We have spent the past month in our garage.
Well, not exactly, but it sure has felt like it. My incredible husband decided that we needed extra space. He took to converting 2/3 of our garage into a family room -- and the result is amazing. We have a large room that really serves as two rooms: a craft room with craft and homeschool supplies, a desk, a laptop, and cute little table, and a reading/play room which consists of comfy reading chairs, bookshelves full of living books, a chest of toys, and a closet full of board games and Legos and such.
My husband is the most inventive, enterprising man you will ever meet. If something around our house needs to be done, Ron will "get a book on it" and see that it's done. From garbage disposals to dimmer switches to track lighting to installing hardwood flooring to building playground equipment, he will figure it out and get it done.
When we were first married, I used to refer demurely to Ron's enterprising ways as jury-rigging (actually, until about a week ago, I would have misused this term by calling it "jimmy-rigging." Fortunately, I have a super-smart mother who let me know that "jury-rigging" is the correct phrase. However you say it, the phrase gives the connotation of "though it'll work in a pinch, it's improvised, and not done correctly.")
Gone are my days of not giving proper reverence to my husband's craft. He has proven himself, beyond measure, to handle all sorts of household projects. He is a jack of all trades, and a master of the ones we appreciate the most (like being a wonderful husband and father).
To give you just a taste of some of the current re-model project Ron's been working on:
He created a second ceiling frame and wall frame as a skeleton for the room, made a large built-in closet, a large enclosure with folding doors to hide the laundry room, brought electricity to the room, hung beautiful lights, installed Pergo flooring and carpet, cut trim, and painted walls. Luckily, he had my dad's construction expertise to help with drywall, mudding, and texturizing (not to mention the muscles and time dad lent us -- thank you so much, dad!).
As you can guess, I haven't had much time for blogging lately. But after a month of de-cluttering almost our entire house and helping hubby with the new room, I am ready to declutter my head by getting some random and crazy thoughts out of it and onto my blog. With a nicely organized house (it's almost where I want it to be, I need a little push to finish up the task at hand) and extra space for the boys' books and projects, I feel rested and at a peace.
I'm ready to get back to my daily regimen of reading lots and writing a little!
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7 comments:
Daughter,
You are most welcome! And he is a treasure. I hope you tell him so regularly.
Dad
I have always said "jerry-rig". Found this on the net. Yours was more common though.
jerry-rig
To fix an object (usually mechanical) to a working condition in a haphazard way. Also known as doing a MacGyver on it. This can apply to any non working thing, to fix it in a nonconventional way. This term was created during WW2, in reference to the Germans who were referred to as "Jerries" as slang. Allies often came across hastily repaired objects left by the Germans hence the term Jerry-Rig came to be.Tom Jerry-Rigged that engine so that it burns more fuel than it was designed to.
I've also heard Jerry-rigging...and was under the impression that it was a not-very-nice thing to say (see Miroslav's explanation). But dictionary.com says jerry-rig comes from jury rig which comes from: jury-rig, jury-rigging, improvised rigging on a ship, modeled on jury-mast, temporary mast, perhaps ultimately from Old French ajurie, help, from aider, to help.
Anyway, that's not why I'm commenting. I just wanted to say that I didn't even notice the laundry room when I was there. I'm guessing it's in the same place...but it hides well!! Ron's a stud!
I've also heard Jerry-rigging...and was under the impression that it was a not-very-nice thing to say (see Miroslav's explanation). But dictionary.com says jerry-rig comes from jury rig which comes from: jury-rig, jury-rigging, improvised rigging on a ship, modeled on jury-mast, temporary mast, perhaps ultimately from Old French ajurie, help, from aider, to help.
Anyway, that's not why I'm commenting. I just wanted to say that I didn't even notice the laundry room when I was there. I'm guessing it's in the same place...but it hides well!! Ron's a stud!
Thank you Danielle for getting this post of jerry/jimmy/jurry-rigging and back on the topic that I'm a stud :0) Just kidding! It wouldn't have come out nearly as nice if Pat hadn't helped. Thank You Pat! Now on to the windows...
BTW, What about turning the dresser drawer into a kitty liiter box. Now thats doing a MacGyver! (Who would have thought that the pee would soak through the bottom?)
9 out of 10 rats agree... Ron is a stud.
Oh yeah, I intended to mention that I was also under the impression that jerry-rigging was some sort of racial slur against black people. No idea why but...
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