Monday Monday
So where were we? In the garage I think. I have been in the garage almost daily for about a week. If the weather holds, I'll keep going. If not, I am at a good place to quit until spring.
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Let me show you. This is the garage that John built so it is near and dear to my heart.
~west wall~
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Photos are so helpful to me because I can see that, while some progress has been made, I can circle round again and organize better. Prior to this, I didn't notice all the gardening products here and there. They can definitely be gathered to the same place.
↑There's been a whole lot of tucking going on around here.
↑These boxes and old laundry baskets and plastic bags are full of personal papers. I have gone through so many of them, but have many more to plow through. I dare not just chuck them into the fire, though tempted, because there are treasures. Dear treasures. I found a little love note written to me on the back of a grocery list. Precious.
Some have asked if I have found any money. Yes, I have — an unused gift card to Amazon. ☺ But the best thing that I have found is this engagement photo of John's parents.
Aren't they adorable? I love his mama's sweet smile and his father's steady gaze. His mom looks right at us and his dad looks at the photographer as if to say, "Let's get this show on the road."
Back to reality. Not. I have already cleared or tidied everything to the window. Yay! (Just forgot to take a photo before it was too dark.)
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Progress is a wonderful feeling...
Please share with me some household project that you are feeling positive about. Perhaps you even want to show me! I need all the inspiration I can get.
Hello my friend. What a precious photo you found, and a love note to boot. Going through those papers will be a good Maine winter project. Looks like you've made good progress on the garage, you're an ambitious woman and I admire your grit and perseverance. I don't think I could be as strong as you've been. ~ Love Abby
ReplyDeleteHi Vee, It is a wonderful feeling to see progress in such a big job. Taking photos is a great way to "see" where you can improve and also to pat yourself on the back for the before and after. I guess my biggest project has been cleaning the woods behind our back deck. It would appear that the bachelor who lived here previously threw his pizza boxes and even SILVERWARE from the deck above! How sweet to find the love note and the beautiful engagement photo.
ReplyDeleteIn going through my dad's old Bible Commentary books a few years back, I found mother's handwritten recipe for the cake she made for my birthday when I was little. That note was a real treasure for me because due to her loss of sight, she had not been "able to see" to write in some 30 years before her passing! God bless your week. xoxo
I remember the posts about finishing this garage. A photo of John high up on a ladder sticks in my mind. I commend you on tackling this big job. You are making huge, huge progress. So glad you are finding "rewards" for your labor.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, siding the garage. It has been finished since 2003.
DeleteVee, you are an inspiration to me. My entire house (yes, I said entire) is like your before picture. I have a husband who doesn't like to throw things out. I am doing my best to get things cleaned up for Christmas -- at least downstairs. Seeing your progress gives me hope.
ReplyDeleteWhat sweet treasures you found -- a love note and a precious picture.
A love note and that sweet photo! Reward, indeed, for your hard work!
ReplyDeleteYou've done amazingly. What a huge task. I've been sorting things recently too, no photos though. I've sorted through fall and Christmas decor, the kitchen pantry space. I tidied my seasonal decor space too.
I think you should make some Scotty Dogs - check my blog for photos!
Oh my! They are darling!
Deleteslow and steady, vee.
ReplyDeletelittle by little.
you're doing well in sorting
and organizing .. big job. :)
Oh, you have been so industrious and (to echo one of your commenters) so very brave! You are rewarded with order and peace (don't they go hand-in-hand?) and some treasures (like that engagement photo...and the sweet love note ~teary swoon~).
ReplyDeleteWe are plodding away at painting the kitchen. Remove wallpaper. Prep walls for paint. Paint walls. Paint again. Try to decide on color for trim. Order sample pot. Choose color. Have color mixed at paint store. Come home with paint that is not the right color. Ugh. And all of this done in the cracks of a busy schedule.
It's going to be worth it though! (If I can get this color right. Back to the paint store today. Sigh...)
Look at those beautiful stairs. You really have been a busy beaver. That engagement photo is a gem. Our last project that we are still enjoying is organizing and carpeting the attic. We have determined we need to do a lot of weeding out because we are talking about building a garage on the back of this old house then splitting the property and selling off the land that our current detached garage/shop sits on. Talk about downsizing...it makes my brain hurt. 3 project vehicles, a baby grand piano, etc. etc. Hope you have a good week!
ReplyDeleteI guess we are people who love order. I just emptied out my closet, reorganized, purged and cleaned. I'm still feeling good about it. What a great space John provided, and you've made great progress. What a wonderful find.
