The renovation has been tough on her, unfortunately. Some days we have to lock her upstairs, because I can’t have her running around in the paint or gypsum dust, or taking of outside while the door is wide open. I trained her from a little kitten to be “one of the kids,” so it is very painful for her to be locked away from us, hearing our voices and all the activity. She meows so pitifully, too.
We’re hoping to have this project done SOMETIME soon. Whew. We finally got the walls up, but I still have a lot to do. Cabinets, counters, sink, plumbing the dishwasher, trim work, painting, install flooring, and much much more. I’m under a bit of pressure, too, because the kids start school soon… and I have a job, as well! I’ve taken some time off to do the renovation, but I have to get back to work soon, to pay off all this stuff. Whew. Moreover, I have yet to purchase some things for my office– I’d love to get an iPhone and iphone warranty!– but I must be practical and get things like a new computer and pencils and such, lol.
So that’s where we are right now. I just can’t wait until it’s complete! And neither can Livvy.
Ever have one of those days? Where you have a million things to do, and everything seems to go haywire?
Well, we’ve had one of those SUMMERS.
Earlier this year, our kitchen in our 1855 home started to fall apart. It has been slowly disintegrating before us for a decade, but we always put off fixing it. This year, it had to be done. The insurance man wants to come see the house (our policy is very old), and if he saw the crumbling plaster, bare wires hanging from rafters, moldy countertops, and sagging flooring… we’d be in trouble.
We started gutting the downstairs of the house in May. Very little of the home has been untouched in about 100 years. The wiring (what was still working) was still the old knob and tube from the 1920s. Since we are a one-income family, we wanted to save a little money and do all the work ourselves.
WOOOOO, what a job!
And everything seemed to come at us during this time. My father died after a log illness. I was audited by the IRS. My dog died. My husband lost his work hours before the renovation, and then, when I needed his help to work on the renovation, his hours suddenly flooded in. :-p Wow.
All the while, we’ve kept our chin up. The kids have been INCREDIBLE. But they are overworked and overtired. I have been promising them a vacation to Virginia or to North Carolina for many years.. I think I may have to keep my promise in the near future. It would be cruel to them to not keep it! They deserve a vacation. See for yourself! We made a cute video detailing all the stuff going on around here.
That website they were visiting is the exquisite Carolina Designs website, where there are photos of the glorious Outer Banks rentals by the North Carolina shore. We haven’t been on a *real* vacation in about 15 years… I want them to see the ocean, to travel a little. No cheesy hotel for these kids! I want a nice rental unit where we can relax and do nothing but play a little billiards, splash in the Atlantic’s salty waves, lounge in front of a fireplace or the private pool, and rest from all our labors and tribulations. Just to think of it makes my heart sigh a little.
The rental units are very spacious, too. We’d have loads of space for all six of us. Oh! It would be so, so wonderful. My kids have never left New York State (except for a short stint in Massachusetts when they were babies). I would like to expose them to a little of that Southern hospitality. Prices are very good for such a luxurious rental location.
Anyway, all I can say about a vacation at this point is what I kept saying in the video: We’ll see.
Isn’t the photo lovely? I have perennial gardens, so everything comes to colorful bloom in late July. I wish I could wrap up this time and savor it forever, especially on those glum January days when winter’s gray chill dulls the landscape.
This is the time of year I traditionally reserve for holiday shopping, birthdays, and anniversaries. I never shop in November or December. Prices are higher, crowds are larger, time is shorter. I prefer the more leisurely pace of sales and deals in August and September! Funny, so many people I know have birthdays and anniversaries toward the end of the year, too. So it’s a big time. Lately, I’ve been utilizing the online stores more often. I detest driving through traffic. It takes me 15-20 minutes to drive a whopping 5 miles to the shopping centers, just because of all the traffic and stop lights. No thanks. I’d rather shop online. I have a slew of stores I rely on for gifts. Online stores offer everything today! From platinum gifts for your 20th anniversary to shoes to network equipment to cabinet trash bin pull-outs! I’m very impressed.
So. I have a TON of things to do. LIke the ant, I must run around busily all summer long, working while I can so that I am prepared when winter’s dormancy rolls in, and the days are slower and quieter. This year, I am going to LOOOOOVE winter…
I haven’t had much time to devote to leisure, meditation, beauty, or even usual maintenance (like combing my hair!) these days. WOW. I have never been so busy for such a long period of time in my life (or so it seems). The house renovation has swallowed up my life. We are at the brink of saying the bulk of the work is completed, but this week is the final push to get the walls done so we can install cabinets on Sunday. Sunday is my deadline. And it is a fierce master.
My gardens are a disaster. Full of weeds, my flowers neglected.. I peer out my window and see their scrawny necks begging for assistance. I came across this photo of my purple coneflowers from last year. *sigh* This year, they are pale pink because they have been overshadowed by weeds. Next year will be the year to replenish my gardens!!!
Still, I don’t regret this time, not at all. We have wanted to renovate for so, so long. I am SO grateful that the moment has come! Hallelujah! I just cannot WAIT until it’s done!
Doesn’t she look peeved? We call her The Peevish Disputant when she looks like that. She dislikes the flash in her eyeballs. I would, too.
All my blogs are suffering terribly right now. I am in the “heat” of things with the kitchen renovation. It’s toward the end, the work is difficult, we are tired, my wallet (not my rfid wallet, but I wish I had one!) is strained… PLEASE let this be done soon. Wow. It’s been quite a summer.
The sun sets sooner now. Signs of fall are very slowly appearing, although it’s still quite hot and humid so you’d never know judging by the day weather. I look forward to fall, even though it means more work for me. I like cooler weather. And it will mean that we are that much closer to finishing our renovation. I need a vacation.
She meows so pitifully, too.
Prices are very good for such a luxurious rental location. 
