I hear your frustration. In Florida people NEVER show up. You sound so amazing - doing all that you are doing to the house! I had a ''friend of a friend'' come to give me an estimate on something that needed to be done - I'm waiting and waiting. Finally, I called him and said thanks, but I hired someone WHO WANTS TO WORK. A question I ask is - How do you eat an elephant.?...the answer: one bite at a time!. Be easy on yourself - Rome wasn't built in a day. You are awesome - take a rest and realize all you HAVE done. xoxo Vicki

Bless your heart ~ I ran into all those things too when my husband died almost 10 years ago. There were things left undone in our home, that I needed to take care of. Plus there were all the "normal" things that you need to do along with the myriad of paperwork that appeared after he died! I was totally overwhelmed.

But I got thru it somehow -- I think the BIG GUY "upstairs" was helping me most of the time. LOL I know that I leaned on Him.

I had the same problem with carpenters not coming when they were supposed to -- and they left me "undone." ACK!! So I had to hire someone else. Plus the fact that I really wasn't done grieving ~ so I'd disappear in my room for awhile and have a good cry ~ these guys were working on Dave's pet project and i resented it!!!

But we get thru what we HAVE to get thru. There is light at the end. Like they say, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Take care, and God bless. Hugs, Lee

My prayers were answered through my frustration and worry.
My neighbor bless his pee picking heart called a friend of his who works on the side - they are going to fix the rotted part said its not that bad, just one area, and put down the rest of the flooring from start to end, and even help me put up the wall boarding. FREE
Yes free I just have to purchase the supplies (some of them, he has some) Thank You Lord

Good neighbors are a blessing. I am happy your floor problem has been solved.

I completed some projects that had been left undone plus remodeled both bathrooms after my husband died. I felt overwhelmed by the task and having to make choices on my own. Once they were completed though I felt proud, strong and accomplished. Good luck with your projects and I hope they bring you joy in their completion.

I am just starting to think about some of the thinks I have got to get done around this house. Jeff was so talented and could fix and build anything. I have mission furniture in my sunroom that he built. There are wooden bowls he turned into beautiful pieces of art.
But, the past year or so, as his health deteriorated, so did our home.
The shower in the boy's bathroom doesn't work. That is my first project. I will have to find someone I can afford who will do the work correctly and the first time around.
Of course, I am still waiting on life insurance to arrive so I know what I will be able to do. That in itself has been the biggest wait!

I hope that I am able to survive with the strength you did. :)

So glad to hear that you got some help with your projects; and that the bathroom floor isn't as bad as you thought it was. I hear you on the frustration of it all; I have been there too getting this house ready to sell. The advice to take it a bit at a time is good; eventually it will all get done. I think for you, as for me, a lot of it is emotional since our husbands started or intended to start some of these projects and didn't get them done. I know I have felt a mix of emotions, including anger at him, while I have been working on this house. Take care and good luck; hopefully the rest will go well for you!

Wow, house repairs sound like a very common problem for us girls who are now alone. My bathroom sink is stopping up and I don't know why. I never brush my hair hanging over the sink, and I never let anything go down the drain but water and soap. I know Liquid Pl and Dran don't work, so I bought some commercial stuff that is VERY dangerous - has sulfuric acid in it. I opened a window in the bathroom and followed the directions to the T. Then I flushed it out with cold water for 5 minutes, but the water still takes a long time to go down, leaving the sink dirty. What in the *&^%$ will unstop a slow draining sink?!?!? I hope I don't have to take the pipes apart underneath the sink. HELP!

You can get what I think they call a "snake" or "snaking devise", I've seen it at Home Depot, and I think in the hardware section at CVS. It's basically just a long wire with a hook at the end, meant to clear clogs. Although, I remember Wayne used to unfold a wire hanger and use that. Either way, it's yucky, but it does work. I have had to do a lot of home repairs myself these last few months, and don't love it, but it's gotta get done.

sorry, that was a reply to #9, NewRoads.