Maybe we shouldn't have...

Do you ever take on a project or fulfill a daydream you've had, only to wish you hadn't? This is so me. I try really hard every day to be thankful for what we have and can do with our little piece of heaven, but it seems the universe likes messing with us!

The first year we were back at the farm together, we filled our time with farm chores. From a basic vision we went to work to build a chicken coop out of the milking suite in the barn. We had to clean out tons of my parents things and give it a good scrub. The walls and windows had cracks and the ceiling had no covering. Sooo proud of myself for keeping it affordable - we repurposed nesting boxes, tin for the ceiling, and old barnwood for 

the brooder. Bought plexiglass on Marketplace for CHEAP! Then, we made arrangements with a local electrician to redo the electricity in the barn. How much? Well we about fainted, but we knew the barn might burn down without updating the wiring to support fans, heaters, and lights. While the outcome was positive and appropriate, my guilt and regret sprinted into action: Maybe we shouldn't have done this. 

Frank is used to this. He's seen me through many moments of regret. I believe a well-planned project will go just fine, but in the laws of the universe, ours always slip sideways a little (or a lot). 

When I was a kid, my dad built a camper out of an old school bus. It was very basic, and wasn't ever entirely finished, but we loved our short lake trips. I've always wanted a camper for us, and when I retired, I finally talked Frank into getting one. Now

this little venture was totally unplanned and not researched. We paid too much for an 18 foot tin can. At first it was great, because we went on the weekends, just the two of us. We joined a camping club and we venture farther and for longer. It took us about 8 months to decide that we really needed more room, mostly because too many rainy days in that space are tough, the bed is hard to get into, and there is NO storage for longer trips. I quickly said, Maybe I shouldn't have pushed so hard.

Recently we remodeled the bathroom. If you read my stories, you know that Day 1 the plumbers found unattached and destroyed pipes under the house. There goes the damn budget! Still (we tell ourselves) that it was a good thing the pipe damage was found and fixed properly. I took my first bath in the much coveted soaking tub, and discovered that it was more narrow than the old one. This led me to finding every tiny imperfection in the walls and floors. Maybe we shouldn't have spent so much.  

I'm not sure why I have this bad habit, because none of it can be erased. Nonetheless, we sell eggs and enjoy the noise of chickens. We are working to upgrade to a bigger camper. The bathroom needed to be done, and it is beautiful! What I am discovering is that the process might be painful, but the lessons are invaluable. Thankfully, the events haven't dampened our imaginations or our projects, and frankly, they've inspired us to do more!