New House

Sorry, folks, but I didn’t think to take any pictures of the house today–even though I had the camera along just in case I discovered any problems that digital photography might help me solve.

I met my brother-in-law out at the new homestead to talk shop about some of the looming tasks we’ll need to tackle when the place is ours in reality and not just on paper. In his typical fashion he gave me great insight into the ease of accomplishing drastic-sounding upgrades and replacing my misguided, panicky desperation at suppositions and worst-case scenarios with grounded, succinct, common-sense suggestions.

Just redo the plumbing for the whole house; I did mine in a day and a half, he said. What do you mean, replace the whole circuit panel? Not necessary–just add a few breakers. And the chimneys? They probably just need cleaned and a little touch up at the top.

For now the big because-we-want-to remodeling, like moving the kitchen, tearing out a supporting wall, and putting in South-facing windows, will need to wait while we get the groundwork for much else finished up this summer, after which we will have no money for anything besides lentils and an occasional orange soda from the twenty-five-cents machine outside the grocery store.

If we have time for soda, that is. We will be gardening, too, in the rather majestic space already laid out, there near the grapes and fruit trees and just down from the raspberry bushes.

The whole time I was there, scouting around, I couldn’t help but feel like I was once again just looking at a place to buy, getting excited about it and yet knowing that it was probably beyond our reach.

I could hardly believe that it is actually already ours.