Dancing on the Ceiling

     Pat and I have been completing all kinds of home projects.  And when I say we, I mean we.  Pat and I have put up crown molding, replaced windows, taken down decks and a pool, painted most of our rooms, taken down walls, replaced sheetrock,  ripped out a cast iron tub, and well a lot of things.  We have suffered smashed fingers and toes, splinters, paint in our hair, sore muscles, and frequent trips to Home Depot and Lowes.  Pat now has pain in his left shoulder and is having trouble lifting things.  The kids have been somewhat involved, but really most of the work is accomplished when they are at school or work.
     All of our work led to a mountain of debris. So Pat ordered a 24 foot dumpster.  This lovely ornament was parked in our driveway.  I’m sure that our neighbors were thrilled.  While the dumpster was gracing our yard we decided that we should take advantage of it to rid ourselves of things that we had stored in the attics and forgotten about.
     We have two attics.  One over the second floor of the house reachable with a ladder from the hallway and one over the garage.  The one over the garage is quite high.  The access panel is about 14 feet up from the concrete floor above a stair landing.  Both attics held boxes of books, games, old suitcases, and  random empty boxes for appliances that have long since broken and been discarded.  I think we found the box for the Tandy Computer we bought in 1985.
     We enlisted the help of the kids and Brian who was home visiting.  We were organized.  It was a beautiful thing.  We started in the house attic.  Pat went into the attic which has a plywood floor in the storage area. Pat handed boxes down to Patty who stood on the ladder.  Brian, Anthony, and I trudged up and down the stairs to the dumpster and back.  Connor served as doorman, in a vain attempt to keep some heat in the house.  The Middle School lesson plans I had so carefully stored for 17 years vanished into the depths of the dumpster.  I think that I heard angels singing.  But that is another story.  Ten minutes later that attic was empty, so we moved down to the garage.
     We lost the doorman and the 17 year old in the move.  Pat set the ladder on the stair landing and climbed back up into the attic.  This attic has a piece of plywood across a rafter.  Anyone going up there has to remember to step on the joists or risk falling through the ceiling.  Sheetrock is not meant to support any weight.  As an added hazard, because we had boxes of siding on the garage floor for another project, our large tools - including the tile saw, were placed pretty much under the part of the attic that we were emptying.  Fortunately, there were just a few boxes and some old games up there.  I yelled at my husband to be careful.  I didn’t yell because I was being bossy, I yelled because we also had an air compressor going because the laser machine in the garage was running a piece.  We were multi-tasking.
     Patty resumed her position at the base of the ladder and Brian and I took the junk out to the dumpster.  We were decluttering!  We were getting stuff done!  I was thrilled!
     When I noticed that Patty was also missing in action, I incorrectly assumed that she had followed her younger brothers into the house to get warm.  Patty was actually up in the attic.  I discovered this when I walked back into the garage and saw Patty dangling from the ceiling!

Here is where my daughter was hanging!

     There was my beloved daughter, dangling through a huge hole in the ceiling, over the tools and the saw.  Through the cloud of plaster dust, I could see one long leg, her bottom and the skin of her waist and back.  Her clothing looked like it had been ripped by a nail. Thankfully, there wasn’t any visible blood.
     Pat was on the ladder, head in the attic.  I screamed, not that anyone could hear with the compressor going, and rushed up the stairs and the ladder trying to get to Patty.  Pat blocked me.  He yelled at me over the noise of the compressor, telling me that she was fine. As you may have guessed I argued this point.  How could she possible be fine, she was hanging out of the ceiling!  Pat refused to let me up there correctly surmising that I would also fall through the ceiling.  But Pat wasn’t rushing up there either, remember he hurt his shoulder.  Instead, Pat calmly talked Patty, who had managed to straddle the joists, back onto the beams and out of the attic.  When she was safely back on the ground with no bones broken, the experience became a bit of an adventure to her.  As for me, I went outside, kicked the dumpster and said some very unkind things.  It was not my finest moment.

