cleaning house ..

i hate cleaning house .. who likes it? i like having a clean house .. i like everything in it's place .. i just hate being the one to do it .. i really have to make myself get up and do it .. that being said, other than pushing a broom to sweep up dog hair here and there and stray fabric clippings, i am ashamed to admit that our house hasn't been cleaned since Christmas .. yeah, i know .. yuck .. i tell myself that is the advantage of two guys living together .. there is no pressure to clean .. but that is a cop out .. everyone likes a clean environment to work in .. it just always seems to be the last thing on the growing list of things that need to be done .. especially when you live in an old house .. i keep waiting .. when we get a new door, we'll redo the floor in the entry .. i'll hang the curtains after the new windows are put in .. i wanna re-paint before i hang the art .. i can't decide on the color of paint ..

after a lot of really looking at our lives .. and the way we live .. i decided to just enjoy what we have .. we have an old house that needs work .. which is why we love old houses .. they are solid and have a story to tell .. i love stories .. i accept that our house is not shiny and new .. but you know what? .. it's ours .. i think this is what the Japanese call wabi sabi ..i don't know .. but i like the way our house speaks .. i like the creak in the stairs .. when the dogs are upstairs they know that creak means i am coming up to sit with them for awhile .. they wag their tails extra hard .. i like the way the window doesn't raise all the way up and hangs at a slight tilt .. when it hits that angle, i know it has been pushed as far up as it will go .. i like the ledge of the window sill, it's perfect for a rock collection or to rest an elbow as i look out into the gravel drive and watch the flock of doves that peck at the gravel under the big old oak tree ..

i like our house .. so this weekend we started cleaning and accenting our house and enjoying it for what it is .. an old house with hundreds of stories to tell .. what is your house telling you? ..

enjoy the pics and have an awesome day ..

love ya'll
Troy

You can 'click' on these pictures and make them bigger ..

the gathering room .. this is kind of like the dining room .. with comfortable chairs to sit and visit after a meal .. it's where we have morning coffee and visit with the puppies before we begin the day .. it's where we will have dinners for family and friends .. it's where neighbors will drop in and have a cup of coffee .. we have a large round dining table that is being repaired that will go in the center of the room .. around it will be slipcovered arm chairs of various shapes and sizes ..

we love art .. the gathering room is mostly the landscapes .. one wall has blue bonnets on it .. :) .. the cabinet is an old sheet music cabinet from the trash .. i use it to hold serving platters and trays .. perfectly ..

we use an old dresser for a sideboard .. we have a glass front cabinet that will eventually go here .. this dresser holds linens and slipcovers .. and serving pieces ..

shooger .. in her fav chair .. she is usually found in this chair with her head resting on the back of the chair looking out the window .. when she is not chasing squirrels ..

entrance to the gathering room from the front door ..


looking across the gathering room ..

the blue bonnet wall .. the two chairs are wonderful examples of art .. they are sturdy and very comfortable ..

the needlepoint says " God Bless Our Home " .. Sister stitched it as a Christmas gift for our Nannie and PawPaw one year .. when Nannie passed away and we were emptying her home, i got it .. two gifts in one .. i like it ..

the teddies .. the little chandelier joining them on the bench was purchased for the entry hall .. it has yet to be attached .. we keep forgetting to buy scotch locks ..



i love how 'harvey' sits on the window sill at the landing during the day and plays up and down the stairs at night while we sleep .. the sill is the perfect place for him .. so he can sit there and watch the comings and goings of everyone in the house .. and turn to see the doves under the oak in the drive below ..

i have been pulling up the faux wood masonite someone placed over the risers and treads of the stairs .. each will be sanded and waxed .. but for now .. i will enjoy the painted scared finish ..

this little angel looks down from the upstairs landing .. through the railing .. Rod and I gave her to my Momma one year .. and she spent a good part of her life in Mommas garden .. when Momma died, she came to live with us .. but has spent that time in a box .. yesterday i took her out of the box and placed her on the little footstool that my grandfather made my grandmother and i reupholstered for her ..

yes, emma there are unicorns .. my mom loved this statue .. everyone who sees it, loves this statue .. rod purchased it years ago from a friend of his from galesburg, illinois .. john tribbey .. it is made of welding rods .. the mane and tail of the unicorn is made of little stick figure people climbing all over one another .. a portion of our rock collection sits below him on the window sill ..

enjoy your house .. love your life ..

always love,
troy