Favor

November 20, 2009 at 6:59 AM (Around Our House, From the Heart, Honey)

I have to tell you something so amazing, I’m not sure where to start.

I have told you about our sewer problems before. Here and here and here. They have been an ongoing concern.

At our last meeting with the city people, the inspector, the engineer, and various other men that attended, all agreed that they were not at fault. Well, the sewer line guy didn’t say that, because he couldn’t. Someone from his department did not do their job, and even though he did not say anything, we knew.

We left that meeting with an understanding that they would do their own research as to how we could fix our problem, the problem most certainly not of their making.  Even though they were not admitting responsibility, they wanted to be certain to get all up in our business to make sure that things would not be fixed incorrectly. That would just be wrong.

That was in October. You can imagine getting all those schedules coordinated takes some time. They finally called back and wanted to set up the meeting the week that we were in Florida. We said that was not going to work for us, and rescheduled for yesterday morning, the 19th of November. Two months and a day from when we found out that there were serious, problematic, expensive defects in our line. Before that, we were blissfully ignorant, and thought things could simply be fixed.

Honey and I have talked about this, on and off, for years, and more extensively, for months. Even before we knew the extent of the problem, we knew we would have to do something. We put things off until after the family reunion we had here in July, because nothing says PARTY like an exposed sewer line.

I think we have been concerned, but not consumed with this problem. We asked God to intervene on our behalf. We asked for the city to show us  favor. To treat us like people that they knew and cared about. To be fair and helpful. We asked that the city would hear us.

Honey and I, and many of you, have been praying for a solution ever since. The plumbers solution was to reroute our entire sewer line, wrecking our entire basement in the process, adding a holding tank under the floor of our basement.. That option was the one that would cost more than our first house. We didn’t really like that option for many, many reasons. Plus, our city informed us, they didn’t like that option either. They wanted the tank on the outside of the house.

The city guys knew we needed a solution, and they knew they that whatever it was, they were going to have to approve it. They put their thinking caps on. Like Tom Terrific. The two solutions they came up with were complete destruction of the basement, as well as our bank account, with gravity feeds and tanks of sewage and pumps that always need to be fixed. This, and only this, was the focus. No other solution was available, we were back to the rock and a  hard place.

It seemed like all was lost. The talking had stopped.  Honey gave one final plea. He said that when we built our house 10 years ago, we paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a builder, we paid almost $8,000 to the city to check the builders work. All we know is we did what we were supposed to do, and now it is all our responsibility, with no one accountable for the problem they caused. He didn’t loose his temper, he wasn’t accusing, he just spoke the truth. All were quiet.

And then, in a no win situation, God gave Roy, the guy who doesnt even do the sewer work for the city, an idea. Roy said, “Why can’t we just do this?” Honey said everyone started talking at once!

It was a GREAT idea! It would fix our problem, the city would approve it, it could be done! We would be able to sell our house when we were ready to leave it! It was amazing!  It is still costly, but the basement and house will be intact!!!

And, it was a total God thing. All 8 of those men were professionals at what they do. They have to deal with these kinds of problems every day. They didn’t have an answer. They couldn’t solve the problem, they had looked into it for 2 months.

Our BSF lesson this week was John 6 with bits of Mark . The one where Jesus put the disciples into the boat and then He went to pray. A storm blew up and the waters grew rough. When he saw them struggling, He walked out on the water to them, and while at first they were afraid, they took him on board.

One of our questions asked if the disciples  were in difficulty because they had sinned in some way, or because they had obeyed the Lord’s command.

Jesus put  them into that boat. He knew the storm was coming, that was no surprise to Him. They were right where they were supposed to be. They obeyed and were still in rough waters.

We sang a song this week at BSF and the line that kept repeating over and over in my mind was “Trust Him when to simply trust Him seems the hardest thing of all”. We know that God hears our prayers, but we are more than aware that the answers are not  always what we want to hear. We have no doubt that God can solve our problems, but the solution could be unsatisfying, or hard to get to, or painful. Or expensive, like this one.

Sometimes I feel like we are problem magnets. We have unusual  things happen to us, sometimes in rapid succession. I have wondered if people think we are the most disobedient Christians around. Or just plain dense. Why else would we be tested over and over again?

