Carpe vitam: What I like about sundays

What I like about sundays

Finally the gps locator got me in the right area! Once again sitting in the sauna doing my daily update. I watched a 20/20 program last night on the IFB church. Brought back alot of memories for me that I worked really hard at blocking out. When
I was young the IFB church I was involved with was ultra conservative and literally beat into our heads that it was " their way or hell". I of course being of sound mind and body decided to question their beliefs and was therefore outcast and treated as if I was the devil incarnate. Spare the rod spoil the child was one of their favorite quotes and boy did they take that to the extreme. I could probably write a book about my experiences( maybe I will some day...) anyway I find it kind of humorous how they always said " God said this or that was wrong, therefore you can not do it. ( go to movies, dance, girls expose their knees, etc.) Well, evidently God must have changed his mind as the rules for the church and school are alot more lax than they were when I attended. I'm sorry did I miss a biblical revision?
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via erikw-carpevitam.blogspot.com

A good buddy of mine tells it like it is growing up in a ultra-conservative home. Oh, the painful memories!

Home Improvement Return on Investment

When thinking of home improvements, it’s very natural to go into pure what I call “bean counter mode”. Especially when doing small things around the house, its very easy to see money invested as purely dollars and cents. You are thinking,

“Thanks for that gem of wisdom, Mr. Obvious”.

I had an experience yesterday that really turned my head around to see it in a little different light. It’s been almost 30 years that I have been in the construction field, mainly working on the finish carpentry inside of high-end homes and churches. For 30 years my wife has seen me make beautiful cabinetry and furniture in my shop here at the house. Every day when she comes home, she sees the progress on these pieces for clients, then goes into our house which for the most part, has received very little attention for the 16 years that we have lived here. She loves our little 1920′s bungalow and would love to see it look like the pictures she sees of my clients homes, but is not one prone to complaining or reminding me constantly about how much our house needs attention.

Back to yesterday, I had one of my friends help me drywall and tape the basement bathroom project that has been in the works for three years. It is funny, but in a morning the room went from a bombed out construction site to a real defined space. A space that actually looks and feels like a bathroom.

Is it just drywall or is it a life improvement?

I was still on another  job site when my wife got home, but I received an all caps text screaming how much she loved it. Now, I am not a hugely sentimental guy normally, but that text and the half an hour in the bathroom after I got home looking and planning with her really made me feel good.

That was some serious return on investment.

If I could, I would stop working on all my clients projects and max out that bathroom for her today. That’s not in the cards, but it is definitely moved to the top of the priority list. Her reaction just made it fun again.

I guess I am encouraging you to enjoy the process of home improvement. I know you might be thinking that it’s not possible, but try to begin to think about projects around the house in more than just dollars and cents. A project that improves the quality of your life in your house is really a more worthy goal than just increasing the market value or marketability.

Focusing on improving life in the house when doing home improvements:

1. Makes the process more enjoyable (dare I say even fun?)
2. Involves your partner and family
3. Is very empowering for those of you DIYers. (heck, it is for me, even after doing it for 30 years)
4. Shows your passion in the completed improvement.

Now that’s a multi-level return on investment. I guess you can teach an old dog a few new tricks.

via homeimprovementgenius.com

Here's a good article about a different way to look at the value that we can extract from home improvement projects. He describes how we can improve ourselves while our houses get a makeover. Give it a read and see what you think.