Feb 05 2009
Getting CRAFTY in our Later Years
It’s NEVER too late to “Get Crafty.”
As I relax a little more and get used to being “retired,” I begin to seek out new forms of expression. This blog is one form, of course, but I also have newly-found enjoyment in tinkering around the house as a “Mr. Fixit Man” and have also begun to spruce up the yard and house and find that to be very satisfying.
Out in the garage I have begun the process of insulation and dry wall that will eventually make that space more comfortable for the dogs when we have to leave them alone during the winter. I made them a “dog bed” that fits within their fenced enclosure in the garage. It is made out of a four by eight foot sheet of plywood with carpeting on top. Under the plywood I placed insulating foam “blue board” which is two inches thick and will keep the cold concrete from penetrating to the surface. The entire contraption is framed by 2×4’s and that not only holds it all together, but it prevents the dogs from chewing on the insulation. The carpeting is held in place with quarter-round moulding all around, thus preventing the carpet edge from unraveling or giving the dogs something to rip apart.
I am thinking of trying to build some birdhouses next. That is something that I remember seeing older guys doing, so I am going to find out if it is really satisfying (or not). My Grandfather was a big birdhouse builder out in North Dakota. Not only was his yard full of birdhouses, but he had them hanging all over his workshop. I think he got a little carried away with his hobby. I could see myself doing the same thing, as I do with most projects. Perhaps I ought to just build planters.
And I notice that it always seems to take me at least TWICE as long to complete a project as I estimate. Perhaps that has something to do with becoming “retired.”
I love birdhouses! I love it that you’re considering a craft. When I was younger, my dad used to build model airplanes - not the plastic snap-together kit kind, but the kind where you bought balsa wood sheets and transferred patterns and cut it out with an X-acto knife and painstakingly glued all the tiny little wing struts together — I used to love watching him work. He’d be so absorbed and intent - it made his face so beautiful. If you DO build birdhouses, I hope you post lots and lots of pictures!
The Following Comment was submitted by the author of My Funny Dad, Harry, but was not previously published due to server error:
“Making a nice bed for your dogs in the garage and insulating it is a nice thing to do. Those birdhouses sound good too! My dad found it always took him longer than he thought to do projects too. I even find that to be true on the computer sometimes. By the way, if you need another project, I have an attic that needs to be insulated!”
Thanks for the comment. I, too, really find that the “captcha” format is annoying and difficult to use, and often prevents me from leaving comments elsewhere. After two tries, I just leave.
–Doug