That’s why I really liked this lesson. We can be right smack dab in the middle of God’s plan, and still be tossed around in the rough seas of life. God is never going to be finished refining us this side of heaven. We might as well get used to it. Because of the storms of life, we learn to trust Him more. And one thing we have learned over the years? God makes a way for us to navigate every storm. It hasn’t always been easy, but He has never left us hanging.

We are so thankful  for this answered prayer! We are so thankful that some of you interceeded for us as well. You have no idea how that comforted us.

And Roy, bless his heart, was a kiss on the cheek, straight from God.

7 Comments

She’s Gone, I’d Better Learn How To Face It

October 10, 2009 at 8:51 AM (Around Our House, Help Me Please, Whatever)

Just a little Hall and Oates on a gloomy Saturday morning.

Our Windswept Pumpkin is gone. Hence the title of this post.

I was just beginning to love her, and make plans for her future. And name her.

I was leaning towards Patti. Patti Podner Pumpkin. Has a ring to it, don’t you think?

Our neighbor, about 5 houses up the street, stopped by and asked about her. Was she ours? I told him the Windswept Tale. He was so glad  to have found her, evidently he had been in big trouble.  His wife was mad at him for putting her out on such a blustery day. They take their Halloween seriously down there at their house. They have TWO of those giant,  blow up  thingys.

Everybodys high on consolation, everybodys trying to tell me what is right for me…. but  it’s plain to see that they can’t comfort me. She’s gone.

Loves taken her toll on me, she’s gone.

So she’s gooooooone, oh oh oh oh I, I’d better learn how to face it.

They can never be what she WAS.To.MEeeeee. She’s gone.

I would NOT beg the devil to replace her.

She’s just gone. Goodbye Patti Podner Pumpkin. RIP.

8 Comments

A Mighty Wind

October 8, 2009 at 6:06 AM (Around Our House, Cats and Dog)

Thank you all for your lovely, encouraging comments yesterday. I so appreciate you all.

It has been a little windy up here in The Mitten. When Honey came home yesterday morning, he said there was a pumpkin in our front yard. I have not bought any pumpkins yet this year.

When I left for BSF, I had to go look at the pumpkin.

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Yep, it was a big old pumpkin. Lying next to our dug up sprinkler pipe . I thought maybe it was the next door neighbors, so I left it there. That must have been a ginormous gust of wind.

When I came home, it was still there. It must not be our neighbor’s. It would be very unlike our neighbor to not put something back in it’s place. It was still there when I took Mousey to swim practice at 5. I decided to investigate it further. I took the mighty watchdog with me.

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It was a fake pumpkin!

I brought it up closer to the porch, so it wouldn’t blow away again, but tried to leave it out so it’s owner would see it and claim it.

This has happened to us before. Our house must be the final resting place for all things blown by the wind. Leaves, balls, trash cans and lids, papers, recyclables, BBQ covers. And now a pumpkin. We are the last thing to stop flying objects. Beyond us is a creek and a field.

I’m never sure what to do with the item. I usually leave it out on the lawn in hopes that someone  will retrieve it. They rarely do.

Ironically, I have been to Michael’s, JoAnne’s, Homegoods and Hobby Lobby, this very week  looking for a fake pumpkin, or fake mums, or something. I was hoping to find a way to beautify our front porch. I didn’t find anything that I liked and finally decided to scrap the whole idea. With the way our front yard looks at the moment, it was sort of  like putting lipstick on a pig anyway.

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If no one claims it, I’m going to plop it right on that chair and call it a day.

3 Comments

This and That

October 6, 2009 at 7:32 AM (Around Our House, From the Heart, Pretty Things, This and That)

Well, I’m not sure how to explain the meeting with the city people. It was all very quiet and professional. Honey explained our saga, complete with visual aids, compellingly. The city agreed that something needed to be done. While, of course, not assuming responsibility. But not denying responsibility either.

We left the meeting with the understanding that the City Sewer Guy was going to speak with our Plumber Guy and hear all the gory details and speak sewer talk with him. Then, somehow, the City People would verify all the Plumber Guy’s information, and we would reconvene for another meeting in a week or two. Or more likely, 3 or 4.

