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August 09, 2007

If I Were a Carpenter...

I'd be dangerous, rich (well-to-do, at least), and finished with putting up these damned shelves. My porch would be redone and I'd be working on repairing the garage/barn/shed. But I am not a carpenter which explains why I don't have the right screws, the drill needs recharging (it's a girlie drill), things list right and left, and why it is taking me so long to accomplish an easy chore. Oh, don't forget the facts that my eyesight is getting progressively worse; my bifocals keep slipping off my face; and the heat is intolerable.

Some of those excuses don't hold water, Missy. You do have a level, don't you? Yep, I have one along with one set of hands and bad eyesight. Did I mention those factors already? So I'm taking a break while the drill recharges. Yeah, I know, I could be doing something else. But catching you up is much more fun.

Why am I spending so much time putting up shelves, you ask? Because there are none except in the closets. I need shelves for linen; shelves for books; shelves for printers, etc.; shelves in the kitchen for cookbooks; shelves in bathroom for things. Where did they store this stuff? In trunks, hope chests, maybe? Did they read? Maybe Ms. Savage was an excellent cook and didn't need cookbooks. With the amount of cooking I'm doing, I don't need them either; however, I collect them. And, yes, I do use them unlike some people, my late mother included, who only like to read them. On the other hand, the mistress may have had a cook. Plausible since I understand she had a chauffeur. My, my, how times have changed at the old homestead.

It is extremely difficult to install shelves in a closet without lighting. Trust me. I speak from experience. And, no, I do not have a drop light and it was just too much trouble to haul the lamp over to the closet. With my luck, I would broken it. This particular closet has tremendous space above the one installed shelf. Guess what? It is damned near impossible to get anything past the clearance of the door jamb and the shelf. Like boxes. Maybe I can install coat hooks and put my hats there. Then, of course, I'd need a ladder to get to them.

Oh, and that tremendous storage space over another closet turns out to be good only for things you really aren't going to use but once or twice a year. I.e., seasonal things such as blankets, Christmas supplies, etc. And, it has the nerve to be cedar-lined.

But the cookbooks are going up. Or they were until the drill died. Spent most of yesterday trying to get the brackets up. Yep, spent part of my gift card on brackets. Things I learned: 1) it would have been easier to attach the bracket to the board first and then the bracket to the wall. Yep, would've worked just fine with another set of hands. 2) I have plenty of long screws but not enough short screws. Never fear, this project is coming to completion.

Pecans are starting to fall in the yard. They're awfully early. I had to do a little research this morning on the pecan tree, how to care for it, etc. According to the sources I read, they shouldn't fall until November. It could be the squirrels are shaking loose the early fruit. Needless to say, the ones in my yard need a little help. Hang on, help comes next year.

Got another notice from the state's department of Human Resources. I'm scheduled to take an exam next week. WhooHoo! In Jackson, an hour or so from here. I'm on it. But the joy was short-lived. Why did I think it meant the possibility of employment, soon? What it means is that I will be added to a pool of qualified candidates for that position. Oh, well. Anything beats a blank. Better in a pool, than not.

Ripley has canning facilities available to its residents. Open from 7 a.m. to midnight. How about that? The only canning facilities I'm familiar with are the mason jars, boiling water, and your kitchen stove and counters. Talking about progress! Must be for the folks with truck gardens. Next year, if the good Lord's willing and the Creek don't rise, I'll have a little vegetable patch, too. Looking forward to raising my own Ripley tomatoes. Of course, no one has told me what differentiates a Ripley tomato from any other. They are big, I'll give them that, but my taste buds aren't picking up the difference.

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