The stucco repair and painting of our building exterior is finally complete. The two-month project was accomplished beautifully. And it only took five months.
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| MY FIRST HOUSE AND SECOND HOME. NORTH MASSAPEQUA, NEW YORK, 1956. |
Much of the damage done to the building was caused by water leaking through cracks in the grout and old ceramic tile on the terraces. So now begins our own home-improvement projects — new ceramic tile on the terrace, new wood floors inside. New doors. And more.
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| MY SISTER DALE IN PINK AND THE DOWAGER DUCHESS IN RED, NOT GETTING THEIR HANDS DIRTY. |
Yesterday, I spent a few hours at Bricomart with Santi, our contractor extraordinario. Bricomart is Spain’s version of the USA’s Home Depot or Lowe’s. I believe B&Q is the British equivalent. We spent more than two hours at Bricomart placing the complete order. I told Santi I could live there. Santi told me he could not. I suppose if I did this for a living, I’d feel the same.
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| DALE, STILL IN PINK (AND GETTING HER HANDS DIRTY), ME IN RED, WITH COUSINS. ANOTHER FAMILY CONSTRUCTION SITE. SHEEPSHEAD BAY, BROOKLYN, 1956. |
Everything was delivered this morning and, Santi, while managing and organizing the delivery, removed all the old skirting tile on the terrace. He doesn’t waste any time. Monday morning, the work begins in earnest. I’m ‘just a little excited’ while San Geraldo and the cats are ‘just a little stressed.’ That’s if you call bouncing off the walls “just a little excited’; or if you call hiding in a bedroom closet (the cats) or the aforementioned bedroom (San Geraldo) ‘just a little stressed.’
