Floored, Part 2

We couldn’t stay in the house while the floors were being sanded, stained, and re-finished with polyurethane, a 7-day process.  At the start of the week, JT and I hit the road to visit some colleges (more on that later).  We returned to floors in the process of being re-finished.  

  

To finish our week away, JT headed out to wrestling camp at a local university.  I stayed with T.  That was last Thursday and from that day on, I stalked my house every day, checking out the progress on the floors as the stain and polyurethane were applied.  The floors are a similar color to before, a slightly more golden brown with a semi-gloss finish.  I like the shine and think it coordinates nicely with the 1930s chestnut woodwork that trims the first floor of the house.

A week after our departure, on Monday, June 26, we picked up the cats and came home to our newly refinished floors.  The shiny downstairs floors had a hollow echo in the half-empty house, and this freaked out the cats.  Tiger and Lucy spent the next 48 hours meowing their displeasure at the indignities they endured.  

JT and I lured a friend into helping us unload the Pod storage bin.   Once our things were back inside, I began to unpack and generally return our house to it’s homey status.

There was chaos, of course.  The antique farm table in our dining room had to be put back together, a task left to the organized and capable T.  She also got the TV back in business and had already left me in good shape to resume internet connectivity  I took on the rest of the house and piece by piece, things came back together.  The living room and book corner were first, because these books are my happy place.

The dining room and china cabinet came next.  My collection of antique dishes was unwrapped and stored away.  Craft projects and pictures were stored back into my corner cabinet and the dining room is now tidy and organized (well, except for JT’s pile of messy shoes…..some things are eternal, I guess).

The pictures and knock knacks that make our house a home are back in place and the study is unpacked. 

There is nothing like being away from home to remind you how lovely and nice the comforts of home make life.  I love my house and home, no matter it’s disarray.  But the charms of the newly renovated floors in my tidied and organized home are even better.  That’s happy!