Home renovation is not for the faint of heart.

    Now I know what you are thinking.  What scripture matches this occasion?    

 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:  ~Is. 59:1

     Accidents happen shattering our sense of self control.  There are times when the floor shifts beneath us.  Our feet slip and we are left dangling, feeling unsupported. We feel alone, scared, devastated.  Sometimes we suffer watching a family member in a life threatening situation.
     But the truth is we are not alone.  God is in our midst.  We are precious to Him.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  ~Rom. 8:38,39

     Whatever you are facing today, remember God loves you.  He desires you.  He forgives you.  He died to bring you to Him.

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.   ~Deuteronomy 33:26-27      

Things I Learned in October

      Here are the things that I learned in October.  

1. We've added some copper accessories to our home and they look wonderful.
   
2. I can make a delicious sandwich famous in Paris Cafe's and my family will EAT it!  Croque Monsieur is a fancy ham and cheese sandwich.  You can find the recipe here. 
   
3. My Pastor wrote a song about the passing of time. 

      It takes a special kind of person to be a Pastor.  Mike is that kind of special.
     Over the years, Mike has prayed with us and supported us in happiness and sorrow.  He sang gently over my father-in-law during his last hours here on earth and prayed with our very large family.  Mike sat with us in the waiting room when our son, Brian, was having surgery.  We have mourned friends together.  He has visited us in hospital rooms.
     There have been joy filled times, too.  Graduations, baptisms, picnics and birthday parties.  Our table sang, a silly love song at Mike and Dawn’s anniversary party.  There were camp meetings and bonfires, VBS nights, and singing around the piano.  There was a trip for couples to Vermont for a marriage conference, where we all bought candles.  There was even the men’s retreat where the men dropped my husband on his head, after they  broke three of his ribs.  There have been debates and discussions ranging from political to spiritual, and so iron sharpens iron.

And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience.  Overwhelm them with appreciation and love.   ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13  The Message

5.  Paint by Number pictures have not lost their appeal.  They are showing up everywhere.  I found this one at a local thrift shop.

     What did you learn this month?

Copper Sea Shells for Fall

     I hate to put our sea shells away at the end of summer.  In fact, there are some sea shells that I like to leave out year round.  They remind me of special times.  They remind me that even though there was frost in the Hudson Valley last night, eventually, I'll be warm again.  They also remind me that we plan on moving south next year!
     So, I painted my sea shells copper.  They look great!  Copper is showing up in accessories everywhere.  I love copper because it pairs so well with other metals, especially oil rubbed bronze.

     These are small sea shells that we picked up on the beach this summer.  I have them in a bowl in our guest bath.

     I used Rustoleum Hammered Copper spray paint that I had left over from my Vintage Typewriter Table up-cycle.  I just took the shells outside and gave them a quick spray.  On the larger shells, I decided to just paint the inside.  I rimmed them with Frog Tape so that the spray paint wouldn't get on the outside.  (Sorry I was so excited about how the other shells looked that I didn't take a picture of this, but it's easy enough.)
     The extra large shell at top was a planter that I have had for years.  The inside looked a little pitted, but the paint made it look like new.  Now it's a copper eye-catcher.  I use it in our bathroom to hold an extra roll of toilet paper and a hand towel.

     I love how the copper shells gleam in the bowl in contrast to the natural shells.
     Have you added any copper accessories to your house?

UpCycled Vintage Typewriter Table

     Can you believe this vintage typewriter table was heading for the dumpster?!  I begged convinced the owner that I needed it.  I knew it would be perfect in our kitchen.

     Here is the Before.  She was just a drab beige typewriter table.  Still sturdy and mobile, though dusty and sad.

     A few spritzes of spray paint and HELLO GORGEOUS!  Hammered copper finish on top with black legs.  I added a coordinating shelf made from a tray I already owned.

