I Never Finished

 I realized a few weeks ago that I never really finished the new home tour.

I had been a little stuck in a few rooms

or was waiting to finish something.

So I will continue the tour with the master bedroom.

I had been stuck on the curtains because I just had one color.

Then I was happier with two colors with one pulled back.

There are curtain lights behind the curtains to add just a bit of light as we chit chat at night.

There is the repainted dresser.

And yes, we are already using a fan, because it is too early to start the air conditioning.

It is fairly simple,

but I think we have landed on the finished product.

(unless I put a chair in the corner for reading)

Remember

 As the beginning of April rolled around,

a blog post also rolled around in my mind,

but it never made it into the blogosphere.

At the beginning of April, 

we celebrated an anniversary -

the anniversary of our move.

What a year it has been!

There has been a new location.

There has been a new job position in a new location.

There has been a new church.

There has been the purchase of our first home

and ensuing payments and lessons about home ownership.

There has been injury.

There has been healing.

There has been the resuming of old ministries

and the finding of new ministry.

We have been studying Deuteronomy 5 and 6 at church.

They are chapters on remembering, reviewing, and teaching about the past,

Hubby and I have rehearsed so many blessings - 

God is faithful.

Though we have no children to rehearse the blessing with,

we will share with anyone who will listen.

Change is exciting and hard.

But if God is leading,

if God is in the change,

if you will leave self and rely on Him,

He will show Himself faithful.

And just to set the record straight,

He is faithful even when we are not,

though the outcome may not be what we are looking for.

A New and Different Challenge

I had returned to the Couch 2 5K program when I was feeling the need to get my stamina back after my time in a cast.

It was going well.

I spent as long as I wanted on each "week" of the plan and I was progressing.

And then a new opportunity came along.

It was another running training program.

This one came with even more variety and with an app that did the timing for me.

I had looked at it many times, but could not justify the price.

BUT!

They had a brief promo.

If I could run or walk 26 miles in the length of my enrollment,

they would give me the cost of my program back.

I can walk 26 miles in a week - 

surely I could do it in 6 months!

So I enrolled,

and I am enjoying the new program and challenge.

And yes, 

I have earned my program cost back!

I am thankful for the opportunity and for the promotion that allowed me to try the app for free.

By the way, the app is Joggo.

New Life

 With bare root plants and trees, 

there is always a waiting and a wondering.

Will they survive the transplant?

Will they come out of dormancy?

Will they bear fruit?

I have been watching all of my little plants looking for life,

but especially the fruit trees and bushes.

What a joy when the first leaves appeared!

What a joy to see the new life!

The columnar apple tree even has the start of an apple blossom!

And then I thought,

about the desire for proof of life in my Christian walk.

Do others look at me and wonder if I will bare fruit?

Do they wonder if there will be a sign of life?

I hope not.

But just as I eagerly look for signs of life on my little plants,

I should be seeking to bring forth fruit.

The right soil is there if I am abiding in Christ.

The right food is there if I am reading His Word.

Those that be planted in the house of the Lord 

shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Psalm 92:13

The Happy Accident

 It appears that last week was the approved week to ship plants to Bowling Green, KY.

I am only waiting on some phlox that are supposed to arrive this coming Friday.

So last week, I spent working on the perennial bed.

I had a great time in a beautiful week digging, turning, planning, planting.

I even had the company of a crew working on the neighboring house one day.

Then we had a brief storm on Friday night.

As hubby and I watched the water running through the garden like a river and pooling in random spots,

we knew that if we didn't make a change,

the little plants would die.

So Saturday, he built me a dry creek - 

a sort of canal for the water to collect in.

I replanted and think that most, if not all, of the plants now have a chance.

What a blessing that we could fill the bottom with construction debris behind the house.

We could dispose of unwanted clay behind the house.

And our little garden has quite a bit of character ...

a happy accident.

a ready source of drainage rocks 

our pile of sod and clay

We spent the rest of the day learning more about "lawn farming."

Hubby aerated a small portion,

I removed some thatch,

and we patched some bare spots.

We just enjoyed a beautiful day together appreciating the blessing of our little home and its small piece of land.

Photo (and Event) Dump

It has been a crazy "March."

They say it is in like a lion and out like a lamb.

It seems as if we are going to come in and go out like a lion.

The weather tomorrow is supposed to get "ugly."

At the beginning of the month, we had a wild storm.

We weathered it all right, but determined that our garage door was not strong enough for "Blowing Green," after it dented in during a wind gust.

It turns out our door was only rated for 20 mph winds.

