Sometimes it is a bit overwhelming when I contemplate the scale and scope of the project I have undertaken. I did not recognize it when I made this house purchase and more has been revealed in the months since. There is so much to fix, so much to change, how will it ever get done?
In those moments I shift my focus from the long view to the short one. There are small things I have accomplished recently. None are worthy of awards or special recognition; they are the things that all homeowners take on while maintaining their personal castle.
I can, with varying amounts of pride, share with fellow homeowners some recent small accomplishments:
– The basement lights are now on a single switch at the top of the stairs; no more running back down to turn off those lights!
– The naked light bulb on the basement stairs was replaced with a covered LED fixture.
An encapsulated LED light provides illumination where previously a (code-violating) bare incandescent bulb existed.
– Wireless doorbells installed (doorbell wiring was disrupted by demolition).
Modern doorbells need no wires, and no hidden transformers. I can select “ding-dong” or one of five other chimes. I really wish there had been a “knock-knock” option (or a downloadable ring tone).
– Outside door handles replaced with new brushed stainless levers.
Matching deadbolt, matching handle, one key.
– Obsolete and dysfunctional shower head replaced with modern one.
Bigger does not always mean better, but in this case the larger head is the modern replacement for the smaller one, which was delivering water in dribbles. Unfortunately, this meant also converting the arm that holds the shower head.
– Seventeen years of dust removed from vertical blinds.
– Another dark room, previously painted gray, gets converted to white. High albedo walls rule!
What was once the color of entropy, 18% gray, is now a functional color, reflecting light from everywhere and to everywhere, and enhancing the mood of the room’s occupants.
The longest journey begins with the first small step. When you get discouraged about how far you have to go, look back and see how far you have come!! All those little steps add up. And the skylight is in, the chimney is gone, the roof is fixed, the high efficiency boiler and hot water heater are in and functioning!
Frankly, just based on this blog alone I am astounded by how much you have accomplished in the first 60+ days! Sometimes I wonder if you still have a job…
Congratulations!
Great small steps! And so glad to see that the gray paint is gone on the main floor!