The Best Laid Plans

How can such a little thing as your nose cause such huge problems? I've been under the weather this afternoon with a sinus infection, which means I've done absolutely nothing on my Christmas gifts or the window seat trim.

I had such grandiose plans for this weekend! I actually was going to have time to get some work done. But my nose had other ideas. I've spent half the day in bed and the other half with my nose stuck in a steaming cup of tea, cocoa, hot water, or broth--depending on the moment.

I'm finally getting some ever so slight relief at nearly 10 p.m. after taking both Claritin and Sudafed. But about the only thing I feel like doing is surfing the 'net.

Luckily, I found a USA Today column that I had read recently, an article which expressed my frustrations exactly about dealing with contractors. (See long ago posting on that problem!) Finding a contractor? Now that is scary, by Craig Wilson, is his interesting take on the problem--contractors in American have been kidnapped and are all being held hostage! Read it for a good laugh. I did. Well, as much as you can laugh with a stopped up nose :-)

Only Two Months Til Christmas

At my suggestion, my immediate family has decided that we all have to make at least one Christmas gift for each other this holiday season. The last few Christmases have been very unfulfilling for me, personally, because of the stress and "busyness" that seems to grow each year. I thought that making at least one gift would force us all to slow down and re-evaluate the reason we give gifts. Of course, now that it's only two months away, and I've yet to start on one gift, I'm wondering if I was crazy to make the suggestion!

Ideally, I'd like to make my gifts from wood, but I've no clue where to start. (Too bad I can't count the window seat as a gift for my eldest daughter!) I've done a cursory review of some free plans online, and they're either too hard, too expensive, or unsuitable for my family.

If necessary, I suppose I'd be willing to sew something. But considering I've got several unfinished sewing projects already on the machine, that doesn't hold a lot of appeal for me. (Of course, I also have several unfinished wood projects, don't I?)

Whatever I select needs to be relatively simple, relatively small (must be able to hide it in this house, somewhere!), and useful. That last one is important to me. At my age, I've come to the realization that so much of what we give and want is totally unnecessary. As my husband would say, it's "country kitchen." In other words, a pretty bauble to hang on a wall or set on a shelf. I think I've collected enough of those things for one lifetime, so I'm really interested in something utilitarian.

Now finding something useful yet desirable for a preteen and teenager is a challenge, I realize. But I think it can be done.

I did print out a free plan to make a wooden lap desk, which I thought might be something to make for both daughters. The eldest seems to enjoy doing her homework while sitting in bed (despite the two desks she has!), while the youngest is usually lying on the floor doing her assignments. But would I be able to hide something like a lap desk? The pattern looks pretty big to me.

I may make my mother an address plaque for her house. That should be pretty simple, if I buy the numbers to go on it :-) She really needs one, and she's so hard to buy for.

As far as my husband is concerned, I won't even mention any thoughts for his gift since he sometimes reads this blog. Perhaps he could make an anonymous comment with a suggestion for me?

Regardless, I think this weekend is crunch time for me to get started on these things. I certainly don't want to add to my holiday stress by staying up all night Christmas eve with the table saw!

One More Hour

I attended a church meeting tonight, and the leader asked us what we would do if God gave each of us one more hour a day. I didn't have to think long about that one--I'd use that hour to work on my projects!

Well, I know that extra hour is not going to appear every day, but this weekend I'll get it in the form of Daylight Savings Time "fall back" adjustment. At least, I think it's this weekend. They've changed it, and I really don't remember for sure when it takes place.

Regardless, I'm taking it! It will be my first opportunity to use my new chisel set, a surprise "welcome home" gift from my sweet husband last week. I need to fill some screw holes on the window seat, and I wanted to plug them with wood. But I needed a chisel to cut off the excess. Now I have three of them! My tool collection is growing slowly but surely.

If only my skills were doing the same!

I'm Back

I never knew demolishing a house could be such hard work! Last week's trip to the Gulf Coast found me bashing drywall, scooping fiberglass insulation (with a mask and gloves, thank you), disposing of rancid food, lifting pews, and scraping tile. My arms got quite a workout toting wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of debris to the curb.

