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Emily House Update

We are in the home stretch, ladies and gentlemen.

The long journey of Mills Act approval is nearly over. Just a few more things to do before our October 21st deadline.

I find myself talking about this process to so many people, that I decided to repost this image taken back in February 2019 to show how much change has happened since we started.

Our good friend Chris Kent (who runs an awesome beer and paint event) is also an experienced landscape designer who specializes in xeriscaping. He came over a few weeks ago, jotted down some notes and sent us over a list of plants that we might be interested in.

Little bit of stress to get it all done but it will go in next weekend.

Digging up the grass was easy but also a pain in the ass. Some parts were like pulling up a carpet but others took a little more elbow grease. A little tip I learned from this process, use a rake to move the grassy clumps around and the dirt will shake out pretty easily. By moving these pile about 15 feet, nearly all the dirt has gotten loose and I ended with just the grass.
Caitlyn and my mom painted the fence a few weeks back. It just glows. I also put in a request to the city to fix our curb. Somebody took a chunk out of it before we moved in.

But Also a Sigh of Relief

After two quotes and waiting period to manufacture them. We got new windows installed…and they are great.

The company that we went with was Window Restoration and Repair. The guys they sent out were pure professionals. They showed up on time, worked diligently and respectfully. What was originally planned as a 5-6 hour job turned into an 11 hour job for 3 guys. It was dark when they finally started packing it up and we were grateful. They did the front window with two side-by-side single muntin double hung windows. The muntin is the little wood separator and double hung means that both windows slide up and down.

Demetrius heading into the house. Turns out it was his first day on the job. Super nice guy. Look at all the stuff sprawled out on the lawn.
When I got home, they had already installed the bay windows. It’s a picture window in the middle and the same sized single muntin double hung windows on the sides. It’s sad to see those fairly new vinyl windows go but that tax break will be pretty sweet.
Armando finishing up with the last window. They built that center post on the jobsite to make the windows fit perfectly.
The view from inside.
I hadn’t even gone to the backyard yet when Caitlyn asked if I’d seen the sawdust factory they created. It was actually kinda beautiful. They swept it up and the crazy Santa Ana winds blew everything else away.

Caitlyn ended up leaving to Indianapolis for a work trip the following morning.

The next day, I came home from work to find a praying mantis had taken residence just under the new window in the front of the house. I posted about in on social media and was told that it was pregnant.

Turns out it was and it left a very durable egg fixed to the brand new window. I ended up scraping it off and placing it in the lavender plants in the back. Hopefully, it will grow up back there and dominate the bugs in my backyard. As for the mother, I found it laying upside dead on the porch. I guess, giving birth is it’s final duty on earth or something deep like that.

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