Moving Right Along

Good morning son! I know I've asked this many times, but where do the days go? They just disappear and then here it is Sunday again already. My picture of retirement was a lot slower than this. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. We're busy but we're doing things we want to do, when we want to do them, for the most part anyway. 

Such sad news this morning, Cory Monteith of "Glee" was found dead in a hotel in Canada this weekend.Cory Monteith  How very sad. Thirty-one years old and gone. All that talent gone. All that future gone. All the family and friends left behind. I understand the loss and I grief and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Dad and I will be praying for his family and friends. 

We're expecting some very HOT weather this week. It's predicted to be in the high 90's but the humidity is going to take it into the 100's. Dad and I spent the afternoon yesterday moving an air conditioner into the living room. The one we had in there "died". It's a smaller one but will work just fine to cool the one room which is all we need. We already have one to cool the bedroom so we can sleep.I think Jamison suffers from the heat more than we do. If we had to wear a fur coat in 100 degree weather I think we'd understand. I've never cared for a fur coat so guess that won't ever be a problem.

We're still working on the guest room. I bought the paint to redo the dresser and need to do some decorating but we've already had our first guest; Josh came over last week and spent the night. What a hoot that kid is. He reminds me so much of you. He and dad spent time organizing fishing gear. Because of storm and flash flood warnings they didn't make it to Grafton Lake , but with any luck, this week or next, weather permitting. We watched Star

Make be giggle!

Trek, Voyager and Animal Planet. Sound familiar? My intent was to get the dresser painted and the room finished this week so I could start on the entry this week. But, that didn't happen so I'll finish up this week. As with any move, whether it be distance or just a room, one move leads to another. Once we got things sorted out I had so much project stuff in my studio I now have to sort that out. The whole intent and purpose of having a large work table is to have work space when I do a project. Right now, NOT! Since I'm finally headed in the direction I've always wanted to go, Primitive, rustic and wood, much of what I have I will not need. So, I'm sorting and making a pile, a big pile, for Taylor School. All the kids have gone there and Josie, Dylan and Josh are still there.

I experienced something very surprising last week. Dad had asked me to sketch out some of my ideas for things I want to build so we'd have an idea of what we want to start. I did some rough sketches  with measurements to give him an idea. As I sat there with sketch pad and pencil in hand watching Animal Planet with Josh I started doodling. An amazing thing happened, my doodling took on an actual recognizable picture. I'm not saying they're great. It just amazed me that they were actually recognizable. Dad gave me some ideas on shading and moving things from the foreground and to the back and depth perception and I've been doodling since.

I want to do a lot of the painting "free hand" on my wood projects so now I just have to be able to transfer some of my ideas from paper to wood. I want to try out some of the new paint pens as well. You'd be in hog heaven, Sharpie has an entire line of paint pens. We use to do all of our work with Sharpies and now you can actually get them with paint. Woo hoo! Many times I've wished I had your Sharpie collection. I don't think there was a Sharpie pen color or tip design that you did not have. It will take a lot of practice but I'll get there. I am so excited about finally being able to head in the direction I've always wanted to go. This week dad is going to be spending some time with me on the saws. We have a couple of neighbors here who work late and sleep until about noon. Dad and I figure we can do the sawing in the afternoons and in the morning when everyone is sleeping we can put things together and do the painting. The back deck is a perfect place to do it all. Most of the time it is shaded and comfortable and we have our 6' table and electrical on the deck so we're good to go. Eventually we'll need to get band and miter saws but for right now we'll go with what we have.

Friday night I went to the movies with Corey, Jamo, Josh and Josie to see Despicable Me 2. The whole time we were there I could just imagine you sitting there laughing your head off. You would have loved it as much as the first one. It is SO your type of movie. The three little girls in

the movie are so adorable. I so wanted to bring them home with me. You just wanted to reach into the screen and squeeze them they are so cute. We laughed until our sides split. As always, any time spent with any of the Troy 9 is a hoot. We're going to drop by and see Corey's newly redecorated screened porch. From the picture she messaged me it looks beautiful. Can't wait to see it! That table looks small, but don't be fooled. You have to remember how many people have to fit around it!

