So what can happen in a year? Part 2

So other than trying to sell a house, adopting a dog, burying a dog, vacuuming, vacuuming vacuuming... I have also dipped my feet into the DIY world. For those of you not obsessed with HGTV, (Hellllooo! Get with the program(s)!) DIY or Do-It-Yourself projects have pretty much been an obsession since we put the house on the market.  They have also been a necessity.  We are selling the house to get out from under the massive mortgage made heavier by homeowners insurance that more than doubled since Katrina.  Putting a lot of money into a house whose value has plummeted since the economies down turn is just not feasible nor possible.  So, BUM BUM BUM BAA, in comes Handy Homeowner. 

A small list of my accomplishments, of which I am very proud.

1. Removed my kitchen sink, faucet, etc to make ready for new counter tops. This included removing the plumping connections below the since.
2. Replacing my old faucet, hot and cold handles and sprayer with a new one and connecting the hot and cold water back up.
3. Replacing a plumbing pipe or two under the kitchen sink in order to secure the water pipes would fail as they had in the past  thereby flooding the cabinet under the sink.
4. Patching and repainting wall blemishes.
5. Painting the front stairs and restaining the front porch.
6. Removing the glass shower doors from the main floor bathroom and replacing it with a shower curtain.
7. Removing the dated toilet paper holding and towel rack from the main floor bathroom, patching the walls and replacing with updated fixtures.

Not too shabby if I do say so myself. But the big projects still lie ahead.  Here is what I want to do when I find the courage and watch enough YouTube Vidoes.

1. Remove the very out of date bathroom counter, sink and faucets in the main floor bathroom and replace with a nice stand alone vanity and sink.  (Oh gosh will there be ceramic tile under the counter or will I have opened a flooring can of worms?)
2. Remove the wall to wall mirror in the same bathroom and replace with a nice up to date medicine cabinet. (7 years bad luck... will never get the house sold.)
3. Remove the ceramic tile from around the fireplace and replace with an updated and colorful alternative. (Grouting... scary!)
4. Install a kitchen back splash that compliments my new kitchen counters. (Grouting... scary!)
5. Sand and re-varnish the wood floors which, by the way, need it desperately.

The sadly funny thing about the DIY stuff is the more I do, the stronger connection I feel to this stupid house.   Is my ambivalence showing... eek!

So what can happen in a year? Part 1

Its been almost a year since I posted on my blog. What is my excuse? I have none. My life goes in fits and starts. I get caught up in one thing and my focus in there 100%.

Its not like the last year has been quiet and uneventful. Life has gone on. Things exciting things have happened and some thing have stayed agonizingly the same.

Home sweet home

This past year my focus has been on preparing to sell the house and maintaining some as-semblance of order as we wait for the one crazy, mixed up buyer who wants to make this house their home. With three children in the house, keeping order has not been easy. I attempted to sell one of the children to the gypsies so I could afford a new Kirby vacuum. Doc took offense and I financed it instead. But man this vacuum can do anything you want. It comes with an over abundance of attachments that spit, shine, polish and suck anything in their way. It even has an attachment you can use for a scalp massage. The suction is so strong I am sure I can vacuum fleas right off the dog... while he is getting his massage.

Amazing Kirby

But anyway, the house continues to be on the market... after more than a year. And other than the house needing to be kept in order... the lawns are also giving me fits. Or should I say, the riding lawn mower. I think it has broken down about 8 times since the Spring. We just got it on the trailer a few weeks ago. It spent 3 weeks at the service center and came home last week. I tried to mow the lawn yesterday and it began smoking again when I engaged the blade. I am ready to drive it into the bayou. And I would if I could make up a believable story to tell Doc... really, I would settle for half believable. Needless to say it is on its way back to the service center on Monday.

Max

We adopted a wonderful dog from the Humane Society at our towns Earth Day celebration. in April. We named him Max. We lost him to liver failure only 2 weeks go. He was a wonderful dog and brought us all such joy. It is hard to explain the pain of grief at his death. He had a short life being only 3 and had spent the last 6 months before we adopted him in a kennel at the humane society. But his last months were a gift. He ran free on our six acres. It was so fun to see him racing through the pastures. He loved riding in the car and getting treats from the coffee place. Avery and he were best buddies when it came time to play. And he was my boy. And he is gone. He laid on my lap as he took his last breath and we buried by the barn. I still cry for him. The kid's think I am losing it. Today we went to the HSSM and picked out a new dog. He may not replace Max but he will fill the quietness that Max left behind.



The kids have all grown taller and are facing the next birthdays. Avery will be 7 on Wednesday. Cullen will be 9 (OMG) on the 20th and Connor, my baby (cough) will be 5 in November. Their vocabularies have expanded. Their attitudes have grown. Their peskiness has multiplied by leaps and bounds but the summer is over and now I am not the only one who has to stare them down without exposing the fear I have for their futures as normal children. I asked Avery how her day at school went on Friday. She replied, "Not good. My teacher is still being bossy." Good luck, Ms. Latil.