On The Mend

 I am so grateful for all the people who prayed for my surgery yesterday.

We arrived at the hospital at 1:30 with surgery slated for 3:30.

Well, surgery didn't happen until 5:30ish,

but I was out of the hospital by 8:30.

I am thankful for a skilled surgeon.

I am thankful that my new splint ends before my elbow and is only hard on the bottom making it more breathable.
I am thankful that hubby has been able to work from home.

I am thankful that I have been able to manage pain with Tylenol only.

I am thankful for the cool temps outside so the house is cool and comfortable.

And today, I don't feel too bad.

I can sense where the plate and screws are,

but I have done two small loads of wash

and made a tuna pasta salad with hubby's help.

I hope to take a walk later on this beautiful fall day.

Did I Mention that I Have to Paint?

Today is surgery day.

It appears that I get a plate and some screws.

And ... quite the lengthy recovery.

Hubby has been great helping his one-handed wife and just taking on a second job.

There are still some extra projects that have been going on.

I am glad I finished some projects that were already started.

In fact, I finished the dresser the day before the big fall.

One project was refinishing a dresser for our bedroom.

We sold 2 dressers that we had purchased when we married.

I had refinished them in OR, but we just needed to downsize.

We still have 2 dressers from hubby's grandmother.

But ...

we were tired of the French Provincial style.

this one is waiting its turn :)

So we turned it into more of a farmhouse look.

I was confused as to how to get the look I wanted.

I love the look of a wood top,

but the dresser had a laminate top.

I tried to sand, but to no avail.

Then I found a paint online that is made of wood chips.

I ordered it (again with survey money),

and it actually worked.

The top of the dresser was painted and then stained like regular wood.

I used "Coastal Blue" chalk paint and then distressed it.

And I spray painted the handles.

The other project was a console table that hubby made for the living room.

I so wanted a place to decorate for the seasons and a place to set things on the way in or out of the house (ie phone, wallet, bag).

It also is a good place to set a drink at night while relaxing on the couch.

Hubby quickly put this together using some leftover wood from the closet project and $12 of additional wood.

Stained top and shelf

Chalk paint on legs and aprons.

Simply

 Perhaps you noticed it on the SideBar ...

Perhaps you didn't.

Hubby has a new blog ...

He wanted something with a little more variety.

And he gave a little nod to his wife.

My blog is "Simply Keeping the Home."

His blog is "Simply a Working Man."

The Left Handed Blogger

 So...

I am all about making new experiences.

New homes, new friends, new churches ...

but I am making a first that I never expected to have at 47.

Yesterday, I decided to clean the siding in my entryway.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda says why didn't I just use the car wash brush ...

but I did not ...

and I tumbled off a step ladder, caught myself with my hand

AND...

TADA

It appears that I could not just break neatly,

I had to shatter it

and so ...

on Monday or Tuesday, I will have surgery including pins

and start on the road to recovery.

And at 47, I have experienced my first broken bone.

Now if only I were a southpaw like my father.

Making Friends - Do You Want to Play?

One of my goals when getting settled after a move is to make friends.

I usually find it easiest to make friends with "little" people first.

This move was no exception.

Early in our time at our new church,

we made friends with the children of the church.

They liked to play hide and seek.

And they wanted us to play as well.

They liked to hide in cupboards,

between cupboards,

behind tables,

all places that grown-ups can't really fit.

We played a round one day,

but then I decided that we needed to change up the game.

Enter - the little wooden people.

I made some wooden people to stand in for us.

The children even call them Mr. and Mrs. B.

We hide them so that at least some part of them is showing

and then we have to be found.

It is a lot easier for us, for they can hide in a lot better places.

Yardwork May be Dirty, but It's Not A Dirty Word

 There are few things that I enjoy more than working in the yard.

While I did not like weeding the red clay in preparation for the sod,

I love mowing, tending flowers, enjoying the outdoors.

We are not truly to Fall weather but after 3 days back in the upper 90s,

today's mid-70s weather was perfect for some mowing.

You can see a few spots where the grass was "drowned" or "matted down." 

Still some maintenance to do, but making progress.

When we moved to Oregon, hubby would always ask prospective landlords 

if I could mow or if they hired the lawn care out.

After nearly 6 months off, I am now back to mowing.

On Saturday, and then again today, I mowed our new yard.

It is a peaceful activity and usually very satisfying.

It takes a whopping 33 minutes and it is just perfect!

Hubby bought me a little battery-powered mower in OR.

After 3 years, I am thankful that it is still running well.

And now we are adding to the family of battery-powered tools.

2 weeks ago, I ordered an edger to keep the sidewalk, patio, and driveway neat,

and in the first week of October, I hope to order the string trimmer and blower.

Why wait for the order?

Well, I have been able to use survey money to provide for a lot of the extras in our move ...

Curtain rods, curtains, lawn care.  

By the first week of October, I should have what I need.

