Created to be ... a handywoman?

Do you clench at the idea of power tools, nails ,screws and hard labor as being part of your lady duties?
Are you unacquainted with the tools in your garage? Do you think a stud finder is some lucky lady that has an eye for good looking guys? if your response is yes to all the above, we are in trouble my friend!
Growing up without a dad or brothers in the house, my sisters and I learned early in life that if you couldn't fix it nobody would. To make matters worse I didn't have the luxury of having "tools" per say,we were poor back in Colombia and couldn't afford even the basics of instruments: rocks or pieces of wood did the job for a hammer, anything with a point like knives served as screwdrivers both flat and Phillips.We never owned a power drill but yet in the middle of this cave-like environment I learned to take machines apart to see how they worked, I became a fan of owner's manuals( they are essential reading to me) and I got used to tackle jobs that normally girls wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.
Personally I think guys like a woman who can fend for herself in some areas and is not afraid of getting dirty. As a matter of fact after I met my husband, he found me one day mixing concrete up on top of my roof in the process of installing a TV antenna. He jokes telling me that was one of the signs that I was THE ONE for him.

I'm all for feminine stuff, to be lady -like and know your way around the kitchen. Covering all the basics from cleaning to cooking, ironing to mending socks, knitting, scrapbooking, teaching, tending to children, I believe women are capable of amazing things! When it comes to home improvement though, I'm afraid many are in the dark.

After all why bother? I have my man to do that kind of job! But wait a minute: What if hubby is away at work and your house is flooding and you don't know where the main shut off valve is? or how about if there's a power outage and you don't know how to reset your utility box? or switch a power breaker back on? Will you spend the rest of the day without electricity until hubby comes home? How about those times when your honey -do list is soooo long ,your husband doesn't have time to hang that picture or repair that leaky faucet? Will you endure the wait?

I don't think a little knowledge of basic DIY would hurt any woman, if anything it would be of great benefit. I happen to have a husband that is very good at getting to my honey -do list very quickly, but there are times when he's at work and I get to do jobs I believe I can do on my own and this makes him very proud of me. I heard a very wise lady say: Don't complain to your husband about the leaky faucet, go ahead and fix it yourself! She goes a little further as to say that women need to know basic mechanics and how to change oil in a car and replace a tire. It's a matter of survival!

But how? you say. Well, when you go to the home improvement store grab a book of basic DIY. Ask questions, Watch a DIY show on TV, not just the ones about pretty designs but the one where they teach you how to replace a toilet ( my favorite shows are This Old house and Ask This old House). By the way, another way to learn is tackling a job with hubby, watch while he works or figure it out together and the best part: you save money doing it yourselves.

My husband and I have replaced a toilet, faucets, light fixtures, ceiling fans; installed a garage door opener and many more together, I read the manual and we brainstorm the plan together, he does most of the manual work but at the end we both have the satisfaction of a job well done.

I believe God has created us to be help meets for our husbands not just in the things that pertain to the "women's work" of the household but also to be partners in working along side of them to improve and beautify our homes. So , give it a try and get the power tools out! you are in for a treat!