October 13th, 2026: The 109th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima.
We had decided to commemorate the event by hosting some friends for a bonfire and a rosary. If we had know what kind of a day that was going to be we probably wouldn’t have, but we did and it turned out lovely anyway.
That was day the contractors got started on the framing for the new addition.
Doesn’t look like much yet, but wait until the end of the day. Unfortunately, it was also the day the concrete guys came back to extend the patio out to support the posts for the roof. This was a problem, because the new measurements from the architect had the patio going two feet further along the wall, which would have covered up the exhaust pipe and condensation tube for the tankless hot water heater.
So I had to turn the water heater off, and cut the exhaust pipe and pull it through from the inside to make way for the cement.
So now the pipe wasn’t in the way, but, we couldn’t run the hot water heater. We needed to re-run the pipe on the other side of a 2×6 floor joist, which meant we had to expose the space. Seppi was all-aboard for this, since it meant he could swagger around all morning with tools stuck in his belt loops rather than doing school. It also meant an emergency trip to the hardware store for some 2″ PVC couplers and some purple primer.
To expose the space I had to remove some of the hardboard sheathing that a previous owner nailed to the ceiling to hold in all the loose-stuffed fiberglass insulation.
This was a royal pain, because the stuff just shreds if you pry on it or if you try to slide a claw between the hardboard and the nail head. But we got it done.
And uncovered this little surprise. This buried junction box had a wire nut in it that was burned almost through in a ring around the middle of it. We sent a picture of it to our friend Cole, who is an electrician, and moved on with our project.
We drilled a new hole for the exhaust pipe to go through the wall.
We recruited Evie to push the pipe through, because Seppi isn’t tall enough.
Daddy had to use a stick to push the fiberglass out of the way.
That got to be a pain so I cut a chunk out, and just shoved the pipe the rest of the way, and then stuffed the insulation back around it.
Lined up and ready to be re-attached.
Glued in place.
There is the new hole, next to the new cement.
With the collar placed. That job is done.
Meanwhile the walls are going up very rapidly.
All of this done before the afternoon.
The day wasn’t over yet. School was behind and still needed to be done.
Seppi had to do that at the kitchen island while we made soup and bread for supper. Some friends were coming over for supper and to pick up some raspberry starts, and after that more friends were going to be coming over for Rosary and a bonfire. Cole came over to repair the overheated circuit, and gave us some homework to do (take more of the ceiling off in the basement and try to find where those wires were going, and which circuit was drawing so much current, because there was no current on the circuit when he tested it).
But it all came together in the end, and we had a lovely late snack, and a bonfire with smores, and said the Rosary.
So all’s well that ends well.
