Have you ever mowed your lawn using not a mechanized or motorized mower, but the old mechanical, push and pull type?
A week ago, I did. It is one of those “do-it-yourself” things I love to do. This time, however, there was nothing lovable about it It was pure hard labor I almost quit several times during the two-hour ordeal.
The problem was not in the mowing but of the thick grass cover of my lawn. Each push and pull of the darn, old clickity-clank of the mower was pure agony.
My stubbornness paid off. Not only was I able to make my lawn look fresh – again – I also kept myself busy with what could have been another lazy Sunday.
It saved me a few bucks and kept boredom away. Though dead-tired afterward, my self-esteem was given a big boost.
Of course, you don’t have to mow your lawn to accomplish what I did. There are several ways of keeping yourself busy and your self-esteem happy. Here are five super cool ideas to choose from:
1. Wooden toolbox:
You can make a simple, yet elegant, wooden toolbox from bits of wood, a few nails, and a small tube of wood glue. Then you must have a hammer, jigsaw and a planer.
Of course, you can buy one from Costco or any other hardware store, but making it yourself is more fun and satisfying.
2. Bacon candles:
A bacon candle is a candle made from leftover fat after cooking bacon. It makes your home smell like sizzling bacon long after you have washed down your bacon-and-egg breakfasts with brewed coffee.
You can learn how to do this from a short video tutorial at diyjoy.com.
3. Knife from used saw blades:
I am a recycle and reuse guy but I have not tried this one yet. It is difficult to lay my hands on discarded saw blades. If you can, recycling them into kitchen or utility knives.
Small knives like this will be good for cutting or dicing vegetables of pruning small branches from your garden plants.
Detailed instruction on how to make this is shown at artofmaniliness.com.
4. Paracord recliner:
If you want a comfortable recliner in your garden or porch, don’t buy it. Make one.
All you need are a few pieces of wood, carpentry tools, and a parachute cord. It’s lightweight, elegant and you can move it anywhere you want to.
You can refer to Instructables.com to help you build one.
5. Signature camera strap:
No, I don’t mean a camera strap from Salvatore, but something more personal, something that shows your personality – your signature camera strap.
It is really quite easy and cheap. All you need are an old polo shirt, a frayed belt, and an old leather boot.
Several DIY websites offer instructions on how to do this in your free time.
DIY things may require some effort, probably a stiff learning curve. But that’s the challenge – to flex your mental muscles a bit, test your resourcefulness and ingenuity.
But the feeling of having done something is very exhilarating; it makes you feel superb, gives you purpose.
I take pride in what I do. It is evident in my writing. Yes, writing keeps me busy. In fact, I wish I can stretch the hours a little more so I can do more learning and writing.
Try it. You will never regret it.
Please share to encourage other seniors the beauty of self-satisfaction one gets from DIY things.
Image: https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/senior-men-hobbies-carpenter-carpentry
~oOo~
