My Attempt To Follow My Husband's Wishes

(I posted this on Facebook recently and thought I'd post it here too. Maybe I'll motivate myself some more by having it it published)

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Before he died, Bear told me two things.

The first is that he dreamed that I adopted a baby. Well, specifically he said I adopted a deaf baby. This is unlikely to happen (hearing or deaf) but I thought I would mention it anyway. Who knows, maybe someone reading this knows a birth mother wanting to give up her child for adoption. At this point I am not actively seeking to adopt, but should a child come my way, I can't see myself passing the opportunity up.

The second is that he wanted me to finish this house...

This is a list of things that need to be done around this house. I will probably add to it as I continue to think of things. Some of these things will not happen for a long time, some are more important than others, some are want-to's and some are need-to's. But they will all lead towards making this house what we hoped it would be.

I thought it might be easier to break it down by room.


Living Room/Front entry:

- baseboards
- vent
- find a switch plate for 3 switches that match or cordinate with others
- new window
- build half wall to separate entrance from living room
- find bookshelves and media shelf
- end tables
- console
- get pictures and vinyl up on wall
- new door for front entrance (or temporarily paint it until can afford new door)
- new tv / corner shelf
- rug? (now that I have the ottoman/coffeetable I'm not sure I want a rug! It'd have to be pretty big to fit under the ottoman/coffeetable)
- door on closet

Downstairs bathroom:

- new toilet
- new sink
- new baseboards
- new floor
- new doors (yes, I want to replace all the doors & windows in this house eventually)

Kitchen

- to be completely gutted and redone


Back entry:

- would like to add a mud room to the back if it is possible, thus expanding the back entry.


Stair way / hallway going upstairs:

- paint walls (I will hire someone to do this one because the celing is really high here)
- baseboards
- change light switches / plug switches
- change fan in hallway to either a light or a lighted fan (I have already gotten these, just need to install them)
- photos up on the walls (will probably use my photography photos)
- would like to install a small stain glass window at the top of the stairs to let more natural light in but that might be too pricey.

Babybear's Room / Craft Room

- until I get the basement done this will remain the craft room.
- replace window
- install closet organizer
- remove closet doors
- curtains/blinds
- organize craft supplies and Memory Box supplies
(eventually, I may either get the floor replaced or fixed up -- it is currently parquet flooring and it is missing pieces - same in the other 2 bedrooms)

Office/Guest Room:

I would like to make this solely a guest room. It is far too small to be using as both. Every time I have guests I have to lug out the chair and move stuff around so i can pull down the futon.

- paint
- new window
- closet organizer
- same as above regarding floors


Our room:

- new windows and window dressing
- new floor (or fix)
- expand T's closet to make into walk in closet for both of us
- turn B's closet into a build in desk/shelves.
- paint
- new furniture

Upstairs bathroom:

Entire thing needs to be redone / gutted.



Basement:

- more lighting
- finish walls in laundry room (I really hate the cement
- replace window - add more windows (I really hate basements and this one only has one window so I rarely spend time in the basement due to this fact)
- more shelving in laundry room
- find out if laundry machines can be moved
- washing sink
- counter built in for folding clothes
- electrical work done so we can move the deep freeze into the laundry / storage room
- fake wood panels moved from family room

(actually we just want the whole basement redone)


Entire House:

Lots of electrical work to be done.
including but not limited to:

- some wiring needs to be updated
- some plug ins are not grounded
- some plug ins seem to be loose so when plugging in things they fall out


Outside of House/Yard:

- new gutters (this HAS to be done this year -- they leak)
- get plug out front grounded so we can use it to plug in the car instead of from back.
- paint outside of house
- front sidewalk to be leveled ( we had the back leveled by muddruckers just before we got our dog. They could not do the front because of the material - it would just make it all crumble. However, they did tell us a name of a product that we can use to level it but I can't remember the name of the product.)
- new lighting at back (there's no light there now)
- new light fixtures at side and front
- remove tree from front yard (it has lots of dead branches, and leans - if we removed all the dead branches, it would look pretty bad and it is still in danger of being knocked over in a storm. If it gets knocked over it will knock out my car, my neighbors car, part of my house and part of my neighbors house. we do not want that! - but it will cost about 500 dollars to have it removed properly. *sigh*)
- somehow separate my front yard from from the attached townhouse. It just encourages people to walk across the front when there's nothing there.
- new shed to be built at side of house (THIS I WANT TO GET DONE THIS YEAR - THE OLD ONE IS GROSS AND LEAKY)
- tear down old shed
- expand patio to include the spot where the shed is currently
- (and once that's done) add stairs / mini deck to french doors at back
- find out if a/c can be moved - it is currently blocking the water spout / very difficult to get to water in summer and not to mention dangerous as we have to lean across the a/c.
- replace wire fence with wooden (just one section of fence)
- build up garden in back
- new dryer vent cover (we bought one TWO YEARS AGO and then Bear was nervous about actually doing it himself so it never got done)

- ONE THING I WANT TO GET DONE THIS YEAR IS MAKE SOME BOXES TO START A SQUARE FOOT GARDEN FOR VEGGIES (see this link to learn more about square foot gardens - http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ )
- start a compost (I bought a compost bin... just need to get it set up and started!)

- install a clothes line.