The appearance of a dumpster outside our little farmhouse says it all: This house is about to be taken apart. Exciting, I suppose, but disturbing a nest can be scary. Especially since we didn’t intend to do it.

Last winter, after having contractors and builders all over the property for the years it took to build the barns, hack out the new drive, sink the well, make the court, and generally manage some very unruly property, we were looking forward to quiet and privacy. Then came the leak in the ceiling of the den. 

The investigation turned up so many things wrong with the plumbing, dating back from the turn of the lastcentury - that we had few options but to rip it all out. We meant to rip out the plumbing, a big enough job in itself, but what we wound up taking apart was – everything. 

A house built in 1830 is going to have “issues”. Read more:  http://dianemeier.com/index.php/style/the_restoration_of_joy/