My parents were turning the attic space directly over the dining room into an extra bedroom. That space had no flooring, which was one of the first jobs they tackled. One evening, they set out our dinner and went upstairs to work while we ate.

Suddenly we heard a scream and a crash and saw Mom’s foot come through the ceiling! She’d forgotten all about the lack of flooring and stepped right through the ceiling. She wasn’t hurt, but the soup that night was pretty crunchy due to the plaster dust and all.