Every Day, a New Challenge!

Right now, this minute, I can say, at last, I'M TOTALLY FINISHED with my guest room and bathroom renovation!!!  I've been working on it nearly the whole month of July.  Every day, it has challenged every single brain cell, muscle cell, and emotional patience I have!

I'm really proud to say, that with the exceptions of having my dear son-in-law, Charles, install the new ceiling fan, and getting the carpets professionally cleaned, I have done all the work myself!  In the past few years, I've always had at least one live-in son or daughter (with amazingly helpful boyfriends!) willing to pitch in when needed.

As far as putting in the hard, dirty, sweaty work, I don't mind.  Even if I could afford it, I'm too cheap to pay anyone for something I could do myself.  Why, then, has it been so difficult for me?  One reason is that the devices I have to remove to paint don't come with re-installation directions.  Also, I find it brain-stretching to figure out what should be simple installation instructions for new devices.  And then, there were many times I just could have used another hand to hold something while I screw it in.

Yesterday, my challenge was installing a new curtain rod above the window.  I've done this many times.  The directions were horrible so I decided to dispense with them.  With cordless drill/screwdriver in hand, it shouldn't have been a big job but - I couldn't find my level.  I just used it a couple of days ago to level the bird bath in the back yard but it was nowhere to be found.  Oh, I forgot to pray to St. Anthony, who always helps me find lost things.  So I just measured from the top of the window opening.  I guess it's level.  It looks OK.

Today (actually I've tried to figure this out for the past week) my successful challenge was to re-install a door handle/lock on the bedroom door.  My son had removed it but never got around to putting in the new fancy one.  I wanted it to match the rest of the door handles in the house so I wanted to use the old one which was perfectly good.  But I had never done it before now.  How hard could this be?  I found it very complicated!  I looked at the other door handles to decide how it should look when installed.  It was hard to connect the outer and inner handles.  I had to try many different ways.  Finally, today I grabbed a flashlight to try to visualize the inner workings.  I got on the internet to try to learn how but the inner parts of the lock didn't look like the instructions I found.  Finally, I got it put together!!  If I would have thought of it at the time, I would have done a little dance!

Wouldn't you think it would be easy to put up a new shower curtain rod?  Not for me!  The darn thing slipped all over the wall and I had to give up at least four or five times to try again before I finally got it.  I hope it stays up!!

What about installing a new ceiling heating/cooling vent?  Shouldn't it be easy to put it up with two measly screws?  No way - not for me!  My hands just aren't big enough to hold the vent up, hold the screw in place to start it and hold the screwdriver and get it into the correct hole in the ceiling while balancing on a ladder.  This was my worst instance for getting so frustrated I had to quit and come back to it another time.  In the end, I decided to use the old screws from the rusted vent and they worked.

I wished I had counted all the rolls of blue painter's tape I used.  At least I'm halfway good at blocking off walls and woodwork to be painted.  And I'm getting better at painting all the time.  This time I painted the inside-facing doors to freshen them.  Didn't take any time at all!  (Note: I don't take doors off hinges or closet tracks to paint; they're too heavy - I just block off the hinges with the handy blue tape!)

I SO ADMIRE MEN!  All of them seem to be able to install anything so easily! - mostly without even looking at the directions!  Maybe it's genetic, maybe it's handed down, father to son, to have this wonderful mechanical inclination.  Anyway, I don't have it but I muddle along as best I can.

The drapery just finished today matches the pillows made from leftover fabric from the draperies in my last house.  I always buy a little extra fabric from decorating projects.  This drapery fabric had been saved for 14 years!

Daughter #7's brass bed.  I couldn't resist putting several Sea Birds on the bedside tables!

Don't you think everybody NEEDS a red bathroom!

Do I deserve bragging rights or what??

Praise You, Sweet Jesus, my Lord, for helping me stay with this challenging project until completion!  I thank You and I love You!