     This repurposed typewriter table is sturdy enough to hold my Kitchen Aide.   Our Kitchen Aide is one of the most frequently used appliances in our kitchen.  Now it is so much more convenient.  I do not have to lift it out of a cabinet, or have it take up precious real estate on my countertop.  I can push it over to the counter for mashed potatoes or use it by our baking center when making cookies.

       Here's how:

• Rust-Oleum Hammered Copper Protective Enamel Spray Paint
• Rust-Oleum Semi-Gloss Black General Purpose Spray Paint
• Rust-Oleum Clear Spray Paint
• Frog Tape

1. I removed the castors and put them safely aside.
2. I taped off the top and then sprayed the legs black.  I gave it two coats.
3. When the black was dry, I taped it off and sprayed two coats of copper on the top, including the undersides.  
4. The tray received the same treatment.  
5. Everything was coated with the clear spray paint to add a layer of protection.
6. Finally, the castors were replaced.

     One more look.  Sigh.  I just love it.

     I think this would even be wonderful in a bedroom as a nightstand.  

Bedford Gray

    Pat left me in the paint department at Home Depot while he picked up the other widgets and supplies he needed for one or more of the dozen’s of projects going on in our house.  My task was to choose the perfect paint color for our kitchen and family room which form a long rectangle.  It had to be a color that I would love and Pat would like.  I wanted a grayish taupe.  The color had to be neutral, but not boring.  Up to date, but not too trendy.  It had to say this place is home, sit stay awhile, and be comfortable, but not be a snooze-fest.  It had to look good when the sun was streaming through the window and when the day was cloudy.  It had to coordinate with the floor tile, the cabinets, and the brick on the fireplace.  It had to be perfect.
     I arrived at Home Depot armed with a list of about ten different colors in several paint brands.  I had notes that I had diligently copied from websites and Pinterest.  Colors with names like Agreeable Gray, Balboa Mist, Mineral, Edgecomb Gray, Woodrow Wilson Putty, Gallery Buff, and Sandy Hook.  I could picture the color in my imagination.  The question was, could I find it among the paint displays.  Slowly I searched, pausing over likely colors.  I checked my list.  I lay paint chips across the gleaming stainless steel counter.  I held each chip up to a white piece of trim to check out the contrast.  Pat stopped in now and then to check my progress.  Finally, I  settled on Martha Stewart’s Bedford Gray.  The very color that Martha Stewart has in her own kitchen!
     The bottom of the walls in our kitchen/family room are white beadboard.  The top of the walls had been freshly sheet rocked, puttied, and sanded.  Pat and I were excited to see the gray sheetrock covered by my beautiful new perfect color.  The big moment had arrived.  The paint included the primer, so it wasn’t necessary to prime the wall first.  I poured the paint into the tray.  I had great expectations for this color.  Holding my breath, I rolled the paint onto the wall, and it promptly blended right in to the gray color of the sheetrock!

    “There are thousands of colors and you choose sheetrock gray, Donna.  I wouldn’t have picked that one,” stated my beloved husband as he left to work on one of the other projects.
     Feeling more than a little disappointed in my color choice, I nevertheless rolled it up on the wall.  It was hard to tell where I had been, because wet, Bedford Gray really is the color of sheetrock.  Pat shook his head each time he walked through the room.  Patty came home from work, sat in the kitchen where the paint smell lingered in the air and thought I had repainted the trim, while she was looking at my freshly painted walls.
     But fortunately for me, paint dries darker than it looks wet.  The Bedford Gray dried overnight to a really wonderful warm gray that met all of my expectations.  Pat is even pleased with the color.  Martha Stewart really does know her way around a kitchen.

