QueenMab Contemplates...: 02/01/2008

I've never been satisfied with end products. As an English teacher, final essays, poems, projects submitted by my students - and standing by themselves, left me feeling wanting....

"But HOW did you get here? How did you arrive at this conclusion? At this thesis statement? With this imagery? What shaped your thinking? What were your questions? What was your process?"

These were always my burning questions. And they always created space for deep reflection, privileged sharing, and perhaps deep annoyance...Haha. But it was my life's work, to a point, right? Inviting such disclosure, and reflecting back what brilliance, gift there was inherent within.

And so it here - within my own home. Within the pages of this blog: Exposure, sharing process, disclosing thinking, documenting journey. Reflecting back.

What follows are the pictures of 1188 Juno's transformation process from this past eight weeks.

I've likened this journey to that of Diablo Cody's title character, in her movie, "Juno:"

A young woman, pregnant with life, preparing to offer up her child for another to care for.

I offer you all, as friends, readers, fellow contemplatives, the following images of my own journey preparing for the new parents of this babe, 1188 Juno.

Pray that she is received well, and cared for, eh?

Thank you,
Melissa

Starting at the foundational level: acknowledging MESS!

Tiki Kustenmacher would refer to this as the stuff below the tip of the iceberg....

David Mann arrives with Staging settees to INSPIRE transformation...We must be forward looking! Imagining! Stepping into newly created scenes...

Everything gets moved into the furnace room: Clearing for renovation!

John Hart's handywork! He arrives and cracks into what's beneath the visible...

And repairs happen....

step by step...layer by layer...

That which occurs naturally in basements: efflorescence ("the state or period of flowering" OR "the resulting powdery substance or incrustation") is tended to!

Newly applied plaster to the lathe..

Midway maybe...

Time to paint!
"Accolade" and "Dusty Trail" are chosen colors...

Choosing JOY at every stage of the game...Ha!

Patched and painted, we are ready for the new flooring...

The Original Plan: Tile, breakfast.

When adherence becomes a problem, installation of the tiles messy, John seeks new supplies to remedy the sitauation...WE NEED THINGS TO STICK!

After two attempts at sticking, John refers to this as "The Tile Fiasco!"

Let's celebrate the neater, cleaner, more simple and gloriously executed Living Room repairs!
The Main floor is always a bit easier....

No more ceiling cracks! Contemplate on that Angels...

And Christian Proetz arrives on the scene from Empire Today!

How about a little "Dusty Trail" carpeting to go with the Dusty Trail paint?
It doesn't get much more straight forward and meant to be than this...

Calculating the cost for new flooring throughout the base floor, including those steps!

A contract to complete within 48 hours!

Saturday morning, and Jorge and Paulino arrive from Empire Today!

New pad for installation...

Ripping out the covering for those steps...

A brand new roll of Dustry Trails...How perfect is that color with the tile in the kitchen?
It's going to all come together!

Jose is funny!

Mid-way through the installation...

Clean up time!

Paulino bearing the Empire Today GUARANTEE!
(Can I get one of these for this next part of my life, please?)

How beautiful is this crew?
Big Gratitude for these guys!

Another room still in need of flooring...A Before Shot...

How gorgeous is this laminate? More aligment in the color scheme...

Phil from Empire Today arrives with the sub-floor.
(How many of us know about sub-flooring? The layer underneath that supports...?)

Roger rocks the saw outside...

Friendly Phil finishing the job...

How beautiful is this, all put together?

Just awaiting trim now...

Viola! TV Room corner trimmed out!

Daniel Kerkhoff arrives to aid in the heavy lifting...

Staging that basement TV room...

Nothing like some purple settees, a little Andy Warhol art,
and red throws to liven up the place!

Beautiful Melis Arik arrives with her own red stripes, muscles and imagination to help facilitate this next part...She's all about inspired transformation!

Moving those 10 years of teaching boxes.....

With Robert Walker's Leather chair and Ottoman, we are nearing staging completion...

From another perspective, it still looks good, don't you think?

Completing the foundational floor! Furnace floor to paint...

Start by sweeping...

Dirty hands are a good sign of a day's labor...

Next prep step: Washing!

What kind of gunk lives on your basement floor?

But the payoff!

Arlo refers to this as butter...

And the laundry room....

Also asking for the same transformational treatment...

Sweet!

All those teaching files and libraries from my home and classroom: here! Organized and neatly stacked....Bring it on Home and Garden TV! Clean Sweep is Melissa's Basement!

Again, more labeled and stacked files...

Now; the Official City Inspectors! I get a crew of three in one day!

95% Efficient Furnace being checked out! Thank you Standard Heating! Thank you Inspectors!
Woohoo! Passing Approval!

Electricity is up to snuff!
My power is also approved...

Time for a visit from Margaret Post!

Blessing the basement!
This all began with CSJ Sister Jill Underdahl's prayerful words and nudging...
It only seems fitting that my dear CSJ Conscociate, MP, would arrive at the end to praise the work...

Yes! My East Coast Angel!

From Foundation to Main floor...Time to address the Exterior Cracks...

To the neighborhood flower shop for a little inspiration...

All this from Leitner's for $12?!
Gifts!

Scraping that exterior main arch on February 23rd..I was praying for a 35 degree day!

Paintin in the snow?

Yes! It happened...

Menard's inspired the additional use of heat for a good match and fusion...

Trimming the branches for the outside floral box...

How to make the arrangement stay? Add snow!

Jody takes the pictures of Melissa arranging things..

Everyone needs such a faithful friend and assistant! Ms. Jody Tigges!

Sunday, time for the backyard!

Repeat steps: Scrape!

Ladder and paint!

February 24th and WARM?!

AFTER!

Now: We need a clear sign for our new owners!

Jody is on this...

I think St. Francis agrees it's a good marker...

Time for Official Marketing! Arlo's photographer, Mike McCaw Arrives!

Snapshots of that main floor bathroom...

McCaw checks his kitchen shot....

Shooting that TV room...

Isn't she beautiful?

Now, it's all in the hands of this guy...(St. Joseph was Jesus' "Foster father" right? If he could hold that baby, couldn't he hold Juno and her new owners? eh? )