DIY skills are a thing of the past

Yesterday was skip filling day at my mum's as we cleared out the garage to show that it really is possible to fit two cars inside, one next to the other.  Great job satisfaction was the order of the day when, at the end of the morning, we'd filled the enormous skip and it was a case of 'mission accomplished' but what was a little sad was that Ash, once the great organiser of skip filling, needed instruction every step of the way; what to put in, where to place it, whether it needed dismantling first and on and on.  In that same vein today we needed to take the washing machine out of the house and replace it with a newer model.  That machine was where it was because, years ago, Ash created a whole new utility room and shower room in an extension we'd had built.  He  plumbed, he wired, he decorated and he built.  Today he removed the electric plug in order to be able to move the washer but then couldn't figure out how to put it all back together.  The man who has been able to do any DIY job I've asked him to do over the years couldn't figure out what to do with three wires and three screws and it's in such small ways that the decline in his abilities can be seen.  Not so long ago I would have been in the depths of despair over this but you'll have noted my new attitude through which I've found an acceptance of our situation which makes it all so much easier to bear and suddenly life doesn't seem so difficult after all.  Mind over matter I think and more on that in the days to come.  Oh, and the three pin plug?  I rewired it myself and there was only a tiny bit of blood involved.....


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Comments

Cornwall Girl said…
Impressed with the plug I had my first try at that recently blood was involved ...blood pressure that is !!!
Jane said…
I don't understand why they have to be so small and fiddly! it was also more complicated than it needed to be because Ash had dismantled the whole thing and then the one piece of wire he had managed to insert was in the wrong place. I got a diagram up on google then took the whole thing apart and started again. Very pleased with myself at the end.
Marcia said…
I have been reading your blog from the beginning since Friday, and I am so, so happy to have found it. I ordered the book Contented Demntia, and I’m sure it will take awhile to get here. Thank you so, so very much. I have needed your positive attitude and suggestions. I have been beside myself for over 2 years, the angry discussions, lack of interest, etc.

It is amazing what we can do when we have to isn’t it? Good for you! I wouldn’t have the slightest idea what to do with a washing machine.
Jane said…
Thank you so much for this. I think the beginning of dementia in the one you love is hellish because it seems as though your life is over too but if you just change your perspective it really doesn't have to be. I'm very proud of the ever increasing length of my CV now I've accepted it all and just get on with my life. I do however look to the future as you'll see in today's post and I think it's important to do that without feeling guilty.
Carol said…
Yes, yes! My husband was always so practical and could fix anything. The first sign I had of his dementia was when he could not manage a simple task and was very cross about it! I am having to learn to do so many things - or ‘get a man in’
Jane said…
One of my friends was newly single after 25 years and I remember her saying one day 'I needed to do ...... so I went and got the drill'! that is now my bench mark and I frequently find myself thinking 'If J has her own drill and knows how to use it then I too can do anything'. It's all very liberating.