Homebodies - Many hands...

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Published on Saturday, October 22, 2016

By Rita Friesen

Neepawa Banner

It was a delight to have family home for a few days. So many of the little things I wanted done got done. We had time to laugh, eat, play games and be silly, but oh, the tasks my loved accomplished! 

One of the biggest jobs on the list was the removal of the awnings over the living room, kitchen and dining room. It wasn’t that it was a difficult job as much as it was one that needed more than two sets of hands. I invited grandchildren to join me for supper and while I did the dishes, five of them went outside and removed the awning, without breaking a window. I expected nothing less! Several years ago, Ed constructed a heavy duty bird feeder. I wanted it hung but I needed help. There was a good bit of improvising (Ed would have approved!), branches needed to be trimmed but with structural modification, the feeder now hangs from the evergreen, visible from all three west facing windows. While the young men were available and willing, I mentioned that the marker that had graced the end of every lane where Ed and I lived needed to be set up. Out came the sledge hammer, a pry bar and a wooden block for pounding. My daughter was adamant that her husband exercise caution – as a new resident to Canada it is two weeks till his health coverage begins and she envisioned smashed fingers and possible fractures. Nothing like that happened. I wasn’t done with free labour! The eaves got cleaned, the leaves were bagged, the evergreen boughs stacked and the ladder hung on the side of the garage.

I am deeply grateful for the love and care my family supplies. As much as I want to think I can do it all myself (reverting to a two year old?), I accept that there are more yard and home repairs and maintenance that I need help with. It is lovely that my people do that for me. For my children that live away and worry about me, I send updates. Assuring them I am well and capable and sometimes surprising them with my ability to think and act! When I reported on the two days’ accomplishments, my oldest son was delighted that I had taken the lane marker with me. He wasn’t able to help with the move and had wondered if the plow share and horseshoe marker his father had crafted 50 years ago were still respected. When I mentioned the awnings were gone, he was quiet a moment before confessing he had thought them rather unattractive, but if I liked them, he wasn’t going to say anything about them! 

Time and time again I have been blessed by the gift of many hands making work light. Family and friends enriching my life.