I have to share another picture with you that Corey posted this morning on Facebook. It's a picture of Jamo and Josie sitting together. A comment was made, or question asked, "When did his arms get so long?" As I looked at them sitting there together I thought, "When Josie was born". That's when his arms got so long. When Josie was

Josie & Jamo

born. It's so hard to believe how much they have all grown since the time we've been a part of their lives. They're just all growing so quickly. In January, Josie will be six. How DID that happen? Sierra will graduate from high school next May and Hunter the next year.Life moves so quickly. And believe it or not,  at least for me anyway, even more quickly in the two years since I've been retired. As of February next year it will have been three years.

Remember your Auntie Di especially this next week. She has cataract  surgery on Monday due to chemo. Uncle Ron can use your prayers too. It's been catastrophically hot in the valley and he's had to work out in it. He'll be with Auntie Di on Monday so I'll let you know how things go. Grandma had her check up last week and she's doing great. That's always good news. Julie and family are doing well. The girls are doing good and have made friends. We're hoping to be able to take a trip next year and visit with them. 

It may seem a small thing to some, but dad and I have ordered the Sunday Times Union Albany paper. One of the things that's been difficult since we've moved to Troy is that we have no history here. It's difficult to even get interested in reading the paper because we don't have the history or know the people. So, we've started with the Sunday paper. The first arrived this morning and dad has really been enjoying his morning relaxing and reading. The more we read, the more we'll know and recognize. It's a start. It all begins with "get up and do what's in front of you". Dad use to say that to you all the time, remember? And when you were in high school he added, "but first, you've got to get up"!

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

 

Up To The Change (Challenge)

Good morning son!! And what a beautiful morning it is. It's predicted to be another hot one. Add the thunder showers this afternoon and the humidity and I don't think dad and I will be doing much but watching a movie or two. We've been working pretty hard this week, heat and all, to get ready for the bed to arrive. Yes, we were finally able to add a bed and create a guest room. It has felt really odd to be creating a home and not have room for guests. Now we can have company! It feels so cool to be able to say that again. We've never had a home when we couldn't invite people to come and visit. Things are once again tilting to the right!

Times and lives do change. People change. Change is something we all have in common. We can accept it, take it and run with it, or, we can fight it. In the end, whichever path we choose, change is going to happen. Dad has a saying, "The only thing constant in life is change.". Not only is change constant but, it progresses in it's own time. Sometimes it happens and we don't even realize it until later. Sometimes we see it coming and have time to prepare. Sometimes we're not aware of the change that is coming and there's no time to prepare. For me,  just speaking for my life, there's been a LOT of changes over the years. God has seen fit to give me a personality that accepts change pretty well. When I was younger, much younger, change came pretty easy. As the years have passed, please note that I'm NOT saying, "as I get older", I've still been pretty acceptable of change, I don't fight it, but I can "see" this funny, quizzical look on my face as it's happening and it takes longer for the recognition of it's reality to set it. For instance, when we moved for dad's work. Most of the time dad would call and say, "I'm being transferred to, X, Y or Z". And my response was always, "Okay, let's go". As always, the company paid the expenses for US to move so we did all the work. Dad and I could pack and load a truck in less than a week. Dad had to start work the Monday we arrived. It would take me three days, count 'em, three days from the day we arrived for me to unpack, have everything in it's place, pictures hung and boxes broken down and on the curb. Now evidently, it takes the both of us two years!

We are so thankful for God's grace and patience with us as we continue to maneuver through life's changes. Whether it be a life change or a room change in our home. God is there. How do people do it without Him?
 
Dad and I have always wanted our home to be open and welcoming. Your grandpa and grandma were two of the best examples of that. I guess I came by it naturally. Dad is from the South and I know it's natural there, "Y'all come now, ya hear!". We've loved having friends and family visit, invited and unannounced. Growing up that was a daily occurrence in our home. I think it's more difficult now to get people to just drop by. Maybe it's because lives are so busy. I don't know. But times change and that's not necessarily a bad thing, just different.

I've been thinking  about you a lot this week. More than usual. All good. Maybe it was a natural thing to think, "now the kids can come and visit", while we were getting the room ready. It was just one of those fleeting moments that I have. It happens so quickly it's there and gone almost before I realize it's happened. I hope those moments never stop. At first it was really difficult to have those moments because I missed you so much. I still miss you, but the pain isn't as great. Oh shoot, I don't know how to explain it. You know what I mean. The pain is still there but with time becomes more bare-able. Clear? Oh well, you're on your own, I know what I mean.

