Sunday, October 14, 2012

Then and Now

This week's challenge was "then and now", try to get a photo from the past and recreate the scene now.  I had fun with this one, it is good to go back and look through all these photos now and then.  I have accumulated rather a lot of them ever since someone gave me a digital camera and freed me of the guilt and hassle of film.

I tend to expect rather a lot out of myself on any given day, usually too much.  I often end up feeling like I never get anything done because I am not living up to my own ridiculous expectations.  It was good to stop and look and realize that in the last four years, I have gotten rather a lot done.  In truth, this post could have turned into a real monster since I have taken thousands of photos in recent years.  I extensively documented my mother-of-all-DIY projects and I could have posted a hundred "then and now" photos.  Instead, I limited things to a few representative shots. 

6/19/2008 Not quite yet the official owner of 20 acres of abandoned and neglected farm land.  An ocean of weeds with nothing else on it...

Today.  I didn't get the angel quite right, but you get the idea...

12/18/2008 I swore I wouldn't build in the winter only to be forced into it by idiot excavators and circumstance...

Today.  I tried to get the donkeys to pose for me in front of the barn, but had to settle for them nudging me on from behind....

7/29/09  My knees still hurt just thinking about this job...

8-12-09 I was really surprised when I saw the date on this photo.  This was a difficult, backbreaking, almost overwhelming job that still looms large in my memory (and sore joints) yet the dates say it was done in two weeks.  I am glad I did it, but I don't ever, EVER want to lay another hardwood floor.


1/22/09

Today.  For all it was over my head and up in the air, this white pine was soooo much easier than the floor.  I also had a very good friend show up (with scaffolding!) to help.  This ceiling went up in a day and a half.

Through all of this, there have been lots of other changes as well.  The horses I had got old while I wasn't looking.  One of them died suddenly and tragically of severe, acute colic that could not be treated.  The other is now retired and lives with a friend.   I went horse shopping and remembered exactly why I hate trying to find a new horse.  I rescued, and found a good home for, a pair of badly abused draft ponies.  I bought two horses and resold one of them because we weren't a good match.  I found the horse I had been searching for for many years only to have her critically injured by another rescued horse.  I met a man I thought I might spend my life with, but that was not to be.  I bought a donkey and remembered why I do all this.

My saving grace through all has been that some things do stay the same, at least for a while...  


and some changes bring pure joy into the world....



10 comments:

  1. And so many of us have so enjoyed being along for the ride. Thanks for the blog!

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  2. Great photos of your before, during and after. Love those donkeys!

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  3. See, I already had a hunch that you can work miracles. Seriously, to have accomplished all this, in four short years! And you still felt you aren't getting enough done?! I'm glad this assignment made you stop and recognize your enormous, phantastic, beautiful achievement, all in addition(!) to your paying job. - I, for one, am in total awe. (Even if it had taken you 20 years, I'd still say: Amazing and awesome!)

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  4. That is a lot to get done in four years!

    In that last picture, has Ramsey learned to untie that knot yet? :-)

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    1. He LOVES ropes. It took him about twelve seconds to have it untied and dragging:). I don't dare leave him alone with one,I'm afraid what he would do with it.

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  5. O. I never saw that photo of newborn Ramsey!
    I am in awe, Kris. Really. I'm glad you had this time to see what you've accomplished. And you've accomplished it precisely because you are so focused and determined. Really, you are a model for us all.

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  6. Excellent! I really enjoyed taking a look back to before I met you :-). Your farm is lovely and that darn Ramsey... ;-).

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  7. Yes, the challenge was fun by all means, its like a insight of from 'where' to 'what' we accomplished and a true path of our life :)

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  8. You are a remarkable lady. Enjoyed seeing all this evolve. But, but, but ----- are you having fun yet?

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  9. Such a neat idea for a post. Loved that you took us back. Wonderful project!

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