Simple Solutions
Today I am grateful for umbrellas, washers and dryers, sturdy stairs, and my five senses.
Yesterday brought simple solutions to two household issues we had. One had been around for several months, the other surfaced in the last couple of weeks. Neither was crucial to the daily operations or safety of our home, but both mattered enough to pursue solutions.
One had to do with replacing a security plate for our front screen door. It had broken, the second one to do so since we got the door a few years ago. By fluke, we had gotten a replacement part last time fairly easily. This time, we tried stops at several home/hardware stores and one online order that ended up being the wrong size.
Finally, we went right to the source, the door manufacturer. I had to wait on hold on the phone for 20 minutes, but did some writing while I waited. A helpful customer service representative helped me place an order that will only set us back $10. The time, gas, and energy we put into finding a replacement part had become frustrating, but ultimately the solution was simple. Maybe next time we will look for a more direct solution sooner.
The other is laughable really, at least now anyway. Shortly after getting the windows in our house cleaned by an outside company last summer, we got the annoyance of a bird leaving its mark on one of our upstairs windows. The window is near our roofline and overhang and we marvel at how the bird even accomplished such a feat.
We can access and clean our windows ourselves, but opted to have someone else do it when they were here for another outdoor project. We chuckled, and perhaps swore a bit, at the irony and the timing of the bird doing what birds will do.
That particular window does have a broken mechanism, so we didn't want to try too hard to clean it. We don't have a ladder tall enough to reach it from the outside. It wasn't a huge area and over time, rain and the elements removed some of it. It bothered my husband Darcy more than me, and it actually served as a good reminder to me that sh** happens and to keep perspective on what matters. How important is it really?
I realized yesterday that even with the broken mechanism there was a way I could reach and clean the small area. We had forgotten about it on many days and been mildly frustrated by it on others. The solution was found and took less than a minute. Clear view returned.
Simple solutions. Don't try too hard. Good reminders.
Yesterday brought simple solutions to two household issues we had. One had been around for several months, the other surfaced in the last couple of weeks. Neither was crucial to the daily operations or safety of our home, but both mattered enough to pursue solutions.
One had to do with replacing a security plate for our front screen door. It had broken, the second one to do so since we got the door a few years ago. By fluke, we had gotten a replacement part last time fairly easily. This time, we tried stops at several home/hardware stores and one online order that ended up being the wrong size.
Finally, we went right to the source, the door manufacturer. I had to wait on hold on the phone for 20 minutes, but did some writing while I waited. A helpful customer service representative helped me place an order that will only set us back $10. The time, gas, and energy we put into finding a replacement part had become frustrating, but ultimately the solution was simple. Maybe next time we will look for a more direct solution sooner.
The other is laughable really, at least now anyway. Shortly after getting the windows in our house cleaned by an outside company last summer, we got the annoyance of a bird leaving its mark on one of our upstairs windows. The window is near our roofline and overhang and we marvel at how the bird even accomplished such a feat.
We can access and clean our windows ourselves, but opted to have someone else do it when they were here for another outdoor project. We chuckled, and perhaps swore a bit, at the irony and the timing of the bird doing what birds will do.
That particular window does have a broken mechanism, so we didn't want to try too hard to clean it. We don't have a ladder tall enough to reach it from the outside. It wasn't a huge area and over time, rain and the elements removed some of it. It bothered my husband Darcy more than me, and it actually served as a good reminder to me that sh** happens and to keep perspective on what matters. How important is it really?
I realized yesterday that even with the broken mechanism there was a way I could reach and clean the small area. We had forgotten about it on many days and been mildly frustrated by it on others. The solution was found and took less than a minute. Clear view returned.
Simple solutions. Don't try too hard. Good reminders.
Hi Lisa, I'm so glad I found your blog. I think having gratitude is a wonderful thing; it helps balance life when things go wrong. I used to keep a gratitude journal, and I think you just motivated me to revisit that!
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