We had plans for some work on the house, not fun stuff, but rather needful stuff. It was to be next week... but life happens when you make other plans.
Friday as Paul and I enjoyed b'fast on the "veranda" our wise siding guy arrived. He also does roofing work, which has been a blessing to us. He came for one purpose but soon was busy with us to determine the source of the elusive roof leak.
Last week Tim came and we watered down the chimney and then the siding. It appeared that it was a siding issue as I found water in a small hole I cut in the drywall next to the chimney as he sprayed water on the siding. We did not give consideration to the reality that there had been water on the roof first.
Friday the guys began at the siding- giving it a good pounding of water, with no water coming in. By this point- 5 months since the first leak, we are well ready for the source to be found. Paul took my 1 x 2 inch hole and cut away the drywall up to the ceiling and then part of the ceiling drywall to allow access into the space above for greater visablity.
Water is then introduced above on the roof. Suddenly it is coming in. then it stops and again it is coming down. Further examination helps to narrow the leak. It is back to a roof issue, a flashing issue it appears. We contact the roofing company- they will be out to relook later this week. I am sure they are not pleased by our cutting as it also has revealed black mold and will increase the repairs that need to be done. We are just ready to stop looking up when it rains.
Water, water, water so seems the theme of this season. Friday afternoon I wanted to get the shower that did not come that morning as we tore into the roof. The hotwater heater decided, once again, to not play. After 20 hash marks on the "we can get to 1,000 marks" chart (Ebeth's lighthearted way of dealing with frustration) we decided that maybe it had given up the ghost.
I cashed in on open door offer of neighbors, returning clean and refreshed to a house with no hotwater heater on the wall again. Paul decided that today was the day to begin, not next week. That night he picked up plumbing supplies and Saturday turned into a plumbing marathon. 13 hours later he had rerouted the plumbing lines, installed a sediment and scale filter and the new hot water heater has fired up. We have cooed, prayed and cheered it on. We hope that this is the one that wil stay and serve the house well.
We so often take things for granted- hot water, dry ceilings.... they are not taken for granted so much these days. We are grateful for the provisions of the companies that have returned again and again, grateful for their ongoing striving to make it all right. Many days we are weary in the journey, yet press on knowing that it is a season and it too shall pass and one day we will look back from this time.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
T-tapp update
I awoke this morning thinking of conversations i had yesterday with two friends. Both have begun to t-tapp and both are finding results. One found 2" weight loss and 1 pant size change in a weeks time. The other was not so specific with her feedback beyond how it is a workout and she is feeling better and finding her body changing.
It has been 6 weeks since I wrote about t-tapping. 7 weeks since I began. I had an unexpected week off due to technical difficulites, otherwise I have maintained my routine of t-tapping twice a week or more since then. for me that is huge as I have not routinely exercised in years beyond a few months of jogging in NC.
I still have not tracked well my measurement changes, beyond the pounds on the scale- which I tend to avoid. The reality is that I am switching from flab to toned muscle so the numbers have gone up slightly. Yet the other reality is that I feel tighter within, there is a change that is slowly going on from the inside out. I expect one day to find that the upper arms are going to be well defined where now they are just starting to be defined. Makes me wish I had taken the before pics for an objective mark of where I began. I sense changes but the pics would be proof positive.
The other change I am noticing is that my left thigh,which has always had a greatly diminished muscle on the inner top side seems to be changing. I don't know if over time it will develop fully, but just knowing that it is developing has given me further motivation.
So, I keep on the 15 min workout. Loving that I moving and continuing to feel energized, that if my body gets creaky I spend a short time moving and I am aligned and no longer in pain and creaky. That in a simple way I am achieving a goal that i never thought I could achieve as I am so exercise lazy- yet it was through a simple routine that good changes have come.
So, if you long for a do-able exercise routine and dont want to have to kill yourself to get real change give t-tapp a try. One friend had been following some kind of video and sweating away with no change. she made the switch and found there was a dramatic difference in the outcome. i dont understand the why, i just know it is different and productive.
www.t-tapp.com is where a wealth of information can be found. I am off to do some hoe downs and today I may begin to learn the walking workout, I am feeling like its time to challenge my body a bit more.