So, what I have to tell you is nothing. BUT, they did not say they were not responsible, and don’t let the door hit you as you are leaving, so I choose to take that as a positive. That gives us more time to pray. God knows the perfect solution. Even if we don’t. Or the city doesn’t.

And maybe, the solution is to not worry about the whole kit and caboodle, because the Lord is coming back before we have to sell our house and the whole point is moot.

Thank you all for your prayers and concern. We are, as always, waiting expectantly to see how God is going to work.

Hey, I broke out the knitting again! I have a bunch of delicious scarves to make. For sure 5, and possibly 10. Do you know what I have discovered? It takes me almost as long to prepare all of the yarn and put the colors and patterns together, as it takes me to actually knit  the dad gum things!

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But they are delicious!

7 Comments

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

September 21, 2009 at 6:23 AM (Around Our House, Confessions, From the Heart, Honey)

The sewer guys came on Friday to dig up our front yard.

We had moved out pretty much all we could. The rocks, the other rocks, and then we moved some rocks.

At first, all we had was this yellow thing. Honey informs me that it is a back hoe. It removed the grindstone, trees and shrubs and the dirt.

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It dug down 11 feet. The first thing the guy said was “this is a problem”.

See that guy on the cement? He went to school with The Ab-Cat. I know his Mama. Hi Daniel! Small world.

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That’s Honey with his upset stomach. Getting more upset as the day wore on.

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Then all these guys came. We had guys swarming all over the front yard. Guys doing this, checking that, blowing out this line, standing around waiting for other guys.

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The plumbers said our builder didn’t install  the sewer line properly. The city didn’t inspect  the builder’s sewer line properly. All I know is, WE  had nothing to do with the sewer line. Even if we had an opinion about the sewer line 10 years ago, no one would have have listened to us. We are not sewer line experts in any way. You would think that someone would remember that.

When Honey called the d***  builder and told him what was going on over here, all he said was that he might come by and take some pictures, “to protect myself”. He never came. He was probably too busy looking for legal advice.

The inspector from the city came by at the end of the day. All he would say was he needed to go pull up the paperwork, and talk to an engineer. He blames the builder. The builder blames them.

The Boss Man Plumber finally came to have a little chat. They have a solution, but it will make a mess of our entire basement. And that little job, added to the amount to fix the line outside of our house, will cost more than our first house.

There is another solution that could possibly work. But it would take the city stepping up to the plate to fix something that is obviously their fault. When you build a house, you pay thousands and thousands of dollars to your city to have things inspected. That is not a choice.  Our line could not possibly have been inspected. These safety checks are in place to prevent d***builders from making stupid, colossal mistakes. No matter what our builder did, the city inspector did not do his job. They need to make it right.

This is not the first time we have been in this position. Well, it is with the sewer business, but not with our life. We have been caught between a rock and a hard place before.  Multiple times. And if I am being truly honest, sometimes I feel we have been there enough.  But God is the boss of that, and He is not seeking my opinion or advice.

 And while I know that His plan for our lives is best, that doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes wish to exchange the plan. Especially in the midst of a really sucky situation.

When I feel put out  by life’s circumstances, I like to read the first chapter of James. I have a feeling that James understood the whole rock and a hard place scenario.

Here is The Message translation. James 1:2-8

Faith Under Pressure

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows it’s true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do it’s work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don’t know what you are doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Honey and I were sitting on the couch after the little chat. I was trying to cheer him up, cause I was seriously concerned that his blood pressure was going to cause him to have a stroke. I was reminding him of many other times that it seemed like there was no hope for a good solution, no good to come of a heartbreaking blow, no possible way God could work this for our good.

And do you know what God did? He caused us to remember. We told each other of time after time when He did come through, He did make things right, He did remove truly heinous people from situations,  that in spite of being knocked down so hard  that we couldn’t imagine ever getting back up, He was there, surrounding us with loved ones to help us and care for us when we could hardly care for ourselves.  He solved problems and provided solutions that were more than we asked for. More than we could have hoped for. I am thankful for the reminders.

He didn’t always fix things the way we wanted, the way we felt would be fair, but, we believe that  He was always working things out for our good. When we get to heaven, maybe He can explain things better. I have a feeling that we might not even care then.

