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 Maria DiGiorgio is a lifelong New Yorker, who currently resides in Commack, with her family. She is a devoted wife and mother, an educator and designer. Maria is active in her community, as a PTA mom and Girl Scout leader. She has a passion for interior decorating and loves to garden. She is an avid reader, and enjoys writing about life experiences and parenthood, as well as her personal observations about the world around us. |
| For anyone who can lay claim to being a “homeowner”, you surely know that along with the pride and sense of accomplishment it brings, there are also endless challenges that follow. The 1980’s hit movie: “The Money Pit”, had Tom Hanks and Shelley Long at their wits ends, trying to repair what “appeared” to be the house of their dreams. At every turn, they were met with incompetency and insurmountable financial outlay. Finally, after months of almost maniacal efforts, their home and their relationship seemed, ultimately, better for the wear. I wish I could say the same was true of all home improvement endeavors. It seems that when one project draws to an end, there’s another, just waiting to be embarked upon. The “domino effect” couldn’t be more apropos, than when it applies to maintaining one’s home. Of course, today, there are a plethora of television shows that focus exclusively on this very topic. HGTV is nothing short of addictive. The only thing is, I’ve yet to encounter any projects in my own home, that yield the expertise or grandiose finished product so typically depicted, in these programs. Most times, home improvement is fraught with frustration, disillusionment and dilution of funds. It can be extremely trying and leave the homeowner wondering if, perhaps, they should have just kept renting or made the best of living home, with Mom and Dad. To be an official homeowner, one must be steadfast in the attempts to always improve upon the condition of one’s dwelling, whether it be cosmetic or structural. Possessing a very tough skin, a penchant for spending money and a willingness to relinquish (at times) all sense of reason and well being, are also prerequisites for holding this daunting title. Remember the immortal sentiments Frank Sinatra sang about New York? “If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere”. If you can survive owning and maintaining your own home, then I would argue, you could do just about anything, too… except, maybe, that next repair! |
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20 lucky winners will win $500 each in prizes totaling $10,000. 