It Started with Cabinets

We are into WEEK THREE of the kitchen remodeling. It wasn't a remodel until today when I realized that my good intentions, like most of 'em, lead me down a dark, dark path.

I've lived at Lazy Bee Farm for 15 years; the house was a shell when I purchased it. There was no electricity, no water, two windows, one floor missing, the porch was gone, three chimneys were in the floor, and more than a dozen black snakes (ewwwwww, black snakes) in the house. And a bat. My brother and I repaired the house to the point that I could move in and I did --10 weeks after purchase. It was Thanksgiving and we had one small heater. We were thankful for that! It snowed. And snowed. And snowed.... But, I digress.

Since that time, I have worked on the house and, to some degree, the farm. Every year there is a project -- new roof, replace windows, add heat, paint, paint, paint, build barns, chicken coops, plant berries, raise bees, feed and milk goats, and, finally, complete the kitchen. The first remodel was ten years ago. It was my graduate school present to myself! The first stage was done in 1998, the year I finished grad school. The plan to was to finish the cabinets (I could only afford half of them), the next year, but too many things came along in the meantime, so now is the time.

So, cabinets were ordered to finish the second phase. But then I realized that since I was adding cabinets, I would have to order a new countertop, so why not replace ALL of it? I did. Then, the sink was damaged. A new one was ordered (it was installed on Friday and I am still kissing it every time I walk through the kitchen).

Then, I realized that the wall was so damaged from removing the tile for the new countertop, it would have to be either replaced or retiled. Retiling it was. A trip to Winston-Salem, three days on the Internet, and I know what I want and will order it on Tuesday. But, with the new tile, I will need to paint. The samples are on the wall and, after two weeks of living with the samples, I know which red and which cream I want. It'll be done next weekend.

The curtains are still in the bag from the massive Sturbridge shopping trip in July and, I hope, will go up before January, at this point.

It is a dark, dark path when one innocently tries to complete a long overdue project. I should have learned this with the bathroom this winter, but I guess it is rather like labor. We forget.

Did I mention that I have to find new cabinet pulls?