I continue to be amazed with my husband’s ability to build and fix nearly anything and I am grateful to be spending the rest of my life with a truly handy man. I’ve always liked drills and other power tools and have always wanted to be able to tackle projects on my own. But I have to admit, it’s much easier when you have someone who really knows what they’re doing to manage the long list of home projects.
When we first bought our home, the first thing we did was install a garbage disposal and moved on from there to hooking up the ice maker. Why the previous owners never connected it is a real stumper. We installed a storm door with the optional screen door for warmer weather days, possibly one of my favorite projects. Due to a variety of unplanned circumstances, we have a new window in the kitchen which lead to new counter tops and new backsplash, all of which we put in ourselves. Those kitchen projects gave me a whole new level of respect for builders; getting tiles to sit correctly on a vertical surface is just plain tricky. One of the more challenging installations was that of the 30-minute ceiling fan, but it hasn’t stopped circulating air yet! Like all homeowners, we’ve done a significant amount of painting and yard work to boost the house’s appearance.
I believe the most impressive home project so far has been the building of our shed. It’s basically a small house out back that was a must-build storage solution. You see, handy husbands have lots and lots of tools, spare parts for those tools, back-ups for those tools, tools that they will one day fix, and tools that will one day be useful for some undefined project. I have learned that new tool purchases always have a purpose and while I sometimes resist bringing new tools into the home, I’m always appreciative when they come to the rescue (like the industrial plumber’s snake that saved us from actually having to hire a plumber). To be fair, we also had a variety of toys (bikes, kayaks) and yard tools and equipment that needed a home.
We are now in the midst of finishing a beautiful set of built-in shelves. I often say “we” in regard to home projects and while I do stand by as the trusty helper, the credit really does go to my husband. I surprise myself sometimes with how bad I can be at home projects (I’m a terrible painter, for example) and at other times I could not be more of a do-it-yourself wife (I’m a pretty good sander if you ask me). When the shelves are finished, we’ll move on to the next thing; of course, there’s also the chance we’ll move on to the next thing before the shelves are finished, but that’s just how it goes. Tis the life of do-it-yourselfers and though sometimes I wish the projects would complete themselves, it’s awfully satisfying to say “I built that.” Or in my case, I helped build that.
What projects are on your list?
