The swimming pool / toxic dump has been cleaned and filled! I am hooking up to the town sewers within the month, and the landscaping will be done all at once with that. HUGE thing!
The basement has been reclaimed - everything wiped down, rugs washed, windows replaced with WORKING, clean vinyl with screens! No more rusted-shut single-pane I think I have finally run the last mouse out of the house. New totes for the kids to store their pared-down toys in.
The sunroom studio is GLORIOUS!!! I just got the treadmill moved into it today. My D is giving up the iron daybed I love (and that she never really liked) to serve as the couch in there, and I've gotten some other chairs through freecycle. She will finally get a new bed. Also picked up a beautiful glass aquarium coffee table that we put a few comets in - I had designed one years back when X used to work in autoglass (he was going to make me one and it never happened). Bought a new cage for the bunny, who moved there, too. D and I have been sketching in there, reading, playing with the animals. I can look out onto what used to be the pool dump and imagine the flowers and ponds that will be there next spring.
The microwave was replaced today; again, thanks to freecycle. I haven't had a working one all summer, and it will be used a lot when school gets back in session.
The house is coming together, and it feels great!!! I even went and got a new vacuum (the old one started spraying dirt, dog hair and broken glass OUT the last time I tried!), and the contractor trimmed the hedges today because he was bored!
Hopefully a big tag sale will help clear most of the other clutter that is making me a bit bananas, and we will be in good shape for the start of the new school year! I look forward to this renewal like I look forward to Spring each year...
I think I have finally run the last mouse out of the house. New totes for the kids to store their pared-down toys in.