Dog Days of Summer.

I have heard that phrase " Dog days of summer" all of my life it wasn't until this morning when I looked it up did I find what it means.

"dog days. the sultry part of the summer, supposed to occur during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun: now often reckoned from July 3 to August 11. a period marked by lethargy, inactivity, or indolence." With it being so hot right now, doesn't that just fit?

We have the living room, breakfast area and the kitchen all painted now. I have had the most fun of playing house. See this mirror? When we bought our first house before children. I bought this painting. More for the frame then than the painting inside. 1980 to be exact. The lady who I bought the painting from said that her husband made the frame for her paintings from the old barn wood they had on their property. (Even in 1980 I had a thing for old wood.) I have had it out in my shed. I saw a very expensive mirror online and I knew I could make it with a little help from Ron---okay lots of help. 

I love the red old paint and the old daisies that I left on the frame. I think it turned out very nice.

I brought this in from outside. I am going to turn it back into a lamp. I had it out in my shed too. I am going to paint it and make it look all spiffy.

I finally got my rug. I think I have a thing about rugs. I just love rugs in every shape, size and colors.
Since we can't have anything delivered I was on pins and needles and then I ended up picking it up.
 Its so fun to be doing house things this summer.

 Makenzie had a yard sale and she had this tiny little wicker rocking chair for sale. I have never seen such a tiny little chair so I bought it. I have that plant shelf upstairs on the landing so I decided I will make a cushion for it and then put my Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls on it. Makenzie said it was her great grandmothers chair.
I think if someday she wants it back, I can give it to her. *wink*wink* You know for her babies.

  Now my dining room is as finished as its going to get. I am in a so tired of clutter mode. As I clean out things I am feeling better and better.

I hope you have a wonderful day. I dreamed all night of moving bookcases, so I might be moving some books today. Painting our bedroom is going to be next and I have just been moving things to there. Ron is going to make a coffee table for me as soon as it isn't over 110. That will be fun. Lots of things to keep myself busy with. Not to mention making a new Hobbs. During the dog days of summer right.

Have a lovely day,
~Kim~

“Children learn what they live. Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage, isolated from their chance at community; interrupt kids with bells and horns all the time and they will learn that nothing is important or worth finishing; ridicule them and they will retreat from human association; shame them and they will find a hundred ways to get even. The habits taught in large-scale organizations are deadly.”
― John Taylor Gatto

On The Hamster Wheel.

Do you remember when you were a kid and your Mom would say, " If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Yours didn't? Oh, well, mind did all of the time. I would today say the same thing about using the key board to write a blog. I feel like my life is and has been a giant hamster wheel. I can't get off either.

Every day, there is dust, and noise and men. The tractors go up and down the road from 5:30 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening. Yesterday they had that roller thing going up and down the road all day. My house vibrated, my key board vibrated. So did my body. When I leave the house, I am afraid I won't get back. When I stay home I think I will go crazy. Yesterday the trash man came, and I wanted to fall down and worship. Its funny how things like this narrow my vision. Today they are turning off our water. They have to move the fire hydrants. They have turned off the electricity. As I thought about it this morning. I think its good every in a while to view life, by doing without.

Knowing I was going to be without water today, I had to wash the dog. I also had to wash every sheet, pillow case and rug. Not to mention every bit of dirty laundry I could find. Its only going to be until 3:00 but you would think the way I carry on its the end of the world. Never mind I have a 30,000 gallon swimming pool out there in the back yard full of water. I have become such a whiner and a sissy. It drives me nuts. I just can't seem to get a handle on it and I can't figure out why. So I turned to my friend the late Elisabeth Elliot for a good tail kicking. She did too.

 

I do love listening to her. She is here if you want to down load her messages. So this is what I learned.
I like my life to be well ordered. I like to live with the illusion that I am in control. Therefore when things get out of my control, I completely fall apart. I can't even hook a rug. Being creative? What is that?
In order to get my mail, I have to go to this funny post office annex and stand with a bunch of other people and wait for this lady who takes her time doing her job. I was happy one day to watch a sweet two year old try and step on a beetle with his sweet little red shoes. He wasn't heavy enough to kill the bug, but it provided me and him with what felt like hours of enjoyment.

