~ Penny Girl


This morning, I learned how to flush out a hot-water heater.  I’m not big on heights in certain circumstances–I don’t mind being up high…I just want to be strapped in–and as I balanced there in a squatting position, I could picture myself tipping over and crashing through layers of insulation and plaster on to someone’s bed below.  Funny thing is, as soon as I imagined it (horrors!), I had the most wretched urge to do it…just so see what it’d be like.  I’ve never had something like that happen to me, and it seemed like an interesting experiment (kind of like hiking through the mud in my good clothes last week).  But common sense ruled–not only would I have microscopic pieces of fiber glass all over me, Dad would have to spend more money on home repairs.  I imagined he would not be thrilled to learn I’d done it on purpose, so I restrained myself.  By the time we were done (flushing it for 30 minutes and then draining it), I’d become pretty adept at scrambling up that narrow ladder and crawling through the beams (avoiding the roofing nails that stuck down nearly 2″ in places).  And I’m no longer afraid of the dark or of someone/something hiding in the attic.  Who’d want to stay up there?  In our next house, we should have a finished attic, with no nails to puncture your skull if you stand up too fast and no insulation billowing up and putting itchy fiberglass particles into the air.  I think my younger sister Shelly liked helping me and telling everyone else, later, how I reacted to it all.  I always enjoy working with her.  She’s cool.


And then, this evening we had a Valentine’s party with the children.  They all had colds on Valentine’s Day so we put it off so they could have all the special treats.  It’s become a tradition now for Sisters and I to make a bunch of food (their job) and decorate the dinning area (my job) with anything pink and red we can find.  Then we eat heart-shaped sandwiches, fruit salad, iced lemon cookies (also heart-shaped), and candy, of course, and delicious punch.  Steph usually buys some raspberries, which are very expensive, and puts them in a pretty little china teacup.  Everyone gets a few, but not too many.  (By the way, pink, white, and red M&M’s are great for decorating.)  We put on the soundtrack to The Parent Trap, which starts with N.K. Cole’s L-O-V-E.  And of course we wait until dark and eat by candle light–red, pink, purple and white, of course.  A very romantic dinner, but then we add us.  J  Last year we told them to be prim and proper, which made for a lot of laughs.  I think this year, Steph had given up…and they were not prim and proper.  We did get a very exciting video of something in a candle catching on fire, and everyone (meaning Stephanie) was screaming and yelling and running around.  sigh Such memories we’re building with our siblings.


I decided now that I don’t have to feel guilty for not being so “homey” as my sister.  I told everyone, “See, Steph and I have different strengths.  I may not be the house-keeper-cook type, but I can fix a hot-water heater!”  As Mom put it, I am now their attic-rat and party decorator, all rolled into one. 


 


“Life is like a big goose-chase, without the goose.”  For some people, maybe,  but not for me.  No, not for me.


 

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