My horses moved into their new shed and I finally fixed my garage!
My horses are moved in and I also got my garage fixed finally! I had four things on my list that I HAD to get finished before winter and I officially have three of them checked off. Early this spring I got my horses’ water tank moved into the barn and wrapped in insulation, I have a new way to heat my home and I now just hauled my leftover hay bales down from the barn and covered my septic line that ran under my deck.
The last thing is getting my 16 foot deep pit in my barn filled with dirt so my water hydrant out there will not freeze. Last winter I had a heater running inside of it which cost me a ton.
But that job is officially in the works too!
Hauling the hay from the barn and putting it under my deck was an absolute “EEEEEEEEEEW” job. First, it was really really gross, moldy, slimy and pretty much just all around nasty old hay.
(I did figure out though that I could balance two bales on my wheel barrow so I didn’t have to carry them individually so that was a win!)
After crawling under the deck with three separate bales I was on my way out when I noticed two dead birds beneath me.
REALLY!?
I handled it by yelling, cussing, and doing the full on chicken dance (fortunately I don’t have close neighbors) and then, finally, getting the rest of the hay moved under there.
About nine bales all together left me with total peace of mind. We had a REALLY long, tough winter last year and it took most of it to finally freeze my septic. This should take care of it from now on – snow will insulate the rest of the line that isn’t under my deck.
From there I took myself a break (after boiling all of my visible skin) and I had to share a couple of pictures of my chipmunks lol, they don’t care whether I’m on the deck with them or not at this point.
After my break I moved on to my garage where I had to just force myself to get it done without thinking about it.
Why?
Because it is one of the few jobs my ex actually did here and here I am, yet again, fixing something he had no interest in doing correctly.
I have learned to just keep calm and keep moving or I’ll literally just:
YAY ๐ Finally fixed soffits after staring at the ridiculousness for over THREE YEARS. The garage still has a ton of work to go on it, trim etc. that was installed wrong. To truly FIX my garage I would actually need to rip off all of the siding on my gabled ends because the trim wasn’t installed correctly beneath it like it was supposed to be.
Is this the end of the world? No.
Am I just going to go ahead and finish it incorrectly eventually? Yup.
Will it hurt anything? No.
Will it always drive me at least a little crazy? Oh yeah. (But its only a garage!)
Will anyone ever notice except me? Probably not.
As you know I’ve been hacking away at my entire yard and things. And by “things” I mean I just a had a TON of stuff that served me no use and took up space!
So with craigs list, the Facebook marketplace and on trade I have eliminated the big things: both my indoor and outdoor wood stoves, my wood splitter, my big chest freezer, my lawn mower and a big pile of stone I had no use for.
With those things gone FINALLY my horses now have their own shed too!
I expanded their horse pasture earlier this year (thanks again to my best friend Rachie with her help with that job!) so I only needed to move a couple of posts and put up some fence to get this done.
The next weekend I tackled moving all those 12 foot red fence panels down here from where they were by the barn as well as pulling up any stray t posts that were supporting them.
(I then laid down on the ground because I was SO tired and SO sick of manual labor lol)
But they needed a pen down here so I am REALLY glad to have finished that job too. I also have a few panels left over that I can sell as well.
It took YEARS to get here, from the big clean out of all the trash left around my place this spring and summer, to the getting rid of all of the wood (no more wood burning for me) and getting rid of the stone that was directly in the way.
FINALLY, my horses have a safe place to get out of any bad weather and I also have a far better spot to store their hay too!
So then (when I finally felt like I would get a little break) my pellet stove guy not only got my new pellet stove installed but also dropped off one hundred and twenty 40 pound bags of pellets!!
And I was like:
OMG for real though it was EVERYTHING I could do to get my butt in gear and get those bags hauled in.
I literally have bags of pellets coming out of my ears now inside the house lol. My closet under the stairs (my “wood shed”) only held half so my other closets all took the over flow.
Fortunately those bags of pellets actually have a really nice woodsy smell that’s not over powering or weird at all. Considering this is how my house is basically going to smell forever I’m calling it a win!
Getting that done felt like a lot but my mom reminded me: “You did this at least ONCE A WEEK with wood all last winter in minus thirty degrees and two feet of snow.” And I was like, you’re right: “This is a piece of cake!”
Life is all about perspective.
One more BIG job: the taking off and replacing of the stone that’s falling off my house.
Honestly, though, do I really think I’m going to get to that this fall? This Chicka is wrung out! But that will be the truly last thing that my ex did terribly wrong to my home.
The last six months of my life have felt like nothing but fixing and cleaning and it is really hard to feel like I’ve accomplished anything. If I get that done though I can finally continue with actual progress!
Wish me luck guys, I could use some warm, fuzzy and caffeinated feels sent my way!
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I’m Tarah!
It’s been a hell of a ride since I started this blog and renovated and moved into this old farm house back in 2015. I got married, divorced, lost my doggo soul mate, spent two years as a single gal, remodeled everything, threw my back out countless times and was even found by an amazing guy in my own backyard! (The story behind Storyhardt Farm.)
