Wow - I am so impressed with what all of you have accomplished! I'm still gloating over being able to fix the tv remote!!! HA! Karen

I am doing things I never thought I would. Getting ready to shovel 6 inches of snow today. Fire alarms went off at 2am so I had to get a ladder to disconnect them. Had to get someone to sheetrock and paint after a leak. Check engine light is on in my husbands truck. The list goes on. But when I see my 3 daughters ages 15, 12 & 10 look at me scared, I know I have to give them the confidence that we will always be okay. Mom can handle everything. Of course there have been several meltdowns. I couldn't find a pin to pump up a soccer ball. I ordered 50 of them on Amazon. I can tell sometimes they think "If dad was here this would all be easier"

Sarah59 "just like a man minus the cursing" does that hit home. My husband hated doing anything around the home. So if I didn't do it, it wouldn't get done unless I hired someone. He did cut the grass and cursed, hated to trim so I did most of it. He would drive the car and curse other drivers, and fishing his passion...yikes! If it was to hot/to cold he'd complain, no rain/rain he'd complain. I quit fishing with him because all he did was curse about how he cast or would tell me what I was doing incorrectly. I don't remember him always being so cranky, at least to this extent. I'd kid him and say i was married to a grumpy old man.
Now I wonder, he always had high blood pressure, and acted like it. I think his personality is what killed him because he just couldn't let anything go. But I'd take all his crabbyness if I could have him here with me..

Good for you hgsdms. Proud of you. Keep it up. Like Marsha said, guys weren't born knowing all this guy stuff. Girls weren't born knowing girl stuff either. We can learn it though. All of us. Some of us were fortunate to have Dads that could fix or build anything to teach us and Moms like mine , the home eq teacher that made sure my brother and I knew how to cook, clean, sew, etc. Others of us didn't have that. Thankfully though the resources like youtube, libraries, the net and the retail stores are there when we need some knowledge we don't yet possess. We can also be a resource to others. We have the ability to share the knowledge and skills we have with others if we will. Many times as I've shopped at Home Depot I've been approached by women (and men) asking me for advise on what they need to do a prticular repair. Maybe I've got a sign on my back that says "handy". I like helping out because I appreciate all the times I've recieve help when I was clueless. This discussion has my grand dad's words running thru my head, "Come on son, your not gonna learn any younger."
((Hugs))
John

Thank you for the kind words John. It is so nice to have a man give encouragement. As others have said, Utube and the internet are very helpful as are the people in Home Depot or the people at my local Ace Hardware store. You had very wise parents John, to have taught you things that are considered both "male" and "female" jobs. If you lived in this area, I would probably be one of the women approaching you for advice in a Home Depot! Desperation makes us reach out to others for advice, and you must look like you know what you are doing! LOL I also grew up hearing your grandad's words. Another one that comes to mind is "pull yourself up by your bootstraps"......not sure exactly how that works!

I loved all your stories, ideas and solutions. I especially like the, "I can do it" attitude.

Thanks for sharing your lives, trials and tribulations.

Roz

I have always been amazed on what widowers and widows can no because they have to.

My husband left me with our master bathroom tore apart, I sheeted it, put in the new flooring, painted swirls, got a new 2 sink vanity for $100 when visiting my son in Boise, and stained new cupboards, put in almost 2 acres of new fencing (with grandkids helping & one neighbor stretched it for us), put in new pipeline on ditch due to neighbor dispute of course with friends, NOW A NEW ROOF....ching ching I am with grandkids & friends going to take off the shingles myself as its cheaper when you can do alot of the stuff....Its just the way it is...

YES you should be proud....

I moved to an apartment but just couldn't take it so bought a fixer upper because I love the neighborhood so much. It's been a wild ride on the contractor side of things. For maintenance you tube helped me program the garage door opener, fix my toilet, learn to use a weed wacker, caulk the driveway cracks, hang a picture....nothing big but upkeep feels pretty darn good. And the mowing can wait a couple days but eight inches of snow can't, thank god that was on a Sunday. We should all be proud!

Loved reading all the replies here. What an amazing and inspiring group of (mostly) women. My husband also touted YouTube as a resource and I've used it a couple of times for minor things. Seems like the "to do" list is never ending but you've given me hope that I could probably tackle more than I think I can. Thanks for putting a smile on my face this evening. You guys rock! : ) Liz