This aging but not old house of mine needs work- large-scale stuff: the slab needs jacked, the spare room ceiling leaks, the flooring is shot. Ideally, both bathrooms would be gutted and re-done. Every summer, we cross our fingers that the (original) air conditioner will crank away for one more year. We’re working on it; the jackers will be here next Monday to finish what they started on a too-rainy day a while back, and then we will turn our attention to whatever is next on the list.

In the meantime, I do what I can on my own, a step at a time. If the house itself is the Titanic, I am rearranging the deck chairs.

I sometimes ask myself whether cosmetic things like fresh paint on a wall and new lamps are justifiable use of my limited resources considering the larger challenges we face around here, but I always come back to yes: the “To Do” list is long, but the “Done” list is growing. As I look around after two years of chipping away at small changes, I can see results, and it energizes and encourages me.

The beauty of my “Done” list is that the items, once attained,  stay done, leaving me more time to focus on new goals, like actual deck chairs. They’re on the list too, right at the end.