Almost exactly five years ago now we moved into what I like to refer to as The Homestead. This is the house my mother grew up in, her parents lived in for a large portion of their lives. It was built by John Foulk, my Great-Great-Great Grandfather in 1861, and has been in the family ever since.

The move here was a romantic rather than rational decision. There were times, especially early on, where I had significant doubts about the decision. The doubts are better now - for the most part - but The List remains.

It's not a physical thing. In my head there is an ongoing roster of things that need to be done with the property. And due to pressures of both time and money, progress on that list is very, very slow.

We put new windows in the living room last fall. More are needed - virtually the entire house. But windows are a very expensive proposition here, as the house requiring specialized, curved-top glass in order to match the original look. We could go with more typical windows - they would be cheaper, and this has been done on similar houses throughout the region - but this led place has seen more than it's fair share of "make do" repairs over its life, and I would like to do better by it if we can.

But this means everything takes longer, and so The List remains:

- Replace Windows

- (Finish) redecorating our bedroom

- Redecorate LB's room

- Remodel the kitchen

- Make the Library off the living room

- Redecorate the living room

- Add a garage to the back of the house

- Redecorate the dining room

- Re-do the gardens

And I'm quite certain there is more. These projects are easy when one has an abundance of time and/or money. We have neither, and so it frustrates me considerably.

Note - this was a journal entry originally written June 1 2014. I'm pleased to note that some progress has been made on this list, particularly on our bedroom. More on that to come.