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Saturday, August 27, 2005
Deliberate Speed
I read that at the Steinway Piano Company, changes are made no more frequently than once in forty-seven years. That's keeping a cool head. It's also pretty much the speed at which I'm fixing up this glorified doghouse. I'm grateful for my house. However, I'm under no illusions re. it's fitness for human habitation. I've been in better insulated, more carefully finished, much fancier barns. This house is in terrible condition, needs a lot of work of almost every kind.
I'm following the Steinway model in my approach to home improvement, though. Once in a long while, and if the condition is a full-boil emergency, I do a little bit of something. This policy applies to work on both the building and its contents.
Example. Before I moved from Michigan, a charity came through my Michigan residence and took everything they might be able to use. I gave them a couple of sewing machines, boxes or fabric, towels, all kinds of bedding, dishes, pots and pans, kitchen utensils or all kinds, furniture... Apparently I also told them to take all my flatware except for a handful of spoons, two knives, and three forks. That's what I've had to work with since moving in here. All fall, winter, and spring. Now I have dining room chairs, so maybe I'll work up the energy to invite people here for a meal...oops! not enough knives, forks, and spoons. Anyone but me would have taken care of this almost a year ago. Anyone but me and the Steinway Company, that is.
A couple of weeks ago Lydia and I spent most of a day shopping for flatware..without result. I didn't want to pay much, but I did want solid, serviceable stainless steel. Finally I found a set for six dollars. Lydia yelled, "Put that back. That stuff is just ridiculous." It was all so skinny and pitiful that although it was metal, it felt like plastic picnicware. Guess I was being too cheap.
Well. A couple of days ago we were in Target and to my surprise, they stock a great variety of really nice stainless ware. At reasonable prices. So I bought a five-piece service for eight.
The score for recent improvements stands as follows; flatware, leather dining room chairs, one 5'-tall suit of armor standing in my upstairs bathroom holding the roll of toilet paper. For me, this cuts a hectic pace.
I've contracted with a man to install ventless gas fireplaces in both of my dangerously antique real fireplaces. He told me that he'll hope to maybe get done by the first of the year. Then another man was supposed to pour a new concrete driveway sometime during last winter...he sends vague excuses from time to time. I need to call the plumber to install a hose outlet on the front of the house. I need the electrician to install more working outlets upstairs. I need to have a builder turn my two little garage doors into one sensible one big enough so I can put the car indoors. I'd like to have a concrete floor poured in the basement. Plenty of projects. Given the speed at which I tackle things like this, however, the house will be a nice, respectable place around the year 2050.
Monday, August 29, 2005 - 3:14 PM
Name:
Tessa
That's the coolest toilet roll holder I have ever seen!
We've been 'going to replace the front windows' for about three years now! Got the drive done two years' ago, but still dreaming about enlarging the porch and installing a downstairs toilet. Probably never will get done! Oh, well - dreaming is a pleasant pastime.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 5:20 AM
Name:
Joanna
The other day when Benny was here, the door to the bathroom was closed when I went upstairs to see what Benny was doing. I asked why he'd closed the door and he said, "There was a bug on the floor in the hall and I made it go in the bathroom with that scary guy." Scary guy...:-)
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