Come and Sit a Spell

Another "gain" in our new home was a large front porch.
We love to sit out on the cool evenings.
We love to meet our neighbors as they walk in the evenings.

The porch had some issues ...

some due to the dripping gutters,

some due to the wrong paint,

some due to boards being placed too close together.
The problems led to rot, mold, mildew, and slippery boards.

Old Porch Floor             vs             New Porch Floor

So we updated.

White base and posts stay,

new wood stained floor,

rope railings,
wide steps,

and some solar lighting

(perfect for evening dates in the fall and winter).

Non-skid tape on porch steps.

It is a reminder of our time in Acadia National Park (honeymoon) and the Seattle, WA area.
It makes me crave a bowl of smoked salmon chowder.
This is probably our favorite improvement and will be the most used.

2 more landscape timber lights.  The other is on the walkway to the house.

The deck was also a learning experience.
We learned that ...
natural rope shrinks when wet (and swells in diameter).
We learned that ...
it is a lot of work to reuse materials.
We learned that ...
there is great satisfaction in hard work.

In the flower garden today.

This used to be a grill table - repurposed as my garden table.
It was made of old pallets and I added extra laminate tiles from the bath and laundry to the top for ease of cleaning.
I am looking for some colorful, cheap "oops" exterior paint to liven it up - maybe yellow, sage, or ?.

Are You Enjoying It Too?

Guess what we have been enjoying with our meals?

At least once a week, I pick up some sweet corn.

What a treat!

This week's Menu:

Sunday:  Teriyaki Deer Tenderloin, Broiled Tomatoes, Mashed Potatoes

Monday:  Grilled Greek Chicken, Grilled Corn, Cucumber Salad

Tuesday: Shrimp Pasta Salad

Wednesday:  Balsamic Chicken, Acorn Squash

Thursday:  Lemon Dill Tilapia

Friday:  Baked Spaghetti Pie

Saturday:  Grilled Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

Blessing in Disguise

When we began the renovations on the exterior of the trailer,

I sat down and wrote blog entries for each activity ...

then I assigned them to a Tuesday throughout the month(s).

This Tuesday was supposed to show the front porch,

but we had some setbacks.

I thought that we had finished everything before the rain set in ...

but I did not know how rain affects new rope.

We had put in rope railing ... it looked beautiful, 

but ...

it shrunk in the rain this weekend.

With some late research we realized that we should have soaked the rope

and allowed for 8-10% shrinkage.

So where is the blessing?

We hung the rope railing,

but the rain prevented us from cutting and tying it off.

It shrunk and had to be removed,

but we still have the LONG, usable pieces of rope, rather than unusable pieces that had already been trimmed.

Also, it shrunk, but did not ruin or pull down the posts because it was not tied off and there was still some give.

So this week,

I am thankful for the rain ...

at the perfect time.

Rain to prevent a costly mistake.

The rope has now been soaked,

larger holes drilled in the posts ...

and we will be back in business soon.

Hopefully I can share my beautiful porch with you next Tuesday.

Poverty or Wealth

Proverbs 28:19 

He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: 

but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

Another reminder to stay focused and diligent.

Work = Food

It is so simple and so lacking in society today.

The welfare mentality teaches us that we deserve gifts,

that we can have what we want for minimal effort.

It is not God's plan.

Vain - empty, useless

Who are my friends and companions?

Do they edify, strengthen, and encourage?

or is it all vain activities and conversation?

Wasting time in useless activities and with useless people 

will only breed poverty in body AND soul.

Just For Fun

During my many Pinterest searches for deck ideas,

I came across this cute lighting idea.

Just 4 lengths of landscaping timbers,

4 solar path lights,

and a little extra rope from the railing!
We haven't finished the rope railing, so the bottom does not have any rope trim - yet.

What started as one ... will become 3 light fixtures ...
We liked the first one so much that we cancelled the order for solar lighting for the deck posts
and will build 2 more timber lights :)
One will have 5 lights and the other will have 3.

They are movable ... (can you say lighting during a power outage)
the lights are easily replaced ...
and they add to the "dock" look of our NW deck.

The lights do not go on until about 9 during the summer,
so we don't enjoy them much now ...
but you know where you can find us this fall/winter.
Date Night at home!

In The Kitchen

The poor neglected kitchen ...

I spent today cleaning ...

really cleaning.

After 2 1/2 weeks of exterior work,

it was good to give some attention to the interior.

Things had gotten a little crazy.

I did do some cooking over the weekend for the birthday ...

jell-o cakes to celebrate at work ...

vanilla donuts ...

birthday pumpkin pie.

Sugared out now and need to get focused again.

Lots of grilling - hubby got a new grill for his birthday :)

The last one had become a flame thrower and 

our grills are so cheap it wasn't worth replacing the burner covers and such.

This weeks menu:

Sunday: Church dinner - baked potato bar

Monday: Taco rice

Tuesday: Chicken Kabobs

Wednesday: Pork Chops / potato and zucchini bake

Thursday: Birthday dinner with a friend

Friday: Hamburgers

Saturday: Chicken / Rice / Seasonal Veggies

Fair's a-comin'

Our County Fair is not until the end of September,

but it is not too early to start planning

(especially since Vistaprint is having a sale).

So ...

the banner for the booth was ordered today.

"The Bridge" by William Ressler often sparks conversation.

The artist, Mr. Ressler, was kind enough to share his work with us.

7*19*1979

A huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweetheart!

~~Celebrating 35 years today~~

Born 386 miles and 23 years away ...

(the distance between Wappingers Falls, NY and Butler, PA)

(the time between 1979 and 2002)

So thankful for the hand of God that brings people together.

I am a blessed woman.

Understanding

As we renovate the exterior of our home, 

I cannot help but be thankful for a husband who understands.

Who understands the value that my "domain" plays in my life.

Who understands that the appearance of my home affects me.

Who understands an inborn desire in me to tend a keep a home.

I am thankful for the resources and time and patience that he has put into helping me make a house into our home.

I am thankful that he loves to enjoy that home with me.

I am thankful that a more settled and peaceful home has limited our ramblings and wanderings.

I am thankful for the home that God has provided.

I am thankful for those who visit and encourage us.

I am thankful for God's care.

Faithful in All Things

Proverbs 27:23 

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, 

and look well to thy herds.

This week's Proverb reminds me of the need to be faithful

with my tasks and ministries.

There are so many things vying for my attention ...

 so many ministries ...

so many needs ...

so many "good" things.

God wants me to be diligent to my work.

I know he has given me a husband to care for,

a home to tend,

definite church responsibilities.

These things need to be cared for FIRST!

Then there are the extras.

Later in this chapter, we read the results of diligence ...

Proverbs 27:26-27

 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.

 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, 

for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.

I do not know what your "herd" or list of responsibilites looks like ...

but I do know that we should be responsible with what we have been given,

whether it be small or great.

God will provide.

Be busy and diligent doing His work.

Luke 16:10 

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: 

and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.