Pat (weezilgirl) has been on The Great Orange Satan since 2007. I swear it has taken me that long to convince her to let me write this diary. She is one of the original independent, stubborn Tough Old Broads. But now she needs our help. Not to pay bills, she isn't in debt, but to fix her home so it will be warm, dry and safe.
Please keep reading beyond the smear of caulk.
Pat's home was built 62 years ago and purchased by her Mother. Pat wasn't living in Oklahoma when her parents died and she inherited the house and a little land. She didn't move back then because she had a home, land and work. Only she lost everything when a neighbor fraudulently altered her property deed and took out FIVE mortgages. Of course, he couldn't pay; neither could Pat. Three years and many court appearances later, the neighbor went to jail and Pat was left with an $11,000 settlement, no home and no land. So much for her retirement funds.
Pat wasn't completely down and out; remember - Tough Old Broad. She moved to a small town near Austin to be close to her girls. She worked a number of jobs to keep herself going but by 2011, she was 68, jobs had dried up, and no one would hire an old lady anyway. Still not down and out, Pat moved back to the family home in OK. Only it wasn't "ok" and that is where we come in.
The house and out buildings had been vandalized and were in such bad shape, I sure as hell would never have moved in. I'm not as tough as Pat. As Pat told me:
I spent rainy days and nights running from room to room with containers. The walls were ruined and the tile and linoleum floors were impacted....The roof had huge holes in several places and every room had sheetrock on the floor. I had no money for improvements. I managed to get some roofing felt on the roof but it didn't hold. I went to tarps.
In May of 2014 I borrowed enough to put a metal roof on the house.....My family friend came from Austin and made the roof right. Now, I have a roof that no longer leaks and the joy of that is unbelievable. I still have the huge holes in my ceilings. The insulation that was in the attic is the blow-in kind and what didn't fall into the rooms, isn't doing any good now. I've covered the holes in the kitchen with tarps. I have two electric heaters in here and I know my electric bill is going to be high. My youngest daughter bought sheet insulation and I covered the holes in the LR with that. I have gotten enough firewood now that I can build a fire in the LR and read in comfort. I have a "good as new" 35 year old pair of coveralls that I wear a lot. I have made one bedroom livable. I sleep there now. What a treat to not sleep on a loveseat that is in the kitchen.
This is a picture of Pat's livingroom ceiling before she cleaned up and put the insulation panels up. The walls are still the same. The ceiling has been patched, not repaired.
Yes, it is that bad.
Her well house was destroyed - twice - by high winds. Anyone who has lived in a cold climate with a well knows how important it is to keep the well head from freezing.
Pat, with a little help from some friends, can make the repairs. She knows which end of a hammer is the "poundy" side. But she needs money to buy materials. Her income is only $950/month Social Security. We can help her with this. She is terribly embarrassed and upset that she has to ask - and would never do it herself - I had to do some serious arm twisting here. No one should live under those conditions. No one who has worked as hard as Pat has all her life should have to live under those conditions. Not only has she worked hard all her life, even now she takes in stray animals and gives them food, water and love. She has told us about a few of them and I am looking forward to her diary on the "girlie-chicks" - her beloved hens.
Pat has called around getting the best prices for building materials. Here is the breakdown of what she needs:
well house. $316. (treated, outdoor materials)
5 ceilings. $1360 (beadboard, trim - lighter than rock & easier to install)
5 ceilings Insulation $510.
delivery $104 for 100 miles.
3 Floors $854. ($600 is labor for removing old tile & linoleum - the rest is sealer & stain for the concrete floor)
$2544 is the material + delivery total. The floor figure would be for labor to remove all the horrible tile and linoleum ($600) plus sealer and stain. Pat is going with sealed concrete floors because the floor is already there and it seems to be the least expensive and easiest way to go. Unfortunately, she has not been able to find anyone to do the floor gratis.
So how about it? Can we come up with $3144 to help Pat have heat, water, comfort and safety? Pat is being as conservative as she can, but we all know fixing anything gets expensive. If you can help (the cost of a piece of insulation or a piece of beadboard or a box of screws, ANYTHING), her PayPal account is weezilgirlchurch@sbcglobal.net. I know it works because I have already sent a little bit. If you are more comfortable using another method, please send her a KOSmail.
By the way, Pat was the official photographer of the Navajo Nation Rodeo Cowboy's Association and is working on a book about the group. A little comfort and safety would help her get to the finish line on that project.
Thank you, thank you, thank you - for every rec' and tip - for every little bit.
Update: 6:10 pm. I was asked to check on the PayPal link. Found out that you CANNOT send money by PayPal without an account. I had never personally checked before because I have an account. I apologize for any inconvenience (10,000 internet points to anyone who knows the reference!). If you don't have an account, perhaps you could kosmail weezilgirl for her address.
3:21 PM PT: please note update about PayPal!
4:56 PM PT: A note from Just Bob explaining how to get around the PayPal account thingy:
It's about the paypal update - a work around (5+ / 0-)
Those who don't have an account can send Weezilgirl a message including their email address and the amount they would like to send.
Weezilgirl can request money through paypal. The donor will receive an email invoice from paypal with a link to make the payment for "Goods".
Works for me.
Sun Jan 11, 2015 at 9:22 AM PT: We are up to $2300! There are also a few checks on the way. Plus offers of labor/material assistance and some of the greatest suggestions I have ever seen. Thank you, all you wonderful DKers - this is really going to happen for our weezilgirl!