My sister Dawn texted this morning that she would like to visit in April – actually the weekend that taxes are due which I’m sure is either just a coincidence or a cosmic joke to make it even more chaotic. She’s taking a road trip from Nevada and plans to hop from one sibling to another, so that would include Arizona, Texas and Florida.
Interestingly I have been wanting to do some projects around that house and have had a tough time prioritizing them. This is exactly the kind of development that traditionally has gotten me “off go”. It’s spring here in Houston, so it’s time to do all the spring chores; I guess having company coming is the very definition of motivation.
Just off the top of my head, and in no particular order, these are the projects I feel like need to be ready for company:
Guest bedroom: after last year’s flooring fiasco (all the floors were damaged by a pipe leak resulting in all of our stuff getting packed away and put in storage while they tore them out and replaced them) has yet to be completely resolved. What was once my work studio is now being converted back into a guest bedroom yet that is the last room that I have had a chance to unpack all the boxes. Honestly, it’s a mess in there. I need to finish unpacking the remaining boxes and also, you know, get a bed to put in there.
Ceilings: I took advantage of all the furniture being hauled away to give the entire interior a fresh coat. Unfortunately I ran out of time and the furniture all got brought back before I could paint any of the ceilings. This isn’t a huge project and it would make me very happy to have it completed asap.
Windows: one of the aspects of living in a sub-tropical climate is that algae grows on everything. So many of the windows right now have a green film over them. Ugh, don’t get me started on the siding…
Cement surfaces: outdoors there is a courtyard, a carport, a driveway, and a small side patio – and say with me “all covered with algae”. Except the algae growing down there isn’t all green, there is a lot of black algae too. Hooray for humidity. All of that needs to be power-washed.
Pool deck: the pool deck has a texture surface that keeps it cooler in the direct sun. It also is covered with black algae, but the surface is so delicate that it can’t be power washed. It does need to be cleaned tho because omg it looks awful – it just takes a more complicated chemical process.
Banana grove: there is a retaining wall on one side of the driveway where we moved the banana grove during pool construction, and they are thriving there. So much so that they have begun to damage the fence as well as the brick retaining wall. It’s a lot of work to fix it, this may have to be hired out if we want it done in time.
Front porch: the year after pool construction we had all the asbestos siding pulled off and new siding put on (along with a new roof), we even had the house painted purple which to this day makes me insanely happy. Oddly tho the front cement porch of the house which isn’t that big really, failed to get painted and quite frankly doesn’t match the house. That needs to be painted because it’s kind of an eyesore.
Storage barn: in the backyard next to the pool area is one of those barn shaped storage sheds that is still the same color as the house was when we bought it. It’s literally two color changes behind the times. Don’t ask me why we didn’t have them paint it during the exterior renovation because I have no good answer. Maybe home renovation fatigue? It would be nice if it at least matched the house better.
By my calculations I have nine weeks to make all this happen. I guess I’d better get busy!!!
I’m so far behind, been trying to catch up for nearly ten years! I hope I can get going again soon! Right now it’s just too cold to even think about it all. Might be wise to make a list as you have. My cousins have decided to have a family reunion at my house in June! It might be fun but gosh, I don’t know. I’m way older than dirt (67) and can I handle that? LOL . I thank you for your inspiration, always .
Go for it, Jane! I find that making a list is a great way to get focused. Then I go backwards from the “date of visit” and schedule the highest impact projects first, and go down the list penciling them into each week. But the real kicker is actually doing them and not falling too far behind – that’s the challenge!!
Sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you. I can promise you, though, that your sister is coming to see you, not the house. All you really need to worry about for her is a comfy bed, a clean bathroom, and a path to both. The rest is all extra.
I’m making progress but definitely won’t get all these done!