I know I promised you "after" pictures of the guest room but I didn't get as far as I thought I would. We had been using it for storage and also had all the Christmas decorations stored there. Dad cleaned up the area down in the basement and moved everything down there. In one day I might add. I was going to change the paint color but after thinking about it I've decided to leave it the cream. I'll add color my usual way, furniture and accents. Maybe my painting days are over?  (Now that we've both stopped laughing.)

This week dad and Josh are going fishing. Dad did a "header" down in the basement last week and so they had to postpone their fishing trip until this week. No, he's fine but for the first time in a long time he had to sit all day with a package of frozen broccoli on his knee. Don't laugh, that's all I had and it worked!!

We had a quiet 4th of July. Just the way we like them. It was a good day. We talked some about all the 4ths we celebrated when you were growing up. Yes, I'm laughing here. I think the last time we did fire works together was the year before the Lord called you home! Do you have fire works in heaven? Maybe that's the lightening we see. So many unanswered questions that aren't going to matter a hoot in heaven. Funny how we wonder now. 

Today is going to be a very quiet day for us. It's time for rest and fortunately, we still have enough brain cells to recognize it. Most of the time anyway!

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom














 

The Grass Is NOT Always Greener!

Good morning son! And here we are, one week later already. I have no idea where the weeks are going? Last week dad and I had an appointment every single morning for 6 days straight. I keep telling my phone I'm retired and it keeps binging with reminders. What's up with that?

Josie and I had a "date" on Tuesday. Just the two of us went girls shopping and to the movie, EPIC. It's a beautiful movie. She picked it out and she was right. Don't ever, ever tell her I said that!! It's actually a movie I'd like to see again.

We've had heat, thunder storms, lightening, wind, and rain this week, but they've actually all come in an orderly fashion. We've had sun and breezes in the morning and then just about the time it gets warm enough you're wanting the air conditioning on it clouds up, we have torrential downpours and it cools everything off and it's beautiful weather for sleeping. So, no compla

ints here. We spent all day yesterday installing the window air conditioners. Dad carried and lifted and I measured, cut and installed the insulation pieces.I hate having them in the windows, well, hate is a pretty strong word anymore. I dislike having them in the windows because I'd rather have the windows open. It is much easier in this house because we have two windows in each room for the most part so I still have a window I can open when I want to. And, when it hits 90-95 degrees I am SO thrilled we've installed them. So, it's a win, win. What use to take us a couple of hours now takes all day. What's up with that?

Corey arrived back home safely from Texas after a nine day stay. We're all very glad she's back home safe and sound. Jon did an awesome job of holding down the fort  while she was away just as he always does; including caring for 21 new chicks. Believe it or not, life has like an

Yes we did!

escalator since her feet touched the ground back home. We've been texting but I haven't seen her yet. I made some Marshmallow Brownies yesterday and I have tons of magazines so I'll drop those off today and maybe catch a glimpse of her as she runs from the house to the car. Some weeks are just like that. Life continues to happen...thank heaven!

Josh

Dad got his fishing license this last week. Josh is coming over to spend the night Monday night and then he and dad are headed to Grafton Lake for some fishing Tuesday morning. Guess they'll have to dig for some worms Monday night and pack a lunch. Hope they're awake enough so they don't get the two things mixed up.

Jamison is doing much better. We took him back in for the remainder of his boosters. He still has a week of antibiotic remaining for Lyme Disease. We'll take him back first part of August for a check and then a vaccine shot for Lyme Disease. I guess once they have it they can be reinfected with a different strain? I am SO thankful the Lord directed me to Banfield Clinics in my research. It's a super bargain at $28/mo. So far the only additional expenditure we've had is $8 for the antibiotic. He's not a spring chicken any more either. He'll be seven in November. He's such a comfort and a sweetie.

Believe it or not, I just had to wake your dad up. He's starting to sleep better and I would let him sleep until he wakes up but he doesn't want to sleep past 8 AM. We were out of our granola bars that we have with our yogurt for breakfast. Yes, I said yogurt! Your dad is easting Greek yogurt for breakfast and loves it. I make our granola bars and they are yummy crumbled in our yogurt for breakfast.

