At long last.

It's the new year. Let the home improvement projects begin! When we had new counter tops installed last June, we thought the pattern we picked would work pretty well with our existing backsplash. But the longer we have lived with our green slate tiles in juxtaposition with our new counter tops, the more we have become convinced that new backsplashes are in order.

In early November, Jill asked if we could get them done in time for our Thanksgiving Day feast. I was leary of tearing up the kitchen just before we had to prepare dinner for a crowd. So, I agreed that we could get the job done by Christmas.

We began shopping for tile in November. That is a bigger job than you might think. We went to numerous stores, and finally we found something we liked. That was one reason I thought we could finish the project before Christmas.

We brought a sample home and set it next to the counter top. We found it to be quite attractive, but then we realized that it was another slate. Now one of the things we DIDN'T like about the green slate was that it tended to absorb grease and was difficult to clean.

Thanksgiving came and went. It was pretty wonderful, by the way, but I digress. In early December we found some porcelain tile that we liked even better than the previous choice. We both agreed this was it. Well, amidst the shopping and decorating and so on, we eventually came to a mutual agreement that we would postpone the project and enjoy the Yuletide season.

Here's the tile pattern we chose. Click on the picture for a slideshow of our progress.

Last week we decided to pull out the stops and get on with our project. We began beating on the tiles, poking at the grout, digging, whacking, prying...who knew that removing tile would be this hard? Eventually, we got a half dozen tiles off, complete with most of the drywall behind them.

Our Bible study group came over on Thursday night. Great! A chance to consult with my buddies and fellow DIYers. I got some really good advice, and the offer of a tool that might make the job easier. Friday was occupied with other things, but Saturday I called Ben to see about borrowing his tool. He wasn't in.

Then, it happened. I had an inspiration. Why not combine our project misery with something that would give me great joy? I grabbed Jill and we headed for Harbor Freight. Now, this store is like a candy store for tool enthusiasts. As a matter of fact, Jill even likes it. They must have one of every kind of tool there ever was. Soon, I found what I was looking for: a variable speed vibrating multi-tool. Then, wonder of wonders, I found a diamond blade for it. Perfect.

We hurried home, right after we spent 45 minutes or so examining most of the tools in the place. I switched on my new toy and went to work. Wow! Who knew that removing grout could be this easy. Ben called and said he had got my message, and did I want to come over and get his angled chisel.

While I was gone, Jill got busy with the new multi-tool and she went crazy! By the time I got back, she had most of the grout and several more tiles removed. The tiles still removed a lot of dry wall, when they came off, but we were moving ahead. Soon we had all the tiles on the main counter area removed.

Today I used my new tool, with a different blade to remove a strip of the damaged drywall all along the counter top and behind the stove. In no time, I was able to patch the wall with new drywall. After taping and mudding the seams, I sat down to write this post. Stay tuned.