I can do it...
First simple fix, nearly 3 years ago…
This week has been tough on the house front!
Actually, I’m going to rephrase that… I have found this week tough and overwhelming on the house front!
The first month New Home Honeymoon period is behind us and now it’s on to the less cosmetic fixes. My carpenter, who had come out to quote for me decided he was too busy to follow through on any of the jobs I needed doing. And although I totally understand that my half dozen small jobs are petty in his world; in mine they are huge and the difference between simple stress free living and bat-shit crazy Madre living! Absolutely Ellie’s door can scrape along her wooded floor every time I go in to her room, but one day that scrape will be the straw that breaks this camel’s back! I have several offers of help from people; but I’m no princess; I want to learn how to do these things and not have to be dependent on others. The irony is The Former Mr Right was no handy man himself, but when there are 2 of you battling a house DIY task together I think it makes it easier. And this week the DIY tasks kicked my butt!
Yes I had help, and a wonderful teacher… but I filled and taped and mudded that hole in the ceiling!
I had to remind myself repeatedly of all I’d achieved since I’d been on my own. Within weeks of finding myself alone a fan pull switch disconnected inside a light. I had no idea what I was doing, but with the help of google, You Tube and a racing heart I dismantled it, removed the broken parts and set off in search of new parts. I find that my anxiety kicks in big time when I’m about to tackle any task like this, my heart races and I picture all the mistakes I could make. I so need to work on manifesting; I’m so methodical, of course I’ll get it done, but as I’ve said before when The Former Mr Right left he took a huge piece of my confidence with me too!
We’d always had, and I mean for the first 8 years we lived in the house, always had a stain on the kitchen ceiling. When the house was mine I tackled fixing it, a plumber later and I had no bathroom leak above, but I did have a fair sized hole in my ceiling! And I fixed it! I had a friend come show me how to add a patch, how to tape and how to mud and then he left me with tape, mud and sandpaper blocks and I got on with it. And yes, I had another friend help me sand a little because up above my head was tough on my bat wing arms, but when we sold the house there was no more sign of stain or damaged ceiling!
Finally I got these blinds up, but not before I cried some and swore lots!
So this weekend was blinds. I have 16 blinds to fit in total and had already fitted 5 curtain poles… because it is absolutely time to stop flashing our new neighbors opposite; that really isn’t the continued impression I want to keep giving them! First blind in the kitchen was kind of tough, again confidence was low but I got the beauty up and in less than 2 hours!!! lol Then I moved on to blind 2, the family bathroom. This was easy in comparison and I was on a roll.
Then into Ruby’s room and the blind across the door went up easy peasy, lulling me into a false sense of security… and then bam we are moving into the realms of fitting blinds inside windows. And that is where my problems started! There was a small piece of wooden beading stopping the brackets lie snug against the window frame, to put up the brackets I had to not screw the screw all the way in which made the brackets ‘floppy’. Trying to then get the blind attached to 3 floppy brackets with only one pair of hands nearly tipped me over the edge! But I reminded myself I can do it and I was surrounded with love from facebook and texts from a few and finally about a gazillion hours after I started they were all up and the feeling of ecstasy was amazing! Because I was right, I can do it!!! And I’m going to do it. I’m going to learn how to change lights and put shelving up, because I want to… not because I feel I should but because I want to. I’m going to have a little more faith in my ability a little earlier on and as ever not give myself quite such a hard time!!!
As a single mum and role model to my two gorgeous girls I want to teach them about not being reliant on anyone. About empowerment and getting the job done!
But I need your help… when I start to tackle a job I invariably don’t have the right tool… I got custody of the tool box in the divorce, but it is woefully inadequate. All you DIY-ers out there, what are your must have tools? What generic tools do I need to go and get to give me confidence to tackle my next task, well the one after the blinds are all up anyway!
Be kind, be gentle,
Denise xoxo
