Like most people in the United States, Mom and I have been dealing with the summer heat (where we're getting "feels like" temperatures of around 105 degrees) the best we can, mostly by doing the smart thing for people who typically don't spend tons of time outdoors anyway: staying inside unless it's absolutely necessary to venture outside.
For Mom especially, staying inside is a non-negotiable requirement. Senior citizens and excessive summer heat don't mix particularly well, and my mom is no exception to that rule. But thanks to recent events I wrote about in my last VIP piece, however, I've had to spend more time outdoors, walking the property with contractors to talk to them about things I want done to the house and the yard, periodically making sure they stay hydrated, and then following up after they are done to review things to make sure the completed product is what I paid for.
READ MORE (VIP): What a Way to End a Vacation
To follow up on my previous article, the roof work was done late last week, and the results were pretty stunning. The color shingles we picked, Burnt Sienna, were the perfect choice to complement the overall look of the exterior of our home:
The Burnt Sienna shingles we got for the roof. Absolutely love them. pic.twitter.com/B97O2SRCeh
— Sister Toldjah 💙 (@sistertoldjah) July 20, 2026
We've still got a few odds and ends to wrap up with roof-related work, which includes the replacement of a couple of corner fascia board pieces that have seen better days, but after this week, I think we will be done with any work like that for a long time (that's my prayer, anyway).
This is the second major house project we've had done in a little over two years, with the first one being the extensive crawlspace project in 2024, where we had mold remediation done, full encapsulation, a French drain system put in, roughly 75 percent of the wood either replaced or sistered, and several new piers/columns installed.
These are all things you sort of expect to have to handle to varying degrees in any home with some age on it, which definitely includes ours, but the extent of what had to be done in both projects was a little sobering. Live and learn, and all that.
But the night before the roof project started, I found my eyes misting up a bit as I reflected on the decision to go forth with the work, and how I wished my dad could be here to see it. I started crying a bit the next day again after they were finishing up, and I went outside to see what their hours of work had produced.
I knew Mom would love it, and she did. When I showed her the pictures, I told her it was a roof I think my dad would have been proud of. The shingle color selection, the efficiency of the work done, the attention to detail. I'm biased, of course, but it looks like the shining jewel of our neighborhood.
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He would have grumbled over having to make the call to do the work and spend the money, of course, which I did to some extent, but before this was Mom's and my home, this was her and my dad's home, and he worked many hours of hard, manual labor over the years to provide for us - sometimes on days like today when the heat is almost unbearable.
While he was around when they had new windows installed, shingles put on the house, new appliances and a double French door put in, he wasn't here to see the crawlspace get redone, nor the roof be brought up to modern times, nor will he be here to see the house paid off in, Lord-willing, a couple of months.
But I feel like he would have been on board with the decisions Mom and I have made over the last few years about the house, and I like to think that, since he's up in Heaven, he's looking down at that roof (which he should be since he's got the best view!) and smiling at both of us.
DIVE DEEPER: To check out my previous Caregiver's Diary entries, please click here. Thank you!
