Old House Problems

/ Katie / 15 Comments

I figure, as long as I’m here, confessing some insecurities (Haven’t read Monday’s post? You should!), I’d talk a little bit about my house.

It’s old.

Like, really old.

If you’ve ever watched anything on HGTV, you’ve probably heard the phrase “old house problems.” It comes up over and over: On renovations shows, when homeowners encounter shoddy updates and outdated pipes and wiring. During house hunts, when starry-eyed first-time buyers see anything built before 1990 and worry about how much work it might need (LOL…).

“You buy an old house, you get old house problems.”

I’ve heard it myself, from my dad, when Graham and I first started searching for a house with a story.

My dad used to build houses, and I trust him, and I know that he knows what he’s talking about. But as children do, I considered his advice carefully, ignored it entirely, and did what I wanted.

I think it’s important to point out that any house will have problems. Our first home was built in 2007, and we poured thousands of dollars into fixing stuff that broke, big stuff and small stuff. We replaced a faulty sump pump that flooded our utility room and an HVAC that died not once but twice. We installed a radon mitigation system, we sanded down doors that stuck as the house settled, fixed nail pops, bought a new refrigerator…

My point is, any house, regardless of its age, is going to require some serious maintenance and upkeep. But I’m willing to admit that it takes a special sort of crazy person to commit to the maintenance and upkeep of a home of…advanced age.

I am that crazy person.

So is Graham. I didn’t pull him into the insanity with me. We met there. And here we are today, in our very old house, happy as can be despite our ever-growing list of “old house problems.”

Why am I sharing this now?

Well, a few reasons. The first is that I wrote a post earlier this week that just got me thinking about it. The second is that Graham replaced our kitchen faucet over the weekend, and it took about two hours longer than it should have because everything was crusty with lime buildup and rusted together. The third is that, as we think about fixing small issues like that faucet, we’re also starting to discuss what larger projects we might want to tackle over the course of the spring and summer.

And believe me, it’s super easy to “find” projects in an old home.

We’ve been sort of laisse faire about things so far. We’ve done some interior and exterior painting, but we have a lot more to do.

We’ve fixed issues as they’ve come up, but we haven’t really sat down and developed a strategy for making improvements, adjustments, and repairs. To be fair, we’ve only lived here since 2016, and it’s taken almost that long to really decide and settle on how we want to use spaces, how we want them to look and feel, and what “home” looks like for us here.

But now, it’s time.

Truly, it’s past time.

We bought this house to make it a home, and to be good stewards of a piece of history. I think it’s about time we made good on that commitment.

So, cheers to old house problems! (I’m holding up my coffee cup.) And may we learn to be patient and enjoy the process…  

To Be a Gardener

/ Katie / 22 Comments

Yesterday, we went to a local flower and garden festival with some friends. Earlier last week, I decided to join a local horticultural society, so the festival came at a good time. Or a bad one.

Let me explain.

I am decidedly NOT a gardener. I don’t really like dirt under my fingernails, or worms, or ticks, or (worst of all) little, harmless garden snakes. I don’t enjoy spending hours in hot sunlight, though I love being outside, and I will get a horrible sunburn in less than ten minutes. I’ve never been able to reliably keep a plant alive, much less help one grow from seed to bloom.

But, I’ve always loved flowers. I love nature. I love the sound of buzzing honeybees and the earthy, sweet fragrance of lavender and roses. I love the way light dapples through green leaves, and the feeling that everything around me is breathing and part of something bigger, something that will last long after I’m gone.

All of that to say, I am NOT a gardener, but I WANT to be.

I am surrounded by amazing gardeners. Graham’s mother is so talented, and her back garden looks like something out of a fairy story. Many of our friends care for boxwoods that are over a century old. We never have to look far for vegetables fresh from someone’s back yard vegetable patch, and they really do taste so much better.

Meanwhile, the state of our garden is mostly…wild. I’m being kind to myself here.

The honest truth is this: I’m intimidated by it, and so I’ve let it grow untamed and unkempt for most of the time we’ve lived in this house.

I’m not proud. In fact, I’m mostly embarrassed, and a little ashamed. But it amazes me that even without any help, any human hands nudging things along, it is still a beautiful space, and flowers still grow, like clockwork, every year.

I spent a lot of time thinking about that yesterday, as we walked by lots of stalls full of little green stems and leaves and colorful blossoms that I could not identify and would not know the first thing about planting. On the one hand, knowing that the earth will do what it does, regardless of my meddling, is something of a relief. On the other, I can’t help but imagine what our garden could be if I just learned to try, to get over my worry and my fear that I’ll do something wrong, and just…garden.

