Dear colleagues,
As promised here is the second story in a series I'm calling A
Parkinsonian's Guide to Better Health. Two novice writers Tony Munroe and Anita Gargas have written short stories about how they deal with their PD. Namely by taking what was available and making something out of it; Anita with her little trowel and Tony with tools that he probably made himself. Enjoy and please let us know what you think.
THE ART OF REMODELING ONE'S HOME
TEN YEARS AND STILL BUILDING
BY TONY MUNROE
IN COLLABORATION WITH GEORGE LUSSIER
THE GOOD TIMES NEWSLETTER
When I call it art I really mean it. Tony didn't just remodel his
home, he created a work of art. When I saw the photographs it was
hard to believe just what I was seeing. On a cold rainy January afternoon
I took myself out to Stow , Mass. to have a look for my self. The
house is easy enough to find. It is beautiful; striking in its Queen
Ann style
What I found was an asymmetrical structure dominated by a turret
and a long wrap around porch. There were hand made gingerbread railings,
hand made patterns of cedar shingles, hand made over hangs which protected
us from the driving rain, hand made this, hand made that. What an
extraordinary sight!
Of course there was another sight awaiting us and that had to do
with the decision made by Tony and his wife, Lucy, to do the outside
first. The inside of the addition is still, for the most part, an
unfinished shell.
Tony recalls an early event that is indicative of his work philosophy.
He had contracted a firm to dig out the foundation. Week after week,
the backhoe failed to arrive, so Tony started digging with a pick
and shovel. He finished the foundation hole before the backhoe arrived.
The lesson is to accomplish your goal by not confusing convenience
with necessity. He then set and leveled the forms for the foundation
footer, poured the concrete, laid the block walls and erected the
framing. Some of the new framing put a roof over much of the old
house. This protected him from the weather as he demolished and rebuilt
portions of the original house. The previous sentences take seconds
to read but years to accomplish. Tony has been working on the house
for over ten years; some years full time, some part time. He was
fortunate enough to be able to retire in 1983 and makes his own schedule.
He is currently trying to finish those annoying framing details that
get ignored until the end. Then its roughing in the utilities and
insulation. Parkinsons has slowed him down, so as a concession to
sanity, he has promised his wife to hire a sheet rock contractor.
The level of detail is extraordinary. The living room has a bay window
that features a 6'x3' stained glass window Tony designed and made.
There are hundreds of pieces that had to be cut and soldered. Tony
conceded that he did take a beginners course but otherwise he is self
taught. There is a three panel wooden room screen that is once again
just loaded with details. If you look carefully at the photo of the
front of Tony's house you will notice dozens of gingerbread porch
railings and heart shaped shingles under the windows.** Designed by
Tony and done by hand, of course. Tony designed and made the windows
and mills his own molding. Inside there is the start of parquet flooring
with inlays of exotic hardwoods, like rosewood.The cooktop is set in an island that he constructed. The surfaces for the island and counters are fabricated from mahogany planks thatwere salvaged out of a bank in Cambridge. Absolutely nothing is wasted.
Details, details,details; the devil is in the details.
Tony & Lucy live in the original part of the house which started
out as a 1000 sq. Ft. Cape Cod cottage. So they have had the use
of all the basics, like the kitchen and the bath, through the course of the project.
The final structure will triple the living area. Tony is now giving
some thought to handicapped access; maybe a wheelchair ramp in the
back, lots of stout grab-bars in the bathrooms, shower seat.
The old saying "Jack of all trade, master of none" seems to not to
fit Tony. Just the opposite. I asked him how he came to exhibit
so many unique talents and his modest reply downplayed his talents,
as he emphasized what he calls perseverance. Anyone can have the talents
but he is only different in the sense that he can stay with a task
for years if it is necessary. He even credits one of his Parkinsons
symptoms, his slow movements, as kind of giving him permission to
take it slow and easy. What difference does it make if a professional
can do a particular project in half the time as you. As long as you
enjoyed doing it is what matters!
As I was getting ready to take my leave I, of course, made reservations
for the open house. Tony acknowledges being years behind. So should
we make it sometime in the year 2008 or 2010? Not to worry, Tony
will find a way and when it is done it will be spectacular!
** When the original story first appeared in the Good Times Newsletter it was accompanied by 6 color photographs
