I'm trying...

I really have plenty of things that I could be doing...

But none of those things seem to be getting done. I tend to keep checking my phone, for what, I don't know. Well, I suppose I'm hoping for some sign that this weird interval in 2020 is coming to an end, and a good end. Haven't seen that sign yet.

And then there is the pursuit of  things that will make me feel better -- but you can only eat so much food, escape in so much TV and reading, and crafting seems a little taxing to my overly distracted brain.

Finally disgusted with myself, I decided to take myself in hand and get a project done that I have been putting off for a couple of years. Time to maintain the beaten up baseboards in this house. The trim in the utility room gets a lot of wear as that is the room we come in and out of the most. Being a farm house, there are lots of heavy shoes and boots, less than clean hands and tools that make contact with the baseboards and door trim. Paint was missing, dings were obvious. I determined to make a great upgrade on Tuesday afternoon.

I was sure this would make me feel accomplished and motivated for further projects of improvement, and future days of quarantine fulfillment.

So I washed all the trim down, made sure that areas where the paint was flaking were unflaked and smooth, mixed the paint well, and then began to apply.

Of course, it took more time than I expected. It requires a lot of time on your knees. And a steady hand to keep the paint from the floor, or the wall, or the cabinets...which, for me, means it also takes a lot of wiping up, and trying to get paint off surfaces that weren't intended for paint.

It became obvious that a second coat was needed, as painting white on even worn white is hard to see. Greaaatttt...

I began to notice that my back was not happy with getting up and down, and the knees were starting to burn a little. I didn't get finished in time to fix dinner, so had to return to painting afterwards.

The day after, my knees, back and hands were so sore, and a day of recuperation was in order. A sunny day allowed me to inspect the results of my efforts with a clarity not available while I painted.

The conclusion is that the trim in my house needs to look very bad before my painting it is an improvement.

This has freed up my time for more TV watching, reading and eating because 5 more rooms of trim no longer look like they need maintenance. #tookcareofthatproblem  #goodbyeprojects 

And that's the news from the Northwood Ranch, where the people are few, the goats are fluffy, the dog is bored and the raspberries are growing.