Granola Bars

Makes 48 bars

Preheat oven: 350 degrees

6 cups Old Fashion oats

2 cups mini chocolate chips

2 cups shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups craisins (I think dried apricots would be luscious but dad, not so much.)

2 cups sliced almonds

2 cans sweetened condensed milk, fat free

4 T melted butter

Mix well. I use my Kitchenaid to really get it mixed thoroughly but it can be stirred by hand.

Press tightly into a full size cooking sheet.

Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool 5 minutes and cut while warm.

Before

Before

So, the really BIG news for the week is, after two years we were finally able to buy a bed for the guest room! Both of us are so excited. Even though it means a lot of heaving lifting and carting things downstairs and organizing down there, we're up for it. We've been using the room for storage and it has worked well, but we are so ready for this. We so want to be ready to have company come and stay. Dad is VERY excited. The bed arrived this coming Friday so that gives us a week to get the room ready. Today we begin the process of moving things downstairs. And, that means ALL of the Christmas stuff. But we don't care. We're on it! Of course it also means that I want to paint and decorate. I've already completed the design work and now for the painting. I'll do that while dad and Josh are fishing. I'm just going three quarters of the way up the wall with yellow. My inspiration for the room is my yellow star quilt. I think I'll also paint a design on the wall above the bed eliminating the need for a headboard. The room needs the few extra inches at the foot of the bed. I'll take some "before" and "after" pictures to show you next week. 

I still have one piece of furniture in that room that I need to figure out what I'm going to do with it. It's the amoire  that dad "rebuilt" for me in Springfield. But I'll figure it out. You know I will!

It's taking a while, and at times I didn't think it would ever happen, but as dad said so well yesterday, "The longer I stay here, the more I love our home". God is good.

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

 

 

Summer Fun

Good morning son!  How the heck are you? Life is good here. Summer is here. The temperature was 70 degrees when we went to bed last night at 11 pm. This morning the sun is out, the birds are doing their usual fighting on the front porch and there is a delightful summer breeze pushing it's way into the living room. Jamison and I are in our usual Sunday morning spots on the couch. Me? I'm stretched out with the computer in my lap writing and Jamison, well, he's draped over the other end wistfully looking from me to the outside. He'd much rather be on the other side of the window. The flowers that I began from seeds are now beginning to bloom. Here's a time when I wish my mom were closer so she could tell me what I had planted. I had them all carefully marked and between the wind, squirrels, birds and believe it not, chipmunks I don't have a clue what is where. Yesterday as dad and I were sitting here having a soda after our arduous trip to the grocery section of Walmart and 2,358 steps in the store, not counting the other 2,000 steps to load and unload. But that's neither here nor there. Any hoo, as we sat here having a cold one dad started laughing. He said he just watched a chipmunk climb into one of my planters and one minute there was this beautiful flower and then next minute, zippo! That little sucker, in one gulp had eradicated one of my flowers. He was a feisty little guy too cause I stood at the window not 4 feet away from him and banged on the casing and nothing. He just sat there and looked at me. Not until I opened the front door did he scoot. Little devil!

I do believe I hear thunder rolling. We have a 30% possibility for the next several days. They don't last long though and they do help to cool things off.

Poor dad, he's in the shower and I'll bet it's a cold one right now. One of the kids upstairs has just turned their shower on. Oops! That's been happening for some time now. All Tom, the landlord says is, "it shouldn't do that". Duh, like it takes a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

I can't begin to tell you how having the sun and some warmth has helped everything. It's so great to be able to sit outside and work on "fairy furniture"; to work in the yard; to have flowers and a mini garden, to be in flip flops again!!!

Josie was over a couple of times this week and we did much of our usual, fairy gardens and birdhouses. While she was working on her fairy garden I made her a chair and a bed for her fairies. She decided the fairies would need blankets on their bed to keep them warm so she gathered leaves and we covered the fairy bed in leaves so the fairies would stay warm. She's really in to fairy gardens. I do believe if I gave her a container the size of a truck bed she will fill it up. See what I mean! This time she painted two purple, turquoise, and make sure you get the terminology correct for the color, it is NOT aqua or blue, it is TURQUOISE. I had recently made a fairy garden for someone else and had included a tire swing and a bicycle. She had seen it and so we naturally had to make a tire swing and get a bicycle for her purple fairy garden. She wasn't thrilled with the color of the tire and bike I had so she had to do a little of her own color inspiration. She didn't care for the color of the "tree" I had (a natural branch) and so added her own preferred brown color. That girl does have a mind of her own. Poor thing, does come by it naturally though.

