Craftsman At Work

 Our hearth is going in today and the master mason has left the exterior work above the roofline to others while he brings his talent inside to create the hearth. It is fascinating to watch him working out the math, the mass, the material, and the aesthetics of this. 

To complicate his life, we have a vintage slate surround that will be mounted to his brickwork and so he has to keep that in his mind as he works out dimensions and cuts. To further complicate his life, we are having our cat, Dolly's, cremains placed in a niche and the hearth will be built around her. He is being so sweet and kind about this, making sure she is as close to the firebox as possible, and front and center for every fire this fireplace ever sees.

I really admire the talent and care he is using, and it makes me happy that this is the energy that is being built into our hearth.

More Than a Fireplace

This is the year we took the leap, and tackled some long overdue massive projects at our house. Both were exciting, but the project that is the most emotional for me is replacing our pre-fab Heat and Glow zero clearance fireplace with a real masonry-built fireplace.

We are on day seven of active building and the firebox is complete, today the hearth goes in.  To these men building the fireplace, this is a job, and while it is clear to see the pride they take in there job, to them this is just another fireplace, and just another day at work.  To us, it is so much more than a fireplace.

Our fireplace is truly the heart of the home. It is where we gather, where we dream, where we rest.  It is the center of our family life, and a source of comfort in times of sorrow or stress.  It is where we hang our stockings at Christmas, carefully toast marshmallows for s'mores, toss foil-wrapped potatoes to roast. Our cats stretch in front of its warmth and dream of the hot sun of Summer. Our child perches on the hearth after a shower to dry off and stay warm. It is the background to a thousand memories and more.

These men, craftsman that they are, are building us something so much more than "just a fireplace."  They are leaving a small part of themselves behind in the mortar and will become part of everything this fireplace means to us.

I've heard them today talking about being disrespected and called "just a bricklayer" but I want to call out and tell them they are so amazing BECAUSE they are bricklayers and build homes and hearths that shelter and warm us. Their work is so much more than bricklaying, or maybe bricklaying is so much more than work.