 |
| Fun chairs. Before (center chair) and after (left and right). |
It's time for that last big push of activities before summer hits. Everything that's going into the ground is in, except for some late lettuce and pumpkins (I'm behind about 3 weeks on pumpkins; it will be interesting to see if that makes any difference come harvest time). I'm working on refinishing the chairs I bought at the party rental place for $2 each, so we have some nice seating outside for summer. And I completed a new barn quilt which the owner of the winery where I work requested for his tool shed. Those things were all fun.
Around the property, there is also some maintenance that needs doing. These things are not fun. I paid out about $900 this week to have several double windows replaced where the seals had failed and they'd become cloudy in between the panes. I'm not sure if it will yield any energy savings but the windows certainly look better now that you can see out of them again! And we'll also be hiring some painters to re-do the trim all over the house, which is peeling and will eventually get wood-rot if it's not fixed. So that clearly also needs doing.
Those are the kinds of things I hate spending money on, because they're not very fun and don't really give you the spending thrill that a more sexy $900 purchase would -- say for a new chair, appliance or some kind of farm machine for the acreage, like a rototiller or brush hog, both of which I'd like to have. But keeping up with this place is a necessary investment, more so than the fun things we could contemplate buying. One of these days we'll need a new roof, and maybe even some electrical work done so the wires stay safe.
Living in the heat as we do, everything has less of a lifespan than it might elsewhere -- it just basically bakes to death -- although I think everywhere you live, it's something, be it humidity, cold, etc. that takes its toll on your home. But as fun as homesteading goodies are (which are generally pretty inexpensive and homemade anyway), sometimes it's just normal home repairs that get our extra spending dough each month, and this month that is certainly the case.
 |
| Winery barn quilt. |
That barn quilt looks beautiful! There were so many barn quilts I noticed on my drives to and from SC! I would have snapped photos had I not been driving! You'd love all the beautiful farmland of southern Ohio and West Virginia.
ReplyDeleteNo, it's not fun at all to spend "invisible money" as my mom would call it. Though I guess in this case, it's quite visible as we're talking about windows! But better to do it early and have a hold of it before it morphs into something worse. As it seems there are no self-curing home repairs. Wouldn't that be nice. Can't wait to see the chairs! All signs are pointing to a big El Niño for you all and I am so hopeful that's the case! Too much of a good thing and all that but as an Ohioan far away from the daily inconveniences and dangers of washed out roads, I'll be glad to know my ingredients and wine are safe again! This will be your first El Niño season at this property (hopefully), right? I'm sure it'll be fascinating.
Oops I meant can't wait to see how you use the chairs!
DeleteWell, there is a dry riverbed next to the winery that I've heard fills with water during El Nino rains, so much so that a friend got his truck stuck in the water several years ago and had to be lifted by a Highway Patrol helicopter out of it! But for me, it's just a dry bed that's never seen water, so yes, a real El Nino would be pretty cool to see. Our roof is in good shape, so bring it on! And your mom has a great term for those repair items -- invisible money is correct. You fixed it, and now it just looks normal. Not like buying something new and having a room transformed by it -- much more fun.
DeleteI totally agree with you. I didn't like spending money on a new roof, asphalt driveway, waterproofing the basement, car repairs and medical bills. I would have rather spent that money on several nice trips, but it had to be done and that was that.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was young and we bought our first house, I never really thought about home maintenance. What a dismay to have to put money into repairs. No fun. But we were responsible adults, so we did.
Agreed. There's just no way around it, but it's one of those things you have to do as a responsible adult! : )
Delete