That was one day. The next afternoon when she arrived she wanted to build another fairy house! But after some discussion we decided it might be better to work on some houses for the birds. So, she painted and "buttoned" some bird houses. The really came out cute. And, it's not like we don't have plenty of buttons. Needless to say though, I need to make a trip to the hobby store for more paint. I seem to be running low on purple, pink, TURQUOISE, and silver!Later that evening she was doing anything she could do to stay awake. Usually the first thing she will do is get out the sharpies and color. She had them out but had no interest. She finally pulled out a couple of books for us to read. While we were reading dad had called to wish your

Uncle & Josie reading

grandma a happy 84th birthday. As he passed the phone to me I handed him the book so he could finish reading to Josie. For a split second I didn't think she would, then she grabbed up a couple of books and away she went. Outside of one other time when she was very little, I don't think she's let uncle read to her. Needless to say, they had a super time, reading AND singing if you can imagine that. And I know you can. Especially since all the books they were reading had been yours. They had a great time for over an hour until Jon came to pick her up.

Tuesday while Jamison gets another summer "haircut", dad, Josie and I are going to the movies to see Epic. That's something the three of us have not done so it should be a lot of fun. Wednesday her mom will be home and so she will be totally consumed with hugs, kisses and squeezes. 

As usual, the summer is going to be full and fun. 

Dad is able to drive again. He's been released from his "grounding". His new glasses come in last Thursday and has transformed his life. His reading glasses should be in Monday and so once again he'll be able to read without a full page magnifying glass. My eye appointment is July 3rd and I'm so looking forward to being able to read once again. I know my eyes are in good shape because she told me that last year but I can't see to read worth a darn and I'm so ready some afternoons to just sit back and read a good book.

Corey is in Texas doing an internship for her classes. It's not been an easy time for her because she's a mom that loves being with her kids and with Jon. But, it's something that has to be done and there will be more of them so all we can do is send her off with hugs and kisses, send her tons of messages and pictures and help with things here on the home front. It won't last forever and as your grandma always says, "In view of eternity, this is nothing."

Well, if I want to get to the hobby store and pick up the things for wreath making with Josie for Tuesday afternoon I'd better get off here and get finished with my gabbing. Oh, before I go though, I forgot to show you this picture. This is "Aaron's Rock" up on the hill where dad and Jamison walk every day. This flower appeared just about a week before Father's Day. We've never seen it before, or since. It was a good reminder that you will always be with us. 

 Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

Dad, Sons & Memories

Your Dad, Tom, Bob (I LOVE this picture!)

Ray's senior class picture

Good morning son! It's Father's Day, make sure you wish your Heavenly Father a happy one! I know, without a doubt, that your grandpa Coffman and you will be up to some type of shenanigans today. Have a great day. You are missed here, as always. How could we possibly not miss you on Father's Day. You and dad had such great times. You would have already called, well actually, you would have already called several days in a row wishing dad a "Happy Father's Day eve, eve, eve, eve, and then "happy Father's Day eve, eve, eve and "happy Father's Day eve, eve" and "happy Father's Day eve" and then this morning with "happy Father's Day". I have no idea when that all began but I know it began with Christmas and ended up with you or dad wishing the other a Merry Christmas eve on Christmas day so you'd be the first to say it for the next Christmas. The skill just seemed to roll from one celebration to the next!

We're celebrating here just like we always have, dad is going to barbecue, hopefully before the showers hit this afternoon, and

he asked for 7-Up Cake (which I baked yesterday and he's already sampled right out of the oven), hot mashed potato salad and watermelon. It's so difficult these days to get him to tell me what he'd like to have but not long ago he mentioned he'd like to have an instruction DVD for thumb picking the guitar. I found one, hope it's what he wanted. He hasn't played his piano or guitar in a very long time and I'm hoping this will encourage him to begin again. He's always afraid it will be too loud for the couple upstairs. My concern is that he won't be able to hear himself play! 