     I had a long list of expectations and requirements for so simple a thing as a can of  paint.  Were I to be asked to make a list of expectations that God would require of me, I would have a document containing bullet points and details for behavior and thoughts in all manner of situations. I would have separate sections for marriage, parenting, words of wisdom, and relating to others.  There would be pages of “Must Do’s,” “Should Do’s,” and “Don’t You Dare Do’s.”
     It helps me to shed these unrealistic expectations when I read what the prophet Micah wrote.
     He has showed you O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God  ~Micah 6:8
     Not a long list.  Love mercy.  Be just.  And walk in a humble relationship with God.  Walking in a relationship with God, is not a matter of performance.  It’s a matter of love.  God loves us, even when we mess up.  Even when others think, “I wouldn’t have picked that one.”  God does not accept you after you become good enough, He loves you just as you are.
     God’s expectations are perfect because He knows us perfectly and loves us completely.  He knows exactly what we are, and are not, capable of.
     Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you;  I have called you by name, you are mine.  You are precious in my eyes, because you are honored and I love you…the mountains may depart, the hills be shaken, but my love for you will never leave you and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken.  ~Isaiah 43:1,4; 54:10
     Our worth and value are not in our possessions, talents, esteem, income, or reputation.  We are His Beloved, and that is expectation enough.

Oh, Riley!

 Our dog is an Australian Shepherd named Riley.  Aussies are known for their intelligence and herding abilities. Riley has longish hair and a short stubby tail.  She is smart and funny. Riley loves to run in circles rather like a furry boom-a-rang.

     Riley is a good dog.  She barks only when someone is in our driveway or at the door.  She knows how to find her way home.  She loves to be pet and listens with her ears perked up when we talk to her, as if she understands every word.  It doesn’t matter if we have been gone for ten days or ten minutes, Riley wags that stubby little tail in delight as soon as she sees us. 

   Riley is even pretty good with our cat, Luna.  Together, they have devised an ingenious door opening system.  When they want to enter a closed room, Riley pushes the door with her head until it swings open.  If they want to exit, Luna pulls the bottom of the door toward her.  Riley then nudges it the remainder of the way open.  Luna and Riley are great friends, as long as it isn’t meal time.  When we eat dinner, Riley assumes her spot under her master’s table and chases the cat from the room until scraps have been served.

     Riley loves our children, but her absolute favorite person is my husband.  Who can blame her?  Riley follows Pat around the house and can usually be found sleeping near or on his feet.

     Pat and Riley have been having a bit of a disagreement lately.  Pat has a grey bean bag thing that he rests his wrist on when he works at the computer.  It’s supposed to prevent carpal tunnel.  Riley insists on stealing the bean bag from his desk.  This happens every time Pat leaves the bean bag unattended. Pat tries to remember to pull the door firmly shut each time he leaves the office, but if it doesn’t quite catch, Riley uses her Houdini-like skills, opens the door, and snatches the bean bag.  She then leaves it on the floor in a fairly obvious place.     We know immediately that Riley has stolen the bean bag as soon as we see her, because she slinks over to Pat wagging her stubby tail and looking very guilty.  Clearly, she knows that she is not supposed to take the bean bag.  It doesn’t matter if she has taken the bean bag moments ago - like if Pat left the room to make tea, or hours before, like if we just came back from church.  Riley looks guilty and we know that she has stolen the bean bag.  Her apology would be more believable if she would leave the bean bag alone, but the next time it is left unguarded, Riley strikes again.  To her credit, she has not ripped the bean bag open.  She just takes it and leaves it someplace, undamaged, but slightly soggy.  This has been going on for a l-o-n-g time.  

     Pat decided that our dog was not going to continue to outsmart him.  So the other day, Pat changed the hinges on the office door so that the door swings shut automatically.  The hinges are just tight enough that the cat can’t help her, even if they should be in the room together.  Now when Riley goes in to the office to steal the bean bag, she cannot get back out again. To Pat’s great excitement, the trap has been sprung three times so far.

     Pat and I knew that this bit of silliness had to be shared with you, but as I kept asking him, what is the point?  What great scriptural premise can be learned from this story?  We talked about how we keep returning to some sins even when we know that they are wrong.  Like in Proverbs 26:11  “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.”  But who wants to hear that on a Sunday morning?  

