Interrupted Life

It is amazing how something like fixing a problem in the house can just take over your life.

It all started with me just thinking that I'd love to have some crown molding in the living room. The other problem was a crack in the dining room ceiling, which led to replacing that very old sheetrock.


Well, the living room ceiling was just as old, and it became obvious to me that it was silly to spend all that money having crown molding put in the living room and then possibly having to take it all down to replace the ceiling.

Yesterday the BIG day finally arrived, and after all the weeks of trying to fix stability problems and raising the living room ceiling, MCM started the crown molding in the living room.

It was a moment to savor, and I certainly was there to take a picture as the first pieces were put into place. I told him that this is what I'd asked him to do in the first place and he could now consider himself 'back on the clock.' He smiled. It's a good thing he has a sense of humor.

I'm not sure if mine is still intact or not. As I said earlier, my life has been interrupted. Nothing much has been the same. I've pretty much been a prisoner of my living room and the mess in the house. I have painting to do too, so am not free yet. Somewhere along the way, my humor has shifted a bit. I think I'm just tired, and when one is too tired to get out of a chair at night, one is too tired to try to fire up a little humor.

At any rate, things are coming along. There is painting to do today. I need to get busy and paint woodwork. I've done some prep work on that, so am going to try to get some real paint on the woodwork. I did paint the walls.... two coats... over the weekend. It almost killed me, but I got it done.

I do believe I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. MCM should be finished today or tomorrow, and then he will haul all his stuff away and leave me to put my life and house back together. I will admit that I'm going to miss watching him work wonders. He really is an artist with his craft, and I love to see what he accomplishes.

I must be off and getting on my nasty paint clothes. I've got to work. If I'm ever to return to normal, I have to take charge and get busy. I want my life back.... soon.

Coming Along

MCM (Master Carpenter Man) has arrived early every day since Oct. 1. This started out about getting a little crown molding. We've been through this before.... a project gone wild.

At this point, the sheetrock is all up, mud and sanding has been done. MCM is doing a last cleaning here before starting more painting.

I think I'm beginning to see that light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, he is leaving me to do the final painting of the walls and the woodwork. I did beg him to cut in around the new crown molding before he leaves. Actually, I mentioned it quickly in passing yesterday, and today he suggested that he might cut in around the new molding with the wall color for me. I just love subtle suggestion.

Yesterday the sanding dust was thick in here again. I truly hate it when he has to sand. It isn't so much the mess as knowing that he is having to breathe that dust. Terrible! Of course, he has a mask, but that dust is everywhere...

Although yesterday's dust was not as bad as before, I did feel sorry for him. When he was finished sanding, I poked my head in the living room and asked if I could bring in the Shop Vac.

Although I'd intended to just help a little, my question was met with his face lighting up like a beacon. He said, 'Do you want to clean up?' Good grief NO, I don't want to clean up!! The floor looked like freshly fallen snow. The air was thick with dust. Now, why would I WANT to clean up?!

The problem was that the 'sorry for him card' had been played, and I just couldn't refuse to go in there and clean up. So I said, 'Sure, I'll clean up." At that, the man made the fastest get-away one could imagine. He practically ran from the room, picking up his lunch box on the way. I was left holding the Shop Vac and wondering how I could have gotten into this mess.

Grace had called earlier in the afternoon with an offer of stew. It was a cold day, and stew looked awfully good at this point, so I put down the Shop Vac and fled the scene myself.

With a full tummy and knowledge that I MUST clean that dust packed room, I returned and swept on into the night.

Of course, MCM came in this morning, grabbed the sander and 'touched up' a few spots. Then he took the Shop Vac and did it all again. MEN!

Here Today

Today we are here. I'm the observer, MCM is the one working. Occasionally I snap his picture to make sure he has enough light in the attic to work. Actually, he has learned to ignore me.

I had some insulation left over from stuffing it in the walls downstairs. So.... what do you do with left over insulation? Of course, you insulate.

