Planning to Live in Retirement Edition 5: Things to Do, Learn for Myself

      Some days, I feel like a child knowing little to nothing about the details that keep a home functioning. I've relied on hiring out a lot of things or relying on my kids, and other family members to take care of it. While I'm grateful the trades persons are skilled and family are willing to help, I need to learn and do more things for myself. I feel almost silly writing a post like this, showing how ignorant, overwhelmed, or apprehensive I am. But, little by little I need to be able to do most basic things myself. My son is not going to be here forever. My girls have their own lives, and family members are getting older themselves. I also can't be hiring out every task that might stump me if I should be able to learn how to figure it out. Take this post as it is meant, a little reassurance to myself that I have not  become completely useless.

 "Accomplishments" included...

• Changed burned out light bulb in garage. This required me climbing on a ladder, which was a bit of a fear. And, while the ladder was out...
• I googled how to reset the garage door remote openers that stopped functioning a few weeks back. I kept forgetting to ask my son to do it, but I remembered that it literally took the service person two minutes a remote, and used just a universal model that I could have ordered myself on Amazon. It took me about the same amount of time to figure it out, and Voila, two functioning remotes again. (Then, they stopped working again, but surprisingly, started again, but has been fickle. It is a 33+ year system, so I suppose I need to plan for replacement-ouch) 
• On a roll, I put two bundles of Christmas items, a small tree for my daughter from her grandma, and the various wreaths and reusable porch decor that was out later than the regular indoor decor, put up high on the far shelf, freeing up more accessible space in the garage. The goal was between purging and reorganizing, the two car garage actually holds two cars by winter. Mission accomplished. 
• Changed, then remembered to date, swapping out the furnace filter. Multiple times!
• Remember former neighbor who is the city permit inspector, who pointed out so coldly when she checked the fence completion, that I didn't have house numbers visible? I bought house numbers in a basic wood, then painted in the gray color to match the house but contrasting with the white trim. Then, I got them affixed myself. 

• Tightened screws on the motion sensor outside garage lights. The one was not picking up motion very well, and I realized it was askew. I'm not sure that will solve the detection issue, but it looks better.
• I started mowing the lawn myself, until my surgery that is, but will resume come spring. I've got it down to 30-35 minutes for the front and side. I've been aiming to mow every 9-10 days. Even with the rain, I don't want to cut too often or too short. The back is more challenging because I'm trying to go around trees, and other obstacles and try and get a mulch cut. But, I only did the back every three weeks or so as I tried to get the reseeding to work. 
• If my son hasn't already, I take out the trash and recycling, and return the bins. This was a first job I took back after surgery. 
•  I've gotten stuff to the recycling center and items for donation. My daughter works near one, so sometimes it's just getting things boxed for her to drop off.
• Dealt with replacing a washing machine, but got a dryer issue resolved twice. Getting the vent vacuumed out in the spring both resolved the heat and was a safety check. Then, in September the heating element went out and had that repaired for a tiny fraction of replacing so hopefully will get a few more years. 
• Arranged for boat pick up and winter storage. 

     Nothing was difficult, time consuming, but most was overdue. I got these things done when my son was gone, or as I thought to do them-and actually did in the moment rather than ask him to do it for me. I read posts by other widows or single women, and you all have your ducks in a row, don't seem overwhelmed at all by these things. I am trying to be both independent, but also practical. I was down for weeks starting in August and had to depend on others. There will come a time when I legitimately do need help with things regularly due to physical limitations. Likely I'll move to a home like a condo or townhouse and have fewer worries. As I'm staying put for now, I want to be more self sufficient until that time comes.