Elisabeth Elliot said the other day, " What trial does God have you in the midst of right now." Then she went on to say, " The first thing that popped into you mind is what God is allowing in your life today." My thought was the road. Then she said, " God says, will you trust me? Will you give this to Me."

I

I feel like I have lost my humor, and my joy in living. Elisabeth Elliot when on to quote a poem by Amy Carmichael.
"These Strange Ashes, Lord?"

But these strange ashes, Lord, this nothingness,

This baffling sense of loss?

Son, was the anguish of my stripping less

Upon the torturing cross?

Was I not brought into the dust of death,

A worm and no man, I;

Yea, turned to ashes by the vehement breath

Of fire, on Calvary?

O Son beloved, this is thy heart’s desire:

This, and no other thing

Follows the fall of Consuming Fire

On the burnt offering.

Go on and taste the joy set high, afar –

No joy like that to thee;

See how it lights the way like some great star.

Come now, and follow Me.

– Amy Carmichael

 I think how in the world could something like this, which on one hand is NO BIG DEAL! When the terrible, horrible stuff is going on in the world. It shames me to my core. I have become so self-centered and selfish and as petty as can be. So as I said, earlier, this has caused me to think about how going without is a good thing because it shows to me the serious cracks that are in my character. So it is a good thing to be reminded of how much I have, how much I have been given and how blessed I am.

So today on this hamster wheel of life, I am going to have a happy face because its Friday and hopefully, they won't work this weekend!!

Have a lovely weekend.

~Kim~

“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

― Julian of Norwich

Week Two of Road Work

Here we are at week two of road work. It has been just tiring and scary. We ended up taking out our mailbox so we could get in our driveway. Well, Ron and Peter can get in and out of the driveway. I drive a big car so I am house bound. The road work guys are working six days a week! So hopefully it will be finished soon.

I wanted to show you a little cupboard I bought on Saturday. Makenzie was having a sale. I don't think I mentioned this, with trying to be up beat and positive on this blog. Makenzie and William moved into a new house at the end of June. On July 1st, someone kicked in the front door and stole all of her camera equipment. Since she is a professional photographer, that was the worst thing that could happen. The insurance only covered what market value was now for the equipment. She had a yard sale this last Saturday and was able to make up the difference to buy new equipment. One of the really great things about Makenzie is how she handles adversity. She was thankful that no one was hurt and it was after all just things.
She is along with all of the others, another blessing added to my life.

Here is the little cupboard. I am going to put embroidery thread in it.

 

Don't you just love the tiny little drawer pulls?

We painted on Saturday. At the rate we are going we will be finished with the house in September. Ron said on Sunday, " Then we will start the outside." I laughed like a crazy woman, I tell you.

I haven't done anything with it yet, just got the furniture back and all of the clutter gone.

That wall unit was a bear to move. I spent all day Friday cleaning it out. I don't think I have messed with it since the kids were young. It was filled with VHS tapes and art projects the kids made when they were young. Peter and Elliot were five or six. That is how long it has been just sitting there. Its all cleaned out now and empty. Well except for the drawers that have DVD's that I also culled. It makes me feel really yucky that I have kept so much stuff.

This next weekend, it will be the breakfast nook and the kitchen. Having Peter and Elliot here to help is so wonderful. We can get so much more painting done with four adults painting. I am very thankful that they help us. I never thought that this house was as big as the house we moved from to here. I think it must be the high ceilings and all of the windows. In trying to speak of nice things, I will stop here. All that is going on in the world, just makes me sad.

I hope you have a lovely week.

~Kim~

“Where does your security lie? Is God your refuge, your hiding place, your stronghold, your shepherd, your counselor, your friend, your redeemer, your saviour, your guide? If He is, you don't need to search any further for security.”
― Elisabeth Elliot

From My Fencepost

 

Its already Wednesday can you believe it?  They finally started the road work out front. The sound of equipment is driving me crazy. I always thought I was a pretty calm person but these last few days have been cruel and unusual punishment. Here are the pictures I took this morning.

Then next door.

