We Have Lift Off

 Word from Les. 

Let’s Give that Plate a Spin

            If you’ve read Jeannette’s last post, you learned that the kitchen makeover project was finished last week . . . or actually 99% complete to be precise.  There’s so many things that are vying for my attention – each one saying “me next, me next.”  I used to love watching the guy in a tuxedo on the Ed Sullivan Show who could spin 8 or 10 dinner plates simultaneously on top of pool cues.  But since spring weather has been so inviting to step outdoors lately, I decided it was time to finally light the fuse on the much anticipated window replacement phase.  After all, we’ve had 23 brand new, energy efficient windows staged and ready to go since the second week of January . . . in our living room.

We Have Lift Off

            Last Saturday was a perfect “Cape Canaveral kind of” launch day with blue skies, green grass, and bright sunshine all singing the Hallelujah Chorus.  I knew the 104 year old windows were the rope and counterweight type, but I didn’t know exactly what to tear out and what to leave alone.  I started removing the inside trim around window #1 in order to get a good look at how those things were put together and devise a removal strategy.  After getting the top and bottom sections of the old window out, it took a while to figure out how to secure the new window unit into the old framing.

 

            Altogether, window #1 took five hos to replace.  Three of those hours were doing the wrong things and realizing what the right thing was.  So, my hope is to do the 22 remaining windows at a blazing clip of 2 hours each . . . or possibly 1.5 hours each.

Green Acres in Reverse

            After a lot of thinking, calculating and shopping around, we were able to purchase a second hand commercial riding mower that was posted on Craig’s List (in Stephenville of all places).  It’s been well maintained in really good condition and it cuts a 50” wide path.  We had some time on Monday to fire it up and start mowing our back 40.  I sad we . . . but it was she.  Once she got on that thing, it was no turning back.  I just walked around humming the tune to Green Acres, picking up rocks and sticks while she whisked away like a true golf course maintenance pro.

            She’d pass me by on that monster machine grinning ear to ear . . . just like she did last summer when she’d pass me on her jet ski spray me with her rooster tail.  I don’t think I’ll ever have to be asked “honey, when are you going to mow the yard?”  I’ll never get to operate it!  In fact, I’ve already had to tell her “no, the yard doesn’t need mowing yet because the grass hasn’t had time to grow since it was done two days ago.”

Here, Spin this Plate

            Today was not a sunny day although the rain has been very welcome.  I couldn’t move on to window #2 and I wasn’t inspired to do the last 1% in the kitchen.  After taking a brief nap, I decided to inspire myself with some much needed organizing in the over-cluttered storage facility that is supposed to be my garage.  I think this must be my favorite past time, building shelves, organizing tools, paints, gadgets, etc.  Memories flood my mind of the many times my Dad worked in his little one car garage, always rearranging, with a thousand nails in the walls to hang up every tool and thing-a-ma-jig he owned.

            I love doing those things that remind me so much of him.  He’s been in Heaven with Jesus now almost 25 years, but these little projects make me feel he is right there with me.  It seems nearly every day I find myself doing things that would have been an absolute joy to him.  I’m so blessed to have good memories of him and all his eccentricities.   I’m especially blessed to remember all the things he was so sentimental about, and to embrace them deep down in my soul.  Ask me sometime to tell you the story about my Dad, his riding mower, and our first July 4^th parade in Stephenville.  J