The Terrell Painting/Carpeting Chaos Project is Finished....Whew!!!

Waiting for the chickens!!!

Today marks the final day of what has been a 3month project for Bruce and I.  It started late May, ended today. Whew....we're feeling old and tired, but satisfied with how it all turned out.  Bruce & I began by pulling everything off of the front porch.  Then he began the long process of tearing out all the dry-rotted boards on the front porch, and rebuilding the steps.  Then we sanded and then painted everything, including the little white cupboard, which had to be stripped and nailed back together.  As with everything else, lot's of wear and tear was happening in the salty air of the central coast.  The clean up was long over due.  We decided to paint our front door rather than try to strip and stain it, and are very happy with the black we chose.  We barely finished the front porch, when it was time to start clearing the house out for new carpets.  If any of you have ever carpeted when you live in your home, it's as though you are moving.  Everything out and off the floor, including closets.  Lots of work, 10 hour work days for this old retired pair! But since we had neglected to paint so many of our rooms, before the carpet was installed we wanted to paint, soooo... the next project began.  Painting our Master Bedroom, our walk-in closet, ALL the baseboards & windowsills upstairs, then the family room, office/laundry room, as well as one of the guest rooms!  We had some help a couple of the days from David, son~in~law extraordinaire. It seemed to take forever though, and needless to say, we aren't anxious to pick up another paint brush for a looooong time.  But we are so happy with the end result, it was definitely worth it.  The colors are so soft and pretty, and we have long wanted to eliminate the boring, dreary white walls. One thing I was especially pleased with was how our ceiling fan turned out.  It was a 90's style shiny brass and oak fan.  But we loved how quiet it was, and hated to spend the money needed to buy a new one.  So I decided to take a chance on ruining it, and took it apart to Bruce's horror, and used a $6 can of rustoleum, spray painted it.  Adding new darker fan blades and an inexpensive medallion that also got the spray paint treatment finished it off nicely.  Jerry (bro~in~law) helped Bruce re-install it after I painstakingly put it back together.  A total miracle...it worked!  Just as quietly as before!  Woo~hoo!  Love the change.  Then after the carpeting was installed, (which they did in shifts...upstairs first then 10 days later, the downstairs), we began the process of editing out all the accumulation of 15 years in this home.  Being a bit of a pack rat, I keep waaay to much stuff.  And as I've gotten older, the realization that it is all just "stuff" really settles in.  After the cleaning out of Elma's home when she passed away, then my Mom's stuff, I really don't want my kids to have to deal with it all as we had to.  So begins the process of creating piles for Goodwill. (Many piles actually.)  And learning to live with less clutter and organized closets.  Also, I've come to see that being a shutterbug has it's downside....Sooo many photos that need homes in albums, or scanning for storage on the computer.  Either way, that's another project on the horizon.  But I'm thinking we'll wait for some rainy weather days to tackle that one.  Till then, that rear deck and back yard is calling I think.  But wait....1st things 1st! I'm getting my coop ready.  Bring on the chickens!!!