Oct 30th - A project you're working on.

Well, here’s the thing. One project I’ve been working on has morphed into quite a few projects. It all started with thinking about my mom coming for Christmas. If my mom came for Christmas I would really like to get the bed frame back in my guest room so that mom doesn’t have to sleep on the floor. I mean, if we have the bed frame, why not.

And if I’m going to set up the bed frame it just does not make sense that I wouldn’t paint it first. So, I hauled the pieces out to the shop and gave the bed frame three coats of Annie Sloan chalk paint. Next, I’m going to clear coat it.

But in the mean time, I got to thinking, that if per chance we would actually be putting the bed back together in the guest room and this ginormous bed frame is probably not going to be moving for a long time, I would need to finish the trim first and put it up.

So, out to the shop with the trim and I gave it all three coats of shiny white trim paint. And in the midst of it all, my mind a whirling, I got to thinking about putting the trim up and the gouges and places where the paint pulled off in the guest room when everything was wet and flooded this summer.

So, I hauled out the paint pails and the mud and spatula and sander and started filling holes. It doesn’t take much when a person gets going and I’ll admit, I went a little wild with hole filling.

At the end of the day, Pat came in to mud spots in the dining room, all the way down the stairs and the main full wall of the basement. He seemed a little surprised and not exactly interested in the whole process, a little afraid, I think, that he would be roped in to help. But do not worry, midnight is my hour.

And today, at this point in my life, my dining room and basement look nice and new and put together. I need to get a little tin of paint to touch up the lighter stripes in the guest room - White Truffle by Behr. And today I hope to clear coat the bed and staple in trim.

And perhaps this is why my projects seem to take forever.

The end.

Oct 28th - Bible Verse

Oct 27th - 50 Words To Describe Your Day

sunshine

maple bugs

babysitting Keziah

baked oatmeal and

baked eggs for lunch

jumping on the tramp

Lego everywhere

reading stories

word-of-the-week

people opting out

preparing for

Villa pizza night 

barbecue chicken pizza

apple crisp and ice cream

red disposable cups

song books and games

clean the bathroom

vacuum floors

coffee

Oct 26th - Words of Wisdom {when times get tough}

Hmm. I don't know if I have any wisdom at all but I've had a tough time or two in my life. Seems like the older I get the less wisdom I have! One thing that my mom used to say when we were little was It'll all feel better in the morning. Isn't that the truth?


And something that always comes back to me is what Arnie & Mel's Grandma Klassen used to say. Drink lots of water and rest and get fresh air. Isn't that just a good way to calm down and smell the roses?


I think we all pray and sing and read the bible and have devotions and those are wonderful things. Another good thing to do is write down things I'm thankful for, specific things that bring joy or are beautiful.


And it all depends what kind of tough we're going through, but I believe that our physical, spiritual and mental health is all intertwined and a good multi vitamin is always a safe helpful thing.


Be happy. Laugh. Read something humorous. Dance with the little kids. Sing loudly in the shower. Learn a new skill. Think of others. Give your time to a good cause. Take a nap. Have a bubble bath. Give in. Exercise. Time yourself and do the dirty work - ten minutes does wonders. Let out the bad in a safe place and let it go.


In acceptance there is peace.

Oct 25th - Cleaning

So cleaning isn't my most favourite thing to do but I must admit that I am a little bit particular in this area. I don't ever do a huge fall or spring cleaning and clean my house in a week. For many years I've done, like, one or two rooms a week and tried to get through my house in a month. I spot clean and dust and clean bathrooms and vacuum daily.


But I never feel like I'm on top of the world for cleaning. My dear mother-in-law is the world's cleanest lady and I never measure up. She never makes me feel that way, it's my own interpretation. But when she came over to help me set up for a Christmas business party one year she came in with stuff to spot clean my carpet. And I was just thinking about enough food and chairs at that stage of the game. That just tells you how different we all are.


Sometimes I come home and see my house through different eyes and usually I think, Hey, it's not too bad in here! I think my biggest thing that makes me feel like things are messy and dirty is disorganization. Little piles of this and that sitting around drive me completely batty. I do definitely have zones that get hit bad but there's nothing quite like the feeling of totally cleaned off countertops and a place for everything and everything in it's place.


I am fiercely choleric and a lot of melancholy on this subject. I would nine times out of ten do a quick job and not necessarily a perfect job of cleaning. Also, I would almost always choose a way that to me looks appealing and spend a little bit more time on looks than making sure every crack and crevice is spotless. One thing I do love is clean windows and I'll do many quick window cleanings during summer on my front windows and my main lived in rooms. But I'm doing good to get my bedroom windows cleaned twice a year, partly because they're way up and hard to reach.


I obsess about cleaning garbage up off the yard and making sure the grass stays green and edging beds and trees and spraying weeds. And parking things in rows and lining things up and stuff. Now doesn't that sound almost like an obsessive compulsive confession? And I'm tremendously bossy and get all my men to help me with it all. But really, Pat is always supportive of the tidying and cleaning and the boys helping. I think we've both thought that everyone is happier if they help out. And Pat himself is fiercely particular about looks and cleanliness and so is his family. And perhaps, that is partly why it's important to me too. Whew.


