Skip to main content

The Nest Has Been Disturbed

We're having some remodeling done in our house, which in one sense, is a nest. We have a large family room that was added onto the house about 10 years ago, and almost immediately after we moved into it, Husband started seeing things we could have done differently. And now we're finally getting around to doing them.

We're getting rid of the Lowe's quality window shades and replacing them with plantation shutters. We're painting the walls, going from a blueish-green to a dark yellowbrowntanish color. We're shrinking the size of the fireplace in order to lower the mantel in order to mount a TV above it; and behind this television, we're having a stone wall constructed that will go all the way to the ceiling. We're throwing out the carpet that is now spotted with coffee stains and cat puke and replacing it with wood floors. And we're replacing the furniture, which is showing its age anyway.

The problem with the room has always been a lack of focus. You've got a great fireplace in the center, but the TV is off to the side. So where do you put the furniture so that you can have conversations with people yet settle in to watch a movie? It seemed disjointed, but by putting the TV above the fireplace, there is now a central focus, and furnishing a room like that is easier.

Now, the problem with all of this work is that I am home most of the day, so where is my nest? Where is my sanctuary? I have none. I have moved to the basement where we have a comfortable family room proxy and my office, but the noise above is deafening at times. It sounds like these worker guys are dropping anvils all day and stomping around in Frankenstein's shoes. They do something with the wiring, and dust showers down from an overhead light fixture right on my desk. They move the scaffolding across the floor, and I feel as though the ceiling is going to cave in on my head. And they scare the cat.

I know it's shameful to complain about work being done when we volunteered for this situation, but I miss my nest. I spend time at coffee shops now and then, but it's not quite the same as being comfortable at home. They don't let you kick your shoes off and stretch out on the furniture in coffee shops. Well, it will all be over in about a month, I think, assuming everything goes according to schedule. In the meantime, I'm on the verge of asking for my own hard hat.

Comments

dive said…
Robyn, it will be so much nicer when it's all done. Enjoy the noisy builders and their terrible racket if you can and it will seem so lovely and quiet when they've gone. The new colour sounds warm and comforting, just right for settling in to your comfy new furniture and watching old movies.
5:29 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Classic Green Bean Bake

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I feel I must post a recipe with plenty of good old American tradition. The classic Green Bean Bake was invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly, a home economist who worked for the Campbell's Soup Company. A study was done determining that 50% of all Americans have eaten the classic Green Bean Bake, and 38% of those believe it is best served during the holidays, mainly Thanksgiving. So, for the other 50% and for those in other countries where this dish may be unfamiliar--my treat: The Classic Green Bean Bake serves 6 to 8 1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon soy sauce Dash of fresh pepper 1 20-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, thawed* 1 2.8 oz can French-fried onions -Preheat the oven to 350 F -In a casserole dish, combine the soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper. Stir in the green beans and half of the onions. -Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Top with the remaining onions and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve hot. *Or cook 1 ...
7 comments
Read more

Bring On the Bombs

In today's edition : I generally try to keep on top of cultural trends even if I don’t adopt them, but there is a growing movement that I have only just discovered. Not long ago, I was walking along in Berkeley, California while visiting my daughter, and I saw a signpost that had been covered with yarn, like someone had sewn a knitted scarf to it. It was colorful and randomly striped, and I pointed it out as if it were the most unusual thing in the world. That’s when my daughter explained the nature of what is known as yarn bombing. It’s when knitters attach something they’ve created to a public object, most often doing their deed stealthily and anonymously. They leave a “bomb,” so to speak, for no other purpose than to brighten up the place and to bring a little cheer to those passing by. Their work has been equated with graffiti, except that the woven yarn is not permanently installed and does no damage to the object it covers. And instead of signifying the territory of a street ...
2 comments
Read more

Cindy Loo Who In October

What is it with people and Cindy Loo Who? Of my last one hundred blog hits, forty have been direct visits from regular readers, and fifteen have been as a result of people searching for "Cindy Loo Who," the little pixie from Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas . A couple of years ago, I posted an image of the original Seuss illustration as compared to the TV cartoon image, and for some reason, that post is bringing in the crowds, relatively. Maybe it's the weather. It isn't even November yet, and already we've had frost and have had to dust off our winter coats. When it gets cold like this, I start to think about Christmasy things like listening to Nat King Cole and decorating the tree. It's ironic because I am offended when retailers start pushing holiday stuff early, but I don't mind my own private celebrations. When my sister and I were much younger and still living with our parents, we would pick a day in July, close the curtains to darken the ...
8 comments
Read more