Monday, June 22, 2015

Nests

 Living in "good-old-boy" country means that things get done on a time warp.  It is not like the living in the city or suburbs where you call for repairs, they give a window of time, they show up, they get the job done and they charge you a small fortune.  Here in the country the square dance goes a little differently.  First, their motivation is not to become millionaires so they charge a 'little' less.  They give you a day and vague time and usually show up hours later or even the next day.  They never call.  They usually (not always) do excellent work, but it takes them three times longer than you would reasonably expect.  If you also have a scheduled life then it can take five times longer to get done!  I have been living with the mess below for a month!


The tape on the ceilings was buckling and had to be re-mudded, sanded and re-painted.  There was also other similar work in two bedrooms ceilings although in smaller, less difficult areas.  Furniture gets moved, drop clothes get placed and I sigh as they move equipment from room to room.

The older I am, the more I like things in their place where I can find them.  I tend to get up in the middle of the night once a week or so and do some wandering and do not want to be surprised by chaos that I might have forgotten.


This house is not as large as these pictures may convey.  It is the high ceilings that give it a feeling of spaciousness and also require paying professionals when work needs to be done or light bulbs changed!

Our good-old-boy was an interesting charmer.  He had 7 kids - all home schooled - he has a HUGE range of talents as he was able to fix a bunch of stuff.  He loves nature as we do, raises bees, among many other animals and while a bit laissez faire about projects he gets it done quite nicely 99% of the time.  He also was very mellow about my asking him to re-do a few small things or add a few new small things to be done.  So while I am not a priority in his life, I can live with it.

I am learning to bend and not break as I live in another culture!

17 comments:

  1. I know how that is about the country and sympathize. I like the photos of your nest. Chaos for awhile but the nest looks warm and inviting when it's finished :)

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  2. lucky you to have found such a talented, good worker! breath deeply and envision the completed nest. and carry a flashlight during your night wanderings.

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  3. It will be great when it's done. The world is always teaching me new things about patience.

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  4. Oh boy, do I feel your pain on this one!

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  5. Unfinished, but the results will be incredible. I look forward to seeing pictures when you're finished.

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  6. Ah yes, no fish, but they said they had fun. I'm having hopes that Himself will fix a spot of tape here too. I won't mention the two rooms painted with moldy paint. LOL She says shaking her head at the paint that never dries.

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  7. Different place, different pace...love it. It is better to do it slow but right then quick but needing to be redone.

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  8. It's the same where I live. Mind you, I'm used to it having lived most of my life in a rural area. What I like most is if it's for the house, it can wait as long as we have power and water. But if it's for the farm with our livlihood depending on it, the service is super quick. We've even had a local garage open up the workshop on a Sunday to repair a tractor tyre during the haymaking season.

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  9. Where we live,home repair people are our best friends. Literally. Maintenance is everything here,and we cultivate friendships with carpenters,painters,etc. They do very high quality work.
    My husband is handy,too,as are most of the women I know. Which is lucky,because I'm no good at these tasks.

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  10. Can relate to much you shared
    especially high ceilings.
    Just finished ready your post on People.
    Felt like I have read an early morning novel.
    You are so very talented and loved hearing about your trip
    and seeing pictures...

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  11. I guess we keep learning and adjusting -- or try to.

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  12. this is why I would never buy a house with cathedral ceilings.

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  13. I sympathize! Here in the mountains of CO getting any work done in a timely fashion is nearly impossible. We need to have our roof repaired and our house stained this summer. (Or will it be next summer?) Bob finally repaired and started our irrigation himself - we couldn't find anyone to come. And so it goes. Good Luck!

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  14. I understand that. My husband and I always look at the unfinished work and say, "Well, we are in the Hill Country."

    They don't die young out here due to overwork, that's for certain.

    Good luck.

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  15. We always get to it -- someday actually has time to come when you get back to that project.

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  16. Ooh. I love that room. It is so bright and sunny and cheery. :)
    Yes, I remember that about living down south. It was not my favorite. Even going through the drive thru, where service is supposed to be fast, was quite a laid back experience. ;)
    But it is priceless to have someone to do work on your house that you like and trust.

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  17. Wow! That is a very high ceiling. We have something like that too and in fact, I have a post about it tomorrow. We opted to put in LED lights because it would last much longer without replacement and are dimmable.

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.