So, here and now, we are praying that the city will agree to fix their mistake. And if God has a better idea, we are ALL ears.

13 Comments

Sorry Schmenky, It Only Took Two Months

September 12, 2009 at 10:26 AM (Around Our House, Friends, Pretty Things)

I asked Capri Patt to help me get my house together before the Family Reunion we hosted back in July. Because she is my interior decorator.

She helped me do a TON of work about 6 or 7 years ago. Painting, shopping, pictures, rearranging. You name it, she did it. I was clearly overwhelmed by the ginormous walls in the house we had moved to 3 years before. And when I’m overwhelmed, I tend to not do anything. And I hadn’t.

Plain white walls, uninspired arranging, and no rhyme or reason to my selection of the knick-knacks. None of my junk from the previous house looked right with the new high ceilings. Like my neighbor once said, the wreath looks like a Life Saver over the mantle. Everything needed to be BIG.

When she asked me what I wanted to do, all I could think to say was, “I REALLY like your house”. So it began.

We have painted the entire main floor of our house, all 3500 square feet of it. Except for The Boy and Mousey’s bathroom, which is an abomination and undeserving of attention. We wall papered the dining room, we have shopped for some furniture, logged many hours in the Trifecta of Good Shopping,  Homegoods, Marshalls and TJ Maxx, looking for this and that, and loverly things. All the while, she has patiently taught me many useful skillz and transformed our boring beige house into a vibrant, comfortable home.

We enlisted Capri Deb’s skillz as well. She is a wonderful sew-er, no to be confused with a sewer!  Although, right about now, we would LOVE to have a wonderful sewer. She made beautiful cushion covers for our ratty leather couch, sewed many pillows, and has made many valances to grace our windows. She is really way more than a sew-er. She is an Artisian. Very diversified!

After Capri Patt helped me enormously, I did not do too much else.  I loved it so much and I didn’t want to wreck it. It had remained mostly untouched, except when she would come over and move things around. She likes to do that. It’s like “Where’s Waldo”. I hear she does that at other homes as well. Like a little calling card.

Sometimes, before she and her husband go south for the winter, she gives me little homework assignments. That I rarely do. I need her here, cracking that decorating whip.

She has been suggesting that we needed a couple of chairs for our family room. Or maybe I suggested it and she agreed,  because that big naked space has always bothered her. She looks at the big picture. My concern was providing more seating for our television viewing pleasure. See how our needs dovetailed nicely?

Honey had told me earlier in the summer to go ahead and get those chairs, as we had been planning to get them the year before anyway, but ran out of time.

She took me to a delightful little furniture store, cleverly named “The Furniture Store”, to look at some chairs she had found that she thought would be perfect for the family room. Another great thing about Patt. Not only does she shop for herself, if she loves you, she shops with YOU in mind!

My requirements were that they swivel and rock, to facilitate better TV viewing pleasure. Her requirements were size, they could not be too large, and the look of the fabric. Actually, I was all about the fabric too. Stain resistance was my goal.

I loved  the chairs she had chosen. And I really loved  the fabric! It was an upgrade, and that was a concern. You know, The Ford Fiasco Family Budget and all.  So we called Honey and tried to explain what it looked like.  Matches the existing furniture well (good), Micro fiber (GREAT), looks like alligator skin (pause on the phone). Well, not really alligator skin, but we could not find the right description of the fabric. Finally, he said to do whatever we felt best. Because he is a big old Hunk of Honey, and he has always been happy with End Results by Patt. But I’m sure this one had him worried. And that upgrade? Do they really consider $15.oo per chair an upgrade???

We bought them and they came some weeks later. I promptly locked them up in the dining room until after the cats had their permanent manicures. Because, as I have said before, they like to feel new furniture. With their claws.

I asked her to come over this July and help me stage our house. I wanted to spend as little cash as I could, so she just used things we already had. Really, she moved things around and took down stuff, because I am notorious for buying something that I have no place for. I’m pretty sure I drive her crazy.

As a matter of fact, she has banned me from EVER buying another picture frame or sign with words on it. Banned, FOR LIFE.

