Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of the world where we live in one of those "middle ones".  I say this because I was reading an article by Brent Olson, author and Midwesterner, and he talked about when he went to a conference with a lot of people who live on the "edges" of our country.  When he told one woman who asked where he was from, that he was from Minnesota, she said "Oh, that is one of those middle ones, isn't it?"  Yeah....Minnesota or Iowa....we kinda are just one of those states in the middle..... and grateful to be!

Speaking of that topic, when we went to a conference in CT in 2013 we would tell people where we were from.  Iowa.  When they would introduce us they would say we were from Ohio.  We quickly learned that for most of those who live out East nothing exists beyond Ohio!  Ha  And when we went to Bethel Church in northern California in 2017 and told people where we were from they would get a blank look...and reintroduce us as from Idaho!  We decided it worked best when we said, "We are from Minnesota but live in Iowa now".  We would always get......."Oh, Minnesota!"  That state they recognized.  I often wonder if people study geography at all in the classrooms??  Maps happen to be a favorite of mine....love geography!  But alas, I confess, I also get those small clustered together states confused out East!   So I better watch my words, right?  

We have had a lot of rain this week...and that pesky ceiling exhaust fan in our beautiful newly renovated bathroom started leaking again after a heavy rain...drip...drip.  We do seem to have a thing with water in this house.  Over the years we have had frozen pipes, flooding toilets, tree roots blocking sewer drainage, a leaking exhaust fan, and water going into our furnace ducts during one crazy toilet overflow when we couldn't shut off the rusty valve.  And speaking of that isn't that just what happened when we were renovating the bathroom and woke up in the night to water dripping through the main floor entry light fixture?  What?!?!?  So, yeah, we are a little skittish around water here!  We hope to get our carpenter back here to put a cap on the exhaust fan (on the roof) ASAP.  

Speaking of bathroom renos, our bathroom is done!  Yay and Yahoo!  We spent the last three days getting a shower curtain, new knobs/handles for the cabinet, buying a few towels, and searching (and still searching) for the right rugs.  We are soooooo happy to have it done after 18 yrs of a black and white NASCAR explosion!    Not our choice, just the way we bought the house. Stay tune next week for a before and after reveal!

With the reno over we spent most of this past week also doing deep cleaning.  That dust gets everywhere.  I probably have explained that we have sort of a 5 level house.  The basement is finished, then there is a half up to the main floor bedroom that juts out.  Then the main level....and then a half up bedroom (office) that juts out before going all the way upstairs to the top level where there are two bedrooms and a bathroom.  The main floor is open to kitchen, living, and dining.  So cleaning is usually a two day affair.....but Joel did the heavy lifting....washing all the floors on two levels, vacuuming rugs, on all levels and shampooing our living room wool rug.  I did dusting on all levels and cleaned 2 bathrooms and the kitchen.  We organized some and the plan is to keep going and get "Fall" cleaning done early!  Don't you just love a clean house?!

Speaking of houses, this summer three of our kids and their families in three different states at different times have gotten or will have new roofs due to storms.   The weather it is a changing........ 

I have spent little time baking this week.... a loaf of Almond Flour Paleo Blueberry Bread used up the last of our 10lbs of blueberries.  I use maple syrup for a sweetener.  Pure Maple Syrup.  Thinking about this made me think about our grocery shopping this week.  The prices of many things are out of control.  Dairy and meat especially.  We usually eat meat once a day now and throw in a meal of eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, or grilled cheese.  I have observed that a lot of the amazing people our age do the same.  Ha!  It does not help me lose weight, even when cutting down 1 of the 2 snacks I eat.  Can I just tell you how annoying that is?  Okay, moving on.  Our neighbor gave us a DVD to watch called "Forks Over Knives".  It is based on eating a plant based diet. I watched it years ago but we will watch it together now.  At one time our Lyme doctor wanted us to stop eating meat along with the sugar, dairy, gluten, etc. that we could not ingest while under treatments.  It lasted about 10 days and then Joel got so sick I had to cook him up some meat to get him to feel better.  Neither one of us are comfortable eating animals that can feel, have emotions, etc.  But we also need protein that comes from meat, especially as we age.  That's our story.  

