Any of you fans of Nancy Drew when you were growing up? I was and at least one of those books kept me up one night scared to death. I read “The Ghost of Blackwood Hall” one warm summer night in the back bedroom of my grandparents farmhouse. All the adults were downstairs and I could hear their voices drift up the back staircase and yet when I finished the book and turned out the lights every single noise scared me. From the big clock ticking in the hallway to the old furniture creaking as it adjusted to the heat. Yes old furniture contracts and expands as the weather changes and voices its opinion of the warm non air-conditioned house by making very scary noises. Well at 10 years old they scared me.
I survived the night but never read another mystery late at night and all these years later I still remember that book vividly.
Fast forward to the present day and I discovered I had my own mysteries to solve right here at my house. Not as scary as the ghost in the old mansion but almost as perplexing.
With Paul busy learning the ropes of his new job many miles away I had lots of projects to get done as well as keep up with house. Strange things started to happen. The lighting just wasn’t the same, my car started looking like a Christmas tree with all the lights that blinked on the dashboard, laundry took forever, cabinet doors were open and I kept cracking my head on them and the yard was out of control.
To be honest the funniest one was the light bulbs…I saw many had burnt out and I meant to change them, really I did but for some reason I didn’t. It took me awhile to figure out why I was waiting and this time it just wasn’t the procrastination gene I inherited.
The mystery was easy to solve. All of these antiviral things and many more were all things that Paul took care of and either I never noticed or it just wasn’t on my radar to do. The light bulbs go out all the time but he is so quick to change them that I never bothered.
The car maintenance was also his deal and we both dropped the ball on getting it inspected ( a nice military officer informed me it was 4 months overdue and no I couldn’t get on base with an expired inspection sticker..yikes)! How I escaped getting a ticket is yet another mystery.
The cabinet doors..well I have a really bad habit of not closing them and Paul always closed them if I forgot.
The laundry..well he always helped, especially with the folding. I sure wish someone would invent a folding and put away machine. As for the yard..no matter how hard I tried it just didn’t look as good as when he did it..I managed and it was a good work out but not my forte.
Changing the light bulbs just reminded me that he would not be home to do it for a long time. The other stuff gave me new appreciation for all he does around here that I did not notice.
Many people thought and still think we were crazy to do this living single while very married thing. Maybe we are but so many good things have happened. It has given us new appreciation for the little things we do each day to help each other out. It gave us a taste for life without each other ( no thanks!) and our love and commitment to each other has grown.
I can’t say I can recommend doing this to strengthen your relationship but I can tell you that noticing the little things he or she does for you, the family and the house will make you smile and love your special guy or gal even more!