Here are the loverly new chairs, that meet both of our needs!

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The “alligator skin”

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The only other thing we bought were the tall things to go in the vases (that I bought last year at Ross Dress for Less for $9.99, while on the Capri Weekend Extravaganza). I don’t remember where we bought the tall things,  OR how much they cost. See yesterday’s post.

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Please pretend that the lid is correctly on the basket that holds our winter down throws. I know I will.

Mrs. Schmenkman has commented several times that she would like to see a picture of the new additions. Here you go Schmenky!

And a big THANK YOU to Capri Patt for her invaluable assistance in getting The NutHatch ready for it’s close up!! I heart you forever!

7 Comments

Back to Life, Back to Reality, Summer is Over

September 8, 2009 at 8:19 AM (Around Our House, Confessions, Family Life, Help Me Please, Honey, Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Labor Day is over. And in Michigan, that means BACK TO SCHOOL!

Only for Mousey, as the older ones started college 2 weeks ago. Hard to believe we have only one child left at the high school. Honey and I are flying towards the empty nest. That makes me sad.

We had a disjointed holiday weekend. We had big plans to start wrecking our landscaping, why should the sewer people have all the fun? We did have a fun get together with folks from our CareGroup on Saturday. We probably chose Saturday so we would have more uninterrupted time to move rocks.

But because people chose to sleep, and do other things that had nothing to do with moving tons of rocks, that operation did not occur until Monday afternoon, around 3. Honey, The Boy, Mousey and I worked steadily until about 5:30, when the floodgates of heaven opened on us and curtailed all the rock hauling. So clearly, 2 and 1/2 hours of hard labor on Labor Day Weekend was all we could possibly manage.

Even though that seems measly, I just now took a back pill to ward off the muscle spasms that I feel coming on. It would appear that I am no pioneer OR, demolition landscaper.

I spent the rest of my free time reading back postings of a blog that I didn’t know existed! I already read Bye Bye Pie regularly, love that June. But NOW, I  discover that she had a previous blog, Bye Bye Buy, that had been unknown to me until this very weekend! Buried like a treasure, a pirate’s booty of of hilarious gems!

Oh, I have to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this! The premise of the blog was to share, in great detail, about June and her husband Marvin’s decision to not spend any money over and above their allocated expenses.

Now, this subject interests me for several reasons. I once saw a woman on a morning news show who wrote a book about this very subject. I would tell you her name, if I could remember it, and the title, if I had a stinkin’ clue. But that information is just plain Bye Bye Bye. Complete with hand motions like N’sync.  Anyway, I checked this book out at the library and thoroughly enjoyed it. Except for her tendency to go on about her liberal political agenda, which I can’t even remember, so she made no convert here.

I really liked the way she thought about spending, and not spending. It made me think about the way I spent. Or shouldn’t spend. No hard core changes, but it made me think.

Another thing that  fascinates me on this subject. How people save money. As you KNOW, I am a devotee of The Little House Books, and their simple life has always been a source of curiosity and admiration. I also received “The Tightwad Gazette” newsletter for several years. That Amy Dacyczyn, aka The Frugal Zealot, she is a wealth of information on saving money. A good deal of it I would never do, but it is interesting to read her thought process. And I have to say, she is a very engaging writer. Oh, I was SO sad when she retired and stopped writing that newsletter. It was like losing a friend. I wish she would take up blogging.

OK, so I have established that I like to THINK about saving money. Honey is laughing his patootie off somewhere reading this.

Back to June. June Gardens, not the month. I have only read through September of her year of living without spending, but I have learned a LOT. Mostly about June and Marvin, but, hey, that’s just a bonus!  Once again, it has gotten me to think about how we can cut back, and why we spend on some of the things we do. All good information, since we are participating in the Ford Fiasco Family Budget and all.

So, even though there was not a ton of hard labor going on, it was a very productive weekend. In my mind.

What about you Guy’s? How was your weekend?

2 Comments

Things I am Loving

September 4, 2009 at 7:11 AM (Around Our House, Cats and Dog, Friends, Lists, Pretty Things)

I am resorting to the handy dandy list format, because I still feel as dry as a bugs hull. No identifiable juices flowing.

