Good Sistering

My sister is afraid of heights.  Always has been.  I don't remember if something happened that made her afraid of heights or if she was always like that. 

It's not an uncommon fear.  I know other people that are afraid of heights, too. 

Shortly after college, I went on vacation to the beach with a group of friends.  Several of us paid a small fee to climb to the top of a local lighthouse.  The stairwell inside was narrow, but wound around the inside of the lighthouse.  The view was beautiful.  

The husband of one of the ladies joined in the journey. He laughed was talking and joking on the climb up the stairs, but the moment we stepped out of the lantern room at the top (where the beacon is located) he totally freaked out and couldn't move away from the inside wall.  He couldn't look out, he couldn't look down, he couldn't even open his eyes.  He had to get down instantly.  The line of people climbing up behind us weren't thrilled about it either. 

It's not a big deal.  I don't mind heights, so if there is something high that my sister needs and I can help, I'm in for the job.  

She wanted to paint her foyer.  She has a split entry house, similar to the Cat Ranch and many houses in this area.  High foyer ceiling. She and Grammy could do the low spots and needed assistance with the high spots. 

Add 1 tall ladder, 1 long stick, and a painter.   

But because I don't have a fear of heights, I forget about those that do.  At least she can laugh about it. 

 

Then we just got silly and couldn't stop laughing about anything and everything.  Her kids thought we were nuts.  Painting will do that to a person. 

The foyer turned out nice. This is a photo before I finished the edge.  The paint had a sand added which gave the walls a really nice texture. 

On a side note, I learned a LOT on that vacation after college.  It rained 5 out of 7 days and was cloudy the other 2 days.  We did a lot of shopping and playing cards and reading.  It was relaxing, but not what I wanted from a vacation at the beach.

I learned who I enjoy traveling with and who I don't. 
I learned some people are terrible drivers, and being in the back seat of a warm car with a bad driver makes a person who doesn't get sick in the car carsick.
I learned you should be in the fun car, not the boring car. 
I learned you shouldn't be the only single person on vacation with 4 other married couples. 
I learned what some people think is clean is not what I consider clean. Especially in the kitchen.
I learned that video games and TV are what some consider vacation fun at the beach (rainy weather or not), but not what I consider beach vacation fun. 
I learned that when I go on vacation I want to go out to eat seafood, not stay home and cook spaghetti.  I do that everyday at home.
I learned that sleeping is the goal for some people during a beach vacation, but not me.
I learned to always have a backup plan in case of rain. 
I learned being a passenger with no transportation makes you dependent when you want to go to the store and nobody else does.
I learned that your friends will make fun of your big bottle of wine when you're packing, but then everybody will ask for a drink when you get there.

I learned to ask more questions before going on vacation. 

I learned I will always love the beach.