I don’t trust myself, but I do trust nature.

And so, I think that this will be the year. This will be the start. I’m going to learn to plant things, and nurture them, and help them grow. I’m going to be patient with myself, but I’m not going to allow myself to make excuses. I’m going to try. I’m going to go for it, because it’s worth going for, and because I know I can, with a little effort and time. I’m going to do it, even if it’s hard.

I’m going to be a gardener.

Our Only Place (A Poem for Earth Day, 2022)

/ Katie / 21 Comments

Home,
and more.
Mother and Maker,
from the good dirt
to the blue water,
the mountain
to the shore,
this place is ours.
Our only place,
from solid ground
to deepest sea,
to be.
In all of space
and time,
this earth
belongs to us,
nurtures us,
gives to us
and takes,
brings life and death
and all things between.
And in turn,
we belong –
to land and sky,
to ocean and sand,
to each other
and this planet.
How great
and terrible
a lesson to learn:
that here,
we have
everything.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Bluebell Season

/ Katie / 26 Comments

My other favorite sign of spring here in Virginia: the Virginia bluebell.

Just like the bright, striking pink of the redbud tree, the calm blues and purples of these little beauties just make so happy. And when you happen across a field of bluebells, it honestly feels a bit like stepping into a fairyland.

I wrote a poem about them last year, which I’ll share at the end of this post, just below.

I tell ya…there’s just something a little bit magic about Virginia in the spring.

Blue Belle (A Poem)

Lady Blue,
now ring your bell
through forest, field, and fairy dell,
from riverbank to village green:
the time has come for growing things.

April Showers

/ Katie / 10 Comments

I think the weather today got a little…confused. It’s raining. That’s normal for April. It’s also cold. And sleeting. And just a few miles down the road from our house, it’s snowing.

Snow in April isn’t unheard of around here, but it was so nice and warm, just beautiful and sunny and breezy on Saturday, that the cold and damp today just feels a little like whiplash. I suppose that’s Virginia for you – Fool’s Spring, Second Winter, False Spring, Third Winter. Maybe by this time next week, we’ll officially have some actual, lasting springtime.

And I can’t complain. Or, I shouldn’t. I’d planned over the weekend to spend today in, reading and writing, and resting and generally just getting to work and keeping my head down. It was a busy, super fun, and ultimately very tiring weekend, and so I knew I wanted some quiet time today. So really, I suppose, the weather’s just cooperating with me. Because I certainly don’t want to go outside and play in the almost freezing rain!

So, onward, and hopefully soon, Real Spring. In the meantime, happy creating, y’all!

Bloom (A Poem)

/ Katie / 18 Comments

All things have
(and take)
their time –
to go fallow
and then rise
from root to sky,
to bloom and grow.
Nature shows us –
there is no shame
in a patient cycle of
quiet moments
and many tries.

Redbud Season!

/ Katie / 27 Comments

It’s officially spring here in my little corner of Virginia. Today, it’s lovely – warm and partly cloudy, a bit breezy, just wonderful. And, most importantly (to me, anyway): it’s redbud season!

That’s a picture from last year, when I posted about the beautiful little redbud tree in our yard. Right now, the blossoms are just getting started.

I love redbuds so much. I just think they’re gorgeous, and nothing makes me think of home quite like they do. And, super cool, the blossoms grow right on the bark.

I only noticed that a couple of years ago. Isn’t that funny? That you can look at something your whole life and still learn something new about it.

Anyway, I plan to enjoy the redbuds in bloom for as long as I can. Winter might be my favorite, but there’s plenty to love about spring, too.  

Happy National Pet Day to Annie and Gatsby!

/ Katie / 10 Comments

I grew up with a cat. Well, a few cats. There was Jingle, the Siamese, Tiger, a scrappy gray tabby, Dusty, a sweetheart of an orange tabby, and Salem, a never-quite-tame but never-bad-luck midnight black wild thing. I also had a bird named Bluebird (yes, I came up with that), a hamster named Rosie, and a goldfish named Lucy.

My point is this: I’m a pet person.

I’ve always had a pet. I don’t know what a house without its resident animal sidekick would be like. Quieter, probably. Less prone to furry tumbleweeds. But also, a little more lonely. A little less lively. At least, that’s how I’d feel about it. I’ve loved all my pets, and I’m lucky now to have Annie, our crazy perpetual puppy…

…and Gatsby, our sweet old gentleman.