MCM was a tad unsettled about having those big white rectangles of insulation just plopped on top of the rafters. He said they just didn't look right.


Actually, I had those laid in the attic as insulation when the ceiling was dropped as didn't want anything shot down into the space between the old ceiling and the lowered one. As it turned out, shooting something into that empty space would probably have landed the ceiling on my head. I'm glad I checked with MCM before doing such a thing.

So... MCM took the left over and nicely fitted it in over most of the new ceiling area. I think it made him feel better. He also put the white on top of it, so had to remove the 'vapor barrier' on the white. That meant I had MCM Droppings in the attic and had to bag those to take to the trash. I did put my camera down long enough to do that job. One thing is for sure, I have insulation over the living room!!

MCM is going to start sanding this afternoon. Now, that is a messy part of this sheetrock and mud process. Major MESSY! I'm not looking forward to it. I'm sure it isn't MCM's favorite job either. At least I can escape and hide somewhere. He is stuck in there with mud dust flying everywhere. We'll put a fan in the window and point it outside. I hope the fire department doesn't show up.

I've got to go get extra stuff out of the living room so MCM will have less to manage when he starts sanding.

A Continuing Saga

I was so excited the other day as thought that Sheetrock Mud Day was at last here. WRONG! MCM arrived and started digging holes in my current sheetrock.

Then he did THIS! He decided it would be easier to just put new sheetrock over the fireplace. Granted, there were problems there... big problems. So.... my dreams of mud went out the window for the day and he dug holes in my walls and put in lots of screws.



He finally left me to clean up the mess, so I swept and swept. I even had orders to take a broom and sweep the ceiling. I did that too. See how nicely I lined up his sawhorses. I'm such a peach.

I had visions again of mud coming along. I know that some day soon (soon?) I'll be back in the living room with all things new and nice. In the meantime and beyond, I have the mess. However, I'm not complaining. I'm just not the complaining kind. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.



MCM arrived and got out a mixer and attached it to his drill. Then he started mixing. I thought about what a lovely big loaf of bread could be blended with that huge mixer blade. It did my heart good to see him mixing away. He said he was going to put this stuff on all the little holes he had dug out in my walls. I just loved him for that.







Meanwhile, I'm still living with this mess, which I fondly refer as MCM droppings. His stuff is everywhere.... EVERYWHERE!

I understand... I really do. There are buckets, tools, pieces of cardboard, shingles, masks, sacks and cans of nails, screws, bolts, etc. There are drills, a halogen light, and who knows what else... all in my dining room. I'm not going to show you the kitchen. You'd cry!




Yesterday MCM got down to the mud business. He came really early and put on one layer. It took a long long time. Then he went home for awhile and returned in the early evening to add another layer to the ceiling. So... this is what I have now. Pretty? I guess that truly is in the eye of the beholder. At least we are making progress. Someday... whenever that is.... there will be a real room here again.

My favorite Scripture is when Jesus said that He goes to prepare a place for me. 'Thank you! Thank you!' I say. I'm NOT being disrespectful. I'm just making Him smile a little.

As for the here and now, I'm really glad to see MCM when he comes. I know he is making a mess, but it takes time to do things and do them right. He is a perfectionist, and I'm glad. I tend to just wear out and slap things together. Not MCM. He works patiently and takes things in stride. I'm sure I can learn something from that.

Building

The day has arrived and sheetrock will be going up on the ceiling. I've been so busy with doing little things around the house that I've not had time to look up, much less think about posting on a blog.

This photo is from yesterday when Master Carpenter Man was putting the finishing touches to the new ceiling support system. It has been fascinating to watch him. I've said it before, but he really is a master at his craft. He is a perfectionist and has been working at building for years. He knows how to do all kinds of home building things, and probably has done them all. I love the fact that he doesn't hurry and just slap something together. It is done right when he finishes it. He really is a finish carpenter.

