Plea for help

It's becoming obvious that my parents cannot do this work alone. My dad now has two air-powered chisels, and we'll have some help from the Cowies this afternoon, but if anyone else can help on Friday, Saturday, or Monday, that's all the time we have left to save that beautiful stonework from demolition. Anyone up for some back-breaking work in 100-degree heat? If you're less than 70-years-old you're likely in better shape to do it than my dad is. The guilt is finally sinking in for me. Anyone else?

Big News!

The demolition date is set for next Monday & Tuesday, so the race is now on to get the rock off the house first. My dad has a nifty air-powered chisel and a compressor, and he's been spending hours and hours up there breaking out mortar. Then my mom hauls the rock back to what used to be her garden, so that it can be used later on the new house.

Hey, news reporters? I think that label "elderly couple" was very inappropriately applied. I bet none of them would be up to that kind of work every day!

This past Monday, for Pioneer Day, Benjamin & his family came up and spent the afternoon helping take off the rock from a big section in back. They brought lunch for everyone there, and even the kids worked hard!

My parents have asked the rest of the family to come help as much as possible. If anyone else has some time that they can come help out, that might be good. I don't think they need a lot of people, just a couple of people at a time to help trade-off doing the chiseling and hauling the rocks back to their stacks. I'll be up there tomorrow, I think. Give my parents a call (or call me for their number) if you have an hour or two and want to help.

Flowers and some progress

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
-Anne Frank

I have to credit my mom for the gorgeous flowers and trees growing happily in front of the carcass of the house. She's up there watering all the time, and although mentioning how great it looks always elicits a response like, "Yeah, but have you seen the back yard?" it still looks wonderful in spite of whatever imperfections exist behind it.

Looks like we may be back in the house moving or removing various unsavable items in preparation for pre-demolition clean-up. It's no fun going in there and seeing things like all that once-nice furniture or the carcass of my crockpot (which wasn't burned, but got tossed out into the mess and broken). Some of it I wonder if it's even possible to move. We're going to have to completely dig out all 4 beds in my bedroom. My bed and Drew's bed completely vanished under the rubble that was the roof, and the boys' bunkbed is so heavy I don't know how it can be moved at all. Blech! Still, if it means we're making progress, I guess that's what we do, right?

(Look, Pam! I posted an update!)

What the neighbors are so excited about

We were granted the permit to take the burned house down at the city Planning Meeting yesterday afternoon. Now we can take it down as soon as arrangments are made, hopefully before the end of the month.

Yay!

We need to get the stone off the foundation before it comes down. My parents are making plans to do that, but don't have anything concrete yet (bad pun, sorry).