It's been a while since I've shared any construction photos with you because there hasn't been any construction. The half-done kitchen has remained half-done, for reasons of time and money. As far as countertop goes, I've gotten used to working on a semi-passable substitute comprised of slabs of stone, a pastry board, and raw plywood.

But earlier in the pandemic season, Tom decided that he really needed to install the actual countertop. The triggering factor was the plywood rot beginning around the sink; our temporary surface clearly didn't have much time left. Tom had never worked with the composite material Corian before, but it seemed to be something he could learn to finish himself, unlike, say, granite, which is prohibitively expensive and requires a dedicated stone shop. So he ordered the materials and slowly, weekend after weekend, has been cutting, gluing, and polishing the three sections for the kitchen.

Yesterday he finished and installed the piece-de-resistance: the long stretch that surrounds the sink . . . in the process also replacing the rotted underlay, detaching and reattaching plumbing, and otherwise heroically managing to complete the job in time for me to start dinner.

I am a great admirer of his work, and a big fan of clean counter space, so you can imagine how pleased I am at the result.

Cabinet doors are still to come, as is a tile backsplash. But this is giant progress!