We Can Do It!

Have you ever had one of those weeks when everything around the house seems to malfunction at once?!

Well, last week was one of those weeks for me. Fortunately, none of the items in question - leaky sink and toilet, continuously on outdoor light - required a big fix. They're the kind of things that drive you crazy instead, and more often than not, it required perserverance instead of skill to fix. In the case of the sink repair, it 'just' required trips to three hardware stores to find the correct replacement stem for the handle - for a Delta faucet that's only two years old.

Then we had a motion sensor outdoor light that was suddenly constantly on. Since the light operates by a photocell, not a wall switch, Smithy and I were kinda clueless about how to fix it. A phone call from a cranky neighbor gave me the push I needed to figure it out. (She wasn't crazy about the light shining into her bedroom window for two nights in a row.) Did you know that power surges from thunderstorms can trip a motion sensor light? And that the first thing to do is turn off the circuit breaker for the light? Well, now I know, and the light is fixed. The running toilet is still a work in progress, but I'm on the right track.

In the process of searching the web for how to info, I stumbled into the Be Jane website. There's some frivolous stuff there; at some point several months ago I believe they offered pink tool belts for sale. (Just because I'm a woman, it doesn't mean I intend to 'accessorize' with a freaking pink tool belt! If anything, I'm a city dame so black would be just fine, thanks.) But beyond the girlie slant, there's some really really helpful 'how to' sections with good clear pictures. And they describe the steps clearly without being condescending or overly technical. It's definitely worth a look.

So the other night I was telling (boasting to) my friends, Louis and Kathy, about fixing some items around the house. I know it wasn't rocket science by any means, but I was proud of the fact that I did it myself. Both of them are very skilled house renovators, among other talents, so they understood the pride. Louis, joked that I was turning into Rosie the Riveter. I happen to adore Rosie, as shown at the top of the post.


However, did you know that that's not the real Rosie?! According to Wikipedia, that image has mistakenly become known as Rosie the Riveter, but this image by Norman Rockwell is the real Rosie.
For more interesting info on the Rosie the Riveter campaign during the war effort, read HERE, and for real life women working during the war effort, and source of the fantastic black and white photos, see HERE.

What's not to love about Rosie?!
A real, healthy looking, tough cookie of a woman, and she's actually eating for heaven's sakes. So in the span of a few days, I've learned how to fix a sink, a toilet, and a light, and I've acquired a new female icon. Not bad!