You know there’s nothing like a sunny day (after 2 months of rain) to get you out in the yard working away. Ritchie and I slept in yesterday, had a leisurely morning and then round about 11 decided to get outside and get some chores done. For me that meant a quick run and then 8 hours of weeding, pruning, trellising, watering, dead-heading, transplanting and beautifying. After I was done the yard didn’t look a lot different but the little things I’d done definitely improved the overall effect. And much to my excitement, I realized that we’ve transitioned from creating a backyard to maintaining a backyard. After two years of designing, buying sod, building planters, digging out rock, hauling dirt and planting I’ve arrived at the day I’ve been dreaming of. I can now look at the backyard in terms of purchases under $50, maybe even $20. As I cleaned up the kitchen late into the night I started to think about the whole house in this way. When Ritchie and I first bought our house we were cautioned that the expenses of getting settled into a “new” home can add up quickly as opposed to the expenses incurred when buying an existing home. We didn’t pay much attention and didn’t really understand what could be that different, after all it would be our first house either way. But now, two years and at least $5,000 later I think I get it….all the little “make it liveable” projects are just about done. Sure there are plenty of little changes we’d like to make but the basics are in place and we can sit back and enjoy normal home maintenance. I’m not sure what it’ll be like because I’ve only imagined this day but I’m pretty excited about it! We’ve gone from uniform walls, empty windows and a weed-infested-dirt-cascading-off-the-cliff backyard to colorful rooms, blinds and drapes, sod, garden tools, a planter, blackberries, mulch, whiskey barrels and a bbq. Hooray! Now the question is-how does one efficiently tackle home improvement projects?
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