Swab those decks mateys!

"Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance. " Samuel Johnson

Well there was no rest for the weary around our house this weekend.  J decided we needed to make a concerted push to finish the alteration of the back room at our house, loving known as the "junk room" and to use stain the deck with water repellent deck stain which is was in dire need of.

Now that was two major projects  in one weekend!   First we moved all the bins and boxes and junk out of the "junk room."   We made a shopping trip to Menards to pick up the deck stain and to Bed Bath and Beyond to get a couple of large area rugs.  We also stopped in to pick up a sandwich at Subway!

We cleaned off the deck and cut back the wisteria bush, which grew back even after I sawed it in half this spring.  It leafed out profusely and even bloomed!  Who says wisteria doesn't grow well in central Illinois?  After washing the grime off the deck, we headed in to begin ripping up the carpet.

Now I don't know who invented wall to wall carpet,  but I just can't stand them, the carpets I mean, not the person.   They hold every bit of cat dander and dust and yukky stuff.  I so much more prefer  hardwood floors with some lovely area rugs!  It was a nasty job ripping up that carpet.  J used the utility knife to cut manageable amounts of carpet to rip up.  Now my geriatric cats had decided to use that carpet as a toilet, so you can imagine how disgusting this job was.  After hauling the pieces out to the garage, we tackled the strips of wood with nails that holds down the carpet.  We did break for lunch and watch a few Olympics.

It was a lot of work for a day!  We swept up the debris and vaccumed the floor and laid down some delightful area rugs ( you see I can't afford the wood right now to properly finish the floor).  We then carried all the bins back in and set up the twin bed.  We know have a usable guest room ( well for one guest at a time)  and storage center in our old junk room.   

This is how a single woman in her fifties spends the weekend!  

 More thanks than I can say to J who so diligently persevered to get the jobs finished, when I was ready to stop and rest and finish later.    I am so happy today!