A House Story

So, we've had the house now for a year.

Do we still love it?

Yeah, I think so.

Every month we pick 4 projects -- 3 wee ones and a big one and we do them. Sometimes the house project is clean the medicine cabinet. Sometimes it's bigger.

In our first year in this house we have:

Painted the office.
Painted the fireplace.
Painted the master bedroom.
Painted the guest bath.
Painted the sunroom.
Painted the master bath.
Replaced the swamp cooler.
Replaced the water heater.
Replaced the light fixture above the sink.
Replaced the light in the dining room.
Patched stucco.
Refinished the deck.
Refinished the picnic table.
Cleaned up the yard.
Built our deadline wall.
Cleaned the chimney.
Put up the design wall in the studio.
Cleaned out the shed.
Got rid of the swingset.
Cleaned out the garage.
Remodeled the bathroom.
Replaced the water meter.
New fencing on the sides of the house.
New gate on the front of the house.
Arranged to have solar installed.

Next year?

Put a backsplash in the kitchen and paint it.
Start replacing carpet.
Build a place for plants in the backyard.
Reseal the driveway.
Paint the outside.
Get better house numbers.

Ready, set, go!

Much love, y'all.

BA

An Andrew Grey Story

So, normally I tell stories on my family, but Andrew has met both sets of parents, my sisters, one of my brothers, the nieces and he’s participated in a Squires family sing-along, so he qualifies as kin. 

Yeah, y’all can *totally* feel sorry for him. 

Andrew, Julia and I spent 10 days together this spring. We went to a softball game, 2 cons, Dallas, Greenville, Round Rock and Austin. 4 different hotels. Lots of time in Daddy’s truck and he met the horses (I have scars from the chiggers).

I have to tell y’all — I was *so* eager to get back to Austin. I love Austin. I miss it. I was right there.

Then I had J drive by my old house.

There’s a lot of shit that went down there, about 95% of it bad and about 3% of it brutal. 

I started crying.

I cried through the trip to the grocery store. I cried through supper. I cried on a phone call to my moma AND my daddy.

Then I went to give Andrew some Cokes and jellybeans, wherein I burst into tears AGAIN.

Andrew looked at me, hugged me, then said, “Well, going back there was stupid. Never go back. It’s not going to fix anything."

Then he sent me back to my wife with a pat on the back.

I stopped crying.

He’s a good man, Mr. Grey, and I love him dearly and am proud to call him family.

Much love, y’all.

BA