Imagine Coming
Home to This!
Today I did a cleaning for an aging woman whose husband had just passed away around the Holidays. I would hate to be in that position; purchasing gifts for the kids and grandchildren together and then planing a funeral. The poor woman is still grieving, but ready to move on; she is preparing to sell the house and move.
When I arrived there was a huge Block of ice formed from the faucet outside were the garden hoses connected to a manifold. It was a good thing that we haven't had one or two of those nights in the teens or that exposed pipe in the "drafty & uninsulated" basement laundry room would have burst and flooded the rest of the finished basement adding to her troubles.
The water hadn't been turned off yet from the inside and winterized. She was clueless as to what needed to be done, "My husband had always taken care of these type of things" was what she told me in response to my informing her of what needed to be done.
When if finished my work, all it took was five minutes for me to explain what needed to be done and then escort her downstairs while I searched for the Main Water Valve and Shut-Off Valve for the hose bib. I then placed my water tags on them and explained to her how to winterize the valve and did it for her as well as telling her that if she ever had a water leak in the house that she needed to turn off the Main Water Valve and then drain all the water from one of the faucets in the basement to minimize the damage from the water leak.
Please, if anyone you know has recently lost their spouse or is just aging or getting forgetful, check on them. Not just to make sure that they have winterized their pipes, but give them a had however you can; shovel their walkways when it snows, help them with their trash, whatever you can.
It's good for for all of us!
