Breaking News from my Dining Area

I know there's a lot of breaking news around the world, but most of it is so glum. I am delighted to be able to bring you some happy breaking news right from my dining area, fifteen feet away from where I am writing.

Dining area floor construction began this morning at approximately 9:45 a.m. Most of the subfloor has been constructed and work will resume tomorrow on assembling the rest of the parquet floor. Your intrepid blogger, Buttercup, is seen reflected in the far right upper corner. Yes, that is dust from the construction covering the mirrors. Generally they do not look like this. Actually, they never look like this.  

What will one day -- Thursday or Friday of this week -- be my floor. 

This is the door to my bedroom, and the the picture shows the last remaining obstacle course of the 2014 Olympics. The area to the right of the door is my next decorating challenge. 

I had a different post in the works, but I spent at least two hours looking at websites for a small cabinet/bookcase for this space. I had a large and very ungainly white bookcase in this now empty spot. I was told that the bookcase would have to be moved in order for the floor to be put in. That was the impetus I needed to move it out permanently. I would like a smaller piece in the entryway and an airier feeling. Despite having the living room stuffed with the dining table and chairs, I've actually liked having a more spacious feel in the empty dining area and am going to see what I furniture I can move or give away. I can definitely see some serious time with Pinterest coming up.   .   

I am very glad that in this one little corner of the world the breaking news is happy. Would that this happiness spreads! 

I spent a productive and fun day keeping out of the workmen's way. I was actually up, dressed and ready to go by 7:45, just in case they arrived early. I did three errands and had the pleasure of lunch and blog talk with my friend, Carol, of Wheat-Free Dairy-Free Kitchen. 

I hope you, too, have some happy news in your corner of the world.  As always, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

A House is Not a Home Without a Floor

Just twelve hours ago this was my dining area with my beautiful parquet floor. Now it's a semi-floorless area, covered by this board. Otherwise I would fall into a hole that contains the pipes that connect the water lines in the my bathroom to my kitchen. When this building was first built in 1911 there were two thirteen room apartments on each floor. This was the era when well-off families gave up their single family brownstones and moved into large apartments with enough space for big families and servants. My family, recently arrived in America in 1911, did not live in a building like this. Over the years the big apartments were cut up into smaller ones and kitchens were created where no original pipes had been installed.

This was news to me. My super mentioned on Friday that the neighbors in the apartment below me had a major leak and the plumbers might have to cut into my floor to repair it. I spent the weekend praying this could be resolved with no floor damage, but alas, the pipe under my dining room table, was completely corroded. I thought I had my share of plumbing issues after the Christmas plumbing disaster, but that must have been for 2013. I learned to appreciate functioning plumbing in 2013 and in 2014 I am learning to appreciate a fully functional floor. If I'm not careful I could step in the wrong place and the temporary floor might not hold.

   Why I learned to appreciate floors

Happily, the floor contractor will be here either tomorrow (I hope!) or Wednesday and will begin the process of  rebuilding the wood platform and then putting the parquet back together.  

I am grateful for my wonderful super, the plumbers, who worked quickly and professionally and for taking pictures during the work. Otherwise I'm sure I wouldn't remember where the floor had been taken apart. I've spent sixty-three years taking floors for granted, but you can be assured I will never do that again.

I cancelled my card making class for tomorrow in order to be available at home for the floor contractor. I did a lot of decluttering today, and caught up on magazines and blog visiting. Still lots to do -- always lots to do -- but I feel pretty productive. I've got a Sue Grafton mystery, "W is for Wasted," to keep me company tonight. It's a long book, so I think it will keep me company tomorrow, too.  

As always, thanks for visiting. Keep cozy and take good care.