Stairwell renovation

We were up at 6:00 this morning because Thomas was coming to redo the wallpaper in the stairwell. It would have been so nice to sleep in, but...not today. Sam asked him if he wanted anything to drink. Well, wouldn't you know he asked for coffee. Neither of us drink coffee, but I do have a coffeepot just for our parents or company that may want some. I make it so rarely though that I had to call Mom because I always forget how many scoops to cups. After making it he said that he only drinks it cold. I guess he's a true construction worker because I don't know many people that enjoy cold coffee. Oh well, I turned of the coffeepot and let it get cold. He had some later in the day.

Since the walls in the stairwell are going to be repainted anyhow, Thomas asked if we wanted a different color. Sam and I have talked about that anyhow and now is our chance to get it done for free. All of our walls are painted white and I'm not thrilled with it, but we just don't have time to repaint them at this time. We thought since the stairwell runs through each level of the house that by painting it a different color it might "warm up" the entire space. We're trying to decide on which color to go with.

Here is what the stairwell looked like as he tore out the wallpaper

Since we had to be at the house today with Thomas, Sam decided to put the medicine cabinets up in the master bath. Everything was going along as planned until he was drilling into the wall and the power went out. He thought maybe the hammer drill has just tripped the breaker so he tried it again. When the power went out the second time he realized he must have hit a wire. He thought he better be on the safe side and check how bad the wire was cut. Good thing he did because one of the three wires was cut in half. He replaced the wire, but since we now how to replace the tiles that job will have to wait until next weekend.

In past posts I've mentioned this old barn that sits at the back of our place. Well, Friday night we noticed they were starting to tear it down. I hate to see old buildings like that torn down to make way for new modern houses, but I guess that progress. Anyhow throughout the day yesterday we saw the rapid destruction of the barn. We found out that it was built in 1870. I guess here in Germany that's not considered very old. I found the rafters interesting. It didn't have the symmetry of modern day construction. Here are a couple of pictures from that.

Looking out to the barn behind our house.

A construction working cutting pieces out of the rafters.

Sam in the backyard

When Thomas was finished with what he could get done today he and Sam went to the backyard to watch the barn walls come down. Gabby was out with them and I guess one of the neighbor cats wandered close enough for her to see and she was off chasing it. I think she bit off more than she could chew though because the other cat whipped her little tail. I heard Sam calling for me and I opened the front door to find a dirty, disheveled Gabby crouching by the door. The other cat got the better of her and she was angry about it for quite awhile. She wouldn't let me touch her for at least an hour. On one hand I don't like to see my baby get beat up, but on the other she actually deserves it.

That was our Saturday. We didn't get as much done as we had hoped, but it's slow progress.