Falling behind

This weekend I stepped outside and suddenly realized that, my God, fall is really here.

What happened? I had all these plans, these projects that -- with winter looming on the horizon like some battleship ready to lob ordnance at my humble home -- still aren't completed. Wah. I blame my foul mood partly on houseblogger.net. It's an excellent site and a fantastic resource, but honestly, there are people on the site that could build a house in a weekend. Mine stil needs paint. How can I compete with that? It takes me weeks to even figure out how to tackle a project, much less get it done. Grumble.

I don't think I'm alone, though. I'd bet that most of us who live in an old home or are working to bring one back to life would readily admit we’re not only gluttons for punishment, but that we're also a terribly romantic and idealistic bunch. This can be a frustrating slog, trying to bring a property back from the dead while still holding down a day job and tending to the demands of everyday life. But I really believe that these properties deserve to be saved, that they are a part of a history and a landscape that is rapidly disappearing. It’s nice to have central air and leak-free windows, to not have to worry about the next project, but in the end I’d much rather look back and say I’ve saved a piece of something.

Hopefully I won’t lose my mind during the journey.