I know this sounds rather bazaar, but I think I might actually miss seeing all this lovely wood framing. It is being covered as I write this. I have taken pictures at every step of the way, and I think I'm just going to have to make a little mini scrapbook of the event. It has been quite a journey.

I laugh every once in awhile and tell MCM that all I really wanted was a little crown molding in here. I'm certainly going to have that too. It is going to be fabulous!

I have a list of things I need to go do, but just had to find my blog and add a little something. I'll be back soon with updates. Riveting stuff, huh? I should be taking pictures of the other rooms with all the stuff crammed in them. I'll be washing glassware and sit-abouts from now until the cows come home. Now, there is a good old country saying.

I know that one day soon MCM is going to desert me, and I'm going to be left alone in this new room with all the wall painting to do. I'm going to be a sad sad sack. I'll miss someone who really knows what he is doing getting all this work done. Like I said, it will just be me left to my own devices. I'll have no choice but to step up to the plate and get the work done. That is a thought for another day.

Waste Not, Want Not

Daughter I-Needa has been busy changing out things at her house too. She bought this ceiling fan and light for her house when she first moved in. Having recently gotten the same fan for the guest bedroom with a different light, she found the guest bedroom light put out much MORE light. So.. she set out to replace the light in this fan too.



I do believe that I can safely say that daughter I-Needa is frugal at times. I will also say that teachers have a knack of finding multiple uses for almost any object.

Therefore, it came naturally to I-Needa to find some use for the globe covering the old fan light.

Well, Folks, there you have it: A new fruit holder and table decoration. Such elegance. Well now, you have got to give I-Needa credit for reusing and recycling. The kid is GREEN! Go, I-Needa!

I Didn't Sign Up For This!

Well, the decision was made and the living room ceiling is coming down. We've passed the point of no return, and it is going to have to be full speed ahead.

I felt a little guilty about all this extra work that MCM didn't sign up for in the beginning. I know it is just part of the process, and he really doesn't care, but I'm still dealing with a tad bit of guilt.

I therefore opened my mouth and said something like 'I'll do what I can to help.' Wrong move!!

During the dining room ceiling demolition, MCM's son was around to tote all that old sheetrock out the door to the waiting trailer. It seems that MCM thought I could help with that little chore. So...... believe it or not...... I've been shoveling sheetrock into my large blue rubbermaid tub, placing it on my dolly purchased from QVC, hauling it outside to the waiting trailer, and dumping it there. Seriously, I've been doing that! Trust me, I didn't sign up for this!

MCM hollered to me at one point and asked if I'd ever had a worker that had disappeared. I couldn't believe this khaki pair of pants hanging from the sheetrock. That's one big rag. Of course, I ran for the camera. I told MCM that he could have them if they fit. Generous of me, huh?

There was also a squirrel skeleton up there. Yuck. He made sure to point that out to me too. I let him know that I wouldn't be getting that down. It was his job! Men's work.. yep, not my job! I sure didn't sign up for skeleton removal.


down

down




I know this really doesn't give you the full sense of the mess in the living room, but it looks mighty big to me. It manages to cover the floor. MCM has left the building to take one trailer load to the dump. I've taken the opportunity to sit down and rest a bit. My head may think I'm forty-five, but my body says 'It's a lie!' Besides, you really need to see what I've been doing today.

I really do want to make you feel good if you are reading this. You can be sooooooo glad that it's me and not you. One thing is for sure, I'm going to have the cleanest house in town when I get everything put back together. Everything is dirty, so everything must be cleaned. I don't believe I signed up for that either. As soon as all of this is done, I'm going to get a little notebook and fill it with my writing over and over 'Get no more bright ideas!'

The Good News and The Bad News

I'm up in the wee hours having tried every trick I know to go back to sleep. It just isn't happening. I'm sipping on a cup of hot 'Sleepy Time Tea' hoping that it will do some good soon. I'm sleepy, just not asleep.

