~ from my home to yours, living the Working Pantry lifestyle ~ surviving today's economy ~ a can-do spirit and attitude ~

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Our Journey to a Mortgage Free Home ... #16

(You can read previous entries in this series HERE.)

In our last entry I told you we would start on the hearth and that's literally what we did ... start on the hearth ...


Here is how it started, we had to install cement board on the walls and under the foundation for fire protection codes.  Then my husband started laying bricks after he cut the arch ... yes, it's a corner hearth! 



Here we are at the half way point with the flue and attic pipe installed.  Then .... it stayed like this for about 5 years ... yes, I said 5 years!  We did install a small used wood stove to help heat our house in the winter months but other than that this was what it looked like for quite some time.  (We had other projects that were screaming for our attention.  We had deadlines to meet so we didn't have to renew our permits ... which would have cost us more money!)


This is what it looks like today!  I absolutely love it.  My dear husband did all the work himself and he had never laid a brick until this project!  I am so very proud of him!  (Yes, that is an old wash tub holding our wood.)

So, what did we have to do that pulled us away from completing our hearth in a timely manner?  I'll share that with you in the next entry …

Until next time,
She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Sharing 43 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building 

My second blog:  From This Heart of Mine, where I share my love for God and His Word through my personal Bibe study.  Physical preparedness is important, but not near as important as spiritual preparedness.  Join me over at From This Heart of Mine and study God's Word with me.

Items I use in keeping my pantry well-stocked:

Dehydrator

Dehydrator Teflon Sheets

Dehydrator Cookbook

Food Saver Vacuum Sealer

Herb/Coffee Bean Grinder

Manual Food Chopper

Pressure Canner

Canning Supplies

Food Scale

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