Within These Walls

I like making the ugly things pretty; the broken things work again, and the unsymmetrical conform to my vision of symmetry. I enjoy watching the work I do on my own house improve its value. Even little things like getting a pretty porch light makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. There is nothing better than improving the quality of life by improving the water one has in ones house. At least that is how I feel right now. I just installed a water softener in my house. If you have never lives with hard water you cannot fully understand what it means to have rocks fall on you from your shower head. You cannot understand the pain of clean dishes caked with powdery white mineral deposits; or the embarrassment of having company bruise their hands when they go to wash up. The horror of a black toilet bowel, the expense of buying new faucets and shower heads and hoses whenever one wants to have company over. To go from that to the slippery bliss of clean water, soap that actually subs, dishes that sparkle, a dish washer that stays white and a shower head that sprays water in straight streams. I feel so rich because I'm doing 70% less cleaning and it feels so good! I also feel as if I've made the house worth improving further, which makes me happy because I love making the ugly things pretty, the broken things work again, and the unsymmetrical conform to my vision of symmetry.