Finally Feeling Like Home

16 May 2011

FINALLY FEELING LIKE HOME

It's taken a while, but I'm finally starting to feel like this is really "home." We've gotten a lot of work done-- we've been working pretty constantly, but until today, results weren't "showing."

Maybe because today is the day I finished installing my new kitchen sink. Hubby says I've got some sort of weird "fettish" over kitchen sinks, to which I replied I didn't, I just wanted a sink designed correctly.

Last night, I finally decided I would try one of our ideas, because waiting for a professional to come wasn't an option. We'd already been without the kitchen sink since Hubby tore up the other one (thus rendering it useless, and unable to be put back in even temporarily to get us by)-- three days? All weekend, that much I know. Anyway, so yesterday evening I started working on the kitchen sink project. I am quite proud of the job I did, even though it did take me two days to complete. It also took me using my Girl's saw that was in a children's tool set I got each of the kids, my husband's chisel, my hammer and screw driver and wrench. Hubby was kind enough to go out to the barn last night after dark to see what may have been left by the seller (the seller left a lot of 'junk' that is useful!), and given the seller did all the work here, it was highly likely there might be somethiing left over to help cut the PVC pipe down to the size I needed to make the drainage connection. Hubby found a very rusty saw, which was useful for not only cutting up my hands before finally remembering Hubby bought me some work gloves (because of aforesaid reason), but also for getting the pipe down to the size I needed. Unfortunately, after getting everything connected, during the check for leaks, I found a couple-- the drains. After I frustratedly said, "I want my damned sink!" Hubby replied with a "Try again tomorrow. Now it's time to sleep. You'll do better with a refreshed mind."

That may or may not have been true. So far, it's working. I re- "plumber's puddied" the drain, adding a bit of silicone caulking under it, because the previous amount of plummer's puddy wasn't enough, apparently. I also apparently lacked the strength and proper tools to tighten the thing-a-ma-bobs thoroughly, which was also remedied with Hubby's assistance.

Today, while I was working on getting the sink re-drained, Hubby built the other set of DVD shelves he designed. I think they look great, and they hold our massive DVD collection. He made them from 'whiteboard' (aka, unfinished knotty pine), my screws, and used (and also broke one of my good screw drivers!)my drill and other tools. He got the shelf moved into place after I put the felt pads on the bottom (we have hand-pegged pine flooring on the main floor), and loaded it up with movies, in no particular order. That was done just as I finished w/ the sink and had to wait for the "curing" of the silicone sealant, so I was able to cut up some boxes that we won't be re-using for moving (because they were too weakened from repeated use), but will be able to use them to keep warm. Some vacuuming and re-arranging a few things, putting things 'sort of away', and at long last putting down the cotton/jute rug I bought on clearance a couple of weeks ago. Definitely need more sound... dampening around here.

Tomorrow will be a busy day: the kids both have testing, I need to get the water bills out (took the meter readinds on the 10^th, while still quite ill from an upper respiratory infection; oh, have I mentioned that we're now also water managers for 4 properties, including ours? Yup.) and have the kitchen to organize now that the sink issue has been done.

The sink really is a ridiculous. . . 'thing' for me, and has been for years. I honestly didn't think there was a sink designed the way I wanted one-- with the basin divider being lower than the rest so you can swish water around a 16-quart stock pot that had just been used to make homemade stock, without dinging up the sink, or faucet, or pot, and not getting gook everywhere in the process. So, after being dissatisfied with sinks for. . . since returning to the States (a little over a decade ago), I am finally pleased. I have the high arch faucet that I've wanted for years, and it's that hand-sprayer/faucet in one thingy (which means we have to find an alternative to getting the chlorine out of the water, since a purifier can't be attached to the faucet), which is pretty cool, too. I even did dishes, while Hubby and kids started on the 'family movie', and they didn't realize I was doing dishes-- no banging and other indicators of my clutzy-ness.

I've gotten some great pictures over the past couple of days, which I am hoping to attach to the entries (particularly this one). Our fruit trees are starting to blossom, as are the berry bushes and the flowers are budding and other trees are leafing out. Absolutely gorgeous!! We completely love this place. At long last, we are finding a little bit of peace and quiet, and what a wondrous find! It makes the re-adjustment a lot easier. A lot. Still is going to take time for us to adapt to the new "us" as individuals and as a family, but we have some time and now we have the privacy and space in which to "be."

Speaking of changes, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that my Boy is going to be 13 this month. A full-blown teenager! By age, only though. Even today he still tried to sit in Dad's lap as soon as Hubby sat down in a chair to rest. I'm grinning at the memory. The complete innocence and lack of "I'm too old and big for this" on my son's part, and the "This is my boy" look of Hubby. Treasured memories. The kids love their Dad, and he loves them just as much. It's a good thing to know, and it's a good thing to see.

Our "dumb cat-dog" probably has the best outlook on life. She's really a dog stuck in a cat's body, and very likely also has ADHD. Like, seriously. . . she'll even forget she has to go to the bathroom. For a while, she had me trained to 'walk' (or carry) her to the litter box so she could go potty in the early hours of the morning. She's a pretty funny cat, and our running joke is that she's so dumb she can't even put together a full sentence. She starts, "I love. . . oh hug, hug, hug, pet me! PET ME! NOW! Love me," and then as her purr-box starts up she dissolves into just one word-- "Love."

And isn't that the key for home and family life? Love.

How complicatedly simple. Just "love."

~Cedeham~

p.s.

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