I was innocently laying on the couch, watching Dateline, admiring the hutch to tv stand transformation…
…when I noticed the tile.
Do you have that one … pain in the neck, always under your skin, jumping out with the ugly reminder that it’s always there … thing?
Mine, for sure, is the tile in this little house…
But the thing with it is…I can’t change it.
And I choose to have peace with it.
Like I have peace with our outdoor washing machine.
Like I have peace with this old lady.
Any chance you’ve read up on me a bit?
Did you notice the part where I say “renovate 3 1/2 homes“?
Did you know that I really meant that I left half a house unfinished?
Yessirree Bob I did. Sigh.
I worked tirelessly, day and night, weekdays and weekends, after full work days, every. single. day. for months … and months … and months.
Scraping old wall paper … even on the ceiling … those of you who have done this are now feeling your shoulders ache just at the thought of it.
7 large rooms, 2 hallways, 1 stairway … top to bottom … wallpaper on every. single. surface.
Then I striped and repainted every. single. window.
And doorway.
And fireplace surround.
Then I repainted the kitchen cabinets.
Then we found some tenants.
A group of college aged kids who didn’t care about her imperfections. They even let us jerry-rig (what does that even mean?) a shower over the old-timer, boxed in, extra long, claw foot tub in the upstairs bathroom.
But the tenants are long gone.
And the shower is still jerry-rigged.
And I live here.
While she sits there.
And, at some point between Chris Hansen in India and Victoria Gotti getting fired, I’m thinking I haven’t wanted to do any DIY or home improvement around here…
… to rebel against all of the time and energy and blood, sweat and tears I used up here.
Does that even make sense? What did I actually think I was teaching 1/2 done house by not updating Curacao house? What am I, 12?
What about you? Has any project had a lasting impression on you? Ever bought a project that some days you just wish you could close your eyes and make it go away?
Did you happen to find peace with it all on a random Sunday night?
Just so you know…this old lady has 23 windows, 21 doorways and 6 fireplace surrounds.
And, my sweet mother came down for a week to help me clean, furnish (with 100% auction items) and prepare for the tenants.