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....
