November 6^th, 2002

I’ve spent the last two weeks pulling all of the nails left behind from the asbestos shingles. The work goes faster then the shingles but it is more physically demanding. My right hand, elbo, and shoulder are really sore. With any luck, and if it doesn’t reain, I should finish up this weekend (We are expecting the first big storm of the season tonight).

On Monday there was an article in the paper about The Blue Ox Mill. I thought you might find it interesting so I cut it out to send to you. This is the place that is reproducing the missing sun-bursts over the windows. I’ve come to find out these are called ‘Lentils’. I’ve heard the term used in the past but I’ve always considered it a term for a structual piece and not for something that is solely decorative. The old Brown Stone buildings back East all have lentils over the windows. On the Brown Stones the lentil is the large, solid piece of stone over the window that supports the smaller stones above it. Also at Stone Henge in the UK they use the term lentil to describe the horizontal piece that traverses the two vertical pieces that create one section of Stone Henge.

The good people at Blue Ox Mill had origianlly told me I would have my lentils last weekend. When I called on Monday they apolgized profuslly for loosing my paper work. They lost all of the drawings and measurments I took. They also lost my name and phone number and had no way to contact me. They had been waiting for me to contact them so they could tell me they lost everything and had not started the work. I was very bummed. It was an honest mistake, and to be honest, after looking at their office it is not too surprising they lost every thing. There was little I could do so I didn’t make a big deal of it. I redid the drawings and measuments and they should have the lentils for me in 2 or 3 weeks.

I’m going to be using their services several times more over the next few years so there is nothing to be gained by creating a bad relationship with them. They can reproduce just about anything you need. I know I’m going to need some sections of base board and door casing up stairs. The baseboards are 13 inches high and you can’t find that sort of thing at the local Home Depot.