Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Tool Belt Gals

A  L  O  H  A !
A Warm Golden Blue Sky for You

" Life is too short 
to be little. "
                    Benjamin Disraeli











 " Happiness belongs 
to the self-sufficient "
                 Aristotle 











 “Oh, that's the beauty 
of the rose, 
that it blossoms 
and dies.” 
        Willa Cather




]|[

There was a time
when I was young
that I wanted to work
with my hands.

My teacher's husband
hired me
to do the scutwork
on his urban
renovation jobs.
I was 18 years old.

I pried hundred-year-old nails
from ancient wood
with a 


I dismantled stairs,
spackled dry wall,
used a miter box
to cut cove molding
so it met perfectly
in corners.

The belt sander,
the drill driver,
and trusty hammer
were my daily companions.

One day
we build a 
free-standing wall!

A pony tail
on a construction job
was quite unusual.

But every day now
I see young women
in hard hats,
working along.

And some part of me
thinks:
"I helped do that!"

And who knows,
maybe I did.

What paths
have YOU cleared?

Thank YOU
for making a path
here with us!

            Fondly, Cloudia






20 comments:

Fireblossom said...

What's the definition of a soft butch? She wears a pink tool belt.

:-)

Ileana said...

You're a true Trailblazer, my friend, and what have I done? I know I've opened doors to wives and moms who feel their lives are over after being married with children. Hell no, we still have a lot of fire in our bellies and I think our husbands and children need to know that life doesn't only revolve around the needs of the family but can also include personal dreams and goals as well to be reached one step at a time, even if they're baby steps, while being a good wife and mom.

ayala said...

I came over to read this one that I had missed.....good for you, so cool you got to do this :)

eViL pOp TaRt said...

That was so cool! You were one of the pioneers.

Reader Wil said...

I only did construction work during my holidays in international workcamps

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Very nice, Cloudia.
~

Birdman said...

You go, GIRL!

TexWisGirl said...

love it. wish i was handy, but i've never been afraid to get dirty and sweaty. :)

Myrna R. said...

That is very cool. I wish I knew how to use more tools. But I'm happy too when I see women doing what they want and are skilled at doing.
I love the golden clouds picture.
Happy day Cloudia!

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Why does this not surprise me Cloudia :) Yes indeed I like working with my hands also, would have loved to be a gardener in Kings Park, or Queens Park but happy to settle for my jungle :) Not sure if I've been a trail blazer on a big scale but know Aimee and Dave have followed many of my ways and am happy with that!

Cloudia said...

Great comments! Thanks friends

Teresa said...

You really are a trailblazer! One of the advantages of homeschooling for my girls was that they got to get trained in their dad's construction company, too. When I was in Taiwan, I learned to mix concrete manually, using shovels to quickly stir the water into the sand, gravel, and concrete powder mix.

Elephant's Child said...

Big smiles. I love the thought that a blazing trail can be cast by any one of us - wandering through the undergrowth, making new paths (for us - and for the future).

Charles Gramlich said...

I did a lot of working with my hands when I was a kid. I wanted to do non hand working. :)

Jane Hards Photography said...

Good for you doing it for yourself.

William Kendall said...

I really like Disraeli's quote!

Grand Crapaud said...

The frangipani is so vivid and beautiful.

Small Kucing said...

not really keen on working with my hands. But recently discovered that gardening can be rewarding and calming

Cloudia said...

Very cool, friends. Thanks!

Betty Manousos said...

aloha!
love it. so cool you got to do this.

xo