Gettin' There

It actually looked almost homey here last night.

In this little corner of the kitchen, anyway.

Small steps.

Downright Balmy

Forty six degrees in December - in Ohio - is downright balmy, don't you think? Warm enough, at least, to get the last bit of the deck stained. We're hoping to get the house up on the market right after the holidays, so it was a big bonus that Sam was able to finish up. He and his dad built the deck last summer, and the staining part was broken up over several months from later this summer until just last week. But, now it's done. And now we plan on selling it.

Bittersweet, eh, babe?

Really, though, Sam was actually enjoying himself out there. Everytime I poked my head out into the cold to check on him, he was grinning from ear to ear. Partly, I think it was just because he so thrilled to be finishing the deck before that big For Sale sign went up. And, partly, it was because he was chattin' it up with the Lord the whole time. Nothing says 'spiritual encounter' like a good can of deck stain.

All in all, this deck could also be seen as a good practice deck. (There - that makes you feel better, doesn't it honey?) Good practice for building the new deck at the new house. We already have our mental imaging capabilities in motion on that one. There's plenty of room for... ahem... imagination. Here's what the back of the new house looks like now:



But, we seeeeeee a new deck. And we can see the woods all cleared and pretty. We can see a lot with this new house that isn't there yet. That's the fun of making a house a home, right? Like the pretty little blog header says, we'll be starting from the outside and working our way in. As soon as we sell this house and have some dough, that is ;)

Can ya see any actual TREES in there?

Although we are truly thankful that the house has been well-maintained and we don't have to do much of anything before moving in (we don't want to undervalue that blessing!), it will take a little work to make it a home. The wooded backyard, in particular, will take a lot of work. One thing is certain, after a year or two in the new house, we'll be on intimate terms with both bush honeysuckle and multiflora rose ;) (Please notice that I did not say those terms would be friendly).

I predict the forthcoming acquisition of a chainsaw.

So, in term of the house's physical homeness, the "better" part will be an ongoing process. But...

We're even excited about that!