A Hungry House

I was watching yet another home improvement show when a homeowner made a very wise remark. "This is a hungry house. Every time we get a spare $100, it wants $500."

I can identify. But, I knew this house had an appetite when we bought it, and I know it will be wonderful when it's full. But right now, the list of ongoing projects continues to grow.

We still don't have a kitchen contractor. We got what was supposed to be our final quote last week, but we've since asked for a change in the plan, so people are having to remeasure and requote. Meanwhile, the toaster oven is still toasting and the mini-fridge is still mini-frigerating. But sometimes, I just long for a glass of sweet tea with ice in it. Ice. Mmmmmm. Ice.

However, our air conditioner is still blissfully blowing cold air. We finally deflated the air mattress and put it away again, and I hope we don't have to use it for a while.

Over the weekend, Lee and I decided to work in our yard. There are so many things we still need to do inside, but we just felt like we needed a project that would yield immediate results. Lee edged the lawn and mowed the grass. Then, we cut back the hedges in front of the house. Or rather, we sawed back the hedges. There are three, and they are so overgrown they completely covered the front windows. Several branches required sawing, and unfortunately, most of the leaves were at the top of the shrub. Since we cut off the top, the hedges look a little scraggly, but it's still a better overall picture because you can see the windows.

I also bought a hedge trimmer (nicknamed "hedgie") Saturday. We have two beds of ivy in our front yard, and they were getting a little out of control. There is still something primal and wonderful about using sharp power tools, and I'm quite fond of my new toy. Hedgie is also therapeutic, because chopping up our ivy is a great stress reliever.

The first day, I trimmed the edges of the ivy, then started taking a little off the top. Okay, a lot off the top. My battery ran out before long, so I had to leave the bed undone. Then yesterday, after a full recharge, I began whacking at the ivy again. My battery drained with one little patch left - it looks pretty pitiful. And like the hedges in front of our house, all the leaf growth was at the top, so the ivy beds are looking kind of twiggy. Combine that with the random patch of un-cut ivy, and it looks a bit like my baby dolls did when I was younger and would cut their hair off for fun.

I just have to keep reminding myself that we can't do every project at once. When I think of all we want to do, it can be overwhelming. I need to just focus on one room or one area at a time, so I can see progress.