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This handywoman is ready to hang up her hammer

3 min read

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Happy New Year!

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions or set any goals?

I’m ready for a clean slate in 2021 with renewed hope that with the help of vaccines, we will finally be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us. With spending so much time at home during the past year, I was able to be fairly productive even though I didn’t accomplish any of the lofty achievements so many people boasted about on their social media account.

I didn’t clean out my closets over and over again, didn’t make sourdough starter or bread and didn’t bake cookies every day.

I was fortunate enough to be able to keep working all through 2020, but during my downtime I slowly checked off all of the home improvement projects on my long list. It was filled with the usual lawn mowing and hedge trimming, but also evolved into ripping out and replacing two huge overgrown shrubs that had been bugging me for years. I also managed to change the oil in the lawnmower myself.

Next up, I finally finished painting my basement laundry and powder rooms. The only thing left in the house to paint was an exposed brick wall that had also been bugging me for year. I finally bit the bullet and after watching way too many online videos about whitewashing brick … I dove in and did it.

It looks terrific and wasn’t even that difficult.

Once that was done, I kept staring at the old sconce on that wall that I have also reviled for years. A quick online purchase and many more instructional videos later, I was ready to tackle replacing my first ever light fixture. Once I finished, I flipped the breaker back on and said a prayer before I flipped the switch.

Success!

I was immensely proud of myself, the new sconce looks beautiful and I didn’t electrocute myself or burn down the house.

The final project staring me in the face was the family room picture window sill. Decades of sun had faded the darker varnish leaving it dull and chipped. I dug in, armed first with sandpaper, then later with paint stripper and finally got most of it off. A final sanding, new coat of lighter stain and a final coat of semi gloss polyurethane and it looks brand new.

I’m proud of my handiwork but never, ever want to do that again.

My results aren’t perfect but they’re pretty good and I’m glad I learned some new skills and have an enormous feeling of pride and accomplishment.

Now, I’m tired.

The project list is complete and this handywoman is ready to hang up her hammer and just relax on the ski slopes for the rest of winter.

There will always be grass to mow in the spring.

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.

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