My wife is a carpenter at heart.
She already owns a circular saw, a miter saw and a reciprocating saw.
“I really want to get a table saw,” she says.
She always has some projects around the house. If she hasn’t built something, she’s planning her next project.
Now she is looking to add a dinette to our kitchen.
why? “Before, there were only useless, junk-catching shelves, now they have a purpose,” she says.
Kenna is a perfectionist.
“To do a good miter cut, you have to really know what you’re doing,” she says. “I haven’t gotten there yet.”
She has no passion for cooking.
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Even if you put a lot of effort into your meal, after 15 or 20 minutes, “you just have to show that you have a lot of dirty dishes,” she says.
Meanwhile, one of her home projects has lasting benefits.
She would rather create things that make life around the house more efficient and beautiful.
“I like cutting drywall. When it fits right, there’s something satisfying about it,” she says.
Kena shared her construction expertise with her daughter. Brena never learned to cook from her mother, but she says she was able to break down walls by the time she turned 10.
My wife is just continuing the family tradition. When she was little, she loved helping her father with his projects.
Kena likes to admire her work when she’s done with it. She is proud of the bookshelves she built in our basement.
She knows her way around Home Depot, Menards and Orscheln’s. When an ad arrives each week, she studies it thoroughly.
Recently, I saw a T-shirt that she wanted. It reads, “Enjoying romantic walks in the hardware store.”
It bothers her that her pickup is not working now. The other day she had to carry lumber home in my 2004 Honda her Accord. The board was sticking out of the window.
At night, as she lies in bed awake, she fantasizes about how she wants to improve her home.
I watch “This Old House” every week. She likes keeping up with the latest construction techniques.
When we watch other shows, she doesn’t pay much attention to the character.
“It’s a great room,” she says.
She might also comment on arched doors and crescent windows.
Kena says she’s the only handyman in our house.
If you ask me to point out the bearing wall, I can’t help it.
You can see the main difference between the two of us.
I am happy with assembling the columns. She wants to add columns to her porch.
Today is our 40th anniversary.
Instead of buying her jewelry and flowers, you might want to please her and buy her that table saw.
Jeff Bahr is a reporter for The Independent. He can be reached at his 308-381-9408.
