I got SO MUCH DONE this weekend, and I feel so much better. The whole moving thing has been taking it out of me since we started the process in September. I'm not too stressed about the new house right now. While there's still lots to be done there, it isn't anything that greatly impedes everyday living. Yeah, the hearth isn't completely finished, but that doesn't stop us from having a fire. We have no baseboard, but at least we have all new floors. Etc etc. It's the old house that weighs on my mind. I took the truck and spent half the day there on Saturday, and got lots of stuff moved. Random lumber, lattice, t-posts, garden stakes, pots, plants, garden wagon, and anything else I could toss in during the break in the weather. A friend of ours that I hadn't seen in months stopped by when he saw the truck in the drive, and we got to have a beer and visit. He even helped me load some heavy stuff in the truck. Score!
I got everything home and unloaded, and was able to drive the truck in the backyard at the new house (because I moved brush piles the weekend before) and load up rounds from the last tree we cut down. Filled the longbed, and managed to nearly crush my hand in the process. I need to learn to stop working when I get tired. I finished off the day spackling cracks and holes in the walls of the hall bathroom, recaulked around the toilet (disgusting), replaced the toilet seat, and repainted the spackling.
On Sunday, KT came over and spent the day helping me clean the old house, sort and pack random leftover stuff, and start setting up for the sale we're gonna have in a couple weeks. I even got a bunch of stuff priced! It was so nice to have someone to work with, as I either overdo it or get distracted working by myself. I got leaves raked and deadheaded the hydrangeas (which I should have done last fall and didn't). The hydrangeas are already starting to put out little green leaves! I managed to nip my finger good with the pruning shears, and of course did it to the same hand I smashed on Saturday. Add a few fiberglass splinters from a weathered garden stake, and my left hand had a hell've a weekend. Accident prone? Me? Nah. Last of all, we got my snake's terrarium cleaned out so I can get him on craigslist for adoption. Very glad that's done, and he's very happy in his sparkling clean terrarium.
All in all, a great weekend, even though I won't be able to wear rings on my left hand for a while. :) I feel so much better going to work on a Monday if I had a productive weekend. More new house stuff to get done this week, and KT is going to come help me tackle the garage at the old place next weekend. I am so very thankful for her help. We may just get this house on the market soon. Yay!
2 comments:
I know what you mean about feeling better about Monday if you've had a productive weekend. I find that productivity feels better if it's well-tempered by fun and rest spots in the weekend too. Don't overdo, which is easier said than done when you have a ton of stuff to get accomplished, I know.
You do realize that you pruned off all the flowering heads on your hydrangeas and that they won't bloom this year don't you? Hydrangeas set their buds in the fall for blooming the following year. The best time to prune them is right after they bloom. Sometimes if you get it done early enough, you can get a second flush of blooms on them. When we put my husband's house on the market before marrying, one of the things I did was move some smaller plants around, and then plant some flowering annuals by the walk. Never underestimate the power of curb appeal when you're selling.
Try to give your hand a chance to heal before you start banging it up again! I have so been there. Currently, I'm not sporting any owies, but usually I've got one or two going. I hate hurting myself- it feels so...amateurish, you know what I mean?
Hey- when you get around to selling your house, you have to try the old statue of St. Joseph stuck in the ground upside down trick. I sold Steve's house twice in a month (the first contract fell through- long story), our house took six weeks just as the market was really starting to tank, and there were four other houses for sale at the same time on our block. A neighbor down the street had her house on the market for four months even though she'd reduced the price, and I finally took her my St. Joseph statue- she sold her house two weeks later. Which needed to happen- they got shipped off to Italy with the army and really needed to unload that house. So try it- my experience has been that it really works well. Good luck!
I may have explained the deadheading incorrectly. It'll bloom this year, as I've done this before. I just cut off all the dead blooms from last year. It looked like crap. About 4-6" below each old bloom is just dead wood on my big hydrangea. I didn't cut any live wood, as I definitely want it to bloom for when the house goes on the market. It's ancient, and I think several planted right on top of each other. It gets blooms from palest blue to dark blue, lavender, and dark purple. I'm going to miss it.
I hurt myself regularly, and can be quite the clutz. I tell myself that I need to take fun time breaks, but I have trouble enjoying them when there's so much to get done, ya know?
I hear ya on the curb appeal. I put some new stuff in last summer and fall while we were looking for property. The lawn was thatched and reseeded last spring. I also repainted all the outside trim, and refreshed faded paint areas last fall. Gonna put a bunch more plants in this spring. Then there's the window blinds and curtains, paint, lawn work, fence staining, refreshing the bark borders, etc. And we're back to the list! :) At least the lawn there is looking nice and lush, without the dogs to turn it into one big mudhole!
I may need to try the St Joseph statue tip. It isn't even my house (LJ's house), but I want it GONE! Old house, big lot, decent location. It's a toss-up on how it'll go, especially with all the new houses in the area. We need all the help we can get! :)
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