A Moment of Gratitude

You see a lot of complaints in this blog. In all likelihood, you'll see a whole lot more in the future. I try to temper these though with the many wonderful things that happen.

Unfortunately, the good stuff tends to get shortchanged because the negatives usually arrive in herds.( I think I can speak for the houseblogging brethren in particular when I say that. It seems the harder you try to change, repair, or complete something in your house, the more roadblocks pop up.) I think it's all a part of the package that comes with owning a home.

DIY is tough. And many of you know all too well that those jobs you don't do yourself can also be riddled with pitfalls, usually embodied within those hired to do the job.

But even saying that, I'm grateful for all that I have and all that we've been able to achieve.

There's an incredible sense of accomplishment to being able to point to any aspect of a room in your home or on its exterior and say, "I did that." I'm proud to say -- and grateful to be able to say it -- that I own my home. There are many people who never will. Some people who once did are losing theirs as we speak.

I'm grateful for the people who have patiently shown me how to do something, or else guided me through a needed correction when I did it wrong on my own the first time.

I'm grateful for those workmen who have been hired that have done the job correctly, in a timely way, and at a fair price.

I'm grateful that some of the worst of tasks have almost always not been as bad as they seemed, many of them coming with a silver lining.

I'm grateful for neighbors who have been kind enough to loan me tools, donate spare materials, encourage me, and occasionally mow my lawn when I've been in a project up to my eyeballs.

And finally, I'm grateful for this blog. It's given me room to rant and a way to stay sane. It has also introduced me to a whole new world of individuals (whether they be housebloggers or not), people I wouldn't otherwise "know" -- and what a loss that would be.

It's given me a portal through which to peer into their worlds. It has given me a cool new way to communicate with all these wonderful new people, as well as with that grand ole gang I've known for a lifetime. Collectively, you are a source of comic relief, valuable information, and much appreciated support.

So, thanks for sharing your worlds with me and for stopping by to visit and share mine.