ReplyDeleteWow. You have had quite a job of cleaning, sorting and organizing the garage Vee. I can see you've made some good progress. With all our renovations this fall things have been put in the garage that was once so tidy and clean this summer and now is a cluttered mess. Murray is working away at it when he can. Since it's his 'territory' I don't interfere unless it has to do with gardening or outdoor decor. With the renovations we have lost wall space with new windows added so I've not put as many photos etc. on the walls as before. Now - what to do with them?? How nice to find the lovely photo of John's parents. Perhaps the papers can be brought inside for the winter months to be sorted. It's a big job. xo
ReplyDeleteYou're to be commended, Vee, on the progress you've made. Sorting and tidying is satisfactory work, but it takes a LOT of time and energy. The love note and engagement photo are such sweet finds.
ReplyDeleteI have some closets and drawers that need sorting, but that's not going to happen for awhile. I did scrub the fronts of my kitchen cabinets on Saturday - they were sorely in need of it.
Have a good week.
You are making great progress and finding some sweet treasure to boot! I am unpacking after the move into this rental. Then I will concentrate on the next step....
ReplyDeleteKudos Vee, you are making some great progress. If you are anything like me you will feel so much better when you look at the newly cleared out space! Earl is away hunting this week so it's project week for me. I am moving the sewing stuff out of our bedroom, finally!, and rearranging, decorating, and making it a cozier place to sleep. It will be so good to get rid of the mess.
ReplyDeleteYou are the one who inspires me. I need it, too! I'm saving boxes now for Christmas mailing and our garage needs a few less boxes. Maybe I should take a picture now and another after they're gone.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great picture of John's parents along-side a picture of John. That is indeed a treasure.
Keep on going , you are doing great---
ReplyDeleteLove the photo, you should frame it.
Vee you have made enormous progress! Well done! Sorting through all of your remaining boxes will probably yield more treasures. I'm so glad you found a love note from your beloved. How wonderful.
ReplyDeleteGrayden removed four boxes from the attic on Friday and we found treasures as well. Treasures for our daughter--diaries, old letters, girl scout awards, etc. We'll be packing them and sending them to her when her son flies home for Thanksgiving. ♥
I am impressed by all your achievements! I love the photograph of John's parents. It would have been a tragedy if it had been lost. I just continue taking bags of books to the Goodwill....I have so many books I will never read again. I want to keep the ones I love. These days I am reading more on kindle, and often ebooks from our library. And I still buy new books, but keep on taking bags to the Goodwill...Emily calls this, "blessing other people with my stuff".
ReplyDeleteImpressive, Vee! Wow!!! You have done a lot of work there! My 'problem' is always the storage side of the basement. I always attempt to consolidate and organize and in the end I can't tell where I left off. lol It is a whole lot better than it was -but there is always room for improvement. xo Diana
ReplyDeleteYou are doing so well Vee and I'm glad you're finding little treasures here and there to make the job easier.
ReplyDeleteI started on our basement this spring and have donated so much stuff to the Bibles for Missions and the Canadian Diabetes Assoc. which they sell to raise funds. This has reduced the clutter and made me feel good.
The best thing that is coming out of the basement is my pretty angel topper for a Christmas tree that has been stored in her plastic container for a number of years. We only have a small faux one now and I've been invited to decorate our church's tree tomorrow so my angel will be on the top instead of the customary star.
You are making progress, Vee, and I know,it feels good. I loved the photo of John's parents and you finding the love note. I will occasionally just find something that Rich wrote on and it warms my heart. I found a card not long ago that he bought for my birthday and never signed, but I now look at it everyday.
ReplyDeleteI did get Rich's office painted after over three years, and now it's a pretty yellow, filled with angels and cherubs, and has a crib for my littlest granddaughter for when she spends the night. It makes me happy!
It is so hard dealing with the "memory-heavy" stuff as I called it when we downsized. So hard to know whether to keep, give away, or trash. Decisions decisions, and it gets wearisome. So little bits at a time, and always good to look back and see how much you've accomplished, which is a lot! Hugs to you Vee :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes it feels overwhelming, Vee, but we have to keep chipping away. Sort of like life.
ReplyDeleteThe picture of John's parents is such a treasure. And the note. I think that's a good incentive to keep going at it!
Thanks so much for your kind words on the birth of my granddaughter. We are so overjoyed!
Jane
Oh wow! You are working hard and it sure looks great. It must feel so good to get organized. Now if only I could get myself motivated - eek!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful reward a sweet love note and a beautiful photograph. All your hard work will be worth it in the end.
ReplyDeleteYou deserve a gold star for organizing/cleaning out such a lot Vee! I don't have a garage - but have lots to clean out in this house/attic etc. - John certainly built a sturdy one and I loved hearing of the little treasures he left you which you discovered as you worked. I'm sure he is proud of your accomplishment and you must be feeling happy knowing you have done so much. Just be careful lifting heavy things my dear.
ReplyDeleteHugs - Mary
He was a good man, God blessed you greatly and you get to see him again someday. :)
ReplyDeleteWork in progress? My garage. Worse than usual this time because we had an outbreak of mice this summer. I'm not sure that is the correct word but that is how it appears to me. They just appeared and with them mice turdlets. We have to clean everything. Sigh. Blech.
