A cupola thoughts

I've been poking around on the internet in the past day or so, looking for weathervanes for the cupola on top of the bead cottage. This is a difficult task. It's like choosing the perfect ring tone, the perfect avatar or perfect quote for your yearbook page. It has to be meaningful to me, most importantly, but also has to convey a message. I need to find just the right one to sum things up directly and succinctly.

Here are the two we like the best.

The first is a happy sun, coming out from behind clouds. I like this because it's positive, and actually relates to the function of a weathervane. In life I always try to find the good behind the not-so-good --like SpongeBob -- and this weathervane reminds me that there is a silver lining in every cloud. The sun also symbolizes successful ventures, which is always a good thing.


The second is St. Michael and the Dragon. I like this one because of the association with fire. Each hobby that is going to be present in the cottage deals with fire. Michael is the archangel of the South, the direction associated with fire. I guess if there's a message it's the triumph of good over evil.


Another design we thought of was a phoenix, but I'm not so keen on putting a bird that is burnt up over and over again on top of a building that I'm hoping never burns down.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Here are the pictures taken Friday afternoon. Notice the windows and doors and siding. The inspector came today and approved the rough stuff that was done this week.


The forge window is in! They said it would take three weeks but it only took one. Keith knew about it earlier but wanted to surprise us today. I think it is perfect and adds so much. If we hadn't put it in, it would have been a mistake. And note the sliding glass door, siding and the trim.


The view out the window from inside the forge is really nice.

So to continue the writing on the Tyvek theme, here's another one I wrote. It's a Celtic blessing:

Bless this house,
From site to stay,
From beam to wall,
From end to end,
From ridge to basement,
From floor to roof-tree,
From ford to summit,
Ford and summit.

Robert wrote (in ancient Greek) the Homeric Hymn to Hephaestos in the forge area. Hephaestos is the Greek god of smithcrafting and technology.

Building hugger

I've heard of hugging trees, but never have I heard of hugging a building until this evening when we came home from dinner and I couldn't resist. I hugged the bead cottage. I could feel the love.

Today they started the siding, put in the sliding glass door and the other two doors and finished the electrical roughing-in. I took pictures, but I'll post them tomorrow or Saturday.

I believe in intentions and positive energy, which is why we did all those superstitious things like putting a penny in the sill, the mighty bough on the roof, etc. So while the cottage is covered in Tyvek, we're going to be writing prayers and blessings on it to be covered up by the siding. I did this to a smaller extent when we had the house resided. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm crazy.

This is the prayer I wrote next to the main stairs going in. It's a modern prayer from Jerusalem, Israel:

By gradual steps I rise to the topmost attic of this
house, from which the views are spectacular.
I could rise to the palace of heaven if there were
steps enough.
Let me take two or three steps to the palace of
heaven each day.
Let me think of being a little better, a little kinder,
a little more grateful to you for your gifts,
each time I climb these stairs.

Anniversary present

Today is my 20th wedding anniversary and this was my present from my sweet husband. He looked all over town for a flag. Just for me. He totally rocks.

Another haiku

I hate the Yankees
Pinstriped thugs with lamé thongs
The Sox will conquer.

I realize that I said I'd only update here weekly from now on, but there have been major developments and I'm too excited about them to not share.

Yesterday, Keith and Will finished the north side of the roof.


And today, Arthur roughed in some electrical, Keith finished the roof on the south side, and Charlie and John put in the windows and soffits.



I love this little house already.

I think from now on, I'm going to be uploading weekly photos, rather than posting the day-to-day progress. In the beginning, the progress was on a large scale as the building went up. Now the progress is more small scale day-to-day so to see it weekly will make it have more of an impact.

These next photos are from yesterday (Thursday):

The forge roof is done on the north side.


The header and cripples are in for the forge window. It's being made and will be ready in about 3 weeks.

And half of the roof on the south side of the forge is done.


These next shots are from today:

The facade, complete with rakes and the drip edge.


Will framed the overhang. It looks great.


Keith finished the roof on the south side of the forge.


And Will did the strapping on the forge wall. I asked why this wall was strapped when the others weren't and it's because they're using ShipLap on the forge walls. These are wide boards that are rabbeted and so interlock with each other and give a nice rustic look. They need the strapping to have something to nail into.


Here's the tiny piece of rooflet.

There's been a good deal of progress over the last couple days. Yesterday, Tyvekistan made its appearance. This is a view of the forge area.


And the front of the building. The ice & water shield is on the roof.


Here's the side of the building. The roof is sheathed with plywood the whole way around.


I had a good bead day at the torch yesterday, too!


