We’re still knee-deep in home renovations for the new place and, man o’ man, has it been a process! This all began in November when my wife and I decided to do a quick consultation with an interior designer to help us pick out colors and make suggestions because, admittedly, this isn’t in either of our wheelhouses.
In the end, we’ve come to the conclusion that the consult was a very good idea but we took a very long and twisting road to arriving at that realization. You see, immediately after the meeting with her last November we questioned almost every one of her recommendations. Now, almost nine months later and after a lot of deliberation, taking home samples, dealing with a zillion different stores and vendors, and changing our minds we’ve realized the designer was right in almost all of her suggestions.
These days there are an almost infinite number of choices of materials and colors. It’s overwhelming and, at times, paralyzing. The only true limit is your imagination and, of course, your wallet. I remember growing up in the 70’s and 80’s when I’d go to a hardware store with my father when he was renovating. From what I remember, back then, you had just a small handful of choices for ceramic tile, wood paneling (yes, that was a thing back then), and carpet.
After getting dangerously close to the point of burnout in this arduous process I finally feel as though we’re finally making some progress (first world problems, I know). So far, we’ve decided on the hardwood flooring for the upper level, the carpet and tile for the lower level. Now we’re fine-tuning the materials for the kitchen.
I’m finding home renovation is an excellent metaphor for life. It’s important to have a clear vision of what you want before acting—otherwise, you end up frustrated and confused, with a whole lot of wasted time and effort. There’s also a lot to be said about focusing on what you’re good at. I’m looking very forward to the day when this is all behind us and there’s something else to focus on other than renovations. Soon, I hope to have some after photos to share.
Thank you
I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the support of my new sci-fi fiction series, becoming. I have no idea what I'll do with this story, ultimately, but it's been extremely fun for me to work on.
Over a decade after writing my first sci-fi novel, Alarm Clock Dawn (how can that even be possible?), it's been interesting to see how time and life-experience have changed me as a writer.
I'm thrilled to say I've come up with the ending for the series but I think it will take at least six more installments to steer it there. I always forgot how much fun it is to completely immerse yourself in a fictional world. I hope you all are enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying crafting it.
Nature is a Vitamin
I’m still experimenting with the iPhone’s camera portrait feature on my daily walks. The wetlands are making their transition into late summer now. Almost everything that blooms is just beyond peak now. Very shortly, within a month or so, autumn colors will start showing. Summer is way too brief in this part of the world.
As you can see from the clips above, our backyard bird feeders have become very popular with the local birds. Yesterday, when I was on the deck reading I had a hummingbird fly within just a few inches of me. I hope to get a video of them soon. I didn’t realize what I was missing out on by living in the city all those years. It’s a different, and much more peaceful world out here. Nature is truly like a vitamin, being immersed in it has reminded me how healing and life-enhancing it can be. I'm so happy we made the choice to escape the city.
All for now. Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend, everyone!
