how to make a house a home

 
While driving to Cheyenne Wells last Tuesday, I began to notice just how many old homesteads there are here on the plains. Old homes that are abandoned and decaying. Where did the people go? Did the people lose their house and land due to economic struggles? Did the children grow up and move leaving no one to help keep the farm going? Did the harsh winters and summers drive the family out of the plains and on to someplace more hospitable? You wonder while looking at these old homes.

I wonder about the family that once lived there. I'm sure that once upon a time that house was loved and if the walls could talk, they would tell you of all of the wonderful memories that were made there.

 I enjoy watching HGTV. I have watched this network since our cable company in Florida offered it as part of our package, back in the late '90's. Before that, my son and I would watch the all decorating shows the the Discovery Channel had to offer. 

 After watching a few shows, I would ask my son if he would like to help me rearrange our living room. He would first make a drawing of how he thought we should move the furniture and then the both of us would start moving everything around. We had so much fun working together on our home.

While watching HGTV's House Hunter's the other night, I began thinking about how some people enjoy looking for smaller homes and others feel the need to have a big home. I think the people were saying that the home they live in they have outgrown because of their family getting larger. I then began to hope that they would get the smaller of the three homes they had looked at because I knew that in just a few short years that home was going to be way to big for them.

I started thinking about the home we live in right now. It is big! We built our home 10 years ago and at the time it seemed to be just the right size. But as time goes on life changes, as it always does. My mother-in-law, who was living with us, has passed away (you can read about her here) and our son has joined the Army. Now it's just the Preacher and I (and one cat and one dog). We would love to "down-size" and get something a little smaller. 

Our log home here on the plains of Colorado

The Preacher and I have lived in many different types of houses. We have lived in everything from a tent, an apartment, a camper trailer and a house to a log cabin. In everyone of them we have made memories that we will always cherish. 

I think that that is the most important lesson to be learned here. Make memories in your house, design that house just the way you like it, paint or wallpaper the walls, move the furniture around, make family meals, and most importantly love those that live there! When you do these things you have just made that house into a home.


Update: Since this post was first published we have moved again into a smaller home that is in the city limits. And also we only have the cat. Our Max passed away and our Sarg went to live with our son. So a smaller home is better for us now. But we are still making memories and making it our home.

DIY Project Turns into Chaos

      Why is it that every time I see a project on Pinterest or even on an HGTV type show, I think, “That’s a great idea! “That won’t take long to do, maybe a couple of hours.”

     Well that’s exactly what happened this past week.  For a while now I've been looking at the shelves that are in the kitchen of the preacher and I and I've been thinking that they needed a face-lift. I began searching Pinterest and the website, Houzz.com, for ideas. I finally decided that they needed painted, I needed to add some color to our kitchen.

     So last Monday, I went to the hardware store and bought some paint. Then I took everything off of the shelves and placed everything all over the kitchen bar and table. 

Then I cleaned the shelves. I then discovered that I didn't have any sand paper but I found some steel wool pads. After scrubbing the shelves down with the steel wool, then cleaning them up, I began to apply the first coat. Unfortunately, I was only able to paint the top shelf and a little of the bottom of that same shelf. Something came up and I had to stop.

     Now during all of this, the preacher was not too thrilled with my determination to paint. He really wasn't on board and I could tell he wasn't wanting to help in any way. But I thought that’s okay, I can do this!

     Well the next day I discovered that the paint just began to bubble and shrink! Oh no!, that got me upset, but I was determined to get these shelves painted. So I went back to the hardware store and bought some sandpaper. I sanded all of the shelves really well, this wasn't going to happen again. While I was sanding the preacher was teaching at the local college and when he came home he was not too pleased with the mess I had made.

      During the week the shelves just sat there, not getting a coat of paint on them. That's what happens when you have to work, go to several meetings, and then being so tired at night you just can't do one more thing.

I saw this ecard on facebook this same week and thought what perfect timing to see this.

     On Friday of this week I had had enough of this DIY project.  I just wanted to stay home and get this done, I was tired of the mess in the kitchen! I was tired of the chaos that this project had created in my home. So I began to get upset, the melt-down was happening. Then my sweet preacher told me that he had two meetings that day but he would come home and help me get this project knocked out that day. Yay! I began to feel better, I felt like the end was in sight!

     And we did it! We got the shelves painted (it took four coats). We also decided to pull out some old paint and finish painting the hallway that didn't get done when we painted the kitchen and dining room several months ago. The hallway looks so much better and brighter!

     I love the way the shelves turned out! Now that they are done I've been cleaning and rearranging kitchen drawers. The preacher says “That’s enough, no more!”

     I just can’t help it, when something gets in my head I can’t stop thinking about it until it’s done.

     What DIY projects have you done lately and how did they turn out?

                                                      Love from the Preacher and I