The first time I met Miss Terry I was impressed not only with her beauty and her intelligence, but also the fact that she was an independent, capable woman who could do anything she set her mind to. In the 10 years or so that we were friends before we became a couple, and the 21 years we’ve been married, she has continued to impress me over and over.
From building the furniture in our MCI bus conversion while we were dry camping, to teaching herself how to weave and creating beautiful shawls and scarves, to projects around the house, there’s nothing she can’t do.
Yesterday was another good example. We have been working to get our house set up to be as safe and comfortable for my cousin Beverly as we possibly can, and to accommodate her handicaps. One thing we needed was a grab bar in the shower in our guest bathroom to help keep her from falling. While she was living in Tucson she had two or three bad falls, and is still dealing with some broken ribs from the last incident.
Finding any kind of handyman or home repair person around here who will actually show up for an appointment and then do the work you need done is just about impossible. We have learned that for the most part, if it needs doing, it’s easier to just take on the job ourselves than to waste time and money on unreliable outside help.
So, Terry ordered a Moen grab bar on Amazon, along with a pair of Moen Secure Mounts, and after spending a few days studying the instructions and planning things, yesterday she installed the bar.
After carefully measuring everything several times to make sure she had it just right, then drawing a template, Terry drilled a pair of holes in the shower wall to insert the Secure Mounts. She said it was very scary to start drilling into it, and I reminded her that she felt the same way the first time she cut a hole in the side of our bus conversion to install the water heater. That went fine, and so did this.
After that it was pretty simple work to mount the brackets and install the grab bar.
Here are a couple pictures of the finished project. It looks just as good as if we had one of the local handymen do it, and we didn’t have to wait six months for somebody to show up, assuming they would show up at all.
Just one more example of my beautiful wife’s amazing talents. She followed that up by making a delicious meal of General Tso’s Chicken for dinner. Yes, I know, I’m a very lucky man.
As for me, besides being Terry’s gofer when she was working on the shower upgrade, I spent a large part of yesterday proofing and correcting what I’ve done so far in my new John Lee Quarrels book, Sweet Tea And Jesus. I like the way the story is shaping u, and I think readers will, too, when it’s finished.
Today is your last chance to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Stillborn Armadillos, the first book in my John Lee Quarrels series. To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn this evening.
Thought For The Day – On very bad days, when I’m sure I can’t take anymore, I try to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days is 100%.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Are you 2 still out on the roads, we do not get your paper anymore to follow the two of you. Miss and enjoyed all the time we had spent together with your great adventure s! Thank you Sue and Laura from Hicksville Ohio. ?
Nice work Miss Terry!!
Miss Terry I don’t need to rain on your parade but
you drill that hole through the plastic panel into the sheet rock behind
did you put a a blocking plate in
On the backside of the sheet rock so that where you put your screws in they bite into the blocking plate
Locking plate could be anything a piece of 2 x 4 2 x 6 piece of plywood it adds stiffness To the wall not the handle
The other thing you may have tried
Most shower stalls today on the average come as four pieces the tub and three backsplash That piece of stained wood is probably a decorative trim to. Hide the pannel attachment for where the showerhead is on
Because the plumbing is attached to the panel you can only move it just so far but it may be far enough to use the inner hole in the wall to put that backing panel in there
And the shower panel wall Will hide that
But it does look good nonetheless
I think Mister Ed should have. read the directions
That’s what the secure mounts are for, Ed. They go through the holes and serve was blocking plates.
Sue, Yes we hung up the keys about two years ago and bought a place in Florida.
Any guy who is so lazy or incompetent that he can’t do a simple job like that and needs his woman to do it should turn in his man card. I would be ashamed to tell the whole world this kind of stuff. My old man taught me how to do easy stuff like this while I was in grade school. That’s what’s wrong with the world today, everybody has to call somebody to do everything from changing a lightbulb to wiping their read end.
Mr. Sanders,
I am very sorry you are so insecure as to be threatened by a competent woman. Men like you are why I stayed single for 14 years after my divorce. My former husband was so busy proving his manhood to any female anywhere in his life that our 4 children and I were left to fend for ourselves while he played at being a social cowboy playboy. My second husband was a drunken abuser and it took me three years to get out of that. I decided to do whatever it took to take care of us and not ever have to rely on anyone else to survive. And that included never being on the dole. I did not receive the court ordered child support or insurance he was supposed to pay, but never asked for handouts from ACCESS or food stamps. I moved up to the mountains, getting into the construction business, bought my own home and raised my children, and quickly realizing how many men like you were out there, stopped dating.
Nick and I knew each other as friends first, for many years as we got to know each other through our individual businesses, and gradually realized the love and respect that had grown up between us. We have a wonderful marriage based on love, friendship, and respect. We complement each other in many ways that work so well to make the whole of us together even better. I am so very proud of Nick and I thank God every day for this man and love him more every day. My only regret is that we did not know each other sooner.
Signed, Nick’s proud wife, Miss Terry.
Mr. Ed,
Will two steel backer plates for this installation qualify? Moen makes steel safety backer plate kits for hollow walls that hold to 500 pounds. I used two of these safety kits for this installation. Beverly is very important to me.
Omg, Terry’s response is GREAT!
Nice work Terry, Nick I am glad you are the gofer. Really like your thought of the day, and have to agree with it. Keep up the good writing, waiting for your next book.
Go Terry. You rock!!