A new door is on order with a wait time of 4-6 weeks.  

It will provide more insulation, protection up to 90 mph,  and the addition of windows since we use the room as extra living space much of the time (and hubby's work-from-home office.)

We were supposed to have "Donut Day" back in mid-February,

but sickness has been like a wrestling match around here.

We have gone around the ring with sinus issues and coughs for over a month.

We finally had our donut date last Saturday.

The new little shop did not disappoint.

They serve up hot mini gluten-free donuts with a choice of toppings.

We went for blueberries and cream (at least this time).

It will not be our last visit to Gus's.

After our donut date,

we built the blueberry bush planter.

Yes, we did not wait another year.

It is now in place and provides more privacy

and the promise of more greenery.

The apple trees and blueberry bushes are now planted

and we will wait for the growth and fruit in a year or two.

You can see the footers of two new houses in the background.

And just today, my serviceberry tree and lilac bush arrived.

The serviceberry is in the back right corner

and the lilac is in the back left corner.

In the front is a dead or "mostly dead" boxwood.

We took it out of the front and it was only in a bucket all winter.

It was a pretty harsh winter for a bush in a bucket.

I am hoping it has life,

but it may not make it.

Now we wait for the perennials that will fill the rest of the garden.

And there you have it - the update!

Now I have to get back to taxes.

I think this is a record of lateness - 

but the last forms finally came in last weekend.

Frustrating, but profitable

 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times:

Unless she had turned from me, 

surely now also I had slain thee, and saved he alive.

Numbers 22:33

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; 

but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, 

as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Genesis 50:20

Oh, how frustrating the roadblocks of life are!

I don't want detours;

I don't want delays;

In essence, I want my way.

But just as God used an angel to spare Balaam

And God took Joseph on a detour to save the entire nation of Israel,

So he uses the detours in my life for my good or the good of others.

I haven't figured out the reasons for all the detours,

But the longer I live,

The more I understand some of the detours.

And I am reminded to be patient in them

And to let God do the work he want to in my life.

Just In Time

 We thought we might have a little longer ...

but the day has come ...

Today the ditch witch was in the backyard.

It was there to mark off a new build.

The lighting is poor, but the orange fencing is there to keep the construction mess from our yard.

Since our backyard is the back of a pie shape, 

there is room for two builds in the back.

Here comes the first of the two.

Do you see the funny-colored "pile" to the left of the fence?

That is the sod that we removed for the new perennial garden.

It is not in the "new build" lot.

I guess our new "privacy" planters are just in time.

The new house will be ready in July or August.

We hope to make a longer, but less deep planter (or two less deep planters) for in-between...

for my future blueberry plants!

I won't be without something to look at this Spring

while I watch the construction from up close.

We are glad that it is going to be a one-story home and not a two story!

Pretty, Private, and Practical

 As has been mentioned ...

I LOVE PLANTS!

But I have a small problem ...

because my lot is so small

and much of the "usable" space is an easement or setback,

it is hard to plant very much.

Earlier this year,

I discovered a "COLUMNAR" apple tree.

It does not grow wider than 2 feet.

Perfect for my small lot.

But again, I am not sure that I could even find a space for this little guy!

BUT ... he could be in a container!

So hubby built me some very large planters for the patio.

They will be home to the apple trees (pretty),

they will provide a sort of privacy fence from our backyard neighbors (privacy),

and they will produce fruit (practical) by the second year.

While probably not growing the "orchard" this year,

we hope next year to expand to patio blueberries and/or blackberries as well.

And hubby will again build some more planters - probably slightly shorter and not as deep.

Hubby made the planters on casters that lock so that we can move the planters depending on where we are sitting or which neighbors are outside at the same time we are.

We can also move the trees closer to the house when the Bowling Green crazy storms are threatening.

On this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for hubby's efforts for me.

He has had a busy week of travel, but made sure to finish these before the trees shipped!

Inhale, Exhale

 The sickness that I thought I was avoiding caught me.

I spent last week just doing the basics.

The days were spent with tissues and coughdrops;

the nights were spent with Nyquil and more tissues.

We finally seem to be turning the corner.

And on this beautiful spring day,

It was good to be able to breathe!

While I cleaned, the windows were open with the fresh air blowing in after a brutal storm on Friday.

Then the air was scented with grass as I mowed the lawn for the first time this season.

And the garage smells of cedar planks - 

for hubby made me some LARGE outdoor planters on Saturday that are waiting to be stained.

And ... it was "good" to be back to running today after 2 weeks off - 

running goes much better when one can breathe.