Ups and downs and little helpers

It has been an interesting week on the home front. Being on vacation last week allowed us to spent a lot of time getting stuff done. The entire second floor is going to be a loft, so our first task was to put the tongue and grove pine up in the loft. I am going to have a closet on each side so we put the boards up about six feet on each side.

I am still not sure what I want to do with the interior. I am coming to the realization that I could be happy with either a modern farmhouse feel or finishing it entirely in wood. By only finishing what will be in the loft closet at this point, I still have some flexibility.

My father spent several hours cutting the boards so it was easy to put them up and the process went fairly fast. After doing that, we spent one afternoon putting the siding up to the top of the windows on the front of the house. I am liking the siding much better than I initially thought that I was going to.

Friday while it was raining we started putting down the floor in the loft. Since I have exposed beams downstairs, what we put on the floor in the loft would be the ceiling downstairs. I decided that I wanted wood so we put the same pine that we are putting on the ceiling on the floor of the loft. It is not sturdy enough to be the final floor. I am thinking about putting bamboo on top of the pine for my finished floor in the loft. I am really liking the pine on the ceiling down below.

My nieces, ages 11 and eight, came to visit my parents this week and were excited to work at the homestead. They ended up being huge helps. When I needed a board a certain length, they were able to either find one and bring it to me, or take it to my Dad who could cut it if it needed to be cut. They had so much more energy and it saved me from either having to get up off the floor or down off the ladder. Plus, they loved it. They kept saying ‘we can tell people we helped work on Laura’s house.’

My mother taught me long ago that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. I had the idea of possibly renting my townhouse. Out of the blue, someone emailed me asking if I would be willing to rent it. Maybe this was the way I was supposed to go. However, I was unable to get out of the contract from my real estate agent without a large buyout. I decided it was not worth it so I remain in limbo with my house. I’m trying so hard not to let it get me down, but it’s super hard.

Laura Reed

About Laura Reed

After 15 years in college athletics, the last seven as an assistant athletics director, I was burned out with 70-hour work weeks and extensive travel. I resigned my position and accepted a position in marketing at a small, vibrant college in my hometown of Unity, Maine. In the process I wanted to go back to my childhood where we raised polled Herefords, had a Christmas Tree Farm and spent many hours outside. I decided I wanted to build my own home on beautiful farmland that my family owns. With help from my Dad, the most talented person I’ve ever met, we are building my home together. I have decided to blog my experience – the ups and downs, the joys and frustrations. What was once an open field will one day be my home! The dream in my head is becoming reality. I can just see the lambs frolicking in the field, chickens in the barnyard and going running with my Alaskan Malamute!