     Then Pat suggested that guilt can eat a person up and make it difficult for them to approach a loving God.  He taking the role of God here to our dog.  Possibly.  But then I noted that it isn’t likely that God would have changed the hinges on the door to trap us.

     So there really isn’t much of a message here, except that God loves us and when needed, gently rebukes us.  He sets the lonely in families.  He gives us laughter and joy, and even victory.  

     There really is a scripture for every occasion.  This one seems to very loosely fit.

      Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
      To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, ...   ~Revelations 3:19-22

     Have you ever had to pit your strength of will and intelligence against a pet?

PS:  Thank you to Create With Joy who featured this post!

Patty's Snickerdoodle Cookies

     This is a delicious cookie that my daughter Patty makes.  It is a favorite in our house.  Anthony was bragging about them in school and his teacher requested that he bring some in for everyone to sample.  I'm sure that you will enjoy them as much as his classmates did!

Patty’s Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

How to:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar.  Stir in the eggs and the vanilla. 
3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon.  Stir into the creamed mixture until it is well blended.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of sugar and remaining cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar.
5. Roll the dough into balls about the size of a walnut.  Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar.  Place them about two inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.  Edges should be slightly brown when cooked.
7. Remove from cookie sheet to cool on wire rack.
8. Enjoy!

What I Learned in September

     Life brings us something wonder-ful  everyday.  Here is what I wondered about and learned in the month of September.

1.     I've learned that I really do not like clutter around the house.  I think that I have always known this, but with six people or more in the house de-cluttering seemed like shoveling snow in a blizzard.  More came in than ever went out.  Pat and I are deliberately rearranging.  We've tackled the pile of shoes at the entry way by redesigning our entry closet.  Now there is space for a breath when we come home. We also have begun very intentionally to edit the items in our house.  We have removed clothes, furniture, and "get to it someday" items.  A little girl was blessed with a dollhouse and a desk went to a neighbor.  Many things have gone to Goodwill.   Our home is more peaceful and welcoming.  What a difference empty space makes.

2.    My daily planner was misplaced over the summer (see item 1)  and I needed a new one, especially with school starting.  I stumbled across this one and I LOVE IT!  In fact when my husband saw mine, he ordered one for himself, without flowers,  and for our daughter.  Patty is using it as a school planner for college.  There are several different styles and sizes.  Mine fits in my purse, so I have it with me always.

     There are three sections on each of the week at a glance pages.  The top section replaces all those lists on the back of envelopes and random sticky notes.  Your ideas, plans and need to do's are listed under categories that you determine.  Mine say Family, Church, School, Medical, Errands, Blog, and Projects.  The middle section is where you assign things from the top to a particular day.  The bottom section is for appointments.  I love this planner because it organizes  my ideas into action.  I really do get more done.  (The Planner Pad folks do not know me and are not subsidizing this post in any way.)

3.     I've learned that people want to hear your story.  That when we share what God has done for us, it blesses others. 

     A dashing young man asked me to dance and my life changed in an instant.  Thirty four years later I'm still dancing and loving this man.

 

4.     I read the book Speak Love:  Making our Words Matter, by Annie Downs.   It is such a wonderful and uplifting book.  As a teacher I have seen and experienced the effects of harsh words and mean girls - and boys.  Not all of them are children, either.

     It is a book of encouragement to use your words to build people up, not tear them down.  To speak love, healing, and hope into peoples lives.  It was a blessing to read.  It makes you aware that what you say and how you say it are truly important.

5.     September is always a time of new beginnings for me.  It is the month of my birth.  In 2009, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I wasn't sure how many more birthdays I would see.  Of course, none of us really know that.  Still September is a time of reflection for me.  I take time to think about what I've done, what I need to do, and what I want to do.  I think about how I can serve my family, my job, and the greater world around me.
     As a wife and mother I love my family and am grateful to God for allowing me to be a part of their lives.
      As a teacher, I really do enjoy the smell of newly sharpened pencils, crisp Fall air, and traces of chalk dust.  I am so happy to be able to go to school and enjoy learning with my students.

