Last night's rain didn't amount to enough to delay the footings, and this morning Lorenz Concrete and Cemstone formed, reinforced, pumped, spread, leveled and smoothed the house's footings.
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In one of the center footings, I mixed the last of my father's ashes. I'd saved them since Memorial Day 2013 when we spread them in locations that he'd requested. He didn't request what I did this morning, but I'd saved the last ashes for this purpose, not knowing when the time would come. I feel that as much as he is a part of me, I wanted him to be part of this - the first house that I designed for my own family. I think he'd approve.
Although this little memorial will be obscured by insulation, a vapor barrier, and the concrete floor slab, I inscribed his initials and the current year in the corner where his ashes form part of the concrete, and marked it with an agate from his collection.