Progress?

I am rethinking the word “progress”. Often times, I break things down into tasks, with specific deliverables, timetables, and measure my progress. Example: Building our trailer … from procuring the trailer frame, to getting the wood for the walls and trim, the hardware, etc. I knew what I wanted to do, had a process around it, and was able to execute that process. I could easily see my progress during my journey to completion.

However, I am not sure “progress” fits or works well when it comes to the Brambleshire. I have a list of well over 200 items that are needing to be done and it seems to grow daily. I somehow doubt that we will ever be “done” at Brambleshire. There will always be things to do, add, repair, harvest, etc. In some ways that is extremely comforting, reducing the burden of ‘this and that’ needing to be done and not completed yet. But therein lies the rub as well … it can make it difficult to measure success and that nasty word, progress. Perhaps it is just how I am wired, doing what works best for me. Or an after effect of gaming, which almost always has some form of objectives to complete. Or perhaps it is something common to men as a whole, often we are taught that winning and achieving are crucial ingredients to a successful life. I suppose it could be something even more basic to the human psyche, a built-in driver that forces us to succeed and prevail.

In the end, the driver here is irrelevant. It really is a different approach to life as a whole. Caring for our little piece of the world, providing for ourselves and others, rebuilding and healing this barren and abused patch of Earth. Ultimately it is a new understanding of how each and every item on that list of 200+ tasks, effect us, the farm, the environment, and the world around us; instead of breaking the various parts of our lives into their individual microcosms, and measuring each of those items against an intangible bar of “progress” and “success”.

Progress …

With all of that said, we have made good progress on finishing up at the old house. Yeah, I know, this is in direct contradiction of the above. What can I say? I either have split personalities or I enjoy basking in the glow of my own hypocrisy  W00T!

We have a few more trips to get the rest of the items at the old house, get it cleaned, and be done there … finally. Deena has made amazing progress at getting things organized and unpacked here at the farm, it is starting to feel like home already. Although, we still have many items on the porch waiting to be brought into the house, to find their place … I need to get that stuff inside or change the name of the farm to Bubba’s Menagerie of Redneck Junk. /sigh

Progress!!!

Ok, here are some pics, finally, of the work here in the house. Enjoy!

Ripping up the old carpet, good times!

While she might look confused here, Taylor did a great job working with Deena to get the vapor barrier down for the flooring. The product is Silicon based and made from 100% recycled material.

Deena was the “cut girl” … doing all the calculations for board lengths and cutting them (AKA the smart job) and I installed them (AKA the brainless job). She did awesome!

Me pretending that I know what I am doing! We chose to face nail all the boards, loving the look of the nail heads, adding to the overall rustic feel. The Ridgid nailer and compressor performed flawlessly, loving both of them!!

And after … we are pretty happy with the results. Hand staining each board individually gave us that rustic, farmhouse look we wanted.

Worked in the new flooring around the existing stone tiles under the wood burning stove. At some point, we will rip out the stone and put in a proper raised hearth, stone backsplash, etc. But for now, not bad for a temporary solution.

Jordan came in for a visit from New York before heading out to London (poor guy). Deena and he did some great painting!

Deena’s hand got wounded by a stray staple left over from the carpeting. Fairly deep and bled like a champ. We got her patched up and she went right back to work! What a trooper!

As we made headway with the flooring, it became more and more challenging to find a place to setup the saw. The master bath served as the workshop for several days. I am still picking saw dust and splinters out of my toothbrush. BTW, the Ridgid Miter Saw rocked the flooring! (If you can’t tell, I am a HUGE Ridgid tool fan).

And in parting, we learned the other day that we are susceptible to Sand Storms. This one ambushed us from out of no where.

A lot of our construction trash started to get blown around the farm, I grabbed my goggles and headed out beyond the Mos Eisley space port to gather the trash and the droids.

Until next time!

K & D