Alexandra Bogdanovic's Blog: That's life... - Posts Tagged "renovations"
Demolition and restoration
As I write this, the TV is providing the background noise I need in order to be productive. Aside from that, the house is quiet, so if I hit the "mute" button, I could literally hear myself think.
After 10 days of upheaval verging on chaos, that's a welcome relief. Finally, there's no banging, no scraping, no roar of an industrial-strength vacuum. There's just peace and quiet and time to think.
And as I pause to reflect on recent events, I can't help but think of the similarities between renovating this old house and writing/publishing my memoir.
Both activities are labors of love. Both projects have been put on hold from time to time. My memoir, "Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey," took years to complete. The house is still a work in progress.
Both projects have tested my patience, caused some frustration and more than a little stress. Both involve making decisions with lasting ramifications - so both have resulted in a bit of second guessing.
Both have involved peeling back damaged layers and smoothing rough patches. Ultimately, renovating the house is about restoring it to its former glory. Writing my memoir was about restoring my spirit.
Until next time, "That's life..."
After 10 days of upheaval verging on chaos, that's a welcome relief. Finally, there's no banging, no scraping, no roar of an industrial-strength vacuum. There's just peace and quiet and time to think.
And as I pause to reflect on recent events, I can't help but think of the similarities between renovating this old house and writing/publishing my memoir.
Both activities are labors of love. Both projects have been put on hold from time to time. My memoir, "Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey," took years to complete. The house is still a work in progress.
Both projects have tested my patience, caused some frustration and more than a little stress. Both involve making decisions with lasting ramifications - so both have resulted in a bit of second guessing.
Both have involved peeling back damaged layers and smoothing rough patches. Ultimately, renovating the house is about restoring it to its former glory. Writing my memoir was about restoring my spirit.
Until next time, "That's life..."
There's no such thing as too many books... or is there?
It happened on an ordinary weekday not too long ago.
A couple of professional painters and their boss created considerable havoc, not to mention undue stress in my life by announcing I had to move some stuff so they could finish what they'd started.
Being a generally helpful and cooperative person, I spent the better part of that evening moving the "stuff," which, in all honesty turned out to be a bunch of books. Lots of books.
By the time I was finished, stacks of books littered the living room and bedroom floors. There were stacks of hardcover books, stacks of paperback books, stacks of old books and stacks of new books. Fiction, non-fiction, you name it, we've got it, and I moved it.
Looking at the maze I'd created I felt so fed up with the whole entire situation that I sent an email to my mother, who was vacationing in Australia. In that email, I said something I still regret.
We have way too many books, I said. Getting rid of a good 60 percent of them has to be a priority when you get back.
Think about it. It's the 21st century. We have modern technology. We can actually buy and read books on our tablets -- over and over again. Sure, storing them takes up some coveted memory in our precious devices. But the rest of our lives can remain blissfully uncluttered...
Then again, there's nothing like the curling up with a good book, especially on a cold winter's day or a hot summer afternoon, for that matter. Let's face it, beach blanket reading just isn't the same on a tablet or e-reader. And as Mom pointed out, books and bookshelves make a great statement when it comes to home decor. Especially in an old house.
So I guess the bottom line is that you really can't have enough books.
Until next time, "That's life..."
A couple of professional painters and their boss created considerable havoc, not to mention undue stress in my life by announcing I had to move some stuff so they could finish what they'd started.
Being a generally helpful and cooperative person, I spent the better part of that evening moving the "stuff," which, in all honesty turned out to be a bunch of books. Lots of books.
By the time I was finished, stacks of books littered the living room and bedroom floors. There were stacks of hardcover books, stacks of paperback books, stacks of old books and stacks of new books. Fiction, non-fiction, you name it, we've got it, and I moved it.
Looking at the maze I'd created I felt so fed up with the whole entire situation that I sent an email to my mother, who was vacationing in Australia. In that email, I said something I still regret.
We have way too many books, I said. Getting rid of a good 60 percent of them has to be a priority when you get back.
Think about it. It's the 21st century. We have modern technology. We can actually buy and read books on our tablets -- over and over again. Sure, storing them takes up some coveted memory in our precious devices. But the rest of our lives can remain blissfully uncluttered...
Then again, there's nothing like the curling up with a good book, especially on a cold winter's day or a hot summer afternoon, for that matter. Let's face it, beach blanket reading just isn't the same on a tablet or e-reader. And as Mom pointed out, books and bookshelves make a great statement when it comes to home decor. Especially in an old house.
So I guess the bottom line is that you really can't have enough books.
Until next time, "That's life..."
That's life...
All you may -- or may not -- want to know about my adventures as an author and other stuff.
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