The good news is that the dining room ceiling is finished. That doesn't mean that the room is finished as I have to paint all the other woodwork and do something about this wallpaper. I've loved this wallpaper for ages, but it has seen its better days, and the new ceiling is making everything else look like it needs a facelift. I'm going to have to get with the program and do something. That means there are more decisions to make. At this point, I'm not into decisions.

The bad news is that MCM (Master Carpenter Man) is ready to start on the molding for the living room. Well.... that living room ceiling was lowered before I lived in the house, and it is old sheetrock. The place where the ceiling and wall meet isn't exactly even. So... you take a nice straight board and put it against a wall/ceiling area that goes up and down. The effect is less than desirable. The solution would be to take down the old ceiling and put up a new one, which would also raise it up a foot.

I've always wanted it up higher, and it would be beautiful like the new dining room one. However, visions of what will be happening in there have been dancing through my head, rather like those visions of sugar plums, only these aren't sugar coated.

I remember these pictures and know that the living room is at least twice the size of the dining room... at least.

To my credit, I think I'm not only considering myself in all this mess, but I really hate to put MCM through this again so soon. It was nasty stuff, and not a fun thing for anyone.

Oh, he hasn't complained about it, but I just hate to be the cause of such a thing.



You realize, of course, that this project will go on and on. I'm going to have to find something else to write about soon, but at the moment, there isn't anything else. This is my world.

I tried to get MCM to change houses with me for awhile... just until the projects are complete. He wouldn't have anything to do with it... the mean man.

I guess the good news is that there are solutions to the problems. The bad news seems to be that the solutions are a bit of a trial... Oh well... It is what it is.. Tah Dah

And The Work Goes ON...

I suppose I should savor the excuse of not being able to cook a decent meal these days. Getting around the kitchen is a bit of a challenge. I will admit that I've not missed a meal so far. As you can plainly see... there are a few extra items in the kitchen... most of it belonging to MCM (Master Carpenter Man). The cute little blue and gray shop vac sitting on the old ice box is mine... MINE. I love that little vac for cleaning out the car and such. I'll admit that I brought it in to use myself on things like the chair rail. I cleaned a bit with it. Silly me! It is dusty again.


MCM is making good progress. I took this early yesterday, and he has pretty much finished with installing the crown molding in the dining room. There is more to do in there today, but I imagine he will be finished there before the day is through.

Now I have a big confession to make. I've jokingly mentioned several times that I wish my living room ceiling were raised. It was in its lowered state when I got the house. It could go up a foot and would match the dining room ceiling.

MCM mentioned that and wondered if I really wanted to raise it. I actually thought about it. What is wrong with me!!? Did I not see the pictures I posted of my dining room?! Do I not remember the mess? Do I not understand that the living room is much much bigger than the dining room? What is it that I could even let such a thought even cross my mind? I must have inhaled sheetrock dust!

Furthermore, I'm sending conflicting signals to MCM. He doesn't know weather to run for his life or stick around. Actually, he probably doesn't care one way or the other. I'm the one who cares... seriously cares. The thing is... if I tell him that I'd LOVE to have the ceiling raised and he does it... I'm going to be in a BIG mess and will have a BIGGER bill too. Hum.... It is awfully early in the morning to have to make such decisions. However, there is all that lovely crown molding that he is going to put in the living room It would be a shame to put it all up and struggle with getting it to fit when he could put in a whole new ceiling and then put up the crown molding.

I'll say that I'm going to go back to bed and start again later in the day with all this thinking. I think I might need another cup of coffee and a reality check.

Walking In The Cloud

MCM had warned me repeatedly that this sanding the ceiling mud stuff was going to be bad... really really bad. He just couldn't seem to paint the reality bad enough and kept repeating himself. Oh, he had my attention, no doubt about it.

I realize that Sunday is suppose to be a day of rest, but this stages thing and meeting time schedules for him meant dropping by in the afternoon and doing a little sanding. We'd tried that in the morning to get it out of the way. A little damp place on the ceiling called a halt to that plan and moved it to the afternoon.

