The month of March is brutal for me. I'm ready for spring, tired of snow, and waiting for more daylight. This project has definitely helped me through the winter months and some nights where some peace and quiet in my thoughts were needed. Since February I have been putting up drywall and taping the entire downstairs. The ceilings and walls are up and it seems like I've been adding layers and layers of "makeup" on the first floor.
Now in the throes of sanding to make sure I have smooth lines, the dust from plaster has been replaced by the dust of joint compound. I shop vac and wash the floors almost every night after I work and when I show up the next day, the dust settles some more to the surface when the house is quiet.
The expression when the dust settles comes from when matters have calmed down you can begin new projects. The dust refers to the sense of "turmoil" or "commotion" which most likely has a negative connotation to it. However, with this project, I see the dust as exciting, fulfilling, and extremely rewarding. When I get to sanding the floors a new sense of unsettling will develop but I hope I'll just see another new layer of life to this house.
Grounding myself into remaining present in this project is not easy. The anxiety I feel at times is only due to the future thoughts I have which is really out of everyone's control. So I just try to bring my thoughts back, watch the dust fall, clean it up, and do it all over again.
Shifting the mindset to looking at the dust as new life, new experiences, and new goals that you set to achieve lowers the anxiety of the unknown future, even though it's so so messy! I hope you enjoyed the messy pictures of the dust settling around the house.
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