could reuse them. I'm sorry I yelled at you for losing my pliers.

Here's a sweet little detail. Makes the piece look like a clover shape from a distance. Don't even ask how fun it is to solder on all these tiny triangles to each piece. Two pieces per window. On both sides. On about sixty-something windows. Good times.

And now it's time to get back to it.
Be sure to visit me again to find out "what happens next..."

Be It Ever So Humble...

In the spirit of full disclosure, this being a new year and all, I feel compelled to give you a peek at where we stand with our little, AHEM... project.

Okay, so far so good, right? Right? Just your average 90 year old gothic cathedral being converted into a residence. A mere 16,000 square feet of rustic charm. For those of you not involved in the real estate business, rustic charm roughly translates into "hold onto your wallets, folks. This is going to be a slippery slope." Just so we're clear.

But hey, my daughter and I are designers, SIL is a real estate lender/developer, and we all have a weak spot for old buildings in need of a makeover. So one fateful day in mid 2006, when said SIL glanced up from his computer and casually asked "Hey, there's an old church in Dallas for sale. We could remodel it into a part-time home. What do you guys think?", well, heck, I was a goner for sure. He was in the process of opening up a Dallas office for his mortgage business, and would be needing a place to spend several months a year. I was smitten from the very first. (I have recently come to the full realization that my "old church as home" fantasy is an extremely rare affliction. More than a year of that puzzled look that greets me when I try to explain to someone about the project I'm involved in pretty much tipped me off to that fact. Buy hey, I'm quick like that.)

So let's move inside, shall we?

Ah, the great room. Ha.

This was the main santuary of the church. It measures 47' x 48', and the ceiling is 35' at the very peak. The loft will be converted to a home theater, and underneath is the framing for two bedrooms suites.

Every speck of woodwork, walls and trim in the entire church had been spray painted a lovely and cherubic shade of powder blue. Every.Thing. In order to bring this building back to it's former glory, it really became necessary to strip it all off and restain the wood. Painstaking. Tedious. Interminable. Expensive.

Oh, and those boxes? Yeah, they're all sinks and toilets. Don't ask. We'll get to all of it, I promise.

This is the same room, looking at it from the other side. You can see where the altar was. That is where the kitchen is going.

Here's another view of the loft, using a zoom lens. This photo just seems peaceful to me. Hazy and calm. I'm pretty sure that's because everyone is at lunch.

You might have noticed that most of the stained glass windows are missing. That's actually where I fit into this story. It's a long story. It started out innocently enough, as most things do, and then it took on a life of it's own. If you're feeling up to it, we can take the rest of this journey together. I can use all the support I can get. Seriously.

Stay tuned. And thanks for checking in on me.

Amen.