Dot`sThoughts

April 8th, 2011- Posting Date-Remembering Past Repairs- those famous words Remembering Past.

Here it is Wednesday, Aptil 6, 2011
Seems like the work on and in the house is always more work to do. Yesterday I had to repair the kitchen sink drain. Rog had put in the new drain pipes for me about 2 months ago. Two weeks after that it fell apart and Walt came down and re-connected it for me. Now, a few weeks later it slid apart again. This time Walt gave me a new rubber ring washer and I was able to get it back together myself and tightened up better. Should stay together good this time. Last week, Walt stopped on his way to work to replace the drain pipes on the bathroom sink. Now, I am hoping the tub drain lasts a long time since it was put in the same time the sink drain was. When you own your own home, you have to expect things like this. Reminds me of something husband Walt once said. I was trying to get him to have some small house re-pairs done. His reply to me was " It will last as long as we will need it, let whoever gets it next do the re-pairs. Well, I sure have had a lot of house re-pairs done since I lost Walt back in 2002. Have had sons replace the house roofing shingles, the kitchen addition roofing shingles, the leaking shop roof, replace rotton main boards on the back of the house and one outside shop wall. I replaced the bathroom window and framework, painted the bottom half of the house, plus the new shop wall, added insulation to the attic and replaced insulation in the kitchen addition ceiling. Taken down and washed and painted the drop ceiling tiles in kitchen, re-nailed up the falling ceiling sheetrock in the laundry room, fixed the cellar outside door and doorway, bought a new kitchen stove, made cupboards- one bottom cupboard done for kitchen, one sliding door 2 shelf cabinet for bathroom, large 4 door cabinett in living room, made a bookcase style for holding comp items and cassetts etc., made one to hold horse collection, another one to hold canned goods, added mopboard, and door casings and ceiling trim in bathroom, floor standard for holding roll of bathroom tissue at proper height instead of on wall, added high narrow long shelf in kitchen to hold my Horse stein and cup collection, made 7 small close-up tables for kids and myself, replaced top board on back porch railing, added a log shed to side of back porch, made the large covered waste basket for kitchen, new screen and new window framework for double window over kitchen sink, made a 2 shelf cabinet for my wood magazines, made a large plant station for my back porch to hold empty pots and for replanting, made new planter for cementary, made a new large work table for shop and so much more. WOW, I didn`t realize myself how much I have done in the last almost 9 years since I lost him. First project was the huge farm mural I painted that covers two 4 feet by 8 feet garage doors. Started as soon as the sun started coming up and kept painting till could no longer see with the porch light, took three weeks and is what kept me going when I first lost him. Plywood doors are now -almost 9 years later- starting to show a few small crack places. Know he would have loved seeing it, as I had never tried anything this large before. Only had 4 paint colors, but with mixing them was able to make lots more colors. Some times it seems like forever, other times it feels more like 4 or so years without him. Guess time to stop thinking or might be writing here all night.

Next projects should be adding a slide out bottom shelf in the smaller kitchen cabinett ( getting hard bending to floor to reach things in it) and a center adjustable shelf in it, plus making some sort of slanted covering for the outside cellar way so won`t need to worry about the snow melting and possibly flowing into the cellar way. This year was first year I ever had to use boards and cover it to keep the snow out,and was constantly shoveling snow off the boards and back away from the opening. Want to prevent that heavy shoveling there next year in case the time comes when I can no longer do any shoveling. Must always plan ahead as one never knows what the future might bring.

Walt might be surprissed with all I have done since losing him. But, maybe not, since I once overheard him telling someone that I could build a house if I put my mind on doing it. He never knew I heard him that day, never did tell him. I know he was over stating what I could do, but it felt good knowing he was proud of what he had seen me do. That was before I did all listed above. Back then it was little things, like making the two long standards to hold the garden planters up off the ground where I could tend them without bending to the ground, made lawn ornaments which he enjoyed working on with me ( sold a lot of them back then), made wooden planters, had added a separate set of wood steps to side of the side porch for dog to use, made the huge dog house for my beloved Border Collie- she used it for 14 years- still sits out ther in case i get another dog-, and so much more. Those were the kind of things along with helping him replacing sheetrock, painting ceilings and walls and other such house re-pairs with him, that he was talking about. Who knew back then that I would be the one who ended up still owning our home when the repairs needed to be done. So, guess the joke was on me, but then I am very thankful to still own my own home and still be able to stay living in it. Who ever thought I would be almost 80 years old and still able to comfortably live alone without needing someone caring for me. I am thankful to God for that and Pray it continues as long as I do so I never become a burden to my kids.I know they wouldn`t feel that way, but know I would.

Guess all that exercise from doing so much has been good for me as has being able to still grow some of my own fresh garden vegetables with none of those chemicals used to keep store canned good from spoiling. Have been able to either home can or freeze some of my vegetables to help in the winter. I do love garden vegetables much more than store boughten canned ones. Hoping to have good luck growing again this summer. Have some seedlings already growing in the house, waiting for Memorial Day, May 30th to get here for moving the plants outside and being able to start more vegetables in the outside 8 garden Earth Boxes.

Thought worst thing to handle was the night thought I was dying right in bed with Walt, couldn`t talk or move to let him know I was having heart trouble. Then years later , worried when my eyes developed double vision - Specialists said from a minnie stroke-, then having glasses with prisms in them brought the two pictures back into one so I could again work in my wood shop. Last check-up I was told I have a wrinkle in one eye and one now started in the other eye. Then the eye specialist told me he had never seen it before, had no idea what was causing them or what to do for them. Now, my latest prayer is that the wrinkles never get so bad I have to give up using the power tools making items. But, I have two even larger prayer wishes- one for my 20 year old grandson who still has no feelings or movements below the waist from the motorcycle accident he had back in July, 9 months ago, other prayer is for my great granddaughter who was born in Feb., 2 months old on the 4th, who weighed only 2 pound 4.4 ounces at birth and still in Albany Med Hospital preemie ward, so far doing good. God bless them both.
Hope if one day some of the grandchildren or great grandchildren read this it will give them the pat on the back, if needed, to show them that what I have done, they can also do. They should remember they have the same inherited talents that I inherited, who knows, maybe they have lots more that they just never realized. I never grew up thinking I could do as much as I have, learned lots watching others at work. Watching, asking questions, you never know what helpful things you might learn from others. Today I get lots of wood working mags to keep learning better and easier tips for doing things. All that is needed is the love for making things and I sure do love working in both the wood shop and the garden boxes. God give me the strength and wellness to contimue for as long as I am here to enjoy them. I give Thanks to God each time I accomplish something new.