Independence has always been a very big deal to me. My family is quick to tell stories of a little me politely declining help with a loud "I CAN DO IT MYSELF!" Some things don't change.
My independence is why I have an electric chair rather than others pushing me. Well... that and my penchant for motion sickness if I'm not in control. It's often why I push myself much harder than I should physically. There's just such reward for me to do things independently. There's nothing like it. That feeling of accomplishment that never comes when I ask for help.
This is the reason I'm working hard to make my home as user-friendly as I can. It's vital that I keep that feeling of independence for as long as I can. Here are a few projects going on in my house right now.
My husband built this beautiful space for raised pots, then we'll build out the walkway up to our door with cement stones to make more wheelchair space. There's room for me now, but it's tight. This will be a huge improvement (and it still looks good).
We used to have a towering bookshelf here, but it got moved this weekend because it was a little bit in the way of me getting out the front door. AND my husband was worried I'd hit it and kill myself (with shit falling on my head.) It was a valid concern. Seeing as I refuse to die such a stupid death it seemed wiser just to move the damn thing. So now it's a very improved landing site for my purse and all my Sweetie's needs. Plus now I can reach all of this from my chair. Before I couldn't. Win-win for everyone!
Due to the itty bittiness of our galley kitchen we've always had our beautiful dishes out on a shelf. But now it's great because I can easily reach what I need without getting up. Same goes for our printer that until recently was hard to access. Accessibility = independence.
Can you spot the "black tower of death" in the corner? That was the shelf that got moved in the previous picture.
This is the best change yet. I'm working on moving all of my clothing out of our closet and onto the walls. My husband says "You have a real thing for hooks." It's true. Because they are WAY easier and take less spoons than anything else. They also come in a huge variety of cute colors, shapes and sizes. This is still a work in progress, but I think it will look great and be super useful when we're done creating it.
Making my house work for me is a big goal right now. Thank goodness I have family on board who supports me with their energy and money to help make my vision come to life. That's the kind of help that's always welcome and appreciated.
