Help ! The woodpeckers are attacking ! I heard what sounded like someone banging on my kitchen window. It was a woodpecker who managed to grab hold of the screen and was tapping away. Must have been some juicy bugs that attracted him. In fact my whole yard must be bug filled since the woodpeckers like hanging out there. Oh! can they ever make a racket too. Add to that the sparrow clan that chatters away in my front yard bushes and it's quite noisy, but noisy in a good way. The sounds of nature I enjoy. The sound of my neighbours unhappy yelping dogs not at all. Ah the joys of working at home. Am I complaining? No way ! Even the worst day at home is better than the best day in the office. I find I still get very tired during the day.Now at least I can take a break when I really need one and not at some mandated time. I never find the office coffee break therapeutic. Too many people, too much going on.
Had some good news. The windows will be installed next Monday. Looks like Santa is bringing me an early Christmas gift.
Some advice if you are thinking of buying a home. Unless you are really handy and really healthy, don't buy an old house. Sure they have their charms and new houses have problems too.I am learning the hard( read: expensive)way that an old house can be a real money pit if you have to pay people to fix it for you. The good old days when I could do most of it myself( yeah I was MS fix it) are long gone and now it costs me a fortune to get things done.
I was a little sad today thinking how useless I am now, at least when it comes to things like that. A total weakling. House repairs were actually fun for me. I had a real sense of accomplishment when I completed a job. Ah! may as well forget it and move on. Lots of other things I can still do and many things left I want to try.
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3 comments:
In 1994, we bought a "Money Pit" house. It was condemned and we got it for $80,000 in a neighborhood that averaged $200,000.
16 years later, we are finally content with the renovations and love the house. It was just recently appraised at $317,000 for refinancing to a lower rate.
In the first few years, when I was still "physically good" I was able to wallpaper, paint, help lay carpet, simple house chores, etc.
Ten years into the purchase, I saw my body declining and not be able to do what I did when we first bought the house (gardening, painting, wallpaper, tiling, etc.).
Now 16 years later, there is no question about it. I cannot do any of the things I did when we started out. Yes, age plays a factor, as does certain physical infirmities, but I do blame my MS for most of it.
Fortunately, my brain is still working most of the time, so I can still think up what I want to do and I have a wonderfully able bodied husband who will bitch and groan doing it but will do it with love knowing I cannot do it at all.
When he can no longer do, or God forbid - dies - I hope to become lower maintenance regarding the house issues (even downsizing if I have to), but know I will always be high maintenance regarding health issues. When that comes along, God will provide as He always does.
Anne
PS
I do not look at it as being a "weakling" because that is too degrading. I'd rather look at it as part of "life" when it is time to pass the baton to those who can still "do". Maybe a special friend can pitch in or you can arrange a barter situation in your area. We have them here in US on Craig's list and also on Freecycle.com. Take a look.
A
Hi! Anne
Always appreciate your comments
I still feel like a weakling though.
Carole - I live in the house I grew up, my parents built it when I was 6. It's a lovely house, very unique. I have always felt a bit of a loser, though, because I am not handy nor do I desire to be so. I hated starting any home projects because I felt I'd do a crappy job at it and I'd find things during the project that just spawned other projects.
I think I've finally come to accept that it's okay that I'm not handy. And, now that my brother has been doing a lot of work here at the house, a lot of stuff that built up is being addressed in ways that are much better than I ever good have managed.
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