January 1, 2015

Happy New Year, Happy New Big Creek!

Martie Big Creek Farmhouse Remodel Big Creek, Old country home, remodeling 12 Comments

It’s 4:43 a.m. I’m awake, only because of my sinus drainage (thanks, musty old house) and acid reflux (thanks, Sun Drop and pizza) trying to meet in the middle. I feel tortured right now, being forced awake by something so disgusting, an hour and a half before I am required to be awake. Nothing makes me madder. So, I wake up angry, start crying, and stomp around waking the dead while I make a production out of throwing on a bra and some slippers.

Then, I take in my surroundings.  Sitting in my sun room at this hour is breathtaking.  I’m in the gnarly old recliner, Papa’s chair, looking up through the skylight at the stars.  I can hear a mouse or some other such critter scratching away in the eaves.  It smells like home, looks like home.  I’m home.  My fit seems ridiculous now, because I’m calm, cool and collected.

I’m not living right. This past week has been a free-for-all, complete with excessive eating and little to no exercise. I haven’t even worked that much, so I can’t count ‘standing on my feet all day’ as anything beneficial. I’m just an over-indulged blob, and I’ve never been more ready for the new year and all of the resolve it brings to get healthier.

That’s all I’m going to say about that, though. This ain’t no health and fitness blog! And, getting up this early means I can take advantage of the bonus Gigs that my generous new internet provider allots me in the middle of the night. Score!

I don’t usually make resolutions at the new year. I do usually set new goals, and I always get excited about what a new year can bring. This year, we have so much to look forward to and so much to do at Big Creek, and we’re very excited about getting it all done. Our plans are simple: Un-do the sun room (in other words, remove all of that old, cloudy glass, have the room framed, and put in normal windows, even though I’ll miss the skylight), replace the living room, dining room, hallway and kitchen floors, and make the bathrooms more functional (and more my style). Consider these the ‘before’ pictures.

As you can see, our bathrooms are pretty tiny. We’ve already purchased a new sink/cabinet to replace that monstrosity of a vanity in the ‘blue’ bathroom. We’re hoping to really do good things to that bathroom, like adding a larger, custom shower. The master bath (the one with the gorgeous wallpaper) is getting a normal (vs. handicapped) toilet, so I can reach the floor with my feet while using it, and we plan to add a shower and tile that in. That bathroom may have to get a new floor, too. It’s pretty drafty in there.

So, without any resolutions being made, we have lots of plans. There’s a difference. Resolutions leave room for failure. Plans change, that’s just a given, so we can’t fail! I know one thing…if I don’t start living better I’m not going to have the energy for all of these plans!

I’m going to enjoy this New Year’s Day with family, more good food, and plenty of rest.  I’ll worry about resolutions – I mean plans – tomorrow.  Right now, I’m going to go take an allergy pill and an acid reducer!

Happy New Year, from our family to yours!

X,O,X,O,
Martie