It has been 6 weeks since I wrote about t-tapping. 7 weeks since I began. I had an unexpected week off due to technical difficulites, otherwise I have maintained my routine of t-tapping twice a week or more since then. for me that is huge as I have not routinely exercised in years beyond a few months of jogging in NC.
I still have not tracked well my measurement changes, beyond the pounds on the scale- which I tend to avoid. The reality is that I am switching from flab to toned muscle so the numbers have gone up slightly. Yet the other reality is that I feel tighter within, there is a change that is slowly going on from the inside out. I expect one day to find that the upper arms are going to be well defined where now they are just starting to be defined. Makes me wish I had taken the before pics for an objective mark of where I began. I sense changes but the pics would be proof positive.
The other change I am noticing is that my left thigh,which has always had a greatly diminished muscle on the inner top side seems to be changing. I don't know if over time it will develop fully, but just knowing that it is developing has given me further motivation.
So, I keep on the 15 min workout. Loving that I moving and continuing to feel energized, that if my body gets creaky I spend a short time moving and I am aligned and no longer in pain and creaky. That in a simple way I am achieving a goal that i never thought I could achieve as I am so exercise lazy- yet it was through a simple routine that good changes have come.
So, if you long for a do-able exercise routine and dont want to have to kill yourself to get real change give t-tapp a try. One friend had been following some kind of video and sweating away with no change. she made the switch and found there was a dramatic difference in the outcome. i dont understand the why, i just know it is different and productive.
www.t-tapp.com is where a wealth of information can be found. I am off to do some hoe downs and today I may begin to learn the walking workout, I am feeling like its time to challenge my body a bit more.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The stone is passed
Last night after months of waiting my daughter received word of a scholarship being granted her for her school of choice. This was not the typical- submit your scholarship application and receive word journey. It was a journey of faith, perseverence and a bit of nagging. All cemented together with prayer.
In October of last year she submitted her application and essay. Within a week she received word that part of it was missing, so she resubmitted her paperwork. By January she called to see if any decision had been made as she hoped to start college midyear. She was told that the commitee had not met yet. So the waiting began as she worked a full time job.
As spring approached she began to work the process of cementing her enrollment. She made several inquiries about scholarship status, all to end in no clear answer. As April began and spring was on its way she stepped up inquiries, still no clear answers. As the closing of April came I began to wonder at the lack of clear communication of any sort. I made a few inquiries and at last we found that her scholarship application had turned up MIA. She went to campus and we were grateful to find that her scholarship essay was in her file with the Oct 08 stamp receival date upon it.
More perseverence was still required as she met with, emailed and submitted more paperwork and chased trails for any scholarship posiblity as most of the funds had been granted at this point. We prayed, asked God for provision and waited. yesterday word was given that she will recieve full tuition and fees scholarship.
What does this have to do with stones?? At first glance not much, yet in our family we have stones that symblize times of faith testing or provisions of God. As I received the news of this season of waiting and the wonderful provision I knew it was an "Ebenezer stone" time. I sat down and made a stone for the scholarship and one for her job- as her first job kind of "fell from heaven". As she came home I showed them to her, acknowledging that she has begun her own walk of faith journey and this was one of the stepping stones of that journey.
Walking by faith, not easy, not fun, but the scenery is memorable, the lessons indelible. Watching her walk, seeking prayer from others and living dependent upon the Lord has been a joy to behold. It has been a week of surrender and calling out to God- sometimes to get a quick answer, sometimes to continue to wait and persevere.
Sam lost his treasured Leatherman, searching availed it not, so we talked and prayed. Then I questioned him a bit more and soon we found it- chance, perhaps, but maybe just the beginning of God allowing him to learn to seek Him in the midst of his need. For Ebeth it was perseverence and patience as well as alot of footwork. Not easy, not fun, often frustrating, but in the end there was a blessing.
What a joy to watch our children learn to live by faith!
