Reclamation Feels Good

This may look like an ordinary salad. But, it wasn't to me. It was the first meal that I ate yesterday at my kitchen table in my somewhat remodeled kitchen. I say somewhat because although it's been under construction for 94 days now, it's still not finished.


I started moving back in on Monday afternoon 'cause crying about my situation was getting me nowhere. So, I decided the only thing I could do was steal my kitchen back. But, I don't like to think of it as stealing. I just reclaimed it. And, my living room. And, I feel so liberated.

When I woke up yesterday, it was one of very few days since July 12 (when remodeling began) that I felt no sense of anxiety, angst or frustration wondering when someone was going to come and work or when it was going to be finished. It was a good feeling.

Even the girls were excited when they walked into the kitchen yesterday morning. Annalee gave me a big hug and Zelda started chanting 'kitchen, kitchen.' Even Zelda's Tubby and Bear were hugging each other with excitement.

So, after 93 days of living out of our living room, this is the tarp and canvas that was left when many of the boxes were unpacked and the table moved. Truly, these pictures don't do the grossness of the situation justice.

Even just walking on our old carpeting again felt good. That's how sad it had become living off of tarps and out of boxes.

So, where do we stand on our remodel? Well, that's a very good question. When I last saw the carpenter on Sunday evening after he only put down the kitchen flooring (and left so much undone that was supposed to be done), he said, 'I'll be back sometime this week.' Well, I don't have that day on my calendar. My contractor, who's in Disney World right now, can't seem to get the carpenter to commit to working here and expressed frustration over it and actually e-mailed 'that's why I wanted this finished before I left.' Not because it's dragged on for three months or because his client has been incredibly inconvenienced by how he's handled the project. No. He wanted it done because he's having to deal with his business while he's on his vacation.

I've also asked the contractor repeatedly about the end-date for the project. Today, I finally got a response, if you can call it that. 'My end date is as soon as I can.' Unfortunately, I don't have that date on my calendar either.

For now, though, I have most of my sanity back along with an almost done cool kitchen. I've even come to like the blue tape that I'm using to open the cabinets. It isn't pretty, but it does the job of the hardware...which has been sitting here since Sept. 22, but hasn't been installed yet. Of course.