TAKING TURNS

Having decided to transform this old bathroom has led to the fulfillment of one of my dreams for this old house. For years I've been wishing for new flooring for the bathrooms and kitchen.

I've learned a lot as we've progressed. I've learned that teamwork often means taking turns rather than working side by side.

His turn... remove the washer and dryer, install new piping.

My turn... remove old floor tiles (those that were left).

His turn... remove the toilet and radiator and put down cement board.

My turn... paint the door frame and wash all the walls.

His turn... lay new tiles.

My turn... vacuum all the seams to remove the mortar he has scraped out in preparation for grouting.

His turn... seal the seams with grout.

My turn... with damp sponge and numerous buckets of water, clean the excess grout from the floor.

Our turn... Behold one new floor!

Of course the new toilet, shower, sink and closet need to be installed yet. The cleanup of the relocated 'stuff' needs to be done yet. I'm incredibly excited by what we have accomplished so far. Two old folk working parttime on a common cause are creating a beautiful space. I'm not in such a hurry for the rest of the floors now. It takes a lot of effort to make a dream come true!

FUN WAS HAD

Getting outdoors certainly was refreshing. Heart, mind, soul. All cleansed in the bright sun and cool, gentle breeze.
Socializing is not something I get to do a lot of, especially with other women. The children were well occupied.

I wandered the yard later looking for signs of spring. I found many.

I even scored some candy in the process, (and a balloon!)

FUN! FUN! FUN!

Well, I'm ready for tomorrow. Our second annual Easter Egg hunt!
What fun it is to watch the young'uns run all over the place searching for eggs. I just finished stuffing all of those plastic eggs!
 Last year at this time my Mitzi was running with the kids having the time of her life. It was also the day that we lost Jack, our sheltie. When the master of the house went in to say his goodbyes (he'd had Jack for 16 years), Mitzi ran down to the house and started bawling like I'd never heard her do before. I believe she was sensing his loss.

This year, no dogs, but more kids! I'm truly excited for the fun and simple joy those kids bring. It will be a wonderful break from my latest project.
It will be an adjustment using my dryer, now that it is on top of the washer. Stackable, yes but taller than I am.

Now that they are out of the bathroom, time to rip out the old floor.

Out with the old and in with the new. Not the floor, yet, but the piping.

Yup, after all the work and dust, a day outside sounds like just what I need.

CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT

I have noticed how the work we do on this old home mirrors the work I do on myself. Home improvement/ self improvement have a great many similarities.
Progress is slow and oftentimes overwhelming. Sometimes you find hidden flaws that need to be corrected before work on the big picture can continue.
Patching and spackling drywall, is just part of the process. When you work as a team, progress can be steady but it requires cooperation and each provides their strengths to assist and supplement other's weaknesses.
On this project, I clean, organize and wield a paintbrush. He provides the muscle and a vast knowledge of carpentry, plumbing, and electrical skills. We share a vision of the end result.

Together we can move from the dark and dreary towards a lighter, easier life.

One step at a time, one day at a time, there is progress that encourages me to keep moving forward. All of the work has the added benefit of making me stronger and more patient as delays come up, knowing that the next day I can pick up where I left off.

HOME IMPROVEMENT?

This old house that I live in is a lifetime project. We've recently begun this process of turning the rear entry into a combination laundry/mudroom. That way we can install a shower in the bathroom.

First step is to rip out the closet to make room for the stackable washer and dryer.

Next step, find, wash, spackle, primer, paint all the walls! We'll also have to replace the ceiling panels, put down flooring in the bathroom, change the door to open from the left....yada, yada, yada.

I'm so glad that I have a view in my mind of how it will all look when we're finished. Right now, a tornado might be an improvement!