Since I last touch bases with you we've taken Jamison in for his booster shots and annual

Jamison & Belle

check up. I must admit though, we missed last year. I have no idea where are heads were. But that's neither here no there. Taking Jamison to the vet for his shots and annual check up, blood work and shots can be several hundred dollars. I began looking around on line and found a clinic, Banfield Pet Hospital 

What I found in research is that for most pet insurances you have to put the money out and get reimbursed later if at all.  Most clinics I called didn't even want to deal with the insurance and we didn't have the bucks to lay out in front. With Banfield, you pay a small monthly premium. The premium covers all his annual shots and blood work and  all office visits during the year are free. The clinics are located inside of Pet Smart so it's very handy for us. 

His checkup went fine. His weight is right on at 20.1 lbs. (I'll have to tell you, I thought he'd be over by 2-3 lbs and with his little legs that isn't good.) Dad loves to give him chicken jerky. The first year we had him he loved cucumbers, strawberries and carrots. NOW when I try to give him one he looks at me like I've lost my mind. I can just hear him saying, "Where's the meat mom?". Sound familiar? Not you! Dad! I will say this though, now don't fall out of your heavenly chair, yesterday I put raw carrots, sugar peas and sliced cucumber on your dad's plate with his hamburger and he ate them. Said he didn't think he'd like the sugar peas but really enjoyed them. See, miracles do still happen! He's also eating Greek Yogurt and granola for breakfast. Yeah I know, go figure. Does the saying "old dogs, new tricks" come to mind?

Lyme Disease

Well, I started all this to tell you that as we were leaving the clinic the doctor came out and said Jamison's blood work indicated that he has Lyme Disease. We've only ever found one tick on him. I later found out, thanks Corey, that it's not the large ticks that carry the disease, but the very tiny ones that you can't see. Evidently most dogs here have it. The disease is currently in the clinical cycle which means the symptoms are active. The vet  prescribed an antibiotic and said after about 30 days he should be good as new. However, Lyme Disease never goes away. The clinical symptoms cease after the antibiotic, until the next out break and more antibiotics. He's more active after a week of the medication. The first antibiotic prescription was going to cost $105! Dad called them back and said, "Fixed income doesn't really deal well with $105 for pet medication." She wrote a prescription for Amoxicillin, I checked around for an outside pharmacy that filled pet medications and found Target. The prescription was $8. When asked, the pharmacist told me that the Amoxicillin works just as well as the expensive drug and Jamison would be receiving just as good of care as if taking the expensive medication. It does take some extra care and time to do some research but it's very worth the effort.

As you can see by the pictures, Father's Day has always been memorialized in our family. It was always a very special day with my dad and grandpas so it was very important to me that you

Grandpa & Dad

 and your dad made those memories as well. As dad and I have discussed many, many times during the years, all this time we thought we were making memories for you. Little did we know what the Heavenly Father had planned. We never know. It's so very important to make every effort to build memories.  

As I move through picture upon picture this morning memories pour through my brain. What great times we had. You were an amazing son. Your dad is an amazing dad. I'm sorry that you're missing what he has to give you here but we know that your Heavenly Father supplies you with all that your heart could desire. Do you have desires in heaven? Never mind! That question could take us down a "bunny trail". The love your dad has for you will never diminish. That is as it should be. You and your dad had that special relationship few father and sons will ever know. I'm so glad that you did.

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

PS  Oops! Dad reminded me that the picture of the boys is actually your Uncle Bill, Uncle Tom and Uncle Bob! I still love the picture as much as ever!

Hey, It's A Journey -- Right?

Hey everyone! Good morning. Well, actually it's technically 12:30 pm and afternoon but I'm retired and don't have to watch the clock. So, it can be morning if I want it to be! Aaron's busy this morning so I thought I'd just chat with ya all if that's okay.

