We have a lot going on in our home right now. We live in an old farmhouse, probably built in the late 1800's, and we are constantly in a state of remodel. Neighbors walk by and ask, "Is the construction done yet?" and my response is, "No, it will never be done." My grandma came to visit yesterday and commented on the 4" gaping hole between our dining area and woodstove room and asked if that was new. "No Gram, that has been there for a year and a half, since last May." Well, definitley the wall that is down to the original bare beams is new construction? "No Gram, that has been that way since last May also." You get the picture. Things take a long time here to be completed.
We had an old oil furnace in the house that was just an awful contraption of belching smoke (I imagine it being like the one in "The Christmas Story", but it really isn't that bad) and so we have only heated with a woodstove since we moved in. With a baby in the house and a baby's room that doesn't have any heat, we decided to install a new heat pump heating system. Apparently this involves cutting holes in the ceilings of rooms that actually do not have any part of them under construction, such as my peaceful bathroom, so now every room in my home will have a hole or wall exposed. So is my life. I am really hoping that by the end of September I will have some heat and I will not be able to see insulation while I am brushing my teeth. Its bad enough that I have to see it whenever I change the baby on the washing machine.
So I am trying hard to focus on the good things in life and not worry about the things that are driving a clean freak crazy in a house under construction.
#1 - We had a very nice visit with both sides of our family yesterday - one for breakfast and one for dinner. Good food and good company and a cute seasonal flower display!
#2 - I have a healthy child who has lots of furry friends to admire and play with/torment. And I am able to provide a good home for my pets.
#3 - My chickens have decided to start laying in the coop again and so I have more eggs in the fridge than I need right now.
#4 - I found a couple of late season red raspberries on the bushes in our yard - a sweet surprise.
#5 - I have a great husband who was working his butt off yesterday installing the heating system and then pounding nails in the floor last night (for yet another project - refinishing the wood floor) while I went to bed with the baby. I felt guilty reading my book in bed while I heard loud exclamations of pain come up from downstairs. I do not have a picture of his fingers, though he claims they are not too bruised.
So if you are feeling stressed, take a couple minutes today to take stock of what you are thankful for. We all have much more than we realize.