Serenity Rises! (Maggie)

Serenity is almost finished, and I have to tell you, she's better than ever. I never would have believed it. I mean, I knew on some level that the fire was an opportunity to recreate my home according to my own, unique vision. But I knew it more practically than emotionally. I never would have thought the silver lining would have been quite this silver. But it is.

The colors now, are my colors. The stencils in the living room are exactly what I imagined--I could barely believe I was able to find the patterns I was looking for. I even decorated the stairway and the upstairs hall with classic, vintage romance novel covers. No one else has a house like mine. It's totally me, and totally Serenity, and we're both extremely happy with the changes. So is Dozer, I might add. He loves being able to run laps around this huge space, after being closed up on our one little room for so many months.

Of course, we're not totally moved in yet. There is no furniture to speak of, besides a small round table and chairs in the breakfast nook. I'm expecting some living room pieces to be delivered momentarily, though. My bedroom has a bed, but no dressers as yet, and the rest of the place is still empty. But I've put food in the fridge, dishes in the cupboards, and my coffee pot and toaster on the new countertop, so it's beginning to feel like a real home again. Even though we're not really living in it yet. There's still a bit of work going on, final things, doorknobs, trim, touching up bits here and there. But it's almost done. It won't be much longer. Another week, at most.


I'm noticing more things that were lost in the fire, as I go through what remains, in hopes of salvaging some of it. There's not much. I thought I could salvage a dresser or two, but the drawers are full of mold now from being stored in the damp barn outside for so long, and some are broken too, so I might have to just scrap and replace them all. Still, most of the news is very, very good. And the house is utterly beautiful.

I'm not sleeping in my bedroom very often yet. Dozer is terrified of going up the stairs, just flat out refuses, but cries all night if I go up without him. And I doubt I'll trust him to be downstairs alone once the new furniture is here. He likes to lie on couches and chew anything wooden. But we'll both adjust, together.

It's going to take a long time to fill the place again. But I'm content to take it slow, add pieces as I can, and when I find just the right ones, and discover what is really needed and called for. I like to think my energy has meshed with the house's, and that I've redone her with her input as much as with my own. We're soulmates, Serenity and I.

And so there are a few more pictures of how the place is looking, though I have to tell you, they don't come close to doing her justice!

Life is good. And this part of the cycle is nearly at an end. I hope the next one is a whole lot less stressful!

Maggie