old houses

Win Win Achoo

Remember this? Yeah, me neither. It’s been that long. At this rate, I project the house will be finished in 2015.

 

We’re calling it “The Pink Room”. Not that it’s really pink, but in comparison to everything in this house: oh it’s pink alright! It’s a lovely, cheerful room that doesn’t scream, “HI I’M TAKING PROZAC TO GET THROUGH THIS MISERABLE GREY WINTER.” Ahem. No, the room whispers quietly. Even to the teenager, who likes to hang out there because the color is “soothing.” 

The room is nearly done, in no small thanks to IZ, who gave me the day off on Monday to paint. I was lamenting my fate, not wanting to report back to work after a weekend of Youth work, and he said, “Then take the day to paint. Finish your room.”

That’s a deal worth taking, no? I’m hoping to take photos soon. However, painted hardly means decorated. And I’m still trying to decide how to deal with the left-over sofa. Oh, did I mention this room is filled with left-over furniture? It’s a mishmash, but I have a plan, maybe? So, photos shortly.

Of course, I painted on Monday and then promptly got sick. I love, love working with youth. But I’m no fan of the Petrie dish my classroom appears to be. I had a youth worker whisper to me during service on Sunday, “I can’t help in Sunday School this week, I’m sick”. And with one whiff of a cough-drop coated breath, I knew I would be too, shortly. For those wondering what fate smells like, let me tell you: minty. 

So, now I’m hopped up on cold meds and rambling. But my room is painted and I’m married to the nicest guy on the planet who took pity on my Monday morning wails of “I really don’t want to go to work today.”  Win-win. . . achoo! 

 

Time to Stir Things Up

Time to stir. . . 

Observant readers will notice that I’ve unlinked my store and sidebar options. After much thought and lots of math, I realized that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I need to do and keep Mireio up and running. So, I’m opting to shutter the store and focus my energy on other projects.

I’m sad. But I’m also optimistic. Sometimes, a break is a creative jumpstart. And even with the closing of Mireio, my time seems ridiculously filled. I don’t like the word “busy”. We’re all busy! But, I am noticing that down-time is a thing of the past. So, I’m hopeful that by taking something off my to-do list, I will have a bit more breathing room to accomplish some of my other goals. I rather do less, well… than do more, poorly. I just don’t have the time working 30+ hours a week and homeschooling to focus any energy, much less creative energy to Mireio. And I love my little store too much to not give it my all.

So, it’s time to stir things up.

And the first thing on my list is this ridiculous disasterpiece we live in! After a year of living in an unfinished construction zone, I’m breaking out the paint brushes and setting to work. I have NO idea when the unfinished carpentry projects will get done — that’s a cash-flow and time reality (who has time to vet and hire contractors? I’m still so emotionally scarred from last year, that I don’t even want to let anyone with a toolbelt through the front door.) But I can paint. And while IZ is working 70+ hours a week and can’t really help, our adorable son offered to step in and man-handle a paint-roller.

As for that color. . . well, it’s a peachy-pink not in the plan in any way sort of color. It’s for the upstairs lounge — the room where all our old furniture goes to live. It’s a risk. It’s not the plan. It’s not even remotely what I imagined last year when I was envisioning the future. And it’s aptly become a metaphor for this moment in my life.

Time to stir things up.