family – The Yuppie Homesteader

Falling forward.

I’m feeling a bit reflective today and the cause is obvious: I got one of those little Facebook reminders on my phone of a picture I had posted exactly five years ago. When I looked at it, I saw what the house used to look like pre-renovations. More than anything, it reminded me of howContinue reading “Falling forward.”

Snow days.

So, we’ve had snow on the ground since the day after Thanksgiving and we are coming off of a particularly defeating cycle of just enough snow each day that everything has to be shoveled once again. In our world, that doesn’t just mean the 120-foot-long driveway or the 500 square feet of decks. Nope, itContinue reading “Snow days.”

A little “Thanks” and a little “Giving”

You know I gave up mini epiphanies, right? Yeah… somehow, I can’t quite quit ‘em. The other day, however, was a profound one. I’m still not sure what it’s lasting impact will be but somehow this one feels life altering. First, it starts with being thankful. We finished my husband’s ceiling repair last Sunday andContinue reading “A little “Thanks” and a little “Giving””

Save me some daylight, please!

I am one of those people who wholeheartedly embrace all of the Daylight Savings Time process. In winter, I literally count down to the days when DST begins again. And in fall? Well, it hits at just the right time to enjoy an extra hour of sleep. This year? It’s arrival couldn’t be more perfect.Continue reading “Save me some daylight, please!”

Is this normal?

Today, I was able to do some significant quiet work for two clients. Then, I wrapped up my day at 4:37 p.m. In the meantime, the laundry is still caught up, the house is still picked up and I spent a little of my so-called lunch hour cleaning up the kitchen. I was also aContinue reading “Is this normal?”

What a long, strange trip…

This morning, the sunrise was particularly spectacular. A red sky highlighted the white clouds, gradually turning orange then blue. Immediately, my mind leapt to, “Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.” But you know what? No warning here. It is FINALLY a relaxing Saturday. The threat of rain and two previous days of yardwork andContinue reading “What a long, strange trip…”

“THAT” point

So, there comes a point in every project where you’ve reached the point of no return but you are clearly just over it. If it’s a small project, you barely notice. Candidly, a project that takes mere hours or a few days just doesn’t have the opportunity for a very long period of regret. ButContinue reading ““THAT” point”

The life we want…

Today marks week seven of the deck project. Week one was disassembly; weeks 2-6 were piers. Today, the first above-ground work begins. We still have one more digging project to go – we have to dig out for the cement pad which will serve as the landing for the stairs – and that will alsoContinue reading “The life we want…”

My “what’s next?”

Yesterday, we nearly completed piers 7 and 8 for our new deck. We have 9 and 10 left to go next weekend. After that? Well, we can start framing. We eventually need to dig and pour a cement pad for the stairs, which my husband insists on placing piers underneath to avoid frost heave, butContinue reading “My “what’s next?””

My rituals…

Every morning, we do the same thing around here. I get up, pet the fur buckets, make coffee and make their morning snack. (The cats have automatic feeders so we don’t have to feed them regular food. Instead, we do a watered-down snack twice a day. That treat is not only a big hit, butContinue reading “My rituals…”