Around here we’re totally fearless when it comes to bettering our home. We love to refinish old furniture, re-purpose old pieces, build it from scratch and totally renovate anything that needs it! If we can do it – so can you. We’ve got some serious plans for this old farm and, for first time ever, I have a real partner!
This is gonna be so much fun!
You can also find out more about the amazing Grandma behind this blog who moved in to this old farmhouse with my Grandpa nearly 70 years ago!
You are doing such an awesome job!!!I love reading about and seeing all the progress you’ve made. It sucks royally that you have so very much to undo/redo, but at least you’ll know it’s finally done right when it’s all finished. You should be super proud of all of this, you’re amazing.
Also, I squee’ed a little at the chipmunk. My grandmother used to have chipmunks that lived under her porch and she would always leave them a little dish of food, so they remind me of her. ๐
Oh thank you Stephanie! I know I’m getting there just felt like treading water for a couple of months lol my honey-do list for myself though is definitely finally getting shorter.
I love my chipmunks, they’re so funny!
Lovely job – and well done for doing it solo – are there no boy scouts around in your area?!!!
And I too had a little “aawwwwww” when I saw the chipmunks – such lovely little creatures (we don’t have them over here).
Hi Susan, I agree, I definitely need to find a boy scout who will help me out, maybe he can get a badge or something for it lol Thanks as always for coming by ๐
You rock woman!!! This winter you’ll be warm, your horses happy and less on your list to do. Good for you (as always!) planning ahead ๐ Personnaly I love chipmunks and squirrels!
Thanks Nancy, my back hurts but I’m so glad to be ready for winter, makes my heart feel so good!
Honey, you’ve done a remarkable job. Don’t sell yourself short! So happy things are coming together for you.
Thank you Kim!
You are a wonder! I have been reading your posts for awhile now. I admire you strength, energy, skill and tenacity. You are truly an amazing woman. I have a husband and two sons and you could run circles around all three of them put together. You should be so proud of your accomplishments and your ability to identify a problem and then just fix it YOURSELF. I am hoping that by the new year, you never mention your ex in your posts. Then you will truly be able to say that you are a โself-made woman.โ May every day bring you joy. But you really need to relax sometimes and enjoy the fruits of your labor for more than just a few minutes. Take time to love yourself as well as the beautiful farm that YOU created.
Thank you so much Nancy! Oh I am ready for a little break lol I knew this summer was gonna be a lot of work physically but I’m so glad to finally have the majority of it complete. After getting through last winter I stressed so much about getting the horses moved and getting my house prepared for the next winter so, now that I’m there, it is such an incredible relief! Thanks again for coming by ๐
Wow! You are amazing getting all of that accomplished! Well done! Your horses are beautiful and look very happy with their shed. How CUTE are those chipmunks?! Thank you for sharing this great post at “You’re the Star” blog hop. -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Thank you Marci!
Tarah Dear, you have done a ton!!!! Sometimes the most progress comes in ‘undoing’ something. Don’t underestimate your accomplishments. We are all cheering you on (yep with fuzzy and caffeinated wishes:-)
Thank you so much Hon!!
Tarahlynn you are amazing! Such a lot of manual labor work done, but you will reap the rewards (and so will the horses) this coming winter. Well done you.
Thank you Tracey! I can’t believe how much they’ve used their new little space, last time it rained they didn’t get wet at all! I’m so relieved they use it and like it!
Every time I read one of your posts I am inspired by your work ethic and also your attitude towards your ex. You acknowledge his faults, but don’t get stuck there, you just keep moving forward and you have done an absolutely amazing job. I’d never heard of a pellet stove before and they sound like an amazing invention. We’ve just put up solar panels on our roof – so we’re heading towards using more electricity during the day when it will be free – yay!
Leanne, my dream some day is to get solar panels! I am so looking forward to the day when I finally fix everything and can really move on from being reminded of him so often. Thanks so much for coming by!
This is great! Way to go. Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home.
Thanks Sherry!!
You are an inspiration, pressing on to get all that hard and emotionally fraught work completed! It motivates me to continue moving forward with my overwhelming list. Thank you so much for being vulnerable and sharing!
Thank you so much Deborah, it was such and amazing and equally tough summer for me but it was all SO worth it! Hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend!
Wow, I send huge congrats for all you’ve done on your own. My story is similar to yours, an ex who said to all that would listen that I wouldn’t last 6 months with my Daughter on our 25 acre home. We did, we prospered. Even if it meant doing things like cleaning the chimney and patching the roof
myself. I learned a lot and hopefully taught my Daughter you don’t need a ‘man’ to do ‘guy’ stuff, lol…
My only suggestion would be ,for the winter, if you can afford to lose the light from the window behind the pellet stove, cut a piece of foam insulation board and wrap it with something decorative. It would cut down on the heat lose behind the stove. Every little bit helps โก
Take care, enjoy fall , Betty
Betty, you are incredible! The absolute truth of the matter is if a woman wants to do it SHE CAN GET IT DONE! Sometimes it feels like a snails pace but, in the end, it will be done right.
