How do you eat an elephant? Apparently, one bite at a time...

This afternoon found me in the garage - despite everything else I need/want to do around here.

Our garage is/was an out and out travesty.  The truth be told, the garage hasn't been properly unpacked from two moves ago.  It still isn't.

But, it HAD become a dumping ground.  Because when you have a place that is a total pigsty why not "just leave this right here for a minute?" which, of course, leads to that item times infinity living there forever.  So my mission today became whipping this area into a "semblance" of order.

Notice, I didn't say "into" order.  No.  Today my mission was to get rid of the garbage, donations, those damn plastic bags that The Hoarder (aka The Husband) hoards for some reason. and whatever other detritus I could rid ourselves of in a two hour frame.

In hindsight, it might have made more sense to weed the yard.  Although, the temperatures only reached 80 degrees today, it was easily twenty degrees hotter in the garage.

At any rate, the garage looks one hundred percent better.  All the boxes that were cluttering up the place were cut down and stored (for use in the garden before we order the truckload of mulch).  Goodwill received a large box of donations and those stupid plastic bags were FINALLY returned to the store.  It even got swept out!

Now, I can look at the garage  - and all that still needs to be done - and not shudder.

Afterwards, as I was talking to The Husband, I mentioned that every weekend should be a long one - if only to get things done around the house because, let's be honest, on a two day weekend, you seriously don't want to spend ALL of it getting things done.

But then, as I sat on the back porch and surveyed the backyard, I realized just HOW far that particular project has come since we've moved in a mere year and a half later...

Ignore the bare spots - we've put out grass seed; it's yet to grow.  Of course.

Although this project is FAR from done - the fence is down.  The ugly birdhouse is down.  The majority of the blackberry bush is gone (although it continues to pop up in random spots and will for the rest of my life I fear - unless that saved cardboard does the trick...everyone send up prayers for success here).  The backyard is slowly coming into focus; and already looks SO much better than it did...and it all happened one bite-sized bit at a time.

Then the realization dawned...ALL the projects will never get done in one fell swoop...unless we win the lottery (fingers crossed).  It's always going to be a bite-sized bit at a time.  And although that frustrates me, I'm kinda okay with it.  Because looking back and seeing what HAS been accomplished is an awesome feeling.