We have been TRYING to paint the exterior of our house for about a month now but it won't stop raining! I am loosing my mind waiting to get it done so we can get our house on the market. Today, despite the fact that it is supposed to rain all weekend, I insisted we start the prep work on the house. I reason if we do that, the next time we have 2 rain free days in a row (which could be another week or more) all we have to do is slap the paint on the house. The neighbors are used to seeing it look terrible, at least it will look terrible in a way that implies we might be planning to do something about it. We were trying to hire someone to do it but at this point I don't think we are first in line to get painted and I cannot wait any longer.
That is my story and I am sticking to it.
My friend Jody who blogs at "even the sparrow" wrote a post this week about her work ethic, how she can't stop working and doing, projecting and accomplishing. She needs to learn to sit and relax and let things go. It was great and fun to read but I couldn't help but laugh. I do not have this problem. I never work too hard, push myself to far, nobody ever has to ask me to stop and relax, certainly not twice. I wouldn't say I am lazy (well actually sometimes that is exactly what I say) but I rarely pursue extra work and am in no rush to get things done if no deadline is attached. However, knowing we have a lot to do I have determined to channel Jody this weekend and make it happen.
I went outside with my hubby and got started scraping the lower half of the house while he ran to Home Depot for a few supplies. He wasn't back when I was done so I got up on the ladder and started working on the soffits which are where the peeling paint is really bad. I kept working as he started taking down the storm windows and finding the putty for re-doing the windows. But by the time I was 3/4 of the way around the house I was exhausted. I went to sit down and watch him. He was just running out of putty and preparing for his second trip to Home Depot.
We determined that cleaning up the paint scrapings needed to happen because he wasn't as convinced that the forecast from the local weather channel I was quoting was accurate and insisted it could rain at any moment. Sweeping up paint chips seemed much more doable than scraping paint over my head so I swept up the sidewalk and stoop. Then I decided to pull all the weeds out of the garden next to the back door and then I pulled all the weeds from the vegetable garden I pretend to grow things in each year. I thought this is what Jody would have done rather than sitting down and waiting for her husband to get back from Home Depot. I was putting all my piles in the trash as he came home from the second Home Depot trip. At this point I have been working in the yard for nearly 4 hours.
Now as John returns to glazing the windows I am asking myself, "What would Jody do?" I am sure she would go and finish that last 1/4 of the scraping of the house and then grab the brushes and start washing the siding while the weather is still dry and the sun is still up. I, on the other hand, want to pass out in a corner somewhere.
As I sit there watching John while wondering if I can ever move again I realize there is something else Jody is good at...taking pictures! So I took a few to share with you. Then maybe I will drink one more big glass of water and finish up the scraping. And when I am laying on the couch in front of the tv tonight I can say to myself, "see, doesn't it feel good to lay around knowing the scraping of the house is done?"
The soffits were pretty bad. I estimate the house hasn't been painted in 15-20 years. Do not let your house get this bad!
Finally got all the weeds and last years dead stuff cleared up to enjoy the last days of my tulips.
Random: That towel hanging out of John's back pocket was a wedding gift.
This is the can where John puts the screws from the windows as he takes them down. This makes me happy.
The front of the house where I have already scraped, the front isn't nearly as bad as the back.
From the ladder to the end of the house and then around the garage door. That is basically all that is left. I can do it!
While this spring has been a bit depressing with all the rain, I know it must be here because the back door is rarely shut now that the weather has warmed up.
This is my new gazebo free patio, not sure yet how to arrange the furniture. Suggestions welcome.
What Isabelle is doing while we work outside. (she is holding our tablet, watching netflix)
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