The Carpenter - Moi!

They say teamwork makes the dream work—and around here, that’s true. Jim and I have a system. He does the framing, electrical, plumbing, and anything that requires being higher than a sane person would choose to be. I’m not afraid of heights, I just prefer not to dangle from the rafters unless absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, I handle the finish work. All of it. If it shows, I built it. That wide pine floor you saw in the great room? Yup—installed and finished by yours truly. Window and door trim? Me again. Sheetrock mudding, closet built into the eaves, handmade doors, even the barn door and siding—if it’s visible and not breathing, I probably had my hands on it.

The upside? I can look around this house and say, “I did that.” There’s a deep kind of pride in knowing your home didn’t come in a box or get built by strangers who disappeared after framing day. Every room has a story, and sometimes a little questionable language, buried behind the trim.

But of course, there’s a catch.

You see, when you’re the one who knows how to do all the finish work… you’re also the reason it’s not done yet. That’s right. I can’t even blame my husband for the house being unfinished. Can’t stomp into the room, hands on hips, and say, “Why isn’t this baseboard installed yet?” because the answer is: “Because you haven’t done it.”

I’ve officially run out of excuses.

The painter’s tape in the hallway? Mine. The trim stacked in the corner? Also mine. The to-do list written on the back of a feed receipt in the barn? Definitely mine.

It’s a strange sort of punishment, being capable. On one hand, I wouldn’t trade the skills for anything. On the other hand, sometimes I look at a half-finished corner of the house and think, “If only I were a little more helpless, I could be mad at someone else right now.”

But then I pick up my hammer, dust off the saw, and get back to it—because at the end of the day, this place is built with hard work, love, pine sap, and maybe a few muttered threats.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.