In October of last year she submitted her application and essay. Within a week she received word that part of it was missing, so she resubmitted her paperwork. By January she called to see if any decision had been made as she hoped to start college midyear. She was told that the commitee had not met yet. So the waiting began as she worked a full time job.
As spring approached she began to work the process of cementing her enrollment. She made several inquiries about scholarship status, all to end in no clear answer. As April began and spring was on its way she stepped up inquiries, still no clear answers. As the closing of April came I began to wonder at the lack of clear communication of any sort. I made a few inquiries and at last we found that her scholarship application had turned up MIA. She went to campus and we were grateful to find that her scholarship essay was in her file with the Oct 08 stamp receival date upon it.
More perseverence was still required as she met with, emailed and submitted more paperwork and chased trails for any scholarship posiblity as most of the funds had been granted at this point. We prayed, asked God for provision and waited. yesterday word was given that she will recieve full tuition and fees scholarship.
What does this have to do with stones?? At first glance not much, yet in our family we have stones that symblize times of faith testing or provisions of God. As I received the news of this season of waiting and the wonderful provision I knew it was an "Ebenezer stone" time. I sat down and made a stone for the scholarship and one for her job- as her first job kind of "fell from heaven". As she came home I showed them to her, acknowledging that she has begun her own walk of faith journey and this was one of the stepping stones of that journey.
Walking by faith, not easy, not fun, but the scenery is memorable, the lessons indelible. Watching her walk, seeking prayer from others and living dependent upon the Lord has been a joy to behold. It has been a week of surrender and calling out to God- sometimes to get a quick answer, sometimes to continue to wait and persevere.
Sam lost his treasured Leatherman, searching availed it not, so we talked and prayed. Then I questioned him a bit more and soon we found it- chance, perhaps, but maybe just the beginning of God allowing him to learn to seek Him in the midst of his need. For Ebeth it was perseverence and patience as well as alot of footwork. Not easy, not fun, often frustrating, but in the end there was a blessing.
What a joy to watch our children learn to live by faith!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
wet weekend
Its been rather wet in Toney this weekend. Thankfully it has all stayed outside if you dont count what we have tracked in on our feet. That is right, it seems that the roof is fixed, not sure where the leak originated or which glob of caulk sealed it but the water is no longer invading the room upstairs- YEAH!!!!
It has been a weekend of rest as the end of the week was a "life is what happens when you make other plans" kind of days. Our dear neighbor had a virus that seems to have caused dehydration that seems to have caused her to pass out that led to broken fingers that caused much pain..... hospital.... doctors office visits....childcare.... Kind of the "if you give the mouse a coookie" (a children's book) scenrio but it was rather the illness gone wrong strain of life. She is now happily braced, drugged and waiting for swelling to go down and surgery to pin her fingers into happy places. short drop makes for big boo boos! We found our life in the midst of theirs as support team. It was fun to be around 1.5, 4, and 6 yr olds. When baby chicks arrived on Friday Paul became chief chick sitter and it was fun to see the cute soft chicks peep their way into our hearts.
The garden is mostly planted. We have begun to harvest broccoli and strawberries- yum!! i need to think of things to eat spring onions with as they are doing great. The spinach is beginning to come up as are the beets so in a few weeks they will be ready to enjoy. I built three new boxes and have planted in two of them. I will be taking the cucumbers and squash verticle this year- no longer allowing them to run rampant over the ground. I am hoping to focus the cuc's energy on fruit and less on vine this year- we'll see how it goes. It looks like the peach tree and grape vines are settling into life in the side yard. I have put in enough flowers that I now need to keep away from Lowe's - my favorite place to go for deep discount, rescue me before I die plants. so cheap its hard to say no, but I will try.
We helped out a co-worker of Paul a few weeks ago. He had surgery and had not gotten to the spring cleanup of the yard. The Team Varian swept in and groomed it into manageable shape. Amidst that morning of activity came the lesson of "dont overplant" - thinking forward to what is truly manageable in terms of flower beds and plant maintance for the golden years of life. I think I am there about where I am at. I have been adding small perrenial beds around bases of foundation and fencing but I think it may be time to stop. There gets to be a point of too much and if I am not careful I may hit it. At present the ivy that swarms the front bed feels like too much, but I have been reluctant to roundup the vines- it may yet occur, just to keep ahead of the growth.
