Three Years

Three years ago yesterday, we closed on this house and began the process of moving in. We had spent the day before that moving most of our belongings out of the old house and into the garage here: not an attached garage, and not a heated garage. Still, moving stuff into that garage on January 17, 2019, saved us so much extra work, and we were extremely grateful that the previous owners agreed to let us do that. It snowed most of the day on January 17^th, while we moved things out of our old house. It snowed even harder on January 18^th, as we moved things into the new house. People came to help us anyway. We counted at least 27 people who helped us move, and even more who prayed for us or fed us along the way. I am still amazed.

Snow was the name of the game that winter, and from the day that we started moving it JUST KEPT SNOWING all winter long. We had record snowfall for the city that year, and most of it fell after we moved to a house with a nice long driveway to shovel. We added a snowblower to our list of things we needed to buy. There were so many snow days that it was almost a foreshadowing of Covid’s disruptions of school. More days at home just meant more time to get work done on the house.

2019 was a year of transition. We did so much work on this house after we moved in. We hit the ground running, with a timeline of getting the lower level ready for Em and Eric to move into by the summer. This house was dated, so some of the work was just removing wallpaper and painting. Some of it was repairing or replacing things that were worn out. There was more of that than we expected or wanted. Some of it was hiring people to do plumbing and electrical so we could add a kitchen in the basement. After the rough-in for that kitchen was done, some of our work was learning to do new things (like installing cabinets, countertops, and flooring) with the help of friends or family, just to save some money where we could with the long list of projects. After Em and Eric moved in downstairs, we added a wall to our upstairs living room, by the stairs, to help cut down noise from us, traveling to them. I did some painting and removing wallpaper upstairs to finish out the living room/dining room/kitchen area. The first seven months here were FULL of work. We saw more that needed to be done at the end of that first seven months, but we ran out of steam. OK, I ran out of steam. I took a break.

One year later, it was winter of 2020. In January, we still didn’t know how crazy that year would be. As I think about it, we were very blessed to have moved in 2019. Many of the things we accomplished would have been so much harder to get done with all the restrictions of the early Covid crisis. Schools shut down and life activities were all home based starting in March. The timing of the “break from life” in 2020 meant I was at home during a time of the year when I am not used to being home: spring! I did yard projects and house projects with a renewed vigor that comes from having time on one’s hands with nothing else to do and nowhere else to go.

2020 was a year of more personal and independent projects. It felt good to be outside, so I started working on the garden. Slowly but surely, I dug out the trees that were coming up everywhere in the garden. Say what you will about squirrels, they are efficient planters. Those walnuts they had “planted” in the garden space that was untouched the previous summer (because we were working on the INSIDE of the house) sprouted and grew magnificently. Digging the trees out was hard work, but what else did I have to do? I took my time and completely removed everything in that garden, to the best of my ability, and then replanted a few things that looked like flowers. I got more plants from friends. With just a little bit of care, that garden took off! Then I came inside and removed more wallpaper and painted more spaces.

 

One year later, it was winter of 2021. We had expected things to be different by this time, but we were still in the grips of Covid. We missed out on so many gatherings during 2020, but we were hopeful that with the advent of vaccines, the tide was turning and we could get some family events back again in 2021. One thing was certain: we were doing a lot more out in our yard than ever before. We even got a nice day for Joe’s birthday in March and celebrated as a family outside on the driveway. It was time to make some improvements in our outdoor space. I started chatting with my brothers and drawing pictures of what I wanted.

2021 was a year of refining. We moved a patio from right up against the house to right up against the garage, a much more usable spot for it – and the location we had actually been using for setting up our pizza picnics. We had help from my brother Jon who actually knew how to create a patio. He taught me some things, and I was able to redo the edging of the garden (a much simpler job) on my own. It was just the finishing touch that garden needed! We added a nice picnic table and completed our outdoor space (for now, until the next project comes along). Now my perception of the back yard was greatly improved. That garden had come a long way in two seasons, and the patio worked perfectly for our outdoor gatherings. I had plans to add a garden space right up next to the garage by the patio, but that project was left for another year. Our aging furnace was replaced to make for a warm winter.

Now it is January again. Three years in this house have gone by quickly, and yet when I think of all the projects we have completed, it amazes me. Thinking of all the projects still left to do is a bit overwhelming as well. I need to remember that most of the time, we can choose to do one project at a time. 

I am not sure what projects this year in this house will hold. The more urgent tasks have been completed, so now it's time to work on the ones of lesser importance. I would start getting the wallpaper out of R.J.'s office if he weren't always in it! And saying that, I remember that another year has passed and Covid has not. In some ways, we are learning to deal with the ebb and flow of this disease like the ebb and flow of life. In other ways, it is as awkward a dance partner as ever. I prefer the concrete nature of home improvement projects, where you set your goals, do your work, make your mistakes, and call it good enough. Pandemics tend to be...well, not like that. We'll keep plugging away here, doing our best - and we'll be pulling for you to do the same, wherever you are and whatever you need to get through this time around the sun.