Gatsby’s a Maine Coon, and he’s been with me since college. He’s a big cuddly lump who purrs loud, adores sleeping in the laundry baskets, and loves to watch the birds. You know, from his comfy perch inside of the house. Or on TV.

Annie’s an Australian Shepherd with a quick mind, boundless energy, and a deep and abiding love for her human. Yes, just the one. And it’s Graham, not me. But we should all find someone who loves us as much as she loves him.

They both get plenty of snuggles, but I’ll give them a little extra today. They’re animals, so they’ll have no idea why. But they’ll love it nonetheless. And they absolutely deserve it. 😊

Trying out a totally new poetry form!

/ Katie / 8 Comments

Here’s another one for the monthly poetry challenge over at Fake Flamenco. April’s challenge is to write a Prime Verse – a brand new form – around a theme of the wonder of experiencing the universe or the earth.

Here’s mine:

Look at the night sky –

the moon, stars, and velvet dark –

and know: you’re looking out, into, on, not up.

Do you tremble to be small?

Does it frighten you?

Or, instead, do you marvel,

find wonder, splendor, in the vastness of it?

Look at the night sky

and know: a whole world, the universe, is nigh.

I love this form that Rebecca has created! It’s got a nice ebb and flow, and feels just really fluid and lyrical. And of course, the theme this month was fun, too. If you want to participate, the deadline to post is April 10th at noon. I think you should! It’s always fun, after all, to try new things. 😊

Wednesday Sunshine (or, the Sunshine Blogger Award, Part 2!)

/ Katie / 17 Comments

What a nice surprise during this rainy week!

Poorwa nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. I’ve been nominated once before, and it put such a smile on my face, and now, here we are again. 😊

The Sunshine Blogger Award “is a peer recognition of the inspiring, creative and motivational work done by bloggers. It is given by bloggers to bloggers who inspire positivity and creativity in the blogging community.”

If you have been nominated:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog. 
  2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you. 
  3. Nominate 11 bloggers to receive the award and write them 11 new questions. 
  4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or your blog.

Here are Poorwa’s questions for me:

What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

Maybe shad roe? Or escargot? I have a pretty adventurous palate, and I don’t really get weirded out by food. That being said, the one thing I refused to try when we were in Iceland was hákarl, the famous fermented shark. I’ve seen how people react when it hits their tongues. No thank you.

What is something true to you that nobody agrees with you on?

Mayonnaise is imminently superior to ketchup.

Do you care about what other people tell you?

I care very deeply about my friends and family, and if they come to me with a problem, or they need advice, or they just need to vent, I’m here, always. I don’t really care so much what people say about me. I hope people like me and respect me, but what other people think of me is ultimately none of my business.

If you could meet anyone in this world today, who would you meet?

Dolly Parton. She is life goals.

What is the greatest risk you have ever taken?

I left a secure career in Human Resources to focus on my writing and other creative work. It hasn’t worked out exactly how I thought it would, but it has certainly worked out, and it is among the best decisions I’ve ever made.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

I can’t stand it when people are rude to servers in restaurants. Be nice or don’t dine out.

Who’s your all-time favorite Disney character?

Oh, this one’s tough! I really like Belle, Mulan, and Tiana. Strong, smart women for the win!

Are you afraid of ghosts?

Nope! I find ghosts and haunted places fascinating. Disconcerted, maybe? But not scared.

If you were given the chance to steal something, what would it be?

The Book of Kells. I love illuminated manuscripts! But I couldn’t store it and maintain it safely, and it would deteriorate, so I probably couldn’t bring myself to do it, even if I had the chance.

If you could use only one social media platform for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Probably either Facebook, since that’s how I keep up with a lot of people in this very busy world, or Instagram, since I really love photography and man, there are some great photographers on Instagram.

What do you usually do during weekends?

It depends. If we decide to stay in, I like to read, maybe watch a movie, cook something tasty and just hang out with Graham. If we go out, I like to explore the countryside and find neat antique shops and good craft beer and cider.

Super fun! I nominate:

Anyone who wants to participate!

I am so inspired by this amazing community of creators, so if you find yourself intrigued by my questions, feel free to answer them!

And my questions for you:

  1. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
  2. Cheeseburgers or hot dogs? (And why?)
  3. The beach or the mountains?  (And why?)
  4. Do you collect anything? If so, what?
  5. What’s your favorite family tradition?
  6. What do you look for in a friend?
  7. What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
  8. Who inspires you?
  9. What’s your favorite song? (And why?)
  10. How do you wind down at the end of the day?
  11. Why do you write (or paint, take photos, etc. Just generally, if you create, why do you do it)?