Most of the time, I am a journey type girl.
But right now, I'm all about the destination.
Get there, be done, cross the finish line,
the view along the way be damned.
When we bought the Big Red Barn, lo those
many years ago, we knew there would be
projects in our future. First, there was the
giddy glory of home renovation that over took
us when we first bought the house. It was fun.
We were bringing out what was hidden. Out came
the brown shag carpet (original color unknown),
down came the lowered acoustic tile in the living
and dining rooms, floors were refinished upstairs
and down... and then.. then.. the girls came.
Two incomes turned into one, and the projects
slowed. Sure we replaced the roof one year,
and a new layer of red on the barn followed a couple
of years later, but other things were postponed.
Things like replacing the horrible white vinyl that
covered half of the downstairs. White vinyl with
hints of baby pink and blue. Hideous, impossible
to make look clean, and peeling at the edges,
but other things came first.. until a leak in the
shower made replacement more than just cosmetic.
We saved and planned, and then pulled out the
vinyl with the assistance of a friend. The kitchen
is good to go, the new marmoleum goes in later
this week. It will be lovely.
The bathroom is... another matter. I remember
when this stuff was fun, before children, when we
had two full time incomes. When surprises were
met with overtime worked in tandem, instead of
a call to the credit union. It's not that we can't
do these things, they just take longer and require
more care.
The end of this journey will lead to a bathroom
with a new, non-leaky shower, a water conserving
toilet, and a new sink, complete with a beautiful
floor. It will be an investment in the house, and
the end of a long promise. But, right now, it just
feels... hard and stressful and an awful lot like
being an adult.