Empty Love Nest

Three years after our youngest child moved out, a main beam of our house running down the middle of our living room cracked, is sagging and separating. It holds the weight of the 2^nd floor and attic.

The restoration company that assessed it told me temporary metal clips my hubby secured to each of the rafters is probably what keeps the beam from falling.

Homeowners insurance does not pay for faulty workmanship of the original structure of the house. You can see where this vital beam was pieced together, compromising central support of our home. We didn’t know this when we bought the house; one couldn’t see through the original plaster ceiling. Whoever inspected this construction should've failed the permit to continue work. Sealing up the hazard with a floor above and ceiling below, hid this from home buyers.

Our master bedroom is above this major problem. I noticed the middle of the room sloping into a V when hubby moved our bed that filled the middle of the room. We had been sleeping atop a ticking, catastrophic count down. Emptying the room for carpet installation exposed this. I had chalked the unlevel floor off to normal settling of the house.

I learned how difficult it is to buy carpeting in colors that aren’t extremely dark, or a variation of browns and beiges. We went with the ‘cork’. Not sure if that was the best choice, but our options narrowed for the super soft pile we ordered. After the floor is leveled, and the beam replaced, our new carpet may need stretching.

Cushy wall-to-wall was our Valentine’s gift to each other. Preparation for installation unearthed this expensive, disappointing trauma. Our love nest that we feathered with quality carpeting remains empty. I’m afraid to go in there. Or add the weight of our bed with its new mattress and box spring-the other part of our coupled gift.

I want to whine, Why, God? We waited almost 30 years for bedroom carpeting and a new mattress and box spring. But, we didn’t fall into a real life nightmare while sleeping. So, I’m counting my blessings and sheep, spending nights in a smaller room across the hall, until the construction company can jack up the 2^nd floor, supporting it also from the basement, and replace the beam. I’ll blog in a future post what happens when I find out.

Grandma's Gadgets

Sugar cubes are too fun not to have available at tea parties. I found these mini tongues at Wegmans that make it more fun. Their clip holds a sugar cube tight until another squeeze plunks it into a cup of tepid tea. My grandchildren also use this handy "clippy thing" in fine motor play with marbles.

This type of tea infuser fits 4 marbles, 5 if it doesn't spring closed all the way.

Mature supervision's a must for these and a wick trimmer that looks like a giant stepped on a pair of scissors. Soy candles can be messy with first timers, since the wax is soft.

These gadgets are tools I don't remember from my childhood. Using them for the first time with my grandchildren makes Grandma's house fun for Grandma.