We made some progress today

Aaron, my helper, referred me to a fellow named Ben Williams who is a 25-year stuccoer from Florida. He's been living here in Tennessee for 7 or 8 months and needed some work in the worst sort of way. He helped me start the stuccoing today and hopefully we'll be finished in two more days. Here's what it looks like:
East end of house...NE corner of house...Front of house looking SE...
Eventually we'll get 'er done.

Alexis here: I was just re-reading the blog. We got started a year ago this month - around the 22nd of March, 2008. It's just amazing (and humbling) to see how much we really have done this past year.

I am so proud of Dave and all his hard work. I could never have imagined someone "hand building" a house, but he did it. I can look at every block in this house and know that he put it there. We've had some wonderful helpers, too, especially Howell, Aaron, Jerry and David (and now Ben) and we're really thankful for their expertise and hard work.

The house is still a way from being 'finished', but when you stop to look at this time last year - Wow! I'm happy. Next week is spring break for me and I'm hoping the weather will cooperate so I can get the garden going. And it's Holy Week, as well. Lots to be thankful for and one of the things I hope to accomplish next week is to begin the little spot that will be dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and to my long ago kinsman, Brigid. And the spot will be expanded to include little memorials for several family members, including Martha (Dave's mom) and my grandmother, Lucy, and aunts Norral, Gladys, Lena, Lucy and Dorothy.

Oh yeah, I picked out the color for the bathroom. Quite tropical in feel (a vacation in Tahiti every time we shower!) It's Behr's "Sweet Midori". Seriously tropical tiki green!

Stay tuned!