I am back after an unplanned blog break. The intense six weeks of the One Room Challengeā¢Ā ended directly before my son’s college graduation, a very sleep-deprived 48-hour running adventure in Canada, followed by watching my daughter compete at States for gymnastics. Since then, this has pretty much been me.
If I needed confirmation that I am no longer twenty years old, the past ten days have sealed the deal.
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We did not get much feedback about our budget breakdown post. I am a no news is good news kind of gal, so I will assume that the amount that we spent was not too extravagant. If you love the grasscloth wallpaper and the 30″ bar stools that we bought for the library, they are on sale through the weekend. Both are currently cheaper than what we paid for them. Snap them up while the price is right!
Now that life has slowed down just a bit, I am planning what to work on next. My priority is the podcast. I have many hours of raw audio files to sort and prepare. I know you have all been waiting longer for this than expected. Thank you for being so patient. This project is important to me, and I want to create the best listening experience possible.
Also, I have been collecting bids to have someone rebuild the back chimney. Masonry is outside of our DIY skill set. I received one bid, and I am waiting for another company to return my call.
We need to get going right away on the exterior projects. The short outdoor work season is going to go by in a blink.
One of our top DIY priorities is this disaster:
If we can finish the front door and the porch during the summer, I will be one happy homeowner.
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I am signing off today with a few personal photos.
The rhododendrons are exploding this week. My sixteen-year-old captured this gorgeous shot.
Graduation Day!
Fun Fact #1: Due to their geographic locations, this is only the third time in twenty-four years that my mother and my in-laws have been together. They met for the first time when Andy and I got married in 1995.
Fun Fact #2: I did not ask their permission to post this photo. I may have to beg for forgiveness. Personally, I think it is a great shot.
I look decidedly less pulled together in the photo above, but clearly, I am a happy runner. Our team of twelve ran 200ish miles in about 27 hours. We placed 39th out of 206 teams. Since some of us did not even know there were timekeepers, the outcome was a pleasant surprise. As the team captain, I failed to notify them of that fact. Whoops!
The cutest gymnast on the block (according to her very biased mother):
M. has grown so much this season, and she has had a blast. After a rough start, I feel like she is having a breakthrough, but the competition season just ended. The timing is unfortunate, but her happiness with the sport is the most important aspect of this experience. She will continue to train all summer. She is going to have to work extra hard to proveĀ that she should move up a level in the fall. I am not sure how it will all shake out.
I need a few more full nights of sleep, and then I should be back to 100%. What is on your agenda for the long weekend?
6 Comments
mkcubed
You deserved the break! Fun to read a bit about your family and what you have been up to the past couple of weeks. Thanks for that sneak peek into your life outside of restoration and DIY.
Our long weekend will be spent planting the garden (beans, zinnias, tomatoes and cucumbers…on the small side since we have a one-year old who keeps us busy) and putting up the fence to keep the bunnies and groundhog out. We’ve got more mulch to put down in the front flower beds too. It’s always something as a homeowner! š
Stacy
That sounds like a nice weekend. Thank you for reminding me about zinnias. I love them, and I think they would grow well here too.
Enjoy your family time!
Ame
Reading that post makes me exhausted for you! Love all the pics. M’s a ham and I think that’s great and hope that never changes š
Ame
(PS: I have a special fondness for door restoration. I don’t know what it is about them, but old doors – hell, and some new doors – totally do it for me. I can’t wait to see yours finished, with all of its backstory!)
Julia at Home on 129 Acres
One of my co-workers did the Ragnar and it sounds insane! I’m not sure I would classify it as much of a break… although I understand what it means to love running.
Stacy
The lack of sleep is the worst part. It took me ten days to recover from that part of it.