Just got back out here and the windows are almost all in... Here's the kitchen, which is finally beginning to look like a real room. Things still seem to be going somewhat slowly, and I do kind of wish the windows were all in place, and maybe the siding or some other exciting such thing would be happening, but I suppose I shouldn't complain. Especially when thoughtful decisions were made that had nothing to do with me or my exacting husband. Look at the photo below to see what I mean:

OK, check this out. All of the windows on the first floor are new, while the ones on the second floor are all original. That was not the way the place had been up till now, and not what had been indicated in the plans. But someone was thinking, and realized that it would look much better (smoother, more uniform, more consistent, whatever) if like was close to like in the window department. And I have to admit, they are right. These are the things you never really think about (or at least, I never really think about) till it's too late. In this happy instance, someone else has done the thinking for us. Yay team. So maybe that's why the progress seems a bit slow-- there's more going on than meets the eye..

But then, lo and behold, I turn around in the kitchen and discover, to my delight, a switch plate!

And then we suddenly noticed that much electrical work had also been done, almost all of it to our specs! The key word here being almost. But whatever. We'll go through the whole place tomorrow with the plans and a marker, making a list of what needs to be changed or added and marking it down on the wall. Seems to be the best way to get one's message across. I'll let you all know how it goes (will the excitement ever cease?)

Actually, if you really want to be moved, please go and see The Lives of Others before it leaves the theaters. It's an unbelievably beautifully directed and acted portrait of life in East Germany, back when there was such a thing. Seeing a film like that kind of makes me wonder what I'm doing prattling on about new windows, but hey... lets not go there, shall we?