Now today, the rest of the ice & water shield is up as well as the paper on the forge roof:


And Tyvekistan is on the front and side completely:


I had another good day at the torch today, but they're still in the kiln. The weather has turned after a cold front came through and now the air is crisp, cool and dry. Just like it was in Oakland. I could drink it. We opened a bunch of windows in the house and got all the stale air-conditioned air out and let the good air in. It was so nice to feel the cool breeze. It was just glorious. I can't wait to sleep with the fan on and the windows open.

Not that I'm superstitious or anything, but we put up a pine bough on the top of the forge roof, to "top off" the building. I love traditions like that. I couldn't kill a whole tree to do this -- I don't even have a real Christmas tree -- so I used a branch. I have enough sap on my hands from taking so many trees down last fall, I don't need more.

Yesterday, Keith and Will worked on the roof. It's almost done on the north side.

The south side is completely done.

Here's the forge roof.


And here's the front of the cottage, all sheathed with OSB. (I think it stands for OutSide Boards).

Last night coming home we drove into the driveway and stopped to look at how pretty the cottage is sitting right next to the house. We were just struck with how nice it looks with the gable end next to the gable end of the garage. It's so sweet.


On the way home from Oakland, I read an awesome book that I really just loved. It's called The Shack by William P. Young. It's a Christian book, although many Christians don't like it because it has a non-scriptural portrayal of God. But I just enjoyed it for the story and the very comforting messages therein. It had me in tears at one point and not many books do that. I love inspirational books like that. I think I blogged about The Alchemist last year. That's another of my favorites.

First of all, I have to say that the last two days were extremely creative and productive days for me at the torch. I haven't felt this good about beadmaking for a long, long time. Last weekend at the Gathering I gave away the bracelet of beads that were stolen from me. I had been having a bunch of trouble getting over the funk that being stolen from put me in. And then with my Dad dying not too much after that, I don't think I was in my normal right mind creatively for almost two years! I feel like I'm "back" finally and I think going to the Gathering had something to do with it. Definitely getting rid of the bracelet helped. And looking forward to this awesome building being built helps, too.

The bead cottage is truly a wonder to behold. That just 2 people could build this beautiful building is really amazing. Everything fits together perfectly. The horizontal beams are truly horizontal, for example. I don't take that for granted, because I live in the house that I do.

Yesterday, the riblets were put up for the roof.


Here's a shot of the forge area. The two walls without walls will have telescoping doors, so that Robert can choose to have them open or closed.

This is what they worked on today - the roof and the overhang for the storage area. It looks just like a little sugar shack in Vermont. So cool.


And also they put up the ceiling thingies going across in the bead studio area. These prevent the roof from pushing the walls outward. That would be bad. So I'm going to have a cool tray type ceiling thing going.


Here is the glass hummingbird I got from Vittorio Costantini at the bead bazaar. It's incredibly life-like and stands on its own. That man is amazing.


Here's a haiku for today.

Please don't boo Timlin
He's doing the best he can.
How would you like it?

Here are some new pictures of the progress on the bead cottage. Keith repositioned my flag much to my delight.



And here is a picture of the whole building so far. It's starting to look like a real building!

Today was the bead show and sale at the Gathering. I bought some amazing beads from some amazing artists and I can't wait to show them here. I'll take some pictures when I get home. I am in my room on the computer listening to the Red Sox game. The banquet is tonight but it doesn't start until 8:00 so I have a few free hours to relax and visualize a baseball game. The bead cottage is coming along I see. I've been stocking up on supplies to furnish the new studio with. I just hope I can get the stuff home on the plane!

I am getting my first view of my living room with painted walls. The painters were there on Wednesday, the day I left for Oakland. Thanks for taking and posting the pictures, sweetie!

Although the room could use some straightening, sweetness. :D


Here's my first view of the progress on the bead cottage. It looks like a building! Hooray!




OK, so here I am in Oakland, California. The people here are extremely friendly, helpful & nice. It stuns this New Englander when people are not afraid to talk to you even if they don't know you. And the weather is fantastic. A touch on the cool side, which for August is fabulous. I wanted to drink the air it was so cool and crisp. If I weren't building a bead cottage I'd move here in a heartbeat. LOL.

Today construction started. This is the first wall going up.


And here is the progress so far. It looks like it's going to be pretty crappy weather the rest of the week so progress may be minimal, but it doesn't matter because I will be away and the less I have to miss the better.
I made some nice beads for trades today. I will have a good number with me in Oakland. So wish me bon voyage because my next post will be from the Gathering in Oakland.