Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Our Newest Addition




In our last house, we had no less than three flagpoles with American and/or Marine Corps flags on them. You can tell it is very important for Terry to display his colors. However, we lived here a whole month before we had a flag, and it was attached to the house on one of those poles you often see decorative flags attached to. We had that up in time for Independence Day, but Terry had been mulling for months on how to put up a flag pole that would be sturdy and clear the house and be in a spot that was unobtrusive, yet noticeable. We bought PVC pipe so that he could construct his own pole as he had done in LJ, but after much consideration, he decided that would not work out well. We rode around to several neighborhoods to see how others displayed their flags. Finally, after several weeks, we found a flagpole kit at Lowe's that he thought would work. (I had pointed that same kit out a few weeks before, but he didn't remember it.) It was costly, but something that seemed doable. Then we waited for the boys to be available to help, but they are very busy. At last, Terry took the bull by the horns and dug the hole all by himself. Together, he and I mixed concrete and he put it in the hole and set the bottom section of the post. He was very careful to make sure it was level because, after all, he is a perfectionist and getting to be more so all the time. A day later we assembled the pole and erected it. Then the flag went up. It was a very long and laborious project, but it is finished and looks very good. However, it sways a little bit in the strong breezes we get around here. I contend that it is designed to do that, but my perfectionist worries about it, so he has designed in his head a bracket to hold it to the house and stabilize it. I hope he gets the materials and gets it done soon so that he can quit fretting about it. Meanwhile, here it is with its proud owner. Doesn't it look nice? Life is good...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks more like YOUR house now, and not just some random patio home. I like it.

And, wow. You had to help dad set a post in the ground? I don't envy you that task!

Judy said...

Hi Nancy, Your flag and the pole look just great! I love that room on that back of your house with all the windows. Is Terry a retired engineer? My friend, Bob, is a retired mechanical engineer and everything has to be level, plum, perfect, etc. Drives me crazy sometimes! lol.

Susie said...

Hi Nancy,
I live with a perfectionist too, so I can relate quite well to this post.
The flagpole looks great to me!
xo