Doing the Impossible

Lori's comment made me laugh, and made me think... you know, we've done a lot of things that I have heard other people "can't" do or do and think it's a huge hardship, and we just do it because it needs doing... Like in church one time we heard about a couple complaining that they had to spend the night on the floor in sleeping bags in their apartment until their bed came the next day. We just looked at each other. We have slept in tents in January in the mountains with unexpected snow. We have slept in sleeping bags on the floor for MONTHS at a time. We have slept on cold waterbeds (okay half the night, then I was so cold I went and found an inside corner and all the clothes and dishtowels in the house-which wasn't much- and made a nest). I have slept in my car. When I still had babies at home I slept standing at the sink with my hands in the warm water washing dishes, when I woke up the water was cold. This newb (or noob as it's called in texting) obviously had not had a very exciting life.

I have collected, hauled, split and stacked wood. I have used it to heat my home. I have dug ditches, holes for plants, in the mud and rain. I have weeded and pruned and fertilized. I have canned my own food. I have helped sheetrock, tape, texture, paint, stain, trim, hang and decorate. I have collected free bricks, chipped off mortar and used it to make walkways in the yard. I have scrounged lovely things for our use, rescuing everything from plants to fireplaces from the jaws of the garbage truck. I have been hungry. I have had blisters and calluses and splinters and actually hurt myself too. I have insulated and filtered and gotten on the internet to learn how to fix my own appliances. I learned technology younger than me. I have had my husband painting items for his car and "firing" them in my oven, ruining my lasagne. I have had him put a transmission housing in my dishwasher.... black specks on all my dishes for months. I have had my clothes spray painted in their laundry baskets. I have push started cars more than a hundred times. I have scars from a Derby I push started... I have lived in two foreign countries (Germany and Alabama!) where I did not speak the language (well), I have gone through snowstorms and thunderstorms and hurricanes, broken appliances, broken cars, broken plumbing and broken electrical systems, wars and rumors of wars, watched the Berlin Wall come down, watched the twin towers come down...Run out of gas in a foreign country after all the gas stations were closed, 100 miles from home. Gotten on the wrong bus. Put on a dinner for 500 under budget with nearly no help, and I have lived on Top Ramen and cabbage soup... And I am so much richer for these experiences.

I have also been to concerts, fairs, balls, and auctions. I have owned a house with a pool. I have visited several places and seen several distinct and unique cultures. I have eaten food from all over the world. (Except authentic Chinese, Steve kind of put me off that idea!) I have met wonderful people everywhere I went and loved things about every place I was (except Barstow. Yech. But I was only there one night, and the car was hit while we were sleeping, so it was just not a "feel the love" kind of experience!) I have four incredible kids who have taught me more than I would ever have learned anywhere else, and I have more blessings than I can count. So I am glad for the "bad" because it makes me appreciate the "good" more... and after a while the line blurrs so much it's hard to see the bad in the good and the good in the bad, it's just all kind of amusing.

It's all a matter of perspective and I understand the look I see on faces of those who were born before me when young people cry about their lot. When you see friends die of cancer, lose a child, lose a job after an injury, you put things in a different light.

Time to count blessings!

Matching Brick

Evidently the brick that surrounds our house was resurrected from an old pyramid nearby... because we can't find anything close to it anywhere. Of course to me it looks like plain old brick, but if you are trying to match it to brick they are still making it's rare, it's impossible, they don't make it any more. I am so sad.. this means Greg and I will be spending several manhours chipping the brick off the back of the house to put on the front. I didn't want to do it like this... I really wanted to get finished so if and when we decided to add onto the house we could do it in our own time. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. So we'll begin building a closet off the back soon, and hopefully face it in Hardiplank to match the shop, because we can still get that without a trip to Egypt. I worry though that Greg will really want it to match the house... we thought about getting a brick that was close and doing the stucco thing over it. Many new houses are like that here, they do brick and some of it peeks out to make it look like the stucco fell off (it's a stressed, made-to-look-antique look) but would we have to do the whole house? And do we know what we're doing with stucco? Well you know Greg, he can do anything... but he has a car he wants to work on... poor baby he's worked enough on the house and I feel bad that it's not over yet. He is just determined that it not look like we converted the garage. (Is that a crime or just bad taste or something?) So brick is not brick is not brick, it's all unique and different and a pain... and if it is newer looking on the back than on the front it won't match perfectly anyway... home improvement, yech!

LET IT SNOW!!

Yes folks, it snowed in Lower Louisiana today!! WOO HOO!!!!

Pantry

SO we painted the pantry and put in the shelves. There comes a time when it's gotta be done so you don't scream. So here is the view from the kitchen. I am going to work up to a month supply of TP and see if we have room for a 6 month supply. I doubt it. That and paper towels... we could fill the room and it still wouldn't last!! Maybe someday when we have more time and energy (like...I can't imagine!) we'll stain the floor. We are still planning on staining the room in front. I hope the pictures help you understand what is going on with the house. It's hard to get the whole idea on 2d.

Christmas Parade 2008

Lafayette loves a parade, here are a few important shots LOL!

It's Christmas Time

A little Christmas carol for you. I like it REAL LOUD but regardless it's a fun Christmas song. If you are tired of hearing "happy holidays" you will LOVE this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

I am busy getting the Christmas cards together and actually found some with Mary Joseph and Baby Jesus. Can you believe it! It only took 4 stores.

We are just about done and in "gather" mode for warm clothes to take on our trip. We are looking forward to seeing all the folks back home. In the meantime this week and next every day is full of Concerts, Sing-Alongs, and other fun stuff. I am really looking forward to getting my little chores done and relaxing and enjoying as much as possible.

Garage becomes House -1

I have some pictures finally of the enclosure of the garage. Let me know if you have questions. Greg and his friend Brian put the windows in the new wall. It's still not heated, the interior has no sheetrock yet but it's looking like house!!

Garage becomes House

This is the hole cut in the wall right past the door into the new room. The silver stuff on the outside of the finished wall is insulation.