Feeling pleased with myself

Aart from a very brief marriage Ive never had a husband to do these things for me. I always did my own DIY (owned an electric hammer drill) and decorating. I learned from my father how to do basic electrics like rewiring a light fitting and a cooker etc. I was ace at wallpapering. Even learned a bit of upholstery. Not physically up to such jobs now so I have to pay for trades.

grannyactivist that must be horrible [ flowers ] .
Beechnut.my admiration. That is something I would not tackle.

cc

I've recently sourced replacement silicone seals for my UPVC windows. Removed the perished old ones with a skewer and replaced with lovely squishy new ones.
So pleased with myself, no draughts, leaks or noise now - and only another 12 to go! Just waiting for a nice dry, calm day so we don't get too wet or chilly.

I didn’t know you could do that. Unless you’d like to send me a link, I’ll have to google where I can get some from.

Hetty58

Shelmiss, Why, honestly? - because I find it so pathetic that anyone is proud of putting a shelf up. What happened to competence and equality? Is there still some 'pride' in being the needy and childlike 'little woman' in relationships? Some are still their own worst enemies!

Sorry Hetty but you are wrong! I’m neither NEEDY or CHILDLIKE just totally unpractical. Does that make me pathetic? I don’t think so.

If you offered me a million pounds I would not be able to put up a shelf.

Good job we are not all the same. Luckily my DH is a dab hand at DIY - as for everything else in this house that’s down to me.

Hetty58

Shelmiss, Why, honestly? - because I find it so pathetic that anyone is proud of putting a shelf up. What happened to competence and equality? Is there still some 'pride' in being the needy and childlike 'little woman' in relationships? Some are still their own worst enemies!

I do have to agree - sometimes we let our own side down.
I cycle and I can fix my own bike if I need to - change an innertube, repair the gears, breaks etc..
Once, at a bike repair workshop organised for women by Breeze (women led bike rides) I was appalled at how many women do not carry even the basic tools on their bike when out cycling. When the question was asked ... what do you do if you have a puncture then....
"Um.. I call my husband"
Come on ladies... you can do anything if you have a mind to do so..

My DIL is amazed that I can make curtains, I don't think she realised it was possible. Nobody she knows has a sewing machine or does any knitting either for that matter.

I've just driven for two weeks in the UK after 9 months in Spain. The button hand brake was a pain but otherwise I stayed on the correct side of the road, only groped the door for the gear stick a couple of times and drove in snow quite calmly, so I'm giving myself a pat on the back too.

I will put up a shelf if my husband will make new curtains for the lounge . I won't do both!

I've recently sourced replacement silicone seals for my UPVC windows. Removed the perished old ones with a skewer and replaced with lovely squishy new ones.
So pleased with myself, no draughts, leaks or noise now - and only another 12 to go! Just waiting for a nice dry, calm day so we don't get too wet or chilly.

Chocolatelovinggran

Good work Jane71.
I fear that if I tried the same it would resemble the Peppa Pig episode in which Daddy Pig's attempt to hang picture required remedial action from a plumber and a plasterer.

And as I remember, once the plasterer had finished it was good as new, but no nail for the picture!

Hetty58

Shelmiss, Why, honestly? - because I find it so pathetic that anyone is proud of putting a shelf up. What happened to competence and equality? Is there still some 'pride' in being the needy and childlike 'little woman' in relationships? Some are still their own worst enemies!

I am useless at practical jobs and hate any form of DIY or heavy manual house jobs. My husband is so much better at the practical stuff and has just renovated one of our houses. I, on the other hand, am very good at housekeeping, admin, organising and troubleshooting, so, why would we not play to our strengths? Some men do the cooking when they get home, and some women decorate. Horses for courses! It is a changing world.

Well done, Jane, I’d be chuffed too if I could put up a straight shelf that actually stayed on the wall. So would my other half. We’re like Bodgeitt & Scarper. We’ll both turn our hands to anything, but it rarely turns out well. For a couple of brief halcyon years we had a handyman who came round and did stuff for us, but sadly he’s got himself a proper job now (how inconsiderate!) and we’re back to muddling through.

Has anyone got the authorities round to Beechnut’s gaff yet?

Oreo

Beechnut

I’ve got my cleaner in pieces on the shed bench and have found the problem. I’ll see about getting the part later in the week.

Should we be calling the police?!

I think we should!!
Cleaners, have a hard enough time without being dissected in somebody’s garden shed!! 😜

Jane71 here’s another well deserved pat on the back for you, well done.

Oreo
Very good 😂

In my defence, my father was equally incompetent.

I admit there are things I wish I could do, I really wish I could sew, that would be so useful, my granny could run up anything on her treadle sewing machine, I also remember her painting and decorating, my mother in-law was the same, there was nothing she wouldn’t tackle, obviously advised by her husband sat in his armchair.’
So it’s not generational, when we were first married, we tried all kinds of things, but frankly we were rubbish, so I applaud anyone who can put up a shelf
I could bore you half to death with disastrous stories of shelves collapsing, but I’m sure you get the drift.

Oreo

Beechnut

I’ve got my cleaner in pieces on the shed bench and have found the problem. I’ll see about getting the part later in the week.

Should we be calling the police?!

Beechnut

I’ve got my cleaner in pieces on the shed bench and have found the problem. I’ll see about getting the part later in the week.

Should we be calling the police?!

I’ve got my cleaner in pieces on the shed bench and have found the problem. I’ll see about getting the part later in the week.

Hetty58 Thanks, GrammyGrammy and apologies, Jane71, for being so blunt.

Apology accepted Hetty. I must say that being called pathetic when I was quite pleased with myself was a real knock down as I'm not the most confident of people. I suppose I should think more carefully in future.
Thanks to all those others who have posted nice comments.

Well done everyone ! grannyactivist, well done for coping so well. On two occasions, while driving (my usual daily route) I completely forgot where I was. I had to stop at a lay-by and gather my senses. I spoke to my doctor-friend, who re-assured me and said it does happen. There’s a name for it, but I’ve forgotten it 😂

We each play to our strengths and DIY is definitely not one of mine, whereas my husband can turn his hand to anything. 🛠

After my second episode of amnesia last year I developed a speech problem - I get stuck repeating the same word over and over. Also, I’m often lost for a well known word or name (I recently couldn't remember my son’s name 😱) and I get sentences muddled up. On bad days my brain fog is so bad that I can barely talk. So, I’ve had to adapt to this very strange ‘new me’. Having got through the initial trauma I’m pleased to say that I think I’ve learnt to cope quite well. I wear an ID bracelet now in case I have further episodes of memory loss (I’ve had 3 in the last year) and I can take a bit of gentle teasing about my frequent inability to string a meaningful sentence together.🤪

So, while I’m not exactly ‘proud’, I am pleased to be coping with my altered circumstances.

Well done Jane71. You must feel, quite rightly, pleased with the outcome. I suppose we don’t know what we are capable of until we have a go. I’ve never put a shelf up, but I suppose if I looked it up on YouTube or similar, I’d be able to manage it - might take me a while, though 😁.
Hetty58, it’s good that you have the confidence and ability to tackle all those jobs you mention - but not everyone (and not necessarily just women, either) have, so it’s not really kind to suggest that they are somehow less able or somehow lacking in some way, because they admit to either not being able to do something or not have the confidence to try.

Amazingly I do have an electric drill but don't think I could put a shelf up, so well done Jane71. I do fix little things around the house and make good use of duct tape and super glue etc. No need to be critical of those that don't though. We're all different.