work work work

despite the COVID situation disrupting basically all of life's normal plans and adventures, david and i have been unusually and overwhelmingly busy. every evening, we hit the to-do list, which feels endless. so much of the little things that need to be addressed are just temporary fixes until a more significant demolition and remodel can happen, and so much of the big things that need to be addressed are planned for the future renovation. the thing with this house is that it is just so much bigger than we are used to, and comes with SO much yard, driveway, garage, and all this lakefront with a boat ramp/rail system and old beat up dock and cement slab and trees and gardens..... it's just a lot of work, and needs to approached in a systematic step by step process. i am not good at slowing down and taking things one at a time. i want it all done. now. 

so, you know, i'm growing and learning and becoming more flexible. i hope. 

 

here's some things we've done (and this is by no means an extensive or inclusive list, but instead represents the few things i've remembered to photograph...)

most important part of the house: the lakefront. 

we rented a giant dangerous saw and processed to wear through 3 diamond blades while chopping up all the steel rail lying about the backyard. it was a huge job, but transformed the lakefront from a junkyard of tangled steel and weeds to yard!

we took some of that steel tonage and loaded it up in the canoe, donned some wetsuits on a cold and windy choppy day, and walked it out about 30 feet from the end of the dock and dropped it into the lake with a buoy attached, and then we had a buoy! seemed like a thing we'd want, right?

inside the house, the basement has been painted a fresh coat of white and homeschool has been arranged in a cozy and well supplied environment,

and the ski waxing and sharpening station has been arranged, down to the ski rack on the wall. winter, we are READY.

we had the fireplace inspected and were dealt a crushing blow: the whole thing needs to be rebuilt, from the bottom to the tippy top. in an act of defiant optimism, we ordered firewood and already stacked it neatly. we will have fires, one way or another. 

a basketball hoop is up (that thing was a heavy beast, and 3 adult helpers were not too many)

an empty bedroom has been converted in a sunny guest room,

and an empty room (a den, perhaps?) has had it's beautiful red carpet finally torn out. 

and now it's david's office!

furniture has been updated,

shockingly horrible light fixtures are slowly being replaced one at a time,

but the appliances continue to cause headaches. this old oven runs SO hot, and i don't think the temperature adustment dial even approximates the actual temperature. things got so hot the other day my pizza stone broke. (i admit that it is possible it already had a crack from moving, but still...).

the long term projects are in the planning stages, and that's probably my favorite part. it sure beats hiding out in the basement during demolition and lead and asbestos containment and doing dishes in the shower but hey, that's in the card for this family soon, too. 

until then, we are drawing out our dreams....

and our designer is turning them into real looking computer models...

which will become blueprints.

which will become construction projects. 

which will become our home.