He's handy

This post is long over due.

Back in May, Garry built some fantastic shelves in the garage.   He built most from scratch but assembled and installed a few from a kit. They have increased our storage capacity significantly, allowing us to move frequently-used items like boxes of boy clothes and holiday decorations out of the inconvenient crawl space and attic.  I love the enhanced organization and functionality!  

Garry also employed his handiwork in refurbishing an old bookcase for the basement.  It was a cheap office store purchase back when we bought our first home.  It had definitely seen better days.  The bookcase was just a smidge too wide to put in a little nook between two closets downstairs, so it ended up in the garage.  When it was replaced with better shelves, Garry decided to figure out how to make it work in the basement.  He had to remove moulding and a light switch from the wall to make it fit.  With additions of bead board, trim, and paint, the bookcase now looks terrific.  I love the built-in look, and the case is a perfect storage spot for all of our scrapbook and photo albums.

In the midst of the garage and bookcase projects, Garry took a few minutes to install a rod in our laundry closet.  This is another three-years-in-coming project, but one I have enjoyed every day since it arrived.  I'm sure the treadmill appreciates not being used as an ironing rack, too.

Also last month, our 13-year-old KitchenAid mixer stopped mixing.  It made a horrible grinding sound.  We sighed a big sigh; this was a tragic development.  Garry figured he had nothing to lose by taking it apart, so he did!  He quickly discovered the source of the problem, fixed it, and managed to put the mixer back together in perfect working order.  He also thoroughly cleaned the KitchenAid, so it is in excellent condition all around.

Garry's latest attempted project (besides the fence staining, of course) was installing a whole-house fan.

Garry had grand plans for this relatively inexpensive cooling option for our house, but after some post-purchase research, we have determined this particular plan just isn't going to work.  Besides, routine maintenance on our furnace just revealed that furnace and water heater replacements are in our near future.  We'd better save our pennies (and Garry's efforts) for colder days.


Thanks for being so handy, honey!