The man who bought the property next door told us when he bought it he was going to put in a garage on this property. He is smart like a fox. He has them dumping the chewed up asphalt for a road and the dirt they have removed is being dumped to build a pad for the garage. So not only in front do I have those earth movers but I have them going down the side of my house. All day long. I keep telling myself, "Keep your eyes focused on the end of this project, sidewalks and street lights. It will be worth it." We don't have trash service nor mail service right now. 

The painting is going well. We finished up the entry and hall. I have things rearranged. Still not sure if it will remain this way. Here is how it looks right now.

Our project this weekend will be the living room, all and the little breakfast area in the kitchen. Maybe too big but that is our plan. Elliot and Peter are going to help and with four adults painting I think we can do it.
It feels so nice to be cleaning and organizing as I go. I can't wait to start my bedroom. The kitchen seems a bit daunting for me. It will be nice when its all done.

I have not been able to sleep for a week, because I had this wool project going around in my head. Yesterday, I decided I was going to cut out another pattern for a Hobbs for my oldest grand daughter and then I thought I will cut out this wool project I see in my mind. Of course, its a rooster. I really do enjoy working with wool.

I have been listening to The Amazing Mrs. Polifax on my head phones. That way I can sort of drown out the noise. I slept last night finally. I got this out of my head. I hope you have an amazing day today.

Bye for now,
~Kim~

“I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done.”
― Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ's Control

Happy July!

I hope you had a lovely Fourth of July. Ours was nice. The weather was perfect. Interesting times we live in. We watched a drone, Ben and Megan's children were doing sparklers and fireworks when the drone started appearing. It gave me a weird feeling of being watched and being recorded. Its supposed to be a holiday about freedom and here we were watching a drone fly overhead. Recording our actions.

I thought I would show you a couple of pictures or maybe more than a couple of the Hoosier cabinet. It ended up being too big for the place I had bought it for. We worked to get the dining room painted and put back together so we could put the Hoosier on this one wall and it was just too big.
So we ended up moving my hutch to the dining room and putting the Hoosier in the breakfast nook.

It still has the flour sifter. I think that still has the original paint. How is wish it was still that color.

I was thinking, but I don't know as I have never cut glass before but I really don't like the glass in the doors, so I was thinking of getting some old window frames and cutting the glass and putting that old kind of glass in the doors but I have to see if I am that brave. The frosted glass is starting to grow on me.
It has these old pulls on the drawers, that I wasn't too wild about  those either but now as I look at them I kind of like them better. I like pulls best like on my hutch.

It also has the pull out dough board. Which I just love. Its a little chippy, but I love the story it tells. I can't decorate it too much though because we will have to move it again when we paint in here.

Just aside, see that little Uncle Sam bank? It was Ron's when he was a kid. I just think it is so awesome. I had to put it here because it just looks cool.

Now for the dining room. Its so much brighter. I think it is such a happy room. I still need to do a few more things like get a rug and hang some pictures but for right now I like how it looks.

I know we built this house, but the weird thing is we always said, " We had to live someplace, but we moved here not for the house but for the land. For 15 years we have lived outside. Now to turn our attention to the house is interesting. I really felt like I was the custodian. I took care of it to keep it clean, but I didn't really feel like it was my house. Until this summer. Painting and cleaning and rearranging and thinking about how I want it to look is fun, and like for the first time in 15 years, I can live here. Does that make any sense? Elliot remarked that each room we paint, we completely redo how it looks, so its like living in a different place all together. We are going to paint the entry next and then move on into the living room. We are getting our routine down so its not as hard as it was when we first started.

I am still pretty crazy about this hutch. I will never have house beautiful. That has never been my goal. I have always wanted a house, where people come--- they kick off their shoes and feel like they can stay awhile and be at home and at peace. This house has been very well used and continues to be that way. Whenever I think of moving and I start looking around to see what is out there, then I find, as long as I live I will never find a place like this to call home. Then I realize, how content I really am.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting today. I really should take you on a tour of my little vegetable garden soon, it really is a pretty little thing.

Have a lovely week,
~Kim~

“Happiness of heart can never be measured out and bundled up, it's intangible. We keep running after it, grasping for it, and the heat of our running so seldom brings it closer. But now and then there may be a moment. We look at something and know it is good and beautiful. Those moments are happiness.”
― Gladys Taber,  The Book of Stillmeadow.