Yikes! That was random and personal and un-related to this soldier's letter. But as a side note at least your late husband was willing to work on the house. :p
Actually, mostly he bitched and obstructed. It was only after he got Alzheimers and could not remember more than 15 seconds at a time that we could work together well. We built a small cabin in the woods with no electricity. I would start a saw cut in a 2 x 6 and he would finish it for me. He would hold things where I asked him to and I would nail them into place.
Actually he was not very willing, I had to do most of it while he went off to play with his boat.