First day – retreat

Well, I had the greatest time of visiting with my sister.  This is all a part of dealing with my dad’s death!  We were talking about what happens now, as executor (on my part) and personal guardian for my mother (on my sister’s part). 

And part of the discussion also recalls dad.  His journals are in my view.  His clothes are boxed.  His final medications are listed as they were administered, and then a final sign indicating that was the last medications given by my sister.  Finality in ink!

As executor of the estate, I have also looked over the house.  Foolishly, I thought I could fix a washer in the kitchen faucet.  So I just took a few things apart.  Figuring I would just look, until the whole thing burst forth, spewing water all over the kitchen. 

I didn’t know where the shut off valve was!  You soon become thankful for years of doing incidental plumbing renovations.  I guessed the furnace and hot water heater room.  Found the hot water valve right away.  But the main shut off?  I wandered (quickly, I must admit) following pipes in the ceiling.  Nowhere!

Back to the furnace room.  Look closer to the floor and closer to the wall.  There it was! I quickly shut it off and ran upstairs.  The floor was flooding.  Thankful for the old 60’s style of flooring with vinyl where the vinyl goes up the wall to form the quarter round, not much water escaped to the basement.

Of course, the big question was where the mop was.  Onto the phone with my sister – mop found and deployed.  But there was a need for a replacement faucet.

Again, sister to the rescue.  We have to go to the next town to find a hardware store!  Off she went, I mopped and when she arrived we put the new faucet in.  Less than a half hour of work (I’m thinking of becoming a plumber – as long as I know where the shut off valve is!).  Clean up continued and supper was held off til 8:00 pm.

Now I’m just enjoying the evening listening to some of my favourite music on my computer.

I couldn’t have planned a better retreat day.  I loved it!  I’m thinking of patenting this approach to retreats.  I’m going to call it the “wonder” retreat.  You never know what will come next!!

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