An attempt to declare the Glory of God for what He has chosen to do with our lives. A legacy to leave to my children in the telling of it.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

This Old House

Six years ago we had a dream: a dream to live off the land on a sustainable farm. So we bought an old, rundown farmstead and forged ahead, rose colored glasses and all. When the furnace started shooting out flames and the sewer, then the water pump amongst other major necessities, went out in the first year it was rather exciting to fix up the old place. Umpteen projects later, and the list only seems to be getting longer. We now have another dream: a dream to make the mortgage payments before something else breaks or all those sustainable farm animals run out of feed.
 
The latest project to rise to the top of the list was the girls' bedroom. We have successfully transformed most of the interior of the house into more modern accommodations, replacing the cool shag carpeting and deer paneling theme that the previous owners had worked so hard to achieve, by painting and wallpapering. But over the past couple of years the old lathe and plaster started to crack in one corner of the bedroom and then, soon after, it began falling onto unsuspecting victims in the middle of the night as they slept peacefully. The bed was eventually moved in an attempt to put off having to start yet another project until we could finish some of the current ones.
 
The plan was to remove the one section of lathe and plaster that was cracking with a piece of sheet rock and then texture it to match the rest of the room. But then there were complaints about the rough texture of the old walls, so Rob consented to scraping them all if the girls helped. Which led to exposing more cracks, which led to tearing off all of the old lathe and plaster, which led to an infestation of bees and multiple stings as two huge hives were discovered inside the walls, which led to discovering next-to-no insulation, and the need for new wiring, new insulation, and new sheet rock, which led to finishing the needed sheet rock work in the hallway and stairwell as long as we were going to have a big mess, which led to me working all the extra hours I got called in for to help pay for it.
 
The poor girls are still sleeping in the spare room, patiently waiting for a permanent place to hang their clothes rather than stacking them on the school shelves. Those images of vintage farmhouse bedrooms are still floating through their dreams as they wait for Rob to have the time to get back to working on their walls, but at least they're not interrupted by falling plaster.

6 comments:

Brenda said...

Ya just never know what lurks just under the surface do you? Sounds like a lot of work. I'll bet it'll be really nice when you're all finished.

the canned quilter said...

Know the feeling because when we first moved in here the first thing I did was sit in the middle of the dining room floor and have a good cry. Eventually we tore the house down to bare bones and started over. So much work....we survived it though and so will you. At the time though I just wanted to burn it down : )

Dicky Bird said...

Yes, but that is character and charm of an old house - oh, but I forgot to mention....after 18 years out here....I still don't have closet doors and trim in my bedroom. :P

OurCrazyFarm said...

Thanks Brenda!

Yep, I've cried, too, and had thoughts of burning it down, Momma Hooch! But then we'd just have to start all over again....

Let's not start talking about trim, DickyBird:)) I've gotten used to living without it ... until girlfriends come over, or the soap ladies, or we host yet another holiday in our unfinished kitchen!

Pamela said...

I think it's awesome to involve the girls. They'll have a joy in their room knowing the work involved. I can't wait to see the finished project.

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Your house sounds (and looks and smells :) just like mone does. I get such a kick out the country living/home mags that show cracked walls and call them "charming"

I'll give them CHARMING!!

Keep up the hard wotk. You'll never be done but that's why we look forward to Heaven isn't it?