1. I am still loving my confetti lantana. I hope I can find another next year. That’s how much I heart it.

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2. I love, love, love this color of impatiens. And I especially like it paired with this yellow.

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3. Always love this kitty-witty. Halle Berry,  peeking a boo.

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4. Loving “Top Chef”, and ”Project Runway”. I was trying to get Mrs. Schmenkman to get on board and watch. So we could discuss it. She said no, all the drama reminded her of beauty school and the salon. I can see her point, but I’m still watching. Maybe she will join us soon for the biggest loser show. Maybe not.

5. And last, but NOT LEAST! I am loving having 2 new drivers in the house!!!! I love their new found independence, self confidence, AND, less schlepping for me!

Finally, something that I am NOT loving. Once, several years ago, on the first Capri Weekend Extravaganza that I was invited to attend, Capri Lis (aka, Mrs.Schmenkman) made a comment that I didn’t quite understand. She said she loved all God’s creatures, except the Japanese beetle. She thought that perhaps God had made a mistake. I had no comment about the subject, since I didn’t know anything about Japanese beetles. When I saw these scourges, I had the thought that they may just be a little beetle-ish. I asked Capri Patt, and she confirmed that yes, they were the dread breed. They done wrecked my sweet potato vine! Chewing and mating all over the place. Nasty bugs.

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How about you all? Loving anything? Or NOT loving anything?

7 Comments

The September Mess

September 2, 2009 at 6:38 AM (Around Our House, Help Me Please, Honey)

I told you all about our “water” problem in the basement last summer, here.and here. Please go read and get yourselves all caught up. Because I can still barely speak of it.

We have had many plumbers that came and scoped, and made movies, and snaked, and did some sort of ultrasound of the earth in front of our house where the sewer line exits. They have come to a conclusion.  There are bellies in the line. It could be bad.

They want to replace the sewer line that leaves our house in front of the dining room window. The one that goes through our landscaping, across a part of our circle drive, through a berm, and on through the sidewalk out to the road. I had one request. Please don’t wreck any of our big, beautiful trees. I can deal with the rest of the fallout.

Honey and I want to save what we are able to. So we had a guy from the plumbing company come out and mark where they were going to dig the  trench. That’s him down by the road. The trench  he outlined had great potential for us to lose our flowering crab apple, our beautimous evergreen and our healthy Bradford pear. Plus assorted other bushes, hedges, plants.

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He then told us that he hopes this will take care of the problem that our builder created. Honey can’t speak of the builder. This is just another black mark against the builder’s lack of building skillz. Speaking about the builder in any sort of detail causes Honey’s blood pressure to elevate to an unhealthy level.

If this doesn’t  take care of the builder caused problem, they will have to dig up our basement floor and do something that I don’t fully understand. It involves words and phrases like pitch, and elevation, ripping up carpeting and walls and ceramic tile, and d*** builder.

Now that we know where the demolition will be, Honey and I can begin to move landscaping bricks, tons of rocks and whatever plants we can. I have a few garden beds that can be turned into makeshift nurseries. We can’t do anything about the concrete or sod. I am really hoping they can save the trees. That would be such a shame. I might cry.

And we are praying that this outside work will take care of the problem. So I don’t have to hear all those other words  and phrases again.

6 Comments

All American Past Time

August 29, 2009 at 7:12 AM (Around Our House, Honey)

Honey has been occupied  lately. He has been watching some world champion, grand poobah, series of Little League games. And, evidently, it is never ending.

Just when I think it’s over, another game comes on. Games between countries I have barely heard of, and games between states that I have.  I am then called to come look at this kid or that kid. This one is 12 years old and is 6′2 and weighs 220, that one needs to shave.

When he came home from work  early yesterday morning, he got himself all situated to watch a game he had taped the night before. He was loving it, until it stopped recording on the last play of the game. With two outs and the bases loaded. Oh my goodness, he was beside himself! He then booted me off the computer so he could find out what happened.

Something big is going on today. He had a moment of worry in the car yesterday afternoon, when he thought he forgot to record something. He carefully thought it through, and decided it was happening this afternoon. Whew, that could have been a major league disaster!

I have no idea how much longer this will go on. He is obsessed.

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