House vs. Home

Everybody knows I'm waiting for spring to start a classic car restoration with my sister.
In the meantime, it's all I talk about. (I will be blogging about it as it happens, but am blogging now just randomly to keep it bobbing around the blog-o-sphere...http://www.barracudadiaries.blogspot.com/)

Now, get ready for something new...but not exciting or probably even interesting. I started this blog as a way to promote my Etsy shop, but it's really just become a place for me to hang out, get stuff off my chest, and a way to kill time when it's not enough time for more intense tasks. Pardon me while I also construct ridiculously awful sentences.

I am also taking an online course in Veterinary Assisting. It's basically a course explaining a lot of what I see happening at work, as I aid mostly by restraining cats and dogs during exams, shots, ear cleaning, etc. It's helping me get a better idea of what happens after the blood and urine samples are taken...fascinating! I'm also doing a little independent study of the basic anatomy and inner workings of animals by studying a veterinary terminology textbook. This one's more intense as it's basically like ready a biology text for fun. Which it is...fun, I mean...but also not a quick read.

But I'm looking for more. And I think I realized what that is. We've been doing minor repairs on our house since we moved in. We have done quite a bit to make our house a lovely home that Hubby is finally happy to live in. So that's my cue to want to move. But do I want to move? Or, is it just that when I go to work and look at pictures of a co-workers home improvements it makes me want that again. Those little things to spruce up your house to make it your home...not just that major purchase you made 6 years earlier when you had to move out of your apartment?
There are a lot of things I'd like to change about our house that only moving could remedy. Well, actually, our neighbors moving would fix one problem (the loud neighbors). But we have always had intentions of moving into a house within walking distance to town, coffee, and beach.
We looked at a house yesterday with all of those qualities. And, by Cape Cod real estate standards, it was cheap. But it needs a lot of work, so I got that giddy 'moving in and tearing the place apart' high and wanted to buy it.
Then, we had two days to think about it. And typical of our hashing things out...we flip-flop as we discuss it, each of us seeming to be on opposite sides every time. Or, we're both leaning one way, but then talk ourselves back the other...it's terrible.
The house would be a great little fixer-upper for someone with a little more financial security...or, someone without a dog and in need of a fenced in yard. Yes, I know, fences can be put in, but this yard is an utter mess and it wouldn't be a quick fix.
So, after the last two days of wanting to buy a new house for (mostly) the wrong reasons, it dawned on me: if all I really want are some home improvement projects to keep me busy til spring, all I need to do is get out my list! If Hubby is happy here with all the sweat equity we've already put in, then I'm happy to keep on fixin' her up. It would be silly to move to a house close to a busy road where he'll get annoyed and the dog will never not be on edge due to the traffic noise, just so I am not bothered by neighbors who are less than courteous at times.
But just when we think we've talked ourselves out of it, we seem to reel ourselves back into the discussion. The main thing is that it is a cheaper house so we could lower our mortgage, so I guess we will look into re-financing first. Our house will be tough to sell and I just don't want to dig ourselves a big ol' deep hole.

So 'the point?', you ask...I've decided to start some projects around the house. Starting with a big 'spring' clean of the basement and attic to get ready for a yard sale this spring/summer. That will clear out the basement for the scrubbing of the century. Some sanding and painting. Then, new floors in the 'mudroom' (our multi-purpose room that has never served a purpose) and possible floors in the finished rooms in the basement. I'm actually excited to start.
It won't be as exciting for you...but I will try to post before and afters.