Elbow Grease

Adam and I are finally getting back in the habit of working on the house.  We did a great job unpacking and making repairs until we went to Florida for Christmas, but then Adam started a new semester, we got sick, and other projects seemed to get in the way.  We did a few things, but our momentum was lost.

A couple of weeks ago, we prioritized the list of home improvements we want to make.  It's probably a 10 year plan, and it comprises 71 tasks - things that range from repairing two toilets, to finishing unpacking, to remodeling the entire kitchen. 

Having a prioritized list really kick-started our efforts.  Last weekend we hung most of our art.  Adam has always been a stickler for getting this done quickly after a move, so the fact that it took us 5 months shows you how busy we were this winter.  I had forgotten how many nice prints we have, and having them on the walls makes it feel like home. 

I've managed to continue cleaning the house.  I don't mean the daily chores like cleaning toilets and mopping the floors, but things like scrubbing walls and baseboards with a stiff brush.  This house was just filthy and disgusting when we moved in.  I'm still finding long, dark hairs stuck to doors and walls.  Nobody in our family has long, dark hair.  Ewwwww.

I'm just about finished with a project I started in March:  cleaning the tile grout on my kitchen floor.  I use OxiClean and a scrub brush and it's quite a workout.  I can't do the whole thing in one go since I have fractured time, so I've been doing small sections.  I think I've done about 15 sections at 1-2 hours apiece.  But here is the difference it makes:



 

I really love owning a home.  I love making it better, bit by bit.  I love my long list of things to do.  Sometimes I get stressed out about all the money it will take to accomplish what we want to do, but then I remember that we don't have to do all of these things right this instant.  Even if we had all the money we needed, it would still take a few years to get it all done.  And doing these things is fun.  I enjoy it.  Holy cow - I actually enjoy the process!

I've come a long way since last year, when I wrote about my time sickness.  Good job, me!