tiling

23 JULY 2010
I watched it happen, layer by layer, yet I am still in awe of the emergence of the grid. The small and plain shape taking on a mechanical order, but with some viral quality about it. Suddenly, last Saturday, we had a tile floor in the bathroom, courtesy of Z. and her monumental courage and perseverance. Who else could make so much from a tiling “package” that was “recommended” by the Home De-pot? Just don’t ask her which sealant she would recommend.


The tiles you see here are made of slate, which is coincidentally, a type of stone that Maine does not have very much of. Slate comes from Vermont, and upstate New York, where the ancient lake bottoms received deposits of organic material and calcareous shells over many many years. The result was a relatively high calcium compressed rock, we call slate. The result is also, unfortunately, a fairly soft rock. Don't step on Jack too hard- he's looking so good!

Before I get carried away on a musical tirade, I should mention this now enabled switching out the old toilet, for the new one we’d been sitting on, no pun intended. Quieter, more, efficient, and all that stuff. A real beauty. Next steps are still all tangled together, there is the rest of the wires to be run, the solar antifreeze pipe run, firming up the blocking and support for all of the sheet-rock, etc. What I get done today, invariably seems to open two jobs for tomorrow.