Phase II

It all began three years ago…the slow transition from my lovely townhouse with its lovely furnishings to BH’s border hoarder abode.  Of course, that is totally unfair, I know.  It was lovely to me because I had spent a lifetime collecting my things and all the memories they represented.

But, now, I was leaving and most everything had to go.  All these things I saved for my kids, my kids basically didn't want.  Think china.  I absolutely loved my blue lapis china.  I think I used it  three or four times.  No one uses china anymore.  it’s probably going to auction in a box lot and will get about 5 bucks….maybe.

My attachment to things was being tested.  I’d been pretty good at doing the annual spring purging, but now this was a whole new level.  Estate sellers took over my house and it was basically a fire sale.  Everything must go.

I walked out on 50 years of memories with a leather recliner, two bookshelves and eight boxes.
Time for a new life.

Enter BH’s home.  I admit, I think it needed everything.  He had no clue what I was talking about.  The dining room chairs upholstery basically in threads, the peeling rust on the refrigerator, the layers of grease in the kitchen, the bathrooms that hadn’t been redone in 40 years.  HGTV??!!!  Where are Chip and Joanna Gaines, the Fixer Uppers, when I need them?

To BH, it if still works, don’t touch it.  I get that.  I also get that he raised five children on one salary and scrimped and saved and did every repair himself.  Nothing if not admirable.  But, now, he’s retired and he is doing just fine.

Until I moved in, I don’t think he’d cleaned out a closet in 20 years.  The garage?  OMG!  Thousands of tools.

Me:  How often do you use them?
BH:  Hardly ever, but I may need to someday.

Now project that to clothes, hats, toys, chairs, linens, curtains, boxes, books, magazines, you name it.  It’s here and he may need it someday.

At one point, I found a place in Baltimore to rent furnished for the summer and told him I was going to move if we didn’t start making some changes in the house.  Channel Matthew McConaughey…”All right, all right, all right.”….

And hence, Phase I began.  That was last summer.  Piles for the thrift shop, piles for the garbage truck and piles for the landfill.  New kitchen floor.  New kitchen appliances.  A new sofa for the living room.  New dining room chairs.  New rugs in the dining room and hallway.  A makeover in two bedrooms.  Lots of painting.

And lots more to do.  We started Phase II last week.  A late start due to our month in Baltimore and a couple more weeks in Florida.  The vacation has ended.  Phase II is finishing the kitchen, sanding the floors in the bedrooms and demo-ing and redoing the guest bathroom. Oh, and BH has mentioned a new king bed.

New Flash:  BH got the AC fixed!!!  Now, that made our nights a little sweeter!

The kitchen countertops were installed on Friday.  Quartz.  White with faint brown swirls.  I love, love, love them.  I don’t want anything on them.  No toaster, no coffeemaker, no dishes.  I just want to look at those beautiful clean lines with the new undercount sink and new Delta faucet…which, of course, we didn’t need.  I love these counters so much, I considered sleeping on them.

Ridiculous.  Yes.  But, our mattress sags in the middle so I’m hoping that king bed and mattress are in my not too distant future.  However, that can’t happen until the floors are sanded and the thousand pound old desk are moved into the new office/bedroom.  There’s a process to all this, you know.

Isn’t there always something?  The house needs a new roof, the trees need trimming.  The basement needs some serious cleaning and pretty much a complete overhaul.

BH:  What are you talking about?  The basement is fine.

You can see we’re on the same page here, right?  But, that’s all Phase III aka next year’s projects.

I will say those new countertops inspired a new kitchen knife set and new flatware but, more importantly, it inspired me to go to the Farmer’s Market and the grocery store.  Steak salad and garlic bread, anyone?