Oh, hello!
I had all but forgotten about this. Something (now forgotten) reminded me about it recently when I was visiting Michelle and Ping (who now both reside in Atlanta), and since then I've been a little intrigued. About what I wrote here in the first place, whether it might be fun to get it going again, and what other blogortunities there are for my thoughts and for staying connected with friends (stay tuned on that one). I think I really did enjoy all the endeavors showcased the first time around (which - stay with me - was somehow 5 years ago now). But what I notice when reading back is that something not-quite-authentic happened in my voice on that first year of posts. And it's something I realized when reading other blogs - that, while I (and I assume those other bloggers) speak at least relatively normally in conversations, and write at least relatively coherently in work and what not, the blog sounded like a different person somehow. So. This is me reflecting on what it might be like to open this path up again, to myself and to whatever small collection of friends might see this, as I continue the homemaking journey. The...full-time-dedicated-employee-who's-partnered-to-another-full-time-dedicated-employee homemaking journey.
To compress years of detail, we had so much fun and so much hosting and so much love in our little rental house. Its joys and its limitations (and its ridiculous Ann Arbor cost) pushed us toward buying a home just a few blocks north. Which we've now been in for 3 years, which is so hard to believe! (Just a cool 27 years remaining on that mortgage! Woof.) We were incredibly blessed with a great realtor and supportive family members (dude, mortgage-getting is a stressful process that I really don't wish on anyone) and most of all, we were blessed with the most exuberantly helpful band of friends (and family too) who pushed with us through the first frenzy of home renos. That first six months was a whirlwind: knocking down walls (parts of which still shamefully live in our shed), priming and painting and painting again over the truly bizarre color choices of the former tenants, ripping up and replanting flower beds, and playing General Contractor to the likes of plumbers, tile installers, asbestos-remediators, floor refinishers, locksmiths, and electricians. I cannot understate the gift our community gave us in donating all that time and friendship and support, and I think often about the people who painted this cabinet, that piece of trim, that window frame, that wall.
That same community is with us now as we embark on our Next Big Milestone, which is our upcoming wedding this July. (80 days - gulp.) For all the work that went into the first renovation push, there's still SO, so much we want to do, because yeah...we picked a doozie of a fixer. I think my first inkling that my optimism and moxie about the whole house needed to be taken down a notch was when Charles' beloved (and pragmatic) childhood friend walked through the house for the first time practically tearing up from the laughter and said, "You guys have like a decade of work to do here." OH. That really was news to us. But while it was a prick in our balloon in one way, it was also incredibly validating that this was just going to have to be a go-as-we-can [pay] operation, and that it can be in stages, and that's OK and to be expected. So we've done little things here and there, and I really look forward to more projects with this love of my life and our helpful family and friends. And some choice professionals when it's out of our skill set.
Other things to expect:
-Still vegetarian. Trying to build motivation around my new low-sodium dietary prescription. It's. So. Hard.
-We got a dog! He might just complicate our projects, especially those involving scraping or drilling into the house or using power tools. He seems really concerned with maintaining structural integrity. And he will I'm sure be an adorable poster boy for outdoor areas.
-My continued quest for simplicity. We both work, so it's important to us to move from getting home to the relaxing/eating part quickly. And I both love a clean house and wish it could come together in a matter of seconds.
-I'm growing increasingly aware that the less stuff I have, the cleaner the house is. Now juxtapose that with a wedding registry. We'll see what shakes out. But I'm getting quite efficient at clearing out unused clothes (and working on rebuilding a grown lady wardrobe that looks and lasts better than the trendy rags of yesteryear) at the very least - and it's at least an aspiration of mine to continue that simplicity into our other kinds of possessions. For organization's and aesthetics' and ethics' sake.
So in sum, hi again! It's springtime in Michigan. The patio doesn't particularly exist on this house just yet... but we'll still have lots to explore. To 2016!
xoxo
mcdrew
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