Musings…
This week’s blog is more about thoughts and observations than any work completed.
Contractors, trades people, etc. If you can find a good one, keep him/her! I’ve been disappointed that I haven’t heard from my contractor. Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand we’re in the midst of a pandemic, and up until this past Friday we were in a state of lockdown. I texted him to ask how things are going, does he have any idea about a schedule, and to say I hope he and his family are doing well. Nothing. No answer at all. So, I can sit back and feel sorry for myself or I can say, fine, I’ll look around. I am looking around. I’m posting on a couple of local sites looking for recommendations and, if you remember my battle with the flood, I’ve reached out to the plumbers who bailed me out (almost literally!) to see what I can get done through them.
A plumber from that wonderful company that took care of me during the flood, came by this past week to look at the crazy set up for an outside water tap. After this many months in this house I shouldn’t be surprised by anything and yet…. I went downstairs thinking the reason there was no water coming out of the outside tap was probably because I had to turn it on. Nope! There was nothing coming out because (for whatever reason) the outside tap was a pipe to nowhere. Honestly. It came into the basement and ended. The previous owners had taken their hose (which I figured they left behind because it’s in bad shape), and poked it through a hole in the frame of the basement window and hooked it up to another tap inside. I don’t even know what to say. So, I called the plumbers and they sent someone the very next day. I figured he would run a pipe between the old tap and the tap in the basement. He looked, shook his head, and said I don’t know why people DIY things that are important - like water and pipes. Anyway, a mere 30 minutes later it was all done and properly. And it did not involve adding a pipe between the two taps. Apparently the inside tap wasn’t correct either!
I asked the wonderful plumber if they could do a few things in the upstairs bathroom. No problem! I’ll buy the pieces and they will put them in. Isn’t that fantastic?! This is a company that I will always recommend and continue to use.
So, that’s my first musing this week. When you find someone who is reliable, reasonably priced, and willing - keep them in your speed dial!! And to be honest, I think the other side of that is, I pay my bills when I get them so I’m a good customer that they, in turn, want to keep. It’s a good system. The other half of this musing is the DIY comment from the plumber. I think “do it yourself” is a great idea when you’re capable, have the capacity to do the work, and if it’s not a coding issue. Far too often it seems people figure they know as much as the professionals (from online searches, etc.) and so they go ahead. When we’re talking about something that can cause serious issues, like water (and you know how I feel about water problems), my personal opinion is to think first. The money savings might be necessary but you aren’t going to save anything if it makes it worse or you think it’s fixed and in behind it’s creating a whole new set of issues. Just my two cents worth.
Another thought that’s been playing on my mind this week is using what you have. It may not be what you first planned or it may be that there’s a pandemic on and you can’t go into stores and window shop for ideas! When cleaning out one of the flower beds I uncovered a clematis. I love how they climb and bloom and how pretty they are against a house. I didn’t have a trellis for it and I didn’t feel like spending the money on one, especially in a pandemic where wandering through the shop wasn’t allowed. I didn’t want to pick something online without seeing it myself. [I find it difficult sometimes to know what the colour actually is and how sturdy is the object.] So, I started looking around the sheds I’ve inherited with the house. Let me be clear. This isn’t an easy job. The areas surrounding the sheds are in terrible shape - overgrown, piled with rubble, stones, leftover hanging planters, etc. Anyway, hanging on the side of the larger shed was a ladder. It’s significantly longer than ideal but I decided to try it out. It’s kind of cool and I like that it came from here. See the pictures below to check out the first bloom on the clematis and how the ladder looks. I had to dig it into the ground to provide some stability and so far, so good!
The final musing I’m going to share this week is about listening to other people’s ideas. The last time my mother was here she commented on my outside furniture arrangement. By the way, it was her arrangement in the first place! She had another idea and it meant switching it around. Instead of the sofa and chair set up with coffee table on the ground, she thought that should go on the porch and my red chairs to the ground. Hmmmm….. It didn’t really speak to me. However, my mother rarely has a terrible idea and I knew it had to sit with me awhile. I wonder if I ask her if she’ll say I shot it down. I’m not sure. I know I didn’t jump at it. I know me, though. Sometimes an idea is great and I can’t wait to run with it and sometimes I have to let it fester and sort it self out in my mind. I left the furniture out of place for the week in the hopes I’d find the time to get the porch painted. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and I had to get the lawn mowed which meant moving the furniture out of the way. So, I tried out my mom’s idea and I love it. It was interesting how warm and welcoming it felt to me. I can’t wait to sit out in the mornings with my cup of tea. It really wasn’t happening the way I had planned with the Adirondack chairs sitting there. It’s not that they aren’t comfortable, it was that it didn’t suit my needs.
So, my final musing is don’t shut something down just because it’s not the way your brain was working or your own thought process. We’re so quick to say no and close our minds to anything outside of our position. I find I’m guilty of it and I see it in others as well. And if it’s not going to be easy to accomplish? Well, that’s when my brain kicks into high gear - I immediately start looking for ways to make it successful. Just because something is tough does not mean it shouldn’t be tried. In fact, I would say, it means it should be worked at even harder. That’s me, though, and I know it’s not everyone. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Next up for the house is shopping for the upstairs bathroom. I was out today and it was not happening. There wasn’t one item that suited me. I couldn’t even pick a toilet I liked. We finally have stores open and wouldn’t you know, I couldn’t get into the shopping groove! LOL! I’m continuing to prep my bedroom - it’s been hot and I’ve taken a break from the inside of the house for a few days. I think it’s a good thing to rest and rejuvenate. Makes the rest of your world easier to handle.