So many confessions. Who would've guessed that was all waiting to escape the pen?


I'm not going back to edit. All I ask is that you'll still be my friend! ;)

Oct 24th - Favourite Person/People to Call for a Mood Lift

First I call my mither-mother

Then I call my sister B

Next I call my sister Karen

Then I call my sis Penny

 

After that I call to Jodi

Ruby, Viv and Lana too

Char and Lisa, Pam and Kim

Talk to Pat for change of view

 

Then I call my neighbour Heather

Melanie Miranda Am

Maybe I should talk to Cindy

Just depends how busy I am

 

Prob’ly time to whatsapp school friends

Arnie, Mel, Lur, Lila, Eif

Rose and Jane, Ters, Sharon, Marva

Bev n Allison, It’s the life!

 

But most of all my time spent talking

Is focused on a certain few

It’s my family, Colb, Zach, Wyatt

Pat’s the favourite in view.

 

Along the way, I’ve learned to curb it

Somewhat keep the thoughts subdued.

But if I really need to dump it

Guess Who hears me through and through?

Oct 23rd - Things that are causing you stress.

So the thing that stresses me the most I think is the responsibilities.


Honestly. That sounds crazy. But on the flip side, I'm so very grateful for a faithful husband. We have way too many spiritual widows around here and this is the thing that goes with it. We have way too many 'thangs' to do!! Gah.


There you have it.


So what stresses you?

Oct 21st - A song

Just as I am - I Come Broken


Just as I am without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God I come, I come.


Just as I am and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God I come, I come.


Chorus:
I come broken to be mended. I come wounded to be healed.
I come des'prate to be rescued. I come empty to be filled.
I come guilty to be pardoned, by the blood of Christ, the Lamb,
And I'm welcomed with open arms, praise God, just as I am.


Just as I am I would be lost, but mercy and grace my freedom bought.
And now to glory in Your cross, O Lamb of God I come, I come.


Chorus:
I come broken to be mended. I come wounded to be healed.
I come des'prate to be rescued. I come empty to be filled.
I come guilty to be pardoned, by the blood of Christ, the Lamb.
And I'm welcomed with open arms, praise God, just as I am.


I come broken to be mended. I come wounded to be healed.
I come des'prate to be rescued. I come empty to be filled.
I come guilty to be pardoned, by the blood of Christ, the Lamb.
And I'm welcomed with open arms, praise God, just as I am.
Praise God, just as I am.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I heard my baby singing this song the other day while he played. And my throat felt tight.


It's a favourite of mine.

Oct 18th-20th Nonsense, Change a Room and Where's the Coffee???

So, it's a three-meal-deal in one, my friends.


First the nonsense. It's been crazy, Grandma-Dora-ish around here. Just random things like moving office stuff into the new office, finishing painting, our first sewing of the season, finding cooks for the Villa, dentist appointments, filing GST, PST, payroll deductions, etc. It's this grand dance I call my wonderful life. I send one boy off to work at the chicken barn one or two days a week and to his uncles welding shop another day or two a week. I send another boy off to school by himself. And the littlest one, oh, the littlest one. He keeps us all on course.


Of course, I'm dreaming of changing up my kitchen. It's for one person, square, with the tight little walkway going right through it. I picked it out as a young bride of 20, with no inkling whatsoever of what I'd like in a kitchen. It's the oak look of the 90's which is turning orange in it's age. It had a lowered ceiling which we removed a few years ago but it still sports a fancy scallop border above the window. That would be one of the main things I would like to remove. Then I would paint it white-white-white and get long straight black handles to match my laundry room and do new countertops the same as my laundry room as well, huge marble-look laminate. I think some white subway tile or little white hex tile or something for a backsplash would finish it off. Then I'd add the bright splashy colors that I love, like a huge blue and green plate displayed in one corner and my aqua box Colby built me in school that houses my prolific stack of cookbooks.


And coffee? I love a good coffee and I'm a little picky about it. Of course, I would enjoy any coffee you served and friendship is definitely more important to me than coffee. But. BUT. Fresh ground coffee beans cannot be beat. I love French press coffee and a nice glug of rich cream. I love flavored coffees but I'll skip on flavored creamers and sugar. And this all being said about coffee, I really love a good cup of tea and my sister Penny beats all in making tea. Hers is THEE very best. And so, coffee in the early morning, chai tea in the late morning, some flavored healthy THM tea in the afternoon and maybe a sleepy time tea before bed. It's all good.

Oct 17th - A project you're dreaming of doing.

I'm going to write a list of all some of the projects!

• Paint shop lunchroom, office, bathroom.
• Paint guest bed frame - ugh, yes, it's still waiting patiently in the garage.
• Dream up a quilt pattern for the browns, greens, oranges, greys that the sewing ladies sent home with me today.
• Build a narrow tall table to fit the exact spot I need in my entrance. I've been dreaming about this one for a long time. I think I'll do the X on the end like I got the boys to do on the one in my dining room. Painted white, of course.