What Will Go Wrong?

I never knew my father but I think he might have been a Jew because his last name was Riskin and that sounds Jewish to me. In any case, it's either a joke or the truth that Jews are supposed to be worriers and that's what I am.

I've had so many crises with this house since my husband passed away five years ago... squirrels (gone), mice (gone), centipedes (mostly gone), water in the basement (followed by expensive waterproofing), broken furnace (replaced), near broken water heater (replaced), new roof, broken front door lock (fixed), falling tile in bathroom (replaced), basement reno that went horribly wrong at first (new renovator and more money spent). Just writing all that makes me tense up all over again. It seems as though I was cursed for a while and that I should sell the house and get the heck out.

So far this year, nothing has gone drastically wrong and it's making me nervous. I've taken care of all those previous problems and now I'm wondering what the fates have in store for me just around the corner. There is a slight new concern with the front steps and that could be it. My initial reno nightmare began with a family friend (no more) who convinced me that it was all right to place untreated plywood over the concrete porch and steps and then cover it with that gritty paint. Well, one step has started growing fungus so I guess the underlying plywood has gotten wet. I have no idea what to do about this but it is something I'll have to look after fairly soon. Since I'm planning on selling the house in the near future I don't want to go to the expense of replacing the porch and steps but I may have to do something about them...maybe next year. This year I'm sort of worry free but I know it's only a matter of time before I have to take action.

I don't think I've had a completely worry free day since I was a little girl. It's one of the reasons I love to watch a child at play. Some of their contentedness passes over to me and I remember once more what it's like to be a child without a worry in the world. Too bad it doesn't last!