The truth about our place is that generally, it's a mess. We've always got something going on somewhere and if we manage to get it cleaned up, then the grass is too long or the weeds have grown up where they don't belong.
That said, we manage to have a few corners tucked here and there that are useful for photo ops to make this place look like it came right out of the pages of Martha Stewart.
As long as you don't look too closely. That's the corner of our back patio under the apple tree. On this particular day, it was the only corner of the property that didn't look like a total and complete disaster.
Most of the time our flower beds are weedy. The patio has weeds growing between the bricks. The veg garden is strewn with metal stakes, bricks, trowels and various and sundry other things that I may or may not need up there in the next few weeks.
The studio is a constant disaster. That's what it's for. It was clean once, but that was a long time ago.
The house is small. From it, we run two businesses and homeschool. Two bedrooms, one bath. The house is usually clean for approximately 10 minutes late on Friday morning. Then we're done cleaning and start living again.
The basement smells like an old basement. Musty at best. Mildewy during the monsoon season. Packed full [and I mean full] of wood and woodworking tools. Mostly wood.
There is duck poop on the front walk. The chair on the front porch is dirty with dog sweat. Really dirty. It's Tibby's chair.
I could go on.
Martha Stewart doesn't live here.
We live here.
We LIVE here. And WORK here.
Welcome to the country.