The malicious cold that’s been taking people out in these parts did me in for most of March. Although my voice is back and the coughing fits are nearly over with, my pace is still much slower than normal and I’ve apparently emptied my bed of all occupants but me this night. Must be that I still have a restless lung or two, and a spare rattle hanging out in this nose of mine. So what better opportunity to catch you up on our kitchen happenings and pluck these straggler thoughts from my sleepless mind.

Gee, time flies. We have a bad case of the runaway deadline indeed. Haha. Initially we said we’d be done most of the work before Christmas time. Then that darned date got away from us, but seemed to be perched reliably around the end of January – or so I thought. Well, Chris thought it was more like February but I, I knew it would be January. It certainly wouldn’t be Spring as my sister knowingly predicted.

Don’t you just hate being known as the couple that is always late? Especially when, most of the time, you are late? Well, this is like that. So, I guess I’m reckoning with being ‘that couple’. I’m admitting that we’re on the stressed side of things and that this reno is taking way longer than intended. The reasons for that are many, but mainly it’s that renovating is a stressful process.

I feel sheepish saying it, being the current driving force behind Raising Spaces and knowing that there are countless others undertaking way more ambitious projects than this, but I have to be honest. Without honesty, what kind of blog would this be?

Maybe this confession as it’s turning out to be is my way of acknowledging the stresses and struggles of all the other green builder and renovator types out there, my expression of solidarity and encouragement, my pat on our collective backs if you will for doing our best to bring sustainability home.

Building and renovating green is not about following the latest design trends. From my view, it’s one of the most self-critical things each of us can do, and it’s not easy. At its core, it’s about auditing the way we live in our most private of spaces, trimming consumption, and creating beautiful and better spatial solutions with the lowest cost to our planet and health as possible.

In the end we all have to find our own balance between budgets and timelines, work life and everyday housework, and most importantly we must continue to invest in our relationships and personal well being. It’s my hope that Raising Spaces can assist all of us through this process whether by offering more information in one place, providing a space to share and reflect, and by nurturing a community of folk willing to lend an ear and a hand. At least, I for one feel better tonight.