When you’re retired, things aren’t quite as scheduled as they are when you have limited time to get projects completed. This can be a good thing if you normally stress out about things that you envision need to be finished in a certain period of time. However, once you hit retirement, things may not be done in a timely fashion. I have discovered there are two time configurations in our house…my time, and “Mr. FixIt Time”. Now, do not get me wrong, when this man gets a job done, it is as good or better than any professional you’d have to pay the big bucks to. But…it may take a little longer than you particularly care for.
We bought this pergola three years ago at the end of the season. We got it half price. I was sure we would be packed up and moved and living on our property near town by then, so I asked him to just put it in the building and we’d put it up at the new house. The new house got pushed back then one day I looked out and the pergola was being erected on the deck. And, I liked it! We went out and bought commercial grade market lights at the end of the season…half off. I wanted to put them up right away, but Mr. FixIt wanted to run electric out to the deck and have a nice GFI outlet to plug them in so we wouldn’t have to run an extension cord. Smart man!
Then he had his strokes last spring. Between that and the pandemic, that was the end of the home projects for pretty much an entire year. Now, I’m happy to report, other than the usual aches and pains of arthritis, my sweet man is back in action and he’s been blazing through these jobs…one after another. Our son-in-law came and helped him dig a trench to run the electric line through a conduit out from the building to the deck. Once they were finished, my step-daughter and I hung the market lights and I just love the way they turned out. If I’d have had more energy, I would have cleaned the table and dressed it better, but I did good to take the pizza box off and put the chairs in. It was a long day.
I didn’t get nearly as much done indoors as I wanted but I made progress on two rooms. I’ve been going through papers that need to either be burned or shredded. I sent the kids home with some things I thought they might like. The doctor called and my brother was discharged and heading back to the mountains. He was feeling a lot better and very anxious to get home.
It was a busy and productive day and I am incredibly grateful to have this wonderful partner to share my life with and to work beside. Even if he doesn’t work on MY time schedule!
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“But do everything properly and in order.”
1 Corinthians 14:40 CEV