If you have anything left, I sure would like to have some of both. We just recently moved (December) to a new place that has room for a large garden and the only flowers that I have seen any sign of are a couple of Rose bushes.

The dinner went off very well. Everyone seemed to have a great time. The dining rooms were all very loud We had three rooms full of people to serve and 4 hearth fires (for the coals needed to cook at the main hearth) going so we were running around quite a bit. We had enough food for everyone with just a small amount left over on the meat. I was told one fellow went up for 2nds and 3rds for the Indian Pudding and vanilla ice cream!:) There was a young girl with a violin playing while the guests had their dinner and a soldier and traveler that stopped by and sat with the guests in each room. I stayed mostly in the back modern kitchen and barn keeping things warm in the ovens and watching the coal fires, washing dishes that could not go into the dishwasher. Wayne was out front more than I helping at the hearth and carving the roast. We only had one accident. There was a realitivly new person tending the hearth cooking. The cod cakes were cooked in a cast iron pan. She would put the hot pan on the table for me to take the cakes out and plate and serve. The cloth on the handle of the cast iron flatpan fell off. She, not even thinking grabbed the hot handle and burned her hand. Not badly, but enough to give out a yell. She was a trooper though and continued on through out the night cooking. Her hand was a bit red still at the end of the night but she said it was ok. I do have some pictures but have not downloaded them yet. Hope to have them shortly. It was a busy, tiring night but also lots of fun. We may volunteer in April again. NancyLouise

You can do it if it's something you really want to do! We are doing something similar -- right down to upstairs which is only two bedrooms and an icky kitchen. It is tough, dirty, exhausting work, so I recommend only taking it on as a labor of love. If you don't enjoy working on things like this, it gets old fast. So, let's see... The Good Things: -It's very satisfying to complete something yourself, whether it's tearing down a wall, wiring an outlet, or painting a room. -You can do things how you want them done. -You learn a lot. -You feel satisfaction by figuring things out on your own. I fixed our water heater the other day by myself, which is not something a lot of people will attempt. That sort of thing builds confidence. -Other people will start asking you questions about home repairs. I think that's a "good thing"... ? -Physical labor makes you sleep well. -It's an adventure. The Bad Things: -It is very tough to live in a construction zone for an extended period of time. It's hard to relax with all of the work staring you in the face. -You have to make a lot of decisions. That can be enjoyable, but it is draining. (I work full-time as well.) -We've lost friends over it. They don't want to come over because the house makes them uncomfortable. The house is clean, but they just see mess. Yes, apparently not real friends to begin with, but still, hurtful to realize. -Your back will hurt a lot. :) -Sometimes you feel like life is passing you by. This is partly because you sink so much time into the place, but also because you have to do without some things. For example, we don't have a working fireplace right now. One of my favorite things to do is sit by the fireplace with a good book on a chilly fall night. I don't get to do that right now, and it's easy to think "I could sell this place and buy a new one with a fireplace." Luckily those moods don't last too long. Advice: -You'll hear people say it takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you expect. Very true. -I'd start with roofing and siding before you do anything on the interior (if the roofing and siding need work). I'd also make sure you don't have a mouse problem (we did) or a termite problem (we didn't). Then, the first project we did was make a nice shower. It's a little slice of heaven when you are tired and sweaty. We sleep in the entryway, often eat on our laps, but by golly we do have a nice shower! -Do "mental health" projects. For example, last March, after a long winter and a bout with the flu, I painted my icky kitchen bright green. It's obnoxiously cheery, and I need that right now, even though the kitchen is not officially the part of the house we're working on. Anyway, good luck, whatever you decide.

How sweet. On the painting, I want to again, but mosaic is a carnivorous hobby. You were the one who said there's a carnival going on in my mind. I'll give you an example of that. In an add last night on t.v., a girl was peeling an orange. I saw the light through a piece of orange, and thought "how would I paint that - oh, I know, I'd add a touch of red." Nuts, huh? I remember one day trying to get the transulucency of a lemon slice and how long it took me. Yeah, that's how my mind works all the time. Wish I had five of me w/the energy of my youth.