My day started when I woke up for the second time about 5:00 a.m.; after midnight I woke and went to sit in my chair with the Shiatsu massager for my aching back. By 6:00 I was outside pulling tiny weeds in the front flower bed. Checking the strawberries in their terraced plot, I found two that had turned pale red; hopefully I’ll be able to get them before the birds find them.

My neighbor came to retrieve the drill bits he had loaned the day before, so that he could work on a trailer he’s building. While he was there, I was able to get him to hold one end of the chalk line so I could make a level mark for installing the siding around the lower portion of the sun porch.

The next job was scraping, sanding, and filling the wood of the garage door opening which had been replaced when installing a new door the previous day. How nice it is to have a door which quietly opens and closes.

The carpenters replaced the fascia under the high gutter, which is now ready to sand, prime and paint before new gutters are installed. It’s a small chore to coordinate the work done by others; do I tear off the rest of the gutters and paint or wait until I know for sure when the new gutters will be installed? With the rain we’ve had and what’s forecast, I’m not comfortable being gutterless for very long. Plus, I have a visit planned to see my new grandson Liam in Florida.

This was the day to do some more shopping for the exact trim needed to complete the garage door, two new windows and a cap for the porch siding. I’m feeling as though I really know Home Depot by now. My unplanned purchase was a pair of hydrangeas which will grace the wide porch steps, which had been designed with potted plants in mind. Now to find four more sun/shade plants for the other two steps.

After a month of working on siding, I can finally begin to see the end of the project, which is truly welcome. I’m ready to get the building materials off the driveway so I can seal it, light brown to match the stone work of the terraces next to it. Painting the house will be easier than last time, since I have borrowed a ladder that will actually reach the peak.

I’m finding that as I get older, I can’t sustain the days of heavy work that I did in the mid-90s; today was a day for less intense lifting. I went back to the how-to books to check ways of installing a screen door, but they say nothing. I’ll check with my builder friend around the corner.

My day ended relatively early with fewer aches and pains than the day before. Now I can mix the shade of green I want for the porch steps, front door and screen. The standard floor green is too yellow, so a bit of black and deep blue should make it just right.