Tennessee Nov 2020 to June 2022

 

The move to Tennessee went smoothly. It was quite a shock walking into my house after 20 years. Throughout that time, I had done a home inspection every year and thought the house was well cared for. Although structurally it was, I was shocked at how dumpy it looked. The interior was dark and dated, but outside was even worse, with the siding a mismatch of fiber cement and hardie board, painted two different shades of yellow. The bushes were overgrown and the whole place just looked ill kept. I could tell I had my work cut out for me.

The first thing I wanted to do was enclosed my screened in porch. When I bought the house 20 years ago, it was with the intent of turning it into a giant sunroom full of plants and aquariums. I have pictured it in my head for years. I will say the finished project far exceeded my vision and I couldn’t have been happier.

I initially wanted to put in a new kitchen, redo both bathrooms (one with a walk-in shower) replace all the doors in the house as well as the trim, all new siding, and a major landscaping project. Then I was brought down to reality when I realized how much that would all cost. I reevaluated what I needed done now vs later, what I could live without, and what I could do myself. I had big, big plans. I got rid of all the bushes and had new siding installed and it looked like a new house!  People passing by stopped often when they saw me outside to tell me how good it all looked. 

I pained several of the inside walls with bold accent colors and loved how it came out.  I painted all the trim and doors but eventually they will need replacing.  I ended up with about 5 coats of primer and paint, because it almost immediately started chipping or bleeding through.  I had the kitchen cabinets professionally stripped and painted and they look fantastic. 

 

The wood fence was also in terrible shape, so I painstakingly took it down, salvaging as many of the planks as possible because I planned to turn them all into raised garden boxes. My house sits on 3/4 acre, with a big open field that I wanted to turn into a massive garden. I had in mind something you see at the botanical gardens, where you have different areas of plantings, with a pathway wandering through them all. I turned all those planks into 9 really nice, raised garden boxes and planted a whole lot of vegetables. I built several much smaller planter boxes and filled them with different flowers and bushes. 

In the field I planted apple, peach, cherry, kiwi, and fig trees, and built a climbing terrace around the gate with grapes on one side and passion fruit on the other.  Along the fence line, I planted blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry bushes.  I still have big plans for the future, including a large koi pond, adding more flower boxes, and creating an enclosed gazebo and fire pit area, but those can wait. 

I spent quite a bit of time on my house, but also making new friends.  I must admit it was really nice to have people over for dinner, game night, or a bon fire.  I joined several hiking groups and some photography groups and kept myself quite busy.  With the pandemic still going on, I tried to keep to mostly outdoor activities. 

I joined a camping group and did a few nice weekend trips around Tennessee and did a great week-long camping trip to Cherokee with my cousin.  

I made one really great friend who I had much in common with, from hobbies and interests to politics and general outlook on life.  We did a fantastic birding trip to Florida and had many adventures around our area.  He’s an excellent photographer and I’ve learned so much from him.  I’ve really gotten much more into photography and its definitely gone from hobby to passion.  

After getting all 3 series of Covid vaccines, I decided it might be time to try an overseas trip.  I have long wanted to visit the Faroe Islands, mostly as a photography trip, and thought I’d heed my own motto.  Life is short, you gotta live it to the fullest.