southern redeux

You can’t see the forest through the trees.

This was an expression heard countless times as a kid. Its meaning was, surely, lost on a mind concerned exclusively on what was in front of it. Now its meaning has clarity: focus on the bigger picture and not so much on the smaller details. Our remodeling project has put that adage to the test.As the ownership of our house reaches the two-month mark, the anxiety of getting things finished is building up. Trying not to do things out of order (too much) so as not having to re-do something has forced us to postpone some work.  The biggest culprit right now are the exterior doors. One set is in and the other two are not expected in until later this month. Now that the old popcorn ceilings have been removed and the fresh,new ceiling is finished, painting prepping the rest of the house is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning. Hopefully we can have the one set of doors (French doors leading to the backyard and, eventually, the sun room) installed before the actual painting commences. In any case, the doors should be installed before the tile floors are lain and, of course, the floors have to be finished before the new kitchen and the updated baths can be installed.  Lots of trees to peek through!  Our self-imposed 75 day time frame to finish our projects and move in may not happen quite on time, but hope springs eternal. We’ve extended our rental lease for another month, “just in case”.

But, the forest – the big picture – is what we keep trying to focus on. It really is the beginning of our new life here in Florida and of being a part of Southern culture. We have gone from being visitors to explorers to residents and, now, we are settled.Some of our friends that have come by during the renovations have, we’re sure, shaken their heads and wondered if we have lost our minds. Who would blame them? We both have said we wouldn’t do a big remodeling project on whichever house we bought. And, here we are! But, our friends and neighbors can’t see what we see. It’s in our minds and hearts.

We see a home filled with light and love and open to friends and family. And to God and whatever work He puts in front of us. For now we’ll concentrate on some of the details and let the Big Picture reveal itself.