Miracles do happen!

Miracles do happen!  Nearly 2 years ago, in January 2011, we purchased the house that would become The Sterling.  Thinking we were up to the challenge, my husband and I moved ahead with the plan to renovate and improve this lovely, however, somewhat neglected, structure.  There were many days I wasn't sure we were going to make it to the finish line.  One day, in particular, stands out in my mind.  (Actually, there are a lot of days that stand out in my mind - but more about those later).  It was November of 2011.  We were in a mad scramble to get more than 100 perennials into the ground. And I use the word "ground" loosely as our yard is basically small river rock with a dusting of soil.  It was cold, wet and sleeting as we used pick ax style tools to make holes barely big enough to plop a plant in.  We were cold, wet and muddy.  Inside the house, plumbers were working their magic but we had a long way to go.  There was one makeshift working toilet that a floor below our bedroom.  No sink other than the old kitchen sink and no shower.  The ceiling in our bedroom had the plaster removed but each night we looked up at lath, loose plaster pieces hanging between the slats, old newspaper and sawdust.  This was not the stuff dreams are made of!

I had reached the end of my rope.  I told my husband I had had enough.  I could not stay here one more night under these conditions.  We had to find another place to stay until some of the basic necessities of life were evident in our house.  I told my plumber we were going to look for a hotel room we could stay in.  He put his hands on my shoulders, looked me in the face and said those unforgettable words, "Tonight you will have a working shower."  I could have cried for joy.  No hotel, no more washing up at the kitchen sink.  We were going to have a real shower!!  That night, standing in a hot stream of water in our own shower in our ceilingless bedroom, I had a glimmer of hope that, yes, there was a chance that this project could  be completed after all.