Paradise ponders... Just a quick note, as I'm busy installing our new fireplace door. That's the current state of affairs at right: I did a bunch of patching up with mortar, getting ready for the actual mounting of the door. The biggest thing I did was to fill in a gaping hole around the pair of hot air vents above the fireplace. You can't see it well in the photo, but I've installed 10 concrete mounts inside the fireplace already, matching the holes in the new door's frame.
We have some other progress as well: our builders showed up and are installing our new doors as I write. They should be all finished by early tomorrow. They're also promising that we'll have our porches poured by early next week, and that construction will start on our deck by next week, too. That would sure be nice!