I am thankful that just this week,

God provided 2 online interviews (for 2 hours total) for $68 in gift cards.

Atypical, yes, but a blessing nonetheless.

Then 2 weeks ago,

a survey company sent me a Galaxy Smartwatch to evaluate.

When I finish the survey - on the marketplace it goes!

Thanksgiving, Stewardship, and the Goodwill Dilemma

II Samuel 24:24  

And the king said unto Araunah, 

"Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: 

neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. 

So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not look around and thank God for my home.

This is not really a new concept - I have always seen our homes as a gift.

God has always provided the right place at the right time in miraculous ways.

I have always been thankful for a place to practice homemaking ...

places to practice new skills...

places to adapt and change ...

from the one-bedroom apartment of a newlywed,

to a two-bedroom apartment on the Pacific Coast,

to a single-wide trailer for college families,

to another single-wide trailer right next door,

to a two-bedroom duplex in a town near enough to care for family,

to my own home ...

But ...

I have noticed as I clean and tidy and organize

that the "new" home inspires a greater desire to do a good job.

Again, it wasn't that I never cleaned my home or put my all into it,

but it seems that because this home cost more than a "pretty penny,"

I value it more.

We tend to value that which has a greater cost to us.

Have you noticed this as prices rise?

Do you think before you just hop in the car?

Do you contemplate before sticking the "non-essential" in the grocery cart?

Is it worth it?

David recognized this when it came time to offer sacrifices.

He wanted his sacrifice to have weight and value.

As I cleaned one morning,

I was ashamed that I don't see all of God's gifts as items of great value.

All His gifts deserve proper stewardship and care.

Thus the Goodwill Dilemma ...

... and a challenge to me and a word to the wise.

I love Goodwill when I have the time to search for great finds.

(Of course, some stores are nicer than others.)

It is fun to find the styles of yesterday on sale today.

It is fun to find "deals" on skirts, dresses, shirts, home decor, and housewares.

And yet, I have also observed the lack of care and stewardship that sometimes comes with the bargain purchase.

I have noticed families that purchase "bargains" so that there is no hardship when the children make a mess or when the children are rough with the purchase.

While I agree with that idea in theory, and there are definitely seasons where this makes sense, and it does help to provide training times for children with less stress,

in practice, the "bargain" also often causes the parent to fail to teach the value of clothing, toys, or furniture.

Because it costs next to nothing, the children can throw it, rip it, jump on it, or leave it in the yard.

And why is this a problem?

Because the children (or I for that matter) may not learn good principles of stewardship.

We do not learn how to care for what God has provided.

We may not see the difference between the "bargain" item and the item at another person's house that might have cost quite a bit more.

Good stewardship of the funds God provides may involve shopping at Goodwill or yard sales,

but it also involves taking care of the bargains that God sends our way through these means.

Beyond the Living Space

 One of our primary wishes in a home was a garage.

Yes, it is nice to protect the car, especially in an area prone to tornadoes and wild storms,

but it is also our place to exercise.

We have made it work inside various homes, but it often involves a lot of moving of furniture,

and has resulted in dented floors and sweat that must be cleaned off of everything.

One of the challenges of the garage is in not filling it so full that it cannot suit its intended purpose.

Right now it is also a workspace for finishing or refinishing furniture

(see the dresser in front of the shelves),

but it is primarily hubby's space and I have to keep my sentimental storage to a minimum.

We quickly realized that if we insulated the door a bit,

the garage would be better suited to workouts year-round

and would also keep temperatures down inside.

We have worked to keep things off of the floor.

Hubby recently made the mat holder above the weight rack for the wall

as well as a rack for many of the tools of a homeowner.

I am looking forward to digging out the mower again very soon.

One of the other areas that we recently "set up" - at least temporarily - is the patio.

We have big dreams for this area - but all in good time - we must stay focused on some big goals.

I love to see "life."

Life in plants,

life in birds,

life in butterflies,

and maybe in time some little kiddos may move in across the backyard.

I was not sure if the birds would find my little feeders,

but today I had 3 eating away

(2 on the sock and one up on the hook above).

Happy, happy, happy!

Will have to wait until spring to see if the patio lavender comes back 

after the move and a hard summer without adequate light while in the apartment.

The sod is doing well - 

we are no longer watering twice a day, or even once a day.

I am enjoying an extra hour or two in my day!

Babysitting Grass? Or The Mangy Mutt?

Not the best picture due to morning sun placement, but I am blogging while watering.

I've been a little MIA.

Last Friday, our sod arrived.

We no longer live on the red planet,

Or in a dry desert.

Of course, hubby says it looks like a mangy mutt,

Varying colors, directions, and seams.

Now we have grass and are trying to walk the fine line of keeping it watered, not burning it, and not flooding it.

So for 2-3 hours a day, I multitask and move sprinklers about.

We are supposed to have more rain next week, so that will help.

We are glad not to be tracking red clay anymore and can now think of pots of flowers or other landscaping ideas.