Thank you so much for that suggestion. That is a north facing window and, here in northern MN, that’s a bad deal in the winter time. I never even considered something like that until now!
Hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend!
GOOD for YOU ! providing shelter for your horses !! That is my pet peeve ! ALL animals should have shelter from the elements ! Your horses are adorable and you are strong and resilient ! Keep going !!
Thank you so much Cindy! They had an old lean-to off the back of my old barn but they absolutely REFUSED to use it lol horses are so funny! I was really worried I was gonna go to all this work and they wouldn’t use their new spot. But they LOVE it!
You are one hard working woman! I’m tired just reading this post. You should be very proud of all you are accomplishing on your own. Can’t wait to see more. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty
Thank you Donna, hope you had a wonderful labor day weekend!
We are visiting your beautiful state right now (in-laws) and it’s been decent weather for the most part. The horses here are pestered by nasty flies & it’s muddy! So happy for your progress! Sit back and relax for a while. Happy Labor Day ๐
Thanks Linda, hope you had a great holiday weekend! Fortunately we had a decent amount of rain after that horrible heat streak in late July. The bugs are rough, I’m spraying the horses down almost daily but cooler weather is on its way and those nasty things can go away lol
Wow Tarah, you remind me of a younger me. I was always working and I’d just get mad at do it. I cringed when I saw the garage because I have been there. Do it right for gawd sakes….grrrr…
Heres a funny example for you.
I had a little 1984 Mustang years ago, and after waiting two weeks to get the not so better half to grab a purchased tree with the truck I said screw it. Took all three boys and bought an eight-foot tree. The oh so helpful male attendant told me “You won’t get that thing home lady. Offering no help of course. I said watch me. We put in on the roof of the car. Rolled down all the windows. Literally wrapped it through the windows with rope front to back, crawled in through the window. and drove home in 20 below with the windows partially down lol. We sang and the boys thought it was hilarious.
You don’t let anything stop you and your Mother must be so proud of you. I know I would be. Well done.
Leanna, you had me in stitches! OMG that is so something I would have done. I bet your boys never forgot how amazing their mom was that day! At some point we all hit that line of “Forget it, I’m gonna just get it done now no matter how I have to do it!” Good for you!
I was telling my mom the other day, “If you want something done right and on time tell a woman she can’t do it cause she’s a woman!”
This fantastic post is a GARDEN feature on the September You’re the STAR blog hop: http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/2018/09/youre-star-week1-garden-september-2018.html
Thanks
Angie
Angie, thank you SO much!!! Have a great week!
You have done so much work since last I checked in. I am so impressed.
Thank you Elise!
Well Done! You are taking back your life and home one step at a time. Just think, how peaceful, warm and QUIET it will be to come home after work this winter. You will always have the next thing to do, but it won’t be stuff your ex messed up!!
I used to have a now ex with the same habit of not doing much, not holding a job, not fixing anything. I finally ditched him (30 yrs ago) found a wonderful guy a few years later and we rehabbed our century house together! Jim taught me so much. Unfortunately, he passed a couple of years ago so I gave the house to my daughter and bought a condo that needed some TLC.
So my kitties and I are now retired, and slowly making over my new home! So this old gal is very proud to see you pull yourself up by your bootstraps and start your new life. I promise you, the frustration will fade once you get everything fixed and you can take pride in many many jobs well done. Warm caffeinated fuzzies to you!
Oh Marjorie thank you so much! It is absolutely wonderful that you passed your century home on to your daughter. I love hearing stories like that. My day job is in real estate and it is just so sad to me to see the kids selling off their folks’ farms and homes.
I am so glad to hear you found your Jim and very sorry that you also lost him. It is hard after having someone like our exes around to believe that there are good ones out there lol But I still think there might be one out there for me someday. It is so wonderful now too though to go home to my quiet little house where I am finally getting everything set right.
Thank you so much for coming by, I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Tarah, you are what I call a woman with ‘grit’. The stuff of which great people are made. If you were my daughter, I’d tell the whole world how smart, tenacious, driven, thoughtful and good moral compass you have. Many times I’ve said women are smarter than men. And I ain’t talkin’ book smarts ๐ Take time to remove all those hats, sit back, breathe, and realize that you have done an amazing job – and are very fortunate to have all that gorgeous land, critters, a good job and a beautiful home. Take care my dear!
Thank you Patricia! I have thought many times this year now that if you want a job done right and on time than tell a woman she CAN’T do it lol! I come from a long line of tough and independent women who wouldn’t even know what to do with themselves if they weren’t tackling some giant project and working their butts off. I think that has a lot to do why I have ladies in my background that lives to be over 100! I will definitely be giving myself some time now to just enjoy but, of course, I have lots of plans for next spring. Have a great week, thanks so much for coming by!