I got stoned!

Ha, made you look!  ;-)   Actually, it's the fireplace that was decorated with stone, Pennsylvania Ruble, to be exact.  I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel, which is good.  I'm getting too old for extended camping in the basement on a air mattress.

Here's the finished product:

I  know the mantel looks a little off-balance, but making it only as large as the fireplace opening would have been too small.  What I have planned is to place something tall on the left hand side that will draw the eye up toward the mantel and balance it a bit. 

This is looking from the kitchen into the great room.  I know it's hard to see, but instead of a mantel on this side, I have two stone shelves, one on the left above the firebox and one a bit higher on the right side.  Just big enough to set a picture, or Christmas elves.

Wood flooring will be finished tomorrow and, in the meantime, I will finish my painting.  I have 8 long baseboards left to paint, 12 stair risers to paint, and 12 stair treads to stain.  <sigh>

Sleep has come in short term increments while I get adjusted to the sounds of this house.  I've never had a water softener system before and so didn't know about the *recharging* process that is programmed to begin at 3:00 am.   Jolted out of bed, I swear I thought the water heater had popped, or the furnace was about to blow.  I can't think clearly at 3:00 am.

Last night, one of the baffles on the air mattress gave way and it quite literally popped me out of bed like a piece of toast.  What will come next?