PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

PROGRESS IN HALLWAY OUTSIDE GUEST ROOM
GUEST ROOM CLOSET DOORS RE-ATTACHED
MASTER BEDROOM CLOSET DOORS RE-HUNG

It's a wonderful cool morning here in southwest Ohio. I don't know if the long hot summer is truly done, but I hope so. It's finally beginning to feel like Fall. I'd like to unpack handmade fabric pumpkins and other Fall decorations and arrange them on the fireplace mantle and hearth. That might be a good project for this week, but I have so many projects from which to choose I don't know what to tackle first. I've made progress in my sewing room but still have the insides of closets to paint and I'm dreading that job. I've been learning that when I paint walls and shelves, the sky does not fall, but the more I paint, the less I like it. I don't like the process or the mess. I don't like the fact when I think I've finished, I often find mistakes I need to cover. I don't like cleaning paint brushes or rollers or choosing colors that look different when applied to the walls. There, I admitted it. I don't like painting and I hope I never have to do it again. I'd rather be sewing, baking, or tending my cats.

Last night I finished painting the inside of my vintage kitchen pantry and its shelves while Glenn was installing baseboard in the guest room. He believes what isn't going to be visible doesn't need to be painted but I differ with that opinion so I tackled the inside of the pantry that can only be seen if one stands inside it and turns facing outward. I know, silly, right? But I felt the job wasn't complete until that part was done too. Glenn kept checking my progress and I had the distinct feeling he would not have chosen to paint in the manner I did, but I finished it and he didn't have to do it, so there. I saved the upstairs sewing room closets for today...or tomorrow...or the next day. I'll get to them eventually.

Progress continues despite my aversion to painting. I'm telling myself once the upstairs closets are done, I won't have to paint anything else. That's not really true, since there are other areas of the house we'll paint at a later date, but it makes me feel better to think I'm almost finished with that task. The baseboard didn't go on as smoothly as we'd hoped since the floor in the guest room is not even, but I told Glenn we'd simply put the blanket chest in front of the uneven spot. At this point, I'm just happy to be closer to completion. I'm learning to compromise and not become so stressed about little things that don't really matter (like uneven baseboard). In the scheme of things, nothing is perfect, we're not perfect, and we don't expect to have a perfect house. Sometimes it's those little imperfections that give our homes the character we love.