MCM's repeated warnings drifted past my mind as I sat in the pew at church, and I had a sudden inspiration. It may not have been the kind of inspiration I was suppose to get at church, but suddenly I pictured a very sturdy all metal large square fan that I bought years ago. It was sitting in the attic and still worked. I just knew that I might help solve this dense cloud of dust problem if I could get it blowing out the window. I got home and headed for the attic to retrieve the fan. Sure enough, it did a lovely job of forcing the air, dust and all, out the window. I just hoped no one saw it and called the fire department.

At one point I pulled back the sheet that I'd hung in the kitchen door. I must have had the camera just right as the flash managed to bounce light off some of the particles and make it look like large snowballs suspended in the air. Lovely.

You can actually see a tiny part of that lovely fan in the bottom right hand corner of the picture.





I had to take a picture of MCM to show you how white he had turned. Check out his arm! His face had lots of white too. He would vacumn his mask once in awhile to get it easier to breathe. I took to calling him Casper.


At this point, he was pretty well finished with the sanding. There was just one more little thing he wanted to do. He retireved his HeMan Shop Vac out of the kitchen and took it to the dining room. Then he did the unthinkable.


He hooked the hose up to the blowing end and blew the dust off the ceiling! Gussie! That dust flew everywhere. What a sight.

After a bit of time with the vacumn, he primed the ceiling. The man actually asked me if I wanted to prime the ceiling. I gave him a long slow look and told him that I was not crazy and had no immediate urges to prime the ceiling. He looked a little dejected, but got out the primer and went about the process himself.

I was a little surprised after he finished that he cleaned out the roller and pan himself. I thought he'd want to know if I had any desire to clean those. I didn't, and I'd have told him so. Actually, I'm not all bad, I have cleaned some of those tools before, but I don't want to spoil him into thinking that I want to paint and clean up messes. I don't at all... and I do mean AT ALL.

One thing is for sure: MCM will be back bright and early tomorrow. I will have more progress reports. I'm sure the mess will continue for another two or three days. I know at the end of it that I'll love the new look.... if I can find it.

Torture in the A.M.

I'm going to write a quick note as I hurry out the door to church. I'm going to spare you pictures. You've seen, and it hasn't gotten any better.

MCM was here this morning. I opened the door to feed my Man Cat Pumpkin, and there was MCM on his way to sand the ceiling. In all fairness, he had warned me yesterday that he might do this. Sure enough, there he was to torture me in the A.M. There just doesn't seem to be a reprieve from the mess. It is still everywhere.

In fairness, it is just one of those things that must be done in steps and stages with time between for drying, etc. His idea was to get the MESSY part out of the way early this morning and then get on with life. It was his plan, perhaps a good plan.

It didn't go exactly as planned as he spotted a little gray area on the ceiling and pronounced it still damp. So, as quickly as he had flown in the back door, he flew out again with the promise, or threat, whichever it might be, to return again today.

I have rather a difficult time keeping up with MCM and his doings. He comes in rather like a whirlwind, and I'm never sure which way it is blowing. He has a plan, and I try to figure out what it is. There is always moving furniture, which I like to plan and do ahead of time. I like to try to defend my rights to the kitchen stove and a few other places around the house. It sometimes takes some planning as things just seem to be placed here and there in no particular order.

I'm really rather worried about this sanding thing. I've been warned repeatedly by MCM, and I do mean repeatedly. He has built this whole thing up to a thick cloud.... can hardly see through, he says.... dust everywhere... EVERYWHERE! Well... I can hardly wait for this.

Silly ME.... I actually got out my little shop vac yesterday and cleaned the chair railing in the dining room. I guess that was time foolishly spent. After all... the THICK cloud will be here soon, and I'll rue the day I called Mr. MCM. I'm sure when it is all done, I'll quit this incessant whining and return to normal. I hope. In the meantime... do feel just a little sorry for poor little me. Or not!

