Method in My Madness

By nature, I am not one that likes to try new methods of doing things. I like the old tried and true ways that I am familiar with and have done all these many years. But then, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. I am trying to spruce up the little House on the Bayou. I am still in the midst of clearing the sewing room but grew tired of looking through boxes. So...I moved outside! Now don't get me wrong..this was not an underhanded move just to be outside enjoying the sunshine, birds singing and flowers blooming..I really did intend to work! I started with the back deck. This little deck is one that my oldest son built years ago before he was married. I love this tiny deck! It is only about four feet wide by eight feet long but for some reason it just makes me happy! The door to this deck leads into the laundry room so I use the deck everyday on my way to the clothesline. As I said, I started with the back deck..I cleared all of the accumulated junk and then stared at the windows of the laundry room. My goodness! They needed painting! And caulking! I guess that should be the other way around..caulk then paint but the need for paint was more obvious. After new trim boards were nailed in place, I tried my hand at caulking. Before, I have always used a putty knife and a can of pasty stuff, but Hubby came home with tubes of caulking and a gun! He had always done the caulking before except in a few minor places. I looked at it and thought "I can do this!" I mean..just how hard can it be to squeeze a trigger and aim a gun? I loaded a tube into the gun and climbed on the ladder. I figured that I better start on the top window and work my way down. Yep..easy as pie! I aimed my gun and squeezed. Out came the biggest blob of caulking I had ever seen...Splat! It hit the side of the glass and slid down three panes of glass coming to a halt on the muntin below. It sat there like some slowly melting snowman that was disfigured horribly by the cruel Sunman! Hmm, this was not good! Oh and by the way..a muntin, for those who do not know their window parts, is the name for the little strip thingy between panes of glass in a window. Most new windows do not have these but I have antique windows so I have muntins! Lots of muntins when you have to paint them! Anyway, my first attempt at using a caulking gun was a total flop..or splat. Not daunted by this small setback, I tried a different approach. I aimed the gun sideways at the muntin..slid the gun down the length of glass and turned the corner. With the exception a blobby mess in the corner..not too bad! I think I was getting the hang of this..and after only two tries! I set the gun on the ladder to clean up the pile in the corner of the window. Careful to wipe any smears off the pane, I smoothed the corner with my putty knife. (Yes, I did bring it out with me!) When I reached for the gun to continue on the next pane of glass, it felt noticeably lighter than before. Oh no!!! I had forgotten to release the trigger! A snowman of caulking was mounded below the ladder! OOOPS! Needless to say, I did not have enough left to finish my windows. Yes, there were a few more tubes in the bag but when Son saw my predicament, he just merely said, "Mom, how about I finish that and you start painting the windows on the other side." Now there is a novel idea! I really did not intend to relegate this job to anyone else but, hey, if the opportunity arises that someone wants to take over a bit of work... Perhaps there is a bit of reverse "Tom Sawyer" in me..I mean..my method ....just "act" confused and someone will come to the rescue! (I really could have done this, you know..just how hard can it be to use a caulking gun??) Tomorrow..painting! And perhaps staining the deck....and maybe a new light fixture..and........!