I am grouchy today. Everywhere I look I see all the small damages that house and furniture acquire after years of use. Each thing is small, but the accumulation makes me feel like my home is shabby. Even worse is knowing that many days I don’t even notice all of this stuff. How many people have I invited to sit on that couch with the stuffing coming out of the split in the cushion? The same split I intended to repair years ago? Sigh. It makes me want to refurbish and paint everything. Except I know that I do not have the time to undertake a series of home improvement projects. And I do not have the money to pay someone else to undertake them for me. At least not right now. Little by little we’re starting to use excess funds to make some of the repairs. We ordered new blinds a couple of weeks ago to replace the stained curtains which are falling off the bent curtain rod in the boys room. I wish they were here already. Maybe then I could believe that I’m actually going to start doing all this stuff instead of getting distracted and forgetting it for another 5-10 years, during which family and friends will politely ignore the stuffing spilling out of the couch cushions.
2 thoughts on “Maintenance”
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WHAT? Are you crazy woman? It sounds like that couch is just now entering the perfect comfort zone. As far as the rest of the house, I think that you should be rather proud of it. I think it has a great lived in look.
I hate going into a home that looks like a furniture catalog photo shoot. Those people scare me, they CAN’T be right in the head.
Just remember, every scuff on the wall is one more story your kids are going to have when they’re grown up.
I’ll have to tell you sometime about all the dimples in my parent’s basement walls from me and my brothers and our blowguns. Ah, memories…
I like what wekm said. I also think most people don’t notice, and if they do, it’s only with a thought of, “Oh I’m glad I’m not the only one who has a hole in my couch.”
I have holes in my couch & chair.
I did find, however, that if I kept the repair stuff handy, it would hit me on a whim every so often that I might have five minutes to fix this small hole while ds entertains himself with a book. I was surprised at how much I was able to get done that I didn’t think I had time for. Unfortunately, I have put the supplies who knows where, so the rest of the holes remain. 🙂
I bet your home looks very nice, Sandra. If anybody notices with a critical eye, they aren’t worth your friendship.
One of my friends was talking with a group of us about how she can’t keep up with the house & kids & all. We all agreed that when the kids are young, it’s just not possible, and it’s important to lower our expectations a bit. She then said, “I need to hang out with friends like you more often.” She is surrounded by women who have maid services (not that that’s a bad thing, but comparing just doesn’t work). The “we can have/do it all” message of the world never remembers to say we can’t have/do it all at the same time.
Anyway, I’m rambling. You’ve got a lot on your plate and I think the time with your kids is much more important than fixing every scratch and hole. They will remember that more and will do better for not having unrealistic expectations of their own homes.
Love ya!
Wendy