How is everyone out there? Been having an eventful and busy week? I know we have. Some of these adventures we're experiencing here in Troy are not exactly what I had in mind but an adventure is an adventure so I'm just going to go with the flow. Summer for the Troy 9 has begun for some and for others it's another week of school. Come next Friday though it's going to moving up exercises at Taylor School for Josh, Dylan and Josie. No high school or eighth grade graduations this year. I don't know how that happened. But next year, Sierra will be a high school graduate! The first. Today is Hunter's 16th birthday and Josie will be in Kindergarten this Fall. Holy cow, Time moves so fast I don't know where it goes. 

As I shared previously, we've been working on our front porch, decorating with colorful painted chairs, mirrors and planting flowers. Other than hanging four baskets I have ready and adding a gate so Jamison can stay on the porch we are finished with that project. Week before last we began on the back deck. We've had a lot of rain this week so  I've been decorating ceramic tile  this week. As soon as we have a couple of nice days this week I'll begin the process of making planters and attaching the tile to the deck rails as decorations. 

The "loot"!

Yesterday I hit the "mother lode"! As I've shared before with you, most of what I use in my crafts is free from curbside pickups. If you haven't checked our the free stuff on Craigslist in your area you should. You will be amazed at the great stuff that people put out for free. Here in our area I use that, plus, everyone puts things curbside they no longer have a use for. If you can beat the garbage pickup you can get some really great stuff. You have to be really fast and get it right then. If you think you'll come back later and get it chances are it won't be there.  Anyway, on our way home yesterday a couple, two doors down from us, was unloading their garage with super great stuff. I've wanted a birdcage or two for decorating but I don't want to pay a lot and most of the time they're $100 or more. Believe it or not, our neighbor put out about 10 of the most adorable bird cages in all sizes. Another lady stopped just before me so I backed off and let her make first choice. That was really tough and I just kept praying, "please don't let her take that one, or that one, or that one"! No, I said it to myself in my head, not to her silly! She didn't take any I had my eye on so I picked up those three birdcages, two railings we are going to use for a gate on our front porch and a great wood chair to paint that's already been

stripped! Yahoo! She had four great old case windows, a couple of solid doors, more railing and a couple more birdcages, but I didn't want to be greedy. If I go by today I just may have to pick up what's left. I asked why she had all the cages and she said she works for a wildlife preserve and use to bring badly hurt birds home to care for them. As I finish with the projects I'll post pictures of what I have done. For now, here's a picture of the "loot" from yesterday. I can't wait to get started. But before I do, soccer game for Josh this afternoon and birthday party for Hunter this evening. (He's "sweet 16" but I don't think I'll tell him that.)

At some point today I need to finish two planter boxes and get my squash planted and Jon started me a couple of green bean plants. I have everything built, just need to line the planter and add the dirt. By the way. As you know from one of my previous blogs, I've been working with old dresser drawers to turn them into planters. I first tried three for me because I wanted to see how they would hold together. It is NOT pretty. The first project taught me a lot. Although I painted them with enamel outdoor paint and coated them with clear pain to project them it
wasn't enough. The paint and design work I did on the front of the drawers has weathered well. However, although the drawers were well made and dovetailed the moisture and sun has made the drawer pull away from the front panel. This next set for my squash and beans will also include a coat of polyurethane and a lining of black plastic stapled on the inside and up the sides. I'll add a layer of large pieces of pine cone in the bottom before the dirt and potting soil to assist with drainage. I'll let you know how that works.

I'm not going to kid you. I know it sounds as though all I do is play and life is grand. Life is what it is and it changes every day. I just choose to dwell on the fun and the great things. Once in awhile something hits a little harder than usual and I do have a moment that I believe I just can't deal with all of it any more because I don't have the strength. Then in a brief moment of clarity I am reminded that I don't need to count on my own strength. When I count on my own strength my knees crumble, my legs twist, my hands shake, the tears come and I'm overwhelmed with life. Yes, I'm human and I falter. I'd like to say that I'm always happy and I'm always joyful. If you perceive me that way I don't know if that's good or bad, but, it can become a burden for me, --if I let it! As I said, the Lord sometimes, more often than not, has to remind me that my own strength won't get me through, that's what I have Him for. Just as I counted on my earthly father to be there for me, I also have a Heavenly Father that is there for me. Later, as I got older and found my knight in shining armor and love of my life  I was able to add yet another source of strength. My dad is gone but I still remember his love and it strengthens me. My hubby is here and his strength and love continue to support me and I trust him to be there for me and he has never failed. So it is with God's love. He is always there if I just reach out my hand and say, "catch me for crying out loud, can't you see my knees are buckling"! And I can feel Him reach out His hand, grab hold of me, laugh and say, "All you had to do, was ask".