Working On The Roof

I seem to have men working everywhere. While Master Carpenter Man has been tearing up the inside of my house, the outside has been getting some attention as well.

R.C. has been repairing one of those flat metal roof problems. He has been here off and on for awhile and has cleaned all the metal panels, resealed them and and replaced the screws. He has also been coating the seams with some kind of a rubber UV coating. I'm very grateful to him as was having a problem in the guest bedroom. I discovered a nasty leak after a particular hard rain. That's just something one cannot ignore. I thought it was fixed at one point, but discovered a fresh big spot not long ago. So, I called R.C. and he has come to fix it. Actually, I had him work on all the roof as figured if I had a problem in one place, another was sure to follow. I call that prevention, which is truly worth more than the pound of cure.


While he was on the roof, I would run outside once in awhile and holler up to see if he was still having a good time on the roof. He kept assuring me that he was. I told him to let me take his picture, and he did, but regretted not having his floppy hat for the photo. I was a little sorry too as he looks like he came straight from Raiders of The Lost Ark with it on.

It seems with an older home there is always something to be doing to keep it in shape. I'm certainly doing my fair share at the present.


I think I've had about enough of all this fix it stuff. I wondered what else could happen when the doorbell rang and the pest control man was at my door to treat the yard, and the UPS man also dropped by with a package. Gussie! There are men everywhere except the kitchen. At least some of the things that need to be done around here are finally getting done.

I will say that I'm not too sure about my sanity. I think I'm still okay, but I'll get back to you later on that one. In the meantime, enjoy your nice tidy house, shred your 'to do' list, and just sit back and relax. I plan to do that one day myself.

Men At Work

My whining continues as men work at my house. My poor kitchen has furniture from the dining room and lots of tools scattered about.

The dining room shows signs of all those ceiling droppings. The nice blue tarp you see in the distance is hopefully protecting my living room from some of the dust.






I want you to see that the mess extends into the yard. There is hardly a place in or around the house that does not harbor Carpenter Man droppings. A MESS!!


However, I must keep reminding myself that this is the price I must pay for getting something accomplished.

Well... we need to be real enough to say that it is PART of the price. The big price will come at the end.

Progress is being made and now we have MEN at work, father and son. Isn't that nice??

Actually, there was a lot of work going on with the ceiling. MCM showed me a sag in the ceiling, so he went to fix it and got it all braced from the attic. Lovely, really.



MCM had a really neat machine that he used to lift the sheet rock in place. He made it himself. I was going to put it on my blog... but thought I'd best ask him first. So... you will have to be content looking at these nice slender guys with drills working on my ceiling.




So...... yesterday the sheet rock went up, then the mudding began. A little mixing and things are going to get going.




Keep looking...






There you have it.. the ceiling is in place and now begins the fun of taping and whatever wonderful thing will be done to the ceiling.

Go.... MCM (Master Carpenter Man) GO!!!

I really do love watching men work. I do. I admit it. It is better than TV. It gives me great pleasure to see things accomplished that I could never never do myself. The whole scene is really easy on the eyes.

Why Did I Want This Man?

Okay.... I'm doing some serious, and I mean SERIOUS thinking why I wanted to see MCM coming my way! Would you just look at this mess!!

I confessed right away that I didn't expect this at all!!! Not at ALL! I mean, it was a tiny crack on the ceiling to start with. Now LOOK! MCM said that he had hoped to just take the sheet rock down and put more up... of course... OF COURSE... there ended up being more to it.

My dining room is knee deep in sheet rock and whatever else they could pull down.

It isn't safe in here without a mask. Really.

Here is my current ceiling. Actually, I'm not going to show you this until the next blog day, but I'm seeking refuge in the kitchen on the computer. There really isn't much else to do. I'm going to have to go around to the front of the house to go to the living room.


down


down



Now isn't this lovely? This is some of the mess sneaking into my kitchen! Oh, good grief!

