Hey, Girls, Gather 'Round...

I have my very own Handy Man, ya'll know him here as "Kman". He fixed my broken heart several years ago, and continues to monitor it carefully and tenderly.

Blue-eyed, tall, handsome with a wicked sense of humor, he is equally at home with a hammer or a paintbrush - unlike the lyrics in this James Taylor tune.

As I compose this, he is out in the garage working on some new kitchen cabinets for our older ranch house. I pick out a picture in a magazine and he does his magic with any special changes my little ol' heart desires (and as our shallow pockets will allow).

The new wall mural at the end of our bedroom hallway is a work in progress as well, though it has been put at the bottom of the list in order to finish the kitchen re-do.

It started with a kaput electric counter top unit. We had first thought to just replace it, but then considered that the adjoining in-cabinet oven was probably well over 20 years old. So, we bought a full-sized gas range instead. Which meant ripping out existing cabinets, and re-connecting the old gas line that was in use originally in the house (1959 or so). That lead to more changes, like tearing out the very ugly and dated tile that served as the backsplash to the countertop range.

Of course, now I am looking at lighting and other backsplash, etc...remodeling can sure snowball...

One thing for sure if we ever sell our house, buyers will either really fall in love with the custom artsy changes, or...they'll run screaming for that shiny new model home in the cookie cutter sub-division.

But, the love that went into the murals on the walls and the custom woodworking can't be valued at any price. And that's what I see first when Kman completes any home project, be it our lovely flowered yard or new kitchen cabinets.

Yep, I won the husband lottery!