Better close today's scribbles.....so I will wrap it up giving thanks that the bathroom is finished, that there is a solution to a leaking exhaust fan, and that we will find rugs for the tile floors.  Grateful for all the shopping we got done this week, for cooler days, for living in one of the "middle ones".  Grateful for a new shower curtain and towels, for new knobs, for porch sitting, blueberry bread, for being able to afford the foods we enjoy, for all the cleaning we got done this week, for new roofs, for music, TV, texts, emails, phone calls, the games Wordle, Quordle, and Octordle......and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this mid August day!  It is a bit cloudy, a bit sticky, and a bit cooler...unusual temps for August.  A week ago we got nearly 6 inches of rain during the night.  It was greatly needed.  Yesterday it felt a bit like fall had arrived with the cool temps, winds and dryer air, but alas today we are back to the hazy, lazy days of summer.  

I just have to ask the question....does anyone have lazy hazy days of summer anymore?  When we were kids it mean freedom from the pressures of school....making your own entertainment, enjoying the outdoors.  It appears to me now that many kids have their days so scheduled and planned that they have no idea what to do with free time or even have any to think about.  What is that?  Our bodies and minds were created for rest too.  Just say'ln......

After talking about lazy hazy days of summer, I'm reporting here that Joel painted our renovated bathroom this week. Hard tedious work!   First the trim and cabinet and around doors before tackling 2 coats on the walls.  We decided I best not help after my reactions to laminate.  Painting is on the bottom of his list, along with vacuuming, but he got the painting done and it looks great.  Our bathroom should be finished completely the first part of the week.  Yay!  He helped our carpenter some and managed a couple bike rides.  He is now off to his Sat. morning "Gabby Grandpas" coffee group that meets outside.  

Speaking of painting, we went with Sherwin-Williams and have been frustrated with their service.  First of all our whole house was painted with Harmony Paint 18 years ago.  It is a zero VOC paint which they told us they are phasing out......okay so they told us about another paint that was similar.  We trusted the man's word, paying a sale price for it.  We ended up needing more and when Joel went back they didn't have any in stock.  What?  We drove 1/2 hr away to another store to pick it up and paid $22 more for a gallon because it was not on sale at that store.  I did some research when we got home ( after the fact) and discovered we were not told the truth and the paint we have is not zero VOC.  It will be fine, it is just a bathroom and will outgas but this store in town is now off our list.  So costly, and so not honest.  I should have done my own research before putting down the cash, right?    BUT, it is supposed to have some air purifying formula and we both love the color so that is good, right?  The rest is just part of the messiness of life.  We can let our focus be on the messy moments or on the great ones.  

Speaking of great, I waited a whole month for the results of a test I needed to have done and it was "normal", so we are thinking this is one of the great moments to celebrate! After so many battles with cancer and years of Lyme before that, we celebrate all the "normal" medical moments that come my way.  Thank you Jesus!  I also am dealing with a bit of swelling in my right palm, and just love that I can email my "team" at Mayo in the Lymphedema Clinic and have them respond quickly...and eventually my PT Jenny called me and we discussed a couple of options and possibilities.  She shared that many of her patients are having lymphedema troubles increasing this summer due to humidity.  So I now have a plan!  I am always grateful for the fast and caring service I receive from Mayo Clinic.  Another Thank you Jesus!  

Well, our  10 lbs of blueberries are finally coming to an end......I made blueberry cobbler and blueberry quick bread this week.  Along with homemade bread and oatmeal cookies for Joel..  I have been walking 25-30 minutes daily but mostly inside this week with sticky weather.  

Speaking the reno, besides the front porch,  I have been "hiding" in the family room in the basement or a half-down bedroom since the rest of our house is open and sounds and smells drift throughout.  Our house is really too big for two people, but we have appreciated it's footage during the reno!  We are blessed! 

Today the police talked to Joel and other neighbors because of an incident that took place this morning.  It took me back to a time when the police stopped outside and asked Joel if he had seen a WHITE GOAT!  Evidently a goat had gotten away from a local farm and was seen in our neighborhood association.  It cracked us both us.  A white goat?!?  I figured it was a slow day for our local policeman when he was out searching for a goat!   giggle......