This year is a bit different here, the last two were drought kind of years, this one is not, at all. We shall begin to truly see the growth potential of the land here. My hydrengas may actually bloom and all the small ones i transplanted last year may grown up a bit. Exciting and scary at the same time. Already I am seeing where plants will be a bit crowded, but I am getting less and less leary of being a transplaner. I guess I have begun to "own" my home and gardens. The sage bushes were moved out of the herb garden - I dont like sage- and relegated to ornamental bush. I have moved in some daisies as I love that flower and would like to enjoy some cut flowers among the herbs.
So as the cool weather makes the green vibrant outside I am enjoying a leisurely Sunday. I spent the afternoon out with my daughter- a blessing to enjoy her company and she seems to reflect the same. Now a quiet evening of quiliting and looking forward to the week ahead. I am thankfull for the slower pace that wet weekends bring to us.
It has been a weekend of rest as the end of the week was a "life is what happens when you make other plans" kind of days. Our dear neighbor had a virus that seems to have caused dehydration that seems to have caused her to pass out that led to broken fingers that caused much pain..... hospital.... doctors office visits....childcare.... Kind of the "if you give the mouse a coookie" (a children's book) scenrio but it was rather the illness gone wrong strain of life. She is now happily braced, drugged and waiting for swelling to go down and surgery to pin her fingers into happy places. short drop makes for big boo boos! We found our life in the midst of theirs as support team. It was fun to be around 1.5, 4, and 6 yr olds. When baby chicks arrived on Friday Paul became chief chick sitter and it was fun to see the cute soft chicks peep their way into our hearts.
The garden is mostly planted. We have begun to harvest broccoli and strawberries- yum!! i need to think of things to eat spring onions with as they are doing great. The spinach is beginning to come up as are the beets so in a few weeks they will be ready to enjoy. I built three new boxes and have planted in two of them. I will be taking the cucumbers and squash verticle this year- no longer allowing them to run rampant over the ground. I am hoping to focus the cuc's energy on fruit and less on vine this year- we'll see how it goes. It looks like the peach tree and grape vines are settling into life in the side yard. I have put in enough flowers that I now need to keep away from Lowe's - my favorite place to go for deep discount, rescue me before I die plants. so cheap its hard to say no, but I will try.
We helped out a co-worker of Paul a few weeks ago. He had surgery and had not gotten to the spring cleanup of the yard. The Team Varian swept in and groomed it into manageable shape. Amidst that morning of activity came the lesson of "dont overplant" - thinking forward to what is truly manageable in terms of flower beds and plant maintance for the golden years of life. I think I am there about where I am at. I have been adding small perrenial beds around bases of foundation and fencing but I think it may be time to stop. There gets to be a point of too much and if I am not careful I may hit it. At present the ivy that swarms the front bed feels like too much, but I have been reluctant to roundup the vines- it may yet occur, just to keep ahead of the growth.
This year is a bit different here, the last two were drought kind of years, this one is not, at all. We shall begin to truly see the growth potential of the land here. My hydrengas may actually bloom and all the small ones i transplanted last year may grown up a bit. Exciting and scary at the same time. Already I am seeing where plants will be a bit crowded, but I am getting less and less leary of being a transplaner. I guess I have begun to "own" my home and gardens. The sage bushes were moved out of the herb garden - I dont like sage- and relegated to ornamental bush. I have moved in some daisies as I love that flower and would like to enjoy some cut flowers among the herbs.
So as the cool weather makes the green vibrant outside I am enjoying a leisurely Sunday. I spent the afternoon out with my daughter- a blessing to enjoy her company and she seems to reflect the same. Now a quiet evening of quiliting and looking forward to the week ahead. I am thankfull for the slower pace that wet weekends bring to us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)