Zen and the art of home maintenance

So, I decided to call a plumber for the leaky faucet after all. I looked up the instructions to fix the faucet and realized that, despite the fact that it’s a simple repair — in theory, within my modest capabilities — a typical kitchen faucet disassembles into separate 18 parts, several of which might be worn out. The repair requires a few tools and supplies I don’t have, including a larger wrench, a seat-grinding tool, and plumber’s grease.
The most likely scenario is that it’s straightforward — disassemble, replace the top washer and re-assemble. A less likely but dreaded scenario — I take the thing apart, need to buy 3 tools, replace multiple parts, and it’s still dripping when I put it back together.
Instead, I got a 150-foot hose and hosed the exterior of my house, weeded the gravel walk, snipped dead leaves from the cast iron plants, and drained the rarely-used hot tub (to refill tonight). Now I can call the plumber, as a reward for being a responsible homeowner.
I love the Small Hands blog, where Our Heroine gardens every week, cooks every day, and tells beautiful stories about flowers and meals. You need to put time every week to experience the feeling and reality that you’re making something beautiful, rather than the feeling that you’re just barely fending off the forces of entropy and decay.
Billie Holliday’s singing “Stars fell on Alabama”. People are playing chess in on the back deck. The Green Muse sandwiches are not optimal for dinner but the place is just perfect for reflection.

One thought on “Zen and the art of home maintenance”

  1. You can (or could have) save money on the plumber’s bill by taking the old faucet out yourself. It can take a while if it is rusted or just gunky. If you have to replace the faucet, purchase a good one yourself and have it installed.

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