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!"