So, today, I am giving thanks for the reno almost being done, for the places to "hide" within our home!  Grateful for all the blueberry concoctions, for the smell of homemade bread, the kitchen stove that makes cooking and baking so easy.  Grateful Joel got the painting done.  Grateful for Wordle, Quordle, and Octordle that give my brain exercise.  Grateful for hearing the word normal and getting help from Jenny so quickly.  Grateful for gift cards ( I just used up my last one from Christmas).  Grateful for the police who cover all kinds of incidents.  Grateful for social media that keeps me connected to so many friends and family near and far.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, emails, and so much more.............

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you on yet, another hot and humid day in our corner of the world.  August is here to bless us and also give us an earnest desire for fall to come!  Ha   Yet we first have august, with it's gifts of hot days and lovely sunsets.  Days of gratitude for early mornings in a cooler atmosphere, and afternoons inside when the heat rises.  And then there are the animals, including the deer who have come at night and devoured our front garden hosta and day lily blooms.  We were hoping that they had passed us by, but alas, they just saved their grazing in our yard until August!  

Speaking of nights.....the bathroom reno continues.  Our contractor has been working hard to get things done.  Last Monday Joel came downstairs at midnight to use the bathroom and stepped in water on the bottom step and then on the large braided rug.  What???  He turned on the light switch and looked up to see water dripped fast out of the ceiling light!  Yikes!  I woke up to Joel running up and down the stairs to the bathroom to see where the leak was coming from.  He discovered that the turn off valve under the sink had decided to stop working at midnight on a Monday night.  Of course it did!  He worked to turn it off but with a broken seal, the leak continued with about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the cabinet and coming out the light.  He finally called our contractor who came right over to take care of it.  He had been using the valve to get water for tiling, it was an original valve to the house and just wore out.  Luckily (?) he had a valve to replace it with and was willing to come over.  What a blessing that was!   

Tuesday was filled with a dental appointment, a birthday lunch at a local pizza place for my sister K. and a nighttime visit from a woman whose husband Joel had been friends with.  A late night and then an hour drive north on Wednesday to find new toilets for two of the three bathrooms here.  Thursday Joel and I painted the closet doors and cabinet doors and drawer fronts,  and Joel painted the baseboards.  And I had no issues with the paint.  But...........

Friday brought a glitch and a bit of drama.....we realized the composite quartz countertop we bought was 3/4 in too long for the space.  Ordering one to fit the space would take weeks, so we decided to purchase a laminate countertop we could cut down.....and when Joel set it up in the garage to look at it I had a strong reaction.  My tongue started swelling up and my lungs got very tight.  I asked a few people to pray and then added Benadryl to the prayers.  It made me sleepy for the afternoon but between the two, all the reactions left.  It has been years since I had a reaction like that to chemicals.  Pooh!  

Needless to say the laminate went back and our contractor and Joel talked over options of which there were two.  Wait weeks for a special order or make the one we had fit.  There is a wall between the toilet and counter and he opened up that wall and about 3/4 inch of the countertop is set in there.  He'll sheetrock up to that and you won't even notice.  Lessons learned:  give yourself a lot of time to order what you need....measure twice......and be flexible!  Also as our oldest said, "NEVER have laminate anywhere in your house!"

I do confess, we are happy to have weekends free from the hammering, pounding, saws and tile cutting, etc.  And talk radio?   Our contractor listens to a radio station that shares more than just music...opinions spill out all over.  Now I am grateful he listens to a Christian radio station, but I am not into yelling, or fear tactics.  I told Joel, he could be listening to heavy metal, or rap or any other music these oldsters would cringe at.  Still, today I am enjoying the quiet.......while truly  thankful our contractor is a believer in Jesus.  Bless him, and his radio!

We have been deep into blueberries here.  We have been putting blueberries in yogurt, on cereal, French toast, and more.  I have made blueberry muffins and blueberry cobbler.  Yep.  The 10 lb of blueberries go a long way!  And of course it is watermelon season.  They are spendy this year, but good.  Veggies are taking a backseat to fruit right now!  Haha

So today I am grateful for blueberries and more blueberries.  Grateful for a contractor willing to make house calls after midnight, and a contractor who believes in Jesus and is good at his job! Grateful for birthday lunches, social visits, walks outside, painting, getting our counter top to work, the reno soon done, Benadryl, air conditioning, phone calls, texts, photos that come on our phone, and so much more..

Enjoy your weekend!