My Four Year Anniversary

July 10, 2025

Today is the anniversary of the day I moved into this sweet little green house with the pink door. When I moved in, four years ago, the house was pink and had a green door. The pink was more of a peachy pink and the green was a really dark tropical forest green. The house was a little neglected but I saw it through the rosiest of rose coloured glasses and there wasn’t much I wasn’t willing to do to make it beautiful again.

I had big plans for my little house and a pretty good idea about the amount of work needed to make that happen. I knew it would take years and I was fine with that. I’m still fine with that and it’s a good thing since the end is nowhere in sight. But after four years, I’ve started to feel some fatigue. The to-do list and the wish list are still duking it out to see how much work is actually left. So in an effort to boost morale, light a fire under my seat, celebrate how far I’ve come and temporarily ignore how far I have left to go, I’ve put together a list of accomplishments.

These accomplishments are not mine alone. Edwards & Quarrie do all of the complicated work. Matt is always helping me with carpentry, plumbing, electrical and heavy lifting. He’s my sounding board and the voice of reason when I get carried away. And there are the countless tradespeople who keep projects moving: electricians, masons, plumbers and more.

I’ll check in again in four more years so we can see what I’ve added to the list.

Basement
· the supporting structure was trued up and reinforced where necessary
· the water heater was replaced
· the floor was painted
· a counter was built and a sink was installed

First Floor
· the washer and dryer were moved out of the kitchen and down to the basement
· the plaster ceiling in the dining room and front hall were repaired
· the wall between the sewing room and the living room was moved
· pocket doors were installed from the sewing room to the kitchen and to the living room
· the kitchen floor was refinished
· a concrete pad was poured for the wood stove
· a wood stove was installed
· the bathroom was removed to make space for my sewing machines
· a new floor was put down in the sewing room using reclaimed flooring
· all of the drywall in the sewing room was taped
· crown moulding, door and window trim and baseboards were installed in the sewing rooms
· the kitchen was repainted
· plaster medallions were installed in the living room and dining room

Second Floor
· the bedrooms were painted
· the ceiling in the hallway was repaired
·the hand-held shower was rigged up to function like a regular shower head

Outside
· the wild growth on the side of the house was cleared out and replaced with gravel
· the garden has been tamed enough to know what’s out there and to make a plan for the future
· the eave water has been diverted underground to the front of the house
· four sides of the house have been stripped, sanded, primed and painted
· lights were installed on the front of the house
· the chimney was rebuilt
· a platform was built to store my firewood
· a new roof was installed on my shed
· my front door has been repaired and a new lock set installed
· a new storm door was built and installed in a way that a screen door can be swapped in its place during the summer