What was I thinking?

Here's a slice of reality for anyone following this blog who thinks everything is all rosy and well - or who thinks I've got my little Mormon colored glasses cranked up way past reasonably happy.

Things are difficult around the Beorningstead lately.  The last few weeks have been crazy busy what with Bry planning and then running YM's Camp, work week at Mom and Dad Burnett's and trying to get the Ft. Jackson house cleaned out so as to be ready for drop-of-the-hat walk throughs.  I say we have been crazy busy, but aside from getting the Ft. Jackson house cleaned out (thank you mom, Lue, Molly & Chrissy!) we have made absolutely no headway on the Beorningstead AT ALL.

 We've got 3 weeks left of summer to get the back roof done.  Bry is planning a dormer and thinks he's got the plans pretty well hammered out.  He bought lumber today and the long term forecast predicts about 4 clearish days between now and Saturday.  Perfect.  Except he doesn't have any help lined up and several of the men who could and would help are either out of town or leaving town this week.  Part of me wants to just say - forget it.  We'll do the roof next summer BUT

We have thousands of dollars tied up in the bathroom project that cannot be reimbursed from escrow until the bathroom is finished.  The bathroom is under the roof that needs to be replaced.  Without getting that bathroom done, we can't afford the cupboards for the kitchen or our new appliances - washing machine, drier & dishwasher (oh, please, give me a dishwasher!).  In the meantime, I am functioning in a kitchen with seriously inadequate cupboard & counter top space.  This wouldn't be such a big problem except that the kitchen keeps getting filled up with more and more boxes of stuff that magically appear from the Ft. Jackson house as soon as there is room for them.   Some of it is stuff I don't want to keep but haven't had time to sort, some of it is stuff I want to keep but don't have a place for yet and some of it is stuff I need to use right now but can't get unpacked because there's too much else in the way.

There is also a serious mouse problem in the pantry area so all the dried goods and chewable packaging has to be stored in a bin.  I think I could have bought that coveted dishwasher with the money I have spent on bins during this project.  (That bag of dog food right there?  They love it.  Molly stuck her had in to get Ziggy a scoop of food last week and a little mousey ran around on her hand and arm.  Squeeal!  The dog food has been transferred to a bin.)


We're also using the Ft. Jackson house as our own private laundromat.  This is slightly inconvenient.  Especially when the pump or well or something decided to take a break in the middle of a big load today.  This means that on top of everything else, we have to figure out what that problem is and fix it fast before someone actually decides they want to buy the place. 

My studio is a wreck , though I am trying to get that sorted out this week.  (That top photo?  That's my dying table.  It looks worse than that today and it will stay that messy for at least a couple more months.  It just doesn't make sense to move all of the tools out to the tool shed -which is full of bins- or the barn - which is full of scrap metal waiting for a good hauling day- until we've got more finished up inside.)  The kitchen, studio, shower and small bath still need to be painted even though they are now filled up with boxes and other stuff and/or are being used frequently.  The living room still needs its wall board and electrical outlets, switches and light fixtures installed.  The windows all lack sills.

We still have not received a letter of reasonable assurance about Bry's job next year.  In June, he was told he'd be working full time again but with Albany playing games and school districts not having any trusty budget to work with, lots of teachers have been sweating it.  The household account is running low and I'm counting on a big infusion on September 15th but what if that doesn't come?

It is all very overwhelming.  I wigged out today.  Yelled at my husband, even though none of this is specifically his fault.  He grumbled back.  Maxx threw the kitten on the ground and was sent to time out and got a spanking when he wigged out about time out.

Nerves are frayed.  Tempers tight.  I'm trying hard to resist my stress eating/spending behaviors.  I can feel my will power crumbling fast.  We all really just need a few hours to relax on the porch.  And a case of Ghiradelli - one of the dark chocolate varieties.  That might help.

Here are some photos of the outside of the Beorningstead

Yes, it looks a bit beaten.  It is beaten, to a certain extent.  It is an old, old house that hasn't had any real TLC in a long time.  There is a new addition that is still a bit shoddy and has no siding on it at all.  The front porch is in desperate need of new supports, bottom enclosure, trim and finishing.  The asphalt siding has pretty much seen the end of its useful life.  The well house needs either to go away completely or be completely re-built.  And new trim or a good paint job is needed around all of the windows, doors and soffits.

But the structure itself is amazingly sound.  AND there are no bats and the water is clean.  We all love the layout downstairs.  The rooms are very open and connect in ways that make air and traffic flow through the house very smoothly.  There will be lots of wonderful hide & chase games with the dog & kids in the new house!  The upstairs rooms feel bigger in spite of it being a smaller house overall.  Plus we will have two potties.  Yes!  Two potties!






This photo shows the old, rusty roof that needs to be replaced as well as the recent "sun porch" addition that needs siding and trim.  That big window does amazing things to light and warm my studio. I can't wait to get moved in!  (The dead tree needs to go, even though the kids like to climb on it.)







You can see the well house here - see how it sits so close to the house?  Our well is under there and when this was a working farm,  milk was stored there in a cooler until it was picked up by a dairy truck.  Bry likes the idea of maintaining that bit of history but I would like that side of the house to look cleaner,  the well house also blocks my view of the back side yard from my studio.  Alternatively, there has been discussion about taking the well house down and building it back to join with the house, making our woodshed larger.




Inside, Bryan has finished the beams to replace the supports that used to be in the livingroom.  The wodstove will nestle into a tiled area right there between the two beams.  We are very glad to have the pole gone from the center of the room.  We are also very glad to have had so much help from friends and family getting those beams installed.  It wasn't a one man job!

Now that the beams are done and most of the wiring has been run, we can start putting insulation in the living room and kitchen areas.  Then wallboard can be put up and we can get another escrow check out to work on the roof.  We might be able to do that this week! 

Have I mentioned how eager I am to move over there, even though the place is still a shambles?  We are all so happy in that space.  Maxx is happier with the landscape around the house - there are so many more ways to get hurt and messy there!  Plus I am tired of having Bry gone so much to work over there.  I may change my mind, but at this point, I would rather live in the project than have to keep running over there to work on it.  It is also a pain to drag everything over there, pull materials out of storage and then lock it all up again when it is time to leave.  Mom & Dad, Jonathan and Mrs. Proper are all right there keeping an eye on things, but it is a bit worry some to not be right there all the time.

Here are some more neighbors.

Jenna ran over to say hello when Maxx and I went to Jonathan's to take distance photos of the Beorningstead. 











 And Lyra announced to us that she will be providing the neighborhood with some kittens soon.


















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