Retrospective

In 2009, I bought a house. This involved an fatiguing search, a frustrating purchasing process, a painfully exhausting preparation for move-in, a flood, various plagues of vermin, plenty of hard labor, the emptying of my bank accounts, and a fence that decided not to stand up any more. It has also involved learning to paint, replace a doorknob, put in a faucet, prune and fertilize a rose bush, pry out roots with a pick ax, get advice when I need it, ask for and gratefully receive help, and use a circular saw. It has also involved taking joy in little things: colors that I picked on the walls, a clean sink, a high-efficiency toilet, a working irrigation system, a washer and dryer of my own, and a thermostat.

I have a lot of work ahead. Once I have acquired the money to put the new fence in and get the trees pruned, there are windows to replace, and a master bathroom to expand, and a kitchen to redo.

In the meantime, there are plenty of projects requiring more sweat then dollars. There are plants to get in the ground, and improperly-placed flowerbeds to move, and a garage that just needs a few shelf adjustments to be just right. (Over Thanksgiving weekend my dad and brother-in-law moved my workbench, extended the gas and water lines, and moved my washer and dryer. Today, my dad got the workbench level and secured to the wall, and we added more pegboard to the wall behind and next to the workbench to help organize my tools. Between those changes and the trash that my dad is hauling to the dumpster for me, the garage is looking amazing. And there's plenty of room for my car, too.)

Here's to a fantastic 2010.