--I want to try some hypertufa and/or papercrete. --Finish some totems and glass flowers that are partly done. --Try some mosaics. I have boxes of stained glass that was given to me a couple years ago. --We have a boring metal storage shed. I have an idea for jazzing it up a little. I want to put a trellis on each side of the end door and fill them with flowers and leaves made of glass, metal or whatever. --Think of a hobby that won't take up as much room as the totems, etc. (to please DH) and that will sell well on etsy. Haven't tried that yet and we really need some extra money for the medical bills that have piled up over the last year. Any ideas???? On ebay I can see what's selling and what isn't, but haven't figured out if there's a way to do that on etsy. --Thoroughly clean house. (Notice that's the last on my list of priorities). Here's to a great new year of junkin' to all of you!

Thank you all for your sweet comments. I have been just too close to all the building decisions and all the problems, that it is nice to remember the overall accomplishment we have made. I still have many more decisions to make, and I need to start asking the questions! Scwren - yes, it is an Xtrordinair, model 36 elite. I'm such a practical person that I didn't want to build a fireplace unless it could actually heat the house. We haven't used it yet, but since we had to cut down so many trees, we have a TON of wood to burn. amyks - I love that tub and paint color too. But wait - there's more. I'm having a local stained glass artist make a piece that will fit in the lower part of the window. That way light can still filter in and I can take a bath in privacy. It is going to be beautiful. I got that idea from someone on this site, can't remember who. I'm also having him make two transoms for the doors flanking the fireplace. I went and looked at them last Friday and he thought they would be done in around three weeks. And, of course, having learned a few things during this build, I multipied that by two and added two days. Ha. vfish - I tried not to obsess too much on the details, but those lights took a long time to find. I finally found them in Europe. Now I'm getting catalogs from the company all the time in German. Even though I took two years of German in high school, it is just not enough to translate! Mlauder - I took some pictures of the newel post for you. My contractor decided to have our trim person install the stairs, and I'm so glad he did. Our trim person was just first rate. He did excellent work on everything he did. Instead of having the railing die into a rosette, he made a half newel post, and then added a flurish on the bottom of the posts. Here are a few pictures. Joan

Red Stag is nasty in my book but the bar is selling a bunch of it... they mix it with coke from what I see. I was given a free shot when it was first stock... tastes like extra alcohol cherry brandy... think I'd rather have the brandy if I'm having a bit. Making iced tea for work. I'm glad it is so expensive to just buy in the store... my homemade is so much better! Ceylon with honey today. I cheat by nuking a coffee cup with a tea bag then mixing with cold water... still beats store bought. Free gatoraid at work!... if I make it. Felt bad because nobody made it yesterday and I was busy.... poor production workers were sweating like pigs. Have to get after the company... gatoraid is a safety item... cases of heat stroke disappeared when gatoraid was introduced. For less then the cost of a single ER visit the company can supply free gatoraid during the hottest six months of the year. Improves moral, keeps people working, saves the company money... so of course we slack and forget to keep it available.

There was a GW member (I forget who) that bought a new condo or single house. I recall that it was a new development situation and that the house set close to the sidewalk and close to neighbors homes. It was brick. I recall the interior being gorgeous! The trim was thicker and more built up then any new home built to look old. It was at least as thick and pronounced as my 100yr old Victorian/ 4 Square hybrid. Last night I was taking notice to a home featured in the most current issue of Traditional Home. It was new built to look old. The outside looked old but I still thought that the interior trim was too small. In reality it was probably really thick trim if in an average sized house but it seemed but it didn't stand out to me in any way, shape, or form in this particular home.