Love the picture of John's parents. His mom looks so very kind.
ReplyDeleteKen and I have built four garages!! : )
We still haven't gotten to the cleaning out of our garage. Trying to get the cabin done.
I finally after several months painted the risers on my new staircase. I put it off because I knew I would also have to paint all the trim in the entry to match and that also has to be done in the upstairs landing because it all runs together. I still have the upper landing to do and will be so glad when it's done.
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of John's parents! What a treasure! Hugs!
There's nothing like coming across sweet memories when you have a project like that :-) We are currently trying to sort and organize Jerry's shed as we haven't had time since the move to do so. Unfortunately there is just not enough room and we are already talking about needing another shed to put the mowers, tillers, etc in to free up space in this one. He wants to use the shed as a workshop. It takes time but will be worth the hard work when it is done. Take your time... you'll get there. Just enjoy the moment. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jill
Great work, Vee! It's looking good. You have made so much progress. What treasures the photo and love note are!
ReplyDeleteMy current ongoing project is trying to get rid of a lot of trash and many other items from my dad's home. I have made some progress, just not all I would like to have done. But I do have one area -- a sort of stairway storage area with shelves and a couple of drawers -- that is completely emptied, dusted,vacuumed, washed. It lifts my spirits whenever I behold that area!
Oh yes, there is also a basement freezer that's been completely emptied, cleaned, and unplugged. And a table in the basement that's been completely cleared off, washed, and new vinyl tablecloth put down so there is a clean place to sort items.
John's garage is fascinating to me. Did he build a floor above the ground floor? (seeing the stairs) You are right, that photo of his parents is really special. My most recent household project has been to call the donation truck to come out to get some furniture that just doesn't fit in this house. The truck came this past Monday and now I feel like we can breathe better. A wonderful feeling. Carry on, girlfriend! You are doing an amazing job!
ReplyDeleteYou are making significant progress, you must feel good! Slow and steady wins the race, as they say.
ReplyDeleteI finished one little project today that made me feel good. Nothing big like you're coping with, but I just put it off for so long... Don't ask me why. Made a new bathroom window curtain. Now that's not a difficult job, I can hear you say. And you'd be right. But I had bought a sheer polyester and it was so slippery and not easy to work with, but now it's done so I'm happy to cross it off the list!
I'm glad I came back because I had a feeling that I'd forgotten to comment, I'm a little rattled these days. Forgot what I said originally, but I'm wanting to know if you could bottle up some of that energy you have and send it to me? You are getting a lot done! I'm still moving slow as a turtle and behind on everything. I just realized today that Thanksgiving is just a week away...yikes!
ReplyDeleteThe garage inside looks very similar to our barn at the other house. It is very well built...of course it would be if John did the work! Loved seeing the photo and the love note is a Special Find!
Oh yes, I could use some of your energy too! I have so many projects on the horizon that it makes me exhausted just thinking about them! I'm trying to prepare my brain for what needs to be done for EVERY ROOM to get ready for wood floors. Just the thought of it has worn me out before I even get started! Good job on your progress in the garage!
ReplyDeleteWOW Vee, that is a huge garage. I love it though. More for me to put stuff in. LOL! (Which I don't need to do) Love, love, love that picture of John's parents. So sweet. I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Vee. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteI am reclaiming MY storage building- or in the process anyway! So far we have cleaned out space for my fall debris and I've already started filling it up! LD has a new storage building he just put up and he's trying his dead level best to organize it from the get go!
ReplyDeleteYou have done an amazing job! I know it was lots of very hard work!
What a sweet pic of John folks! And the love note on a grocery list...love that!
ReplyDeleteI had to call Elmer over to see the garage...since he actually toured it with John when we were out there (while you and I were gabbing inside). We have such good memories of our face-to-face time with you and John!
Glad you are seeing progress in your garage. I am trying to think of a project that I am feeling positive about. All I can think of right now are all the projects waiting to be done!
Enjoy your day, Vee!
Amazing garage that John built any my word what a task you have ahead of you Vee. I guess you can just take your time and work through it. Reminds me of our garden shed (much smaller scale of course) when I try to get Alan to sort stuff. Seems to be a man thing.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is a huge undertaking Vee! Good for you for plodding along slowly but surely and getting it done. And along the way, you run into some real treasures as reward for your work.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed that John made that garage! xo Deborah
I loved this post! It inspired me!! I keep thinking I have got to get a hold of my house!!! Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteBless you! I always feel overwhelmed when I tackle anything like this. I just have to go with the small chunks at a time theory. I have several areas of my house that need tackling... and probably will not get tackled until at least after Thanksgiving. But, the last major project was the downstairs den that I posted about a few weeks ago. Now, we must move on to hubby's downstairs study which was also flooded and needs complete overhaul. Ugh.
ReplyDelete