Really! I'm having serious questions in my mind about why I wanted to do this. I know I had a good reason, but the reality of it isn't quite what I thought it would be.

No Turning Back

Wonderful Master Carpenter Man has entered the building. It didn't take long to make a mess out of the kitchen... and everywhere else in the house as well.

The problem was a crack in the ceiling. MCM (Master Carpenter Man) announced that the whole ceiling should be replaced. 'It is old old sheet rock, and the best bet would be just to replace it.' That is what he said, and I believe him.

I spent yesterday getting rid of everything in the dining room. It is now spread all over the house, and I do mean ALL over.

When MCM finishes with the new ceiling, he is putting in new crown molding in the dining room and also in the living room. I can't wait to see that!

Of course, I decided I must also paint the living room ceiling again before he started with the molding, so did that as well yesterday afternoon. I still have to paint around the edges of the ceiling, but will get to that sometime today.

Let me assure you that taking down sheet rock is a MESSY business... I mean SERIOUSLY MESSY. There is dust flying everywhere. I hung a tarp between the living and dining room and hope that helps. I also hung a sheet between the kitchen and dining room. I have a door to a bedroom that I also closed.

I entered without a mask a bit ago OSHA (some safety inspector people who workers love to see coming) would probably have a fit. I just had to see what they were doing in there. Well, part of the ceiling is gone, and .... (Oh... do scroll down to see the floor... It is Lovely!



down


down


There it is!!!

MCM went to get his trailer as is going to have to do something with this ASAP. It is going to be knee deep soon, and Princess here isn't going to clean it up. Nope... NOT ME!

You can see that I'm in for a royal mess, so might as well be called Princess. I know I have your total sympathy in this matter and that you will be with me in spirit. Of course, I'll be posting pictures of this whole coming along process. If I think the shrubbery might have been a cause for death, this may really do it. At least I don't have to do the work this time... or at least not all of it. I will be painting, of course. Don't you wish you were me?

What Have I Done?

I hope I'm not the only one who jumps into something and then asks the question 'What have I DONE?'.

I've been waiting for my Wonderful Carpenter Man to call and get busy on my 'to do' list. I've actually been waiting on him for a couple of years. Seriously. He is busy and certainly never lacking for work. I've had all this time to think of things I'd love to have done.

That all sounds innocent enough, but in all this time I've had, the list has grown and grown. Some of the items are things that NEED to be done. Others are things I WANT to have done.

Yesterday Mr. Wonderful Carpenter Man came by to check all this out. We wandered around from room to room as I rattled off the list. I don't know if he was surprised, but I kept hearing all this stuff coming out of my mouth and wondering at my own sanity.

I finally asked the all important question: 'So, when can you start on this?' I had to laugh as the question put a look on his face which might be described as a deer caught in headlights. We were down to it now. The big question.... 'Well', he said, 'what about Thursday?'

Then the ball was in my court. So... here I was at long last with Mr. Wonderful Carpenter Man ready to begin this whole mess. I stress the word 'MESS'. I've seen him in action before, and know that the mess proceeds the finished product. Yes... I'll be living in a mess for awhile.

I'm not sure if I returned the deer in the headlights look or not. I couldn't see myself. However, I gathered my wits about me and replied 'Thursday will be fine.'

I'm up early this morning realizing that I'm going to have to work too. I have painting to do: sanding, caulking, painting, etc. Note the word 'I'! Yes, I have to work as well. There will be no slacking around here for awhile as long as Mr. Wonderful Carpenter Man is around.

You see, I need incentive to get busy and do all this woodwork painting, etc. This is work I CAN do, so best be doing. Truly, I can see the writing on the wall, the big picture, the reality of what I've done, etc. etc. etc. I have committed myself to the mess and to the work. The work will begin TOMORROW! I'm really sincerely positively asking the big question: WHAT HAVE I DONE?