Saying Hi

[Hopalong]

Habitat stores are the best! I got two great standing lamps from a hotel there...

My wee house was a neglected rental. Broken windows, racoon poop in crawl,
leaky roof, no gutters, etc etc. But I had two contractors plus and architect pal
go through it and they said, basically--this house is sound. Everyone wrong with
it you can fix. And with the location (it's a little over a mile from historic area
with shops, cafes, and old everything...)--go for it. So I did!

I did new roof, new windows, cork floors in kitchen and wing (hardwoods were
actually in great shape), lots of paint (love doing color) and gutters and underground
drainage system (to fix basement damp)--and resealed basement. Some electrical.
Kitchen's still dated and probably will stay that way, but it's sweet, with a simple
white porcelain sink and blue Mexican tile counters. (Folks who owned it had a
tile store, so the bathroom's nice.)

That's it. It took 3 months because I had an ADD carpenter and had to do a
load of separate mini-contracts with him--a pay-as-it-went thing. Thank heaven
I did that because it was that leverage that kept him going.

Enjoy your efforts--have to admit I'm glad mine are done. Had a stone patio
put in last year that's added a lot of happy space, for sitting with friends. And
a new fence, so pooch can join us out there and I won't worry about her
running into the street.

Gotta crash, on a business trip out west.... Drive drive and DRY.

Hops

[lighter]

Hops:

Wow, you did a lot of work before you could relax on your little stone patio.

I have to change the septic D box, so adding the extra line seems wise.... already bringing in equipment, and tearing up lovely moss yard so biting bullet now.  Will permit house for fourth bedroom in second phase.

The carpet's being replaced with floating mdm dark walnut floor.  Underlayment likely to be cork.  

I'm still flip flopping on ceiling decision..... must come up with less expensive plan.  I guess I can wait on kitchen a bit, but kitchen is sitting in garage waiting so compelled to get that project out oif the way.

::nodding::

Did you get a garden planted this year?  Just a wee one?

Lighter
 

[Butterfly]

Hi, Tup.  So glad to hear you are filling your life with good things. 

[Hopalong]

No garden, Lighter.
Beds are ready if I'm willing to push and plant fall things.

Dunno, just dunno.

It's weird, but that priority hasn't held. (Work, 45 hrs/wk and depression lethargy, have interfered.)

Hops

[lighter]

Hops:

You used to love to garden:  /

Here's wishing you and I both enjoy playing in the dirt soon.  You used to enjoy your little square foot garden as I recall.

I prepared a planting bed, and put a few things in with my oldest daughter, which was the nicest part.  My heart isn't into the garden though, truth be told, Hops.

All the doors in my new house are out... ordered a new sliding back door today... the other doors will be here Monday. 

The popcorn ceilings are flat, and freshly painted on the upper floor.... closets painted white... they look great.

Almost all the drywall changes and patches are done. 

The carpet's out, staples and nails all pulled, and ready for new flooring (stacked in garage)....... new baseboard primed, and ready for paint before we put it in.

We're way ahead of schedule!  My team is amazing.... very funny, and everyone works so hard.  I've never seen anything like it.  Things are moving nicely, though kind of a blurr things going so fast.

I work side by side with my amazing contractor... whatever I want, he drops what he's doing and makes it so.   I keep reminding myself..... careful what you ask for little girl.

I have to make some big decisions coming up.... build in a china hutch made of reclaimed wood.... 10 feet high, at the front stairs (I'd use the back as a coat rack) where I ripped out a knee wall, or wrap the steps, and leave it open.  To tell the truth, I really love it open, and it opens more space for the piano.... the cabinet can go somewhere else.

 Do I run gas to the kitchen, or stick with electric?

::shrug:: 

All uplifting decisions I'll enjoy making.

I feel challenged/happy to be doing this right now.  It was time. 

The journey continues.

Lighter

[Hopalong]

Sounds like a lot of fun, Ligther.

If I had the bucks, I'd be a flipper!



Hops

[lighter]

Hops:

We finish the upstairs renovation tomorrow..... 10 days in.  Whoo hoo... Mr. Toad's wild ride.

I've never seen a man work like this contractor works.......  Refreshing really; )

Electrician comes tomorrow to discuss kitchen renovation.

It's all good.
Lighter

[Twoapenny]

Hops and Lighter, I've been reading all your housey stuff and it sounds amazing   Isn't it funny how we sort of deal with ourselves and then, once all that 'stuff' is out the way, we can start to build nests and make ourselves comfy in them.  Looking forward to hearing more as it happens.

The real world is doing alright by me at the moment.  I have realised that I have simply outgrown a lot of people that I know.  I want to spend as much of my time as possible either with people who make me feel really good, for whatever reason, or by myself (I don't mean people that make me feel good in a sycophantic way but people who are interesting, or kind, or funny, or just have that nice easy air about them).  I am getting better and better at saying no thanks to people who drain and make me feel tired or on edge.  And interestingly I think I am developing a bit of a Teflon coating; I find myself more and more thinking that what people say and do is about them, not me, and that's a big difference.

We are still looking to move this year; we'll be staying in the UK for the time being but still hoping/planning for overseas in the long term.  I think one thing that I've learnt over the last forty years of dealing with my mum is that I'm not going to spend the next forty years doing things because I ought to.  I want to live my life, and love as much of it as I can.  I endured it for so long that I really want to grab it with both hands now.  So things are definitely moving in the right direction, slowly but surely.  I have even been trying online dating again - it's not going well, to be honest, but I do feel at least that I'm taking a step in the right direction there as well (we'll see!).

I met up with someone tonight (female) who I was incredibly close to about twenty years ago.  We came from similar (abusive) families and were both very into drugs/men/wild times and so on.  We went on different paths; I tried to sort myself out and make something of my life and my friend got deeper and deeper into drugs, bad relationships, abusive boyfriends and so on.  I haven't seen her for about ten years as I felt she was stopping me from sorting myself out - I don't mean in a deliberate way but she really used to trigger my desire to rescue people and look after them and I knew I needed to get out of that.  But our paths crossed again recently and we spent some time together tonight.  I came away feeling so sad.  She's a shadow of her former self, the drugs have obviously done a lot of damage over the years and she has very little to look forward to in life at the moment (hopefully that can change for her).  But it made me so thankful that I made those, at times, very painful choices to deal with 'stuff' and do the counselling and the crying and the journalling and the sitting at home on my own rather than putting up with relationships that weren't good for me, or falling into the bottom of a bottle.  Such a funny world that some people have the strength to push through it and some just can't manage it.  She looks fragile and so very tired.  So a sad evening in a way but I'm glad we've reconnected and been able to spend some time together again.  Things going full circle, perhaps.

[Twoapenny]

Hi, Tup.  So glad to hear you are filling your life with good things. 

Hi Butterfly!    It's nice to be able to say that I'm filling my life with good things!  It's nice that there are good things to fill it with   How are things with you? xx