Skip to main content

So, there I was minding my own business when.....

Life happens.

 

In this past month we have finally managed to paint a majority of the house.  We used a paint named "Cream in your coffee" on the walls now with an accent wall of grayish/green running throughout the length of the house.

Suddenly our walls are lighter and more vibrant.  Our house seems more like our home and not the former owner's residence.   It's just a series of home improvements that we have been working on since buying the house in September of last year.  


our original look

Some of those jobs have been major, others not so much but each job has increased the value of our home.  Sadly, for most Americans the home is going to be the most valuable thing they own, and for Susan and myself there may come a time when we can no longer due the upkeep on the home, and when that time comes, we can relax in the knowledge that all the major work was done when we were young.

I still want to do solar panels.

During the past month we also managed to get estimates on our driveway, which we were originally just going to seal but now realize that we have some serious issues and that it's better to do a repair work now than wait till the problem gets worse.  Other things that prevented me from blogging included cleaning gutters, computer issues (the old one died, and it took nearly a week to replace it), and power washing the house.

 Before you know it, a month goes by.

I also wish that I had some life altering subject to write about.... but I don't.  Sometimes life is just a series of events that happen in rapid sensation and all you can do is go with the flow.  

However, I did find a topic interesting online that basically asked "Do you regret moving to the country?"

If I am being honest with myself.   At times I do.  

 


Ages ago when I lived in the city I took public transportation up to the local grocery store, to work and into town for entertainment.  I saved money on gas and parking.   I had a variety of different restaurants to eat at.  

While my yard was small, my wife at the time and I still managed a small garden.  We were able to go to the movies or concerts without having to make it an entire day's event.  We had options.

Here in the country things just take more of your time and energy.  A computer issue required two trips into nearby Pittsburgh, resulting in nearly four hours of combined drivetime.  Not to mention the time with the technician and waiting.  Basically, an entire workday lost due to what ended up being a rather simple fix.   

While things may not cost more, you do have to consider issues of time and gas and distance.  Something as simple as going to get a loaf of bread becomes a lifestyle choice.   Is it easier and cheaper to make fresh bread?   Or is it simply easier to run to the store?  

When that store might be 30 minutes round-trip drive away, fresh bread becomes a more attractive alternative.   Not only is the homemade bread more economical, but it's also healthier for you.  


Then there are moments like yesterday.  I was standing in the back yard doing some yard work, the sun shining on my shoulders warmed my very soul.  The only sound was bird song.  No trains, no cars, no airplanes.  Just bird song.

I took a deep breath, and the air was fresh and clean; and you could just barely small lavender and mint. It's quiet here, it gives a man time to think.   

When I was growing up my farther would sometimes just sit out on our porch.  I wasn’t sure what he was thinking or doing.  I get it now.  I sit on our front porch with my coffee and take in the landscape or just watch the sun rays move slowly up the sky. 

I feel a sense of connection and pride.  This place is mine.  This place is where I belong.  I am connected to “home.” 

I’ve felt that before, but this is different.  This feels long term.  This feels like I belong here.

So, yea, I’ll continue to work on the garden and try to keep the deer at bay.  I’ll try to learn to chop wood or paint or put up back splash.  Because I’m home and there is no other place that I want to be. 

Labels:
Location: Stoneboro, PA 16153, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

What all the cool kids are reading.

Getting things done. Small victories add up.

In the new TV show Fallout there is a great line.  " The Golden Rule of the wasteland is thou shalt be distracted by bullshit every single time." I've never played the game it is based on but the picture shows the two newest distractions in my life.  We have taken care of our former neighbors barn cats since he moved out nearly a year ago.   Long story short the mama cat gave birth in his barn that we we given access to.  We found four little black long hair kittens and decided to take them, as it would probably be the only time we would be able to catch them.   Much to our surprise after a day or so the mama came over and started to milk them laying on our kitchen floor.  She's comes in, feeds them and then goes back outside.  Once they are mature enough to have them fixed we are planning on doing so and then they will go to a good home.   That's the plan...but plans have a tendency to change as one or two of them are findi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Calling in the professionals

 I come from a long line of guys that call in professionals.    Part of that reason is my own lazy nature, part of that reason is that I would rather have it down right the first time.  Everyone has their own skills and abilities, so why not call in an expert to have it done right the first time? In this case; why not seek advice in the battles against the invasives that have not only invaded my yard, but also a nearby piece of property that my neighbor simply refuses to take care of?  I find myself in a bind of my own design. I let part of my property "go wild" in the first place because that area had a lot of exposed roots, stumps and rocks.  At the time, I was not expecting a bunch of invasives, of which Mulitfora Rosa  is the worse of the bunch, to be a problem.  Yet, here we are. I decided to let parts of my yard "go wild" back in July of 2021.  It has proven to be a mistake, and in order for me to ensure that the invasive plants st...
Post a Comment
Read more

Just a short interlude to catch up.

  resting cat Recently I found myself with a bit of time on my hands.  Normally this time of year my wife and I like to take some vacation time.   We generally don't go to far, having visited Niagara Falls and New York state the last two years, the plan this year was to go south, to visit an old friend that has just accepted a facility position at Duke University .   A few days there, a few days in Charlotte; where I once lived and then, if we had time, a few days in Charleston, SC where I also lived for a brief time. Sadly however, due to circumstances that I won't get into here, our vacation became a staycation .  Which was fine because I still had a tree to plant from the Native Plant sale, odds and ends to do and to continue my war against some aggressive neighboring plants, which it seems I was now finding everywhere, as well as other small jobs that I've been putting off. I actually wondered if it would be affordable (and reasonable) to rent a f...
Post a Comment
Read more