The repainting and retiling are finished. Today we will have our garage repainted and in a few weeks the outside of the house repainted. Then. We. Will. Be. Finished. For. A. Spell. I hope.

Our home is not put back together yet. Slowly, slowly. Mainly because I feel like i move more slowly than I did in my 20s. Imagine that? Things are still very dusty from the tile removal and in disarray. We have cleaned it twice, but it isn’t gone yet. Layers keep rising and settling. I wonder how long it will take to be dust free?

I will post finished photos later. I honestly think this was harder than moving, because of the dust. Not only do you have to take everything out of the house to paint and retile, but you have to clean each piece before you put it back. We had some furniture and carpet upstairs deep steam cleaned to lift the old cement particles.

I sound like I am complaining, and I guess I am — really just about the process and nothing else. I am happy about the outcome. And will be more happy once everything is returned to normal in proper, clean order. Ahhh, so much to be said about cleanliness and orderliness.

It has surprised me how out-of-sorts I have felt with the mess or more not coping with the mess — days, now weeks of dust and disorder. I understand why people say remodeling or building a home is so stressful. It really is. First so many choices, then is costs three times more than you expect when it is all said and done, and then waiting through the mess — and not just waiting but living. I am sure there is a spiritual application here, but frankly I am too stressed to find it now.

We are taking a week’s vacation just to finish up here, also to work in the yard to repristinate*. We had a lovely rain yesterday afternoon which made the grass and flowers gorgeous for today. I especially loved that I don’t need to water today. The heat has been turning everything to crispy critters.

One of our lily pads in our pound bloomed.

It made me smile just like the new paint and new tile. In fact, I looked at my smiling face just this morning in the mirror and decided I need a little repristination* myself — little paint, a little tuck, a little pull here and there with some dusting off… i might be good as new again myself… well almost.

*BTW, repristinate or repristination are true words. My friend, Dr. Rick Kingham coined them and had them added to the dictionary! So descriptive!