Until next week, I know Aaron is being Aaron, you be you, and we'll talk next week.










 

It's All In The Roots

Good morning son! How is this heavenly Sunday? Yesterday was HOT and HUMID here but it didn't stop us from doing things we wanted to do. Well, it may have slowed us down a bit but we still got things done. As you know, we're working on our back area and the deck. We have the bare bones set up and now it's time to start adding flower boxes and decor. We were going to take some pallets apart today to build some flower boxes but we're expecting some thundershowers, rain and severe wind this afternoon so we'll probably have to set that project aside for tomorrow...not that one day matters! Jon bought us a Summer Squash plant at Farmer's Market yesterday so we'll put together a planter from my drawer collection and get that planted. 

To add color, along with the flowers we'll plant, I want something along the railing behind f the bench we built from tree logs. I have tons,and I mean if you've ever picked up a box of 12" ceramic tile you'll know what I mean, of ceramic tile I've picked up at the Habitat Store. I printed pictures off flowers and children gardening and started mod podging them to the tile. I was working outside on the deck yesterday because it was so beautiful outside. I had to cut it short due to rain but managed to get the first step on seven tile.I'll probably bring them in the studio and continue this afternoon during the storm.

Tomorrow I can take them back out on the deck and seal them. We'll adhere them to the deck rails using tile adhesive with hot melt assist. (You don't remember? Hot melt assist is when you are using another type of adhesive that takes some time to set.  You add a little hot melt along with the adhesive. The hot melt will create an immediate bond and hold until the other adhesive sets.) Works like a charm.

I can not begin to tell you how wonderful it is to feel like being out in the yard working. Dad spent about seven hours one day this week raking branches and old leaves around our back deck. I don't know when the last time that was done but I so appreciate the time he spent. It looks wonderful. We have about a four foot strip along the back side of our deck that is going to make a beautiful place for begonias and fuchsias.

We have a storm predicted for this afternoon so we'll be moving some things in from the front porch. We have too much invested already to let it all be blown away. Sometimes our front porch feels like a wind tunnel but when it's such hot weather it's really very nice. Kind of like life. We have days  when things are calm, sunny and warm and days when it's cold, wet and uncomfortable. It is so clear that if we don't have sun, heat, wind, rain we wouldn't be enjoying the beautiful array of grasses, trees and flowers.Water wouldn't taste as good on a hot day or a cozy blanket wouldn't feel so good on a cold winter's night. Why then do we struggle so when those same elements hit our spiritual lives? We talked about these very things so many times, you and I. I know you had the same conversations with dad too. The struggles we experience in our lives, I guess I should only speak for me, these struggles in MY life I know are there to help me keep firmly planted so that when the winds and rains and storms do blow, and believe me, they do, I can bend with them, learn from them and sway in their breezes without being

Guess there's no chance of me falling over!

uprooted. I know, I know, just because we know all of that doesn't me we face those storms with a smile. I certainly don't. And sometimes I get so tired in the storms I wish I could just lay down and be blown away in the rain and the wind. It would be so much easier. But, as you also know, I've NEVER been one to take the easy road. Dad and I were just laughing about that this week. If there is going to be a lesson learned in my life you can bet I'm going to learn it the hard way. Life would just be so simple if I could just take someone elses word for it but I just don't seem to be able to do that. Strong is good though. After all these years I should have roots that reach to China!

The weather is blustering with hot air in the trees today. The weatherman predicts a sever storm this afternoon with wind and rain and maybe some hail. Jamison and I have taken the warning to heart and have moved everything on the front porch over to the wall of the house to keep it from getting blown off the porch. It's great that the longer we live the more technology changes and they can now give us warnings to the storms headed our way.

I find that sometimes the storms in our lives can also be predicted. We know, just know sometimes, what is headed our way by the choices we make. But for the most part, we really don't have a clue what life is going to bring. We prepare when we can because we know the storms are coming even though we don't know what storms or when. Building and growing strong roots is the only way to weather life's storms.

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom