Darlings, I see light at the end of the tunnel

One day about 4 months ago my brother showed up to transform my house. The front room was to become a bedroom, complete with closet. The back of the house was to be opened up into one large room for living purposes. Now I say large but really it's not too large at all as my hacienda was once a store in a little village north of the Tappanzee in NYS. As the years went by it housed an elderly couple for many decades and then younger couple bought the house, did minor updates and moved out, asking a fortune for what it was. I was able to past this hot mess and see the building's potential, bought the place and the conversion slowly began.

My bedoom is all but finished. I have a closet now with recessed lighting and lots of hanging room. I have new windows which open, a major move forward as the house still had the original store shop windows after all of these years. I only need the crown moulding to appear and the door to be finished and viola' ... on to step two.

Only step two will not be taking down the interior walls as I'd hoped. No, instead it will be replacing the ceiling in the dining room. One day about 6 weeks ago I noted that a wall in that room was wet. Then I noted that the ceiling was ready to burst with water. After several drill holes the ceiling drained. And after another visit by my brother the water pipe in the attic was plugged. Meanwhile this fix has become a priority in my life as I'd love to get rid of swiss cheese that pretends to be ceiling board in that room.

Sometimes I look around and think why in hell did you buy this place anyway? You could have bought a real house. Like a building which was residential since it's inception. But what would be the fun of that? It may take another couple years but eventually I will have a little cottage in the 'burg, one that I've designed myself. I'll have french doors and skylights, a place that I can grow old in. And when I'm lying on the sofa, looking toward the sky someday I will see the stars.

I hope.