It was not the same feeling as building something, but in a way, it was even more satisfying--at the end, anyway. While I was doing it, it was a nightmare. I cried the first two days and didn't think I could lift another thing or smell another foul odor. The scope of the damage was overwhelming. I can only imagine what the residents must feel like, facing that situation day after day, not knowing what the future holds for them, struggling financially and physically.

Unfortunately, the old digital camera I took did not do well with my pictures. They're quite blurry, but I'm posting one here anyway. It's me on the Mississippi coast, where a house once stood.

I went on the trip with three older men whom I had never met til they picked me up for the ride down there. Our churches cooperated on the mission. They accepted me completely, though, and I think I gained their respect. In fact, they said they didn't know many women who could've done the work I did down there. For my part, I learned a lot from watching them. They were all quite skilled carpenters, though none of them does that for a trade. One who lives nearby even showed me his elaborate workshop when we got back and offered the use of his power tools whenever I needed them. It made my mouth water just to walk in the workshop and smell the wood. He had more clamps than I'd ever seen in Home Depot, not to mention all kinds of hand and power tools, wood samples, and even a potbellied stove to warm the room on cold days.

I'd love to have such a workshop and the time to learn and build things there. My sister talks of simplicity a lot. That would be the simple life that's attractive to me--living in the country in a solar house, working in the shop, maybe even having a few chickens!

On the Road

I'm on the road for Mississippi at 5 a.m. tomorrow, traveling to a hurricane relief site to assist with tearing out drywall and kitchen cabinets in flooded homes. Quite a change from my recent activities, no? Instead of building something, I'll be demolishing it! Oh well, maybe I'll learn something about how the walls are made behind that drywall :-)

I did accomplish something today--finished caulking the interior of the window seat and ironed on laminate edging tape on the top unfinished wood edges. Looks nice. Now I need to buy the trim, cut, prime and paint it. I had thought I would do that this week while I was on vacation, but now I won't be here. Maybe next weekend. Sometimes you just have to realize what's most important. As my husband said, this project will still be waiting when I get home.

Back In Time

Today, I took my daughters and their friend to a historic plantation, where we participated in old-fashioned chores and observed time-honored skills such as forging, butter-churning, and yes, goat-milking. As I tried this latter skill, the woman instructing me leaned over and chuckled, "You know, the women always do better at this than the men!" I could see why :-)

One of the more interesting exhibits was a tent full of old tools, many dating from the late 19th century. As I looked them over, I silently gave thanks that I was not having to learn woodworking with those things! I'm slow as it is, but I'd hate to think how long it would take me to build something with hand tools that run only on brawn.

The "To Do" List

Since we are coming up on a few vacation days, my husband suggested tonight that we make out our "to do" list. We can't go out of town because of one daughter's theatre commitment each night, but we will have some free time to play, relax, and get things done. Unfortunately, I think it's going to be more of the "getting things done." Already, my husband has a huge list of chores in mind, and of course, I have building tasks to complete. I'm getting tired just thinking about it.

My youngest daughter has been after me to paint her old room, which she now wants to be her new room! She's been very jealous that I've devoted so much time to her sister's renovation, and I must admit, I've been putting off her pleas for many months now. It's just that I get so little time to do anything other than work and chores that I'm slow as Christmas in finishing her sister's room.

Well, now the younger daughter has her mind set on me painting her room next week, while we're on "vacation." She thinks it will take just a short while, be easy, and be ready for her to move in the next day. I suppose that could happen--if someone would remove all the furniture in the room for me, cover the carpet with drop cloths, buy the paint, and prime the walls. It wouldn't take me long at all in that case! But alas, I have no one to do those preliminary tasks for me.

Besides, my husband quickly tried to quash her request as soon as he heard it. "Your mother has to finish your sister's room before she starts on another one!"

I suppose he's right. But I feel badly for putting her off this long. Of course, I also feel badly for taking so long to finish the other daughter's room. I wish I had a magic wand and could double the amount of hours in a day--the hours I'm not at work, anyway.

My dad always said, "I'll have time to do that when I retire" when he wistfully eyed his unfinished hobbies. He never got to retire, and I don't want to end up in the same situation.

How come adults don't get summer off from work???????????????????????