The House Puzzle

Building and, more importantly, finishing a new house is like putting a big puzzle together.  But one that's never quite done.  Two or three pieces keep going missing, a few more seem lost, then one is found and fit right into place.  By the time one part of the puzzle is done, another piece has dropped under the table.  We had a long and tumultuous relationship with our backup generator over the last four years.  It was one big, expensive piece of our house puzzle. And it was critical, since we lose power all the time.  The thing never worked properly and we finally replaced it.  Now that the generator is keeping us in electric power, a leak has appeared under the screened in porch.  This process is also more delicate and elegant than replacing generators or fixing leaks.  It is like creating a work of art, if you take it seriously - layer upon layer of color and texture and fabric, antique and new, mixing flat screen televisions with copper ashtrays -- and making it work.  It is a balancing act.