I Will Love This Renovation If It Doesn't Kill Me First

It's "NaBloWriMo" month again and I will participate in doing my darndest to write a blog every day of October. For the past month or so, we have been in the throws of renovation...major renovation on our home. My 90 year old mom has been living on her own since her husband (my daddy) of 67 years passed away on December 2, 2010. She was determined no to "impose" on any of her children although I really wanted her to come and live with us shortly after Daddy died and a nursing home or assisted living place is out of the question. This was not going to happen. She dug her little Irish heels in and flatly refused to budge out of her condo. But as time moved forward, she had problems with her eyesight in one eye, so this prevented her from driving anymore. She realized although it was unspoken that she had become frailer and less likely to eat right. Her doctor suggested that she not live alone anymore. The decision was made to add a small apartment onto our home. My husband and I decided that the time had come to spiff up our home. It had been neglected for a number of years while we helped our four children get through college. When I recently retired, it dawned on me that if we didn't do some major upgrades, our home may just fall apart around us. We needed new sheetrock, a larger master bedroom, new windows, and most of all, we needed a new roof...I mean...we REALLY needed a new roof. I have always wanted a barn red tin roof. After 43 years of marriage, and yes to the same man, I now have my red roof. Yay for me!!! I am also getting a larger bedroom. The downstairs bathroom has already been renovated by our two oldest sons. It looks great with modern tile and a lovely shower. I'm not a bath person. The thought of sitting in tepid dirty water does not appeal to me or my husband, so we nixed a bathtub. My daughter even made the statement a couple of months ago when the bathroom was finally completed that our house needed to be modernized to match the bathroom.

So here we are, well into renovation. And I will be sooooooooo glad when this project is completed. At the moment, our bed is set up in the middle of the livingroom. The contents of our bedroom and closet and the contents of the bedroom and closet which will be my mother's are all in our living room, dining room and...well places. It is stacked in boxes half way to the ceiling. I have no idea where one of my deck shoes is. Finding one shoe just doesn't work. Some of my clothes are in boxes. Jeans and teeshirts are my wardrobe of choice. I retired on June 30 of this year. So far, it is great to be retired because as God is my witness, I could never get ready for work in this disarray.

Don't get me wrong. Our builder is doing great. He is already designing my new kitchen. He is almost certain everything will be completed by Thanksgiving. I really really hope he is right.

Periodically, I''ll keep you all posted on the progress. And it is progressing. Mom's windows and her front door to her area are in. That's a good thing. Sheetrock is finished in the two bedrooms. That's a good thing. Now, if I will just stop tracking sanded sheetrock mud throughout the small walkable area of my living room, I will be a happy person.

Happy blogging to those who participate in NaBloWriMo. It's fun and will get your creative writing juices going!!