Crossing the Finish Line

 

 Crossing the Finish Line

 

We’re almost to the finish line on the remodel. 

Almost.         

The Cat Knows How to Chill
During a Remodel...
Totally Adaptable Feline

 

The floors we ordered are installed throughout the house. The new vanity in the guest bathroom is now operational, though the mirror we ordered won’t be delivered for a couple of weeks. The stone facing on the fireplace will be completed this week and the backsplash in the kitchen in done. Of course, there may be a bit of touch up painting here and there. I’m not worried. Our contractor is quite diligent. 

 

And…now…we finally retrieved the stove from the garage and moved the refrigerator in from the back porch.

 

Loving the New Kitchen

The countertops are beautiful. The kitchen sink is in place and hooked up to water. That means no more washing dishes in the garage. (See last week’s post HERE.) 

 

Also, having a sink sitting there not hooked up? Mike and I both caught ourselves about to pour our ice or the last drop of lemonade in the sink as we pass by. We didn’t do it, but it is a habit we had to address.

 

I won’t say “never again” to paper plates. Just not every meal… every day. And I’ll still enjoy eating out from time-to-time. But I like to cook and this kitchen makes it even more enjoyable.  

 

The big stuff is out of the way. 

 

If you read the February 28^th post, you know we tore everything out. Including a few walls. We had new cabinets installed. New lights and ceiling fans made the whole house feel updated. 

 

Don’t misunderstand. I still enjoy music from the seventies and eighties. I just don’t care for the old fixtures and ugly paint. 

 

Everything that needed fixed is fixed and the whole house is painted inside and out.

  

* No more ordering pizza one night and reheating slices in the George Foreman the next. And yes, that can be done. 

* Less eating out. More eating in. 

* No more having to order on Grub Hub. Though we discovered new places.

* No more cooking in a crockpot on the porch.

 

 

We’ll still go out to eat from time-to-time, but somehow the food tastes better when you dine at a restaurant by choice instead of by need.

 

We are now in a place where, hopefully, there will be no more nights away from home unless we are on vacation. We appreciate Mike’s nephew letting us use his lake cottage nearby. It is beautifully decorated and comfortable, but those three days confused the pets and left us a bit disoriented ourselves. 

 

I simply sleep better in my own bed.

 

As I began crafting this post, it occurred to me how we all become comfortable with “the way things are” and tend to “live with it,” be it good or bad. That includes our habits. The foods we eat. Our health. Our surroundings. Change forced upon us can be hard. But often, those simple transformations serve to make life better. More enjoyable. Healthier.

 

The more adaptable we are, the better we handle change. Or perhaps, for some of us, the more we face change, the more adaptable we become. I don’t know.

 

What I do understand is this: To navigate life we must face change and the challenges that come with it. 

If we face those challenges head on instead of letting everything sort of flatten us like a steamroller, in the end we are better people for it. 

We grow stronger, become more flexible and we are happier. We cross the finish line as winners in every way.

 

What changes have you faced? How adaptable are you? I’d love to hear your story.