With the start of February, the snows hit, the weather got bitingly cold again, I had to shovel the driveway again and somehow the laundry got weeks behind, again. With days that are still dark and gloomy, the Kuklis household got a little depressed. With months left of the winter season, my husband announced: "We have to move back to Victoria!" To stave off the horrors of moving, I suggested that we should instead tile the backsplash of our kitchen. Deal.
Surprisingly, unlike other tiling jobs that my husband and I have attempted, we didn't attempt to murder each other or quietly whisper death-threats under our breath. We were a well-oiled machine of thinset mortar and tile cutting. We even had six tiles left over. When DIY projects go this smoothly, you know that karma will whip around and punish you later for your gloating. I'm reluctant to see how badly the next project will go.
It's challenging sometimes living in this northern climate and maintaining a sense of purpose when circumstances tend to keep us indoors. Many people will go on vacations at this time of year for a glimpse of the sun and for a break from the endless days indoors. Other, more adventurous and athletic people, go cross-country skiing, ice-skating or downhill skiing and really enjoy the outdoors. We don't do many outdoor activites because my son doesn't like snow on his gloves. In fact, my husband doesn't really like snow on his gloves either. I'm hoping that will change with time.
In the meantime, we're trying to keep busy and wait out the rest of the winter by turning off the television and making our home a sanctuary of somewhat decent DIY projects. According to my brother, the backsplash tiles that we chose looks like fish scales, not the uber-modern update to our kitchen that we were going for. I think it looks good and we'll continue to putter around and keep busy to avoid moving away. Busy hands distract coastal-grown men who are tired of living in a climate where winter seems to never end.