What have you learned this month?

21 Graces: Week 7

     My list of 21 things that have blessed me this week.  I am so grateful for each of them.  You can read more about 21 Graces here.

1. Pumpkin Spice M & M's.
2. Sharing a bucket of popcorn in a dark movie theater.
3. Laughing with friends.
4. Spending a day screening preschoolers and kindergarteners for school.  They are so adorable.
5. Senior citizen discounts!
6. A loaves and fishes experience when two extra people showed up for dinner on a night we were eating light.
7. A school BBQ on a perfect fall evening.
8. Birthdays.  Every one is precious.
9. Homemade birthday cards.
10. Chocolate cake made be my daughter.
11. Family that cares enough to alert waitstaff that it's your birthday so that you can endure the humiliation of having them yell it to the whole world entire restaurant!
12. Friends.
13. Children's laughter.
14. A new classroom.  A better space for me and my students.
15. My ancient washer needs a new part.  It can be fixed and continue to serve us, faithfully washing enormous mountains of clothes.
16. The beautiful colors of fall beginning to appear on the trees.
17. Pumpkins.
18. My sons playing together quietly with lego's.
19. Talking to my older sons on the telephone.  How I love to hear their voices.
20. Coloring with the BIG box of crayons.
21. Listening to the sound of crickets at night through the open bedroom window.

Replacing the Fabric on Dining Room Chairs

          You can update the look of your dining room chairs in an afternoon by recovering the cushion with a stylish new fabric..

      Our dining room chair seats were looking a little tired.  Not only was the fabric worn, but, Goldilocks would have agreed, the seats were too hard.  The time had come for action.
     I chose an upholstery grade fabric that is stain resistant.  It comes in long 54 inch rolls.  One yard will cover two cushions.  I always like to get extra fabric to make a runner for the table.  It's better to have too much fabric, than too little.  So get more than you think you might need.

     I found a four pack of foam for seat cushions at Walmart.   I was upholstering five chairs, so I needed two packs.  I also used a light duty stapler, a tape measure, and an electric drill.  My stapler is old, but you can find a similar one at Amazon.

     Turn the seat over and look at the bottom.  The seat is attached by one screw in each of the four corners.  Use the electric drill in reverse to remove the screws.  Save those screws!  You will use them to reattach the seat.  The seat will lift off of the chair.

     Using a screwdriver and my considerable strength, I pried the old staples off the back and removed the old fabric.  If your seats have not been recovered before, you can skip this step.
     I cut a piece of the replacement fabric about three inches larger than the chair seat.  Note:  Pay attention to the pattern of the fabric so that it is consistent and facing in the direction you want it to be in on the chair.  I placed that top side down on the table.   My chair seats were tapered.  I used one of the extra foam cushions to cut a long triangle to place on either side of the seat.  These were set on the fabric and finally the seat frame was added.  I wrapped the fabric around the layers rather like a present.  The material needs to be pulled taunt while it is being stapled in place.  I started by putting a staple in the center of each side.  Then a staple for each of the corners.  Pay attention to the front corners to keep them neat.  Continue to pull the fabric tight and work your way around the seat.   Extra material can be trimmed away by following the staple line.
     Place the chair on the now cushioned seat and replace the original screws.

     Turn the chair right side up and give it the Goldilocks test!  Our cat, Luna, was the first to try out the new cushions.

21 Graces: Week Six

     On Friday's I post 21 things for which I am grateful this week.  Here is my list for this week.
I explain how it works here.

1. Winning movie tickets for two at our dentists office.  Pat and I are planning a movie date for the weekend!
2. My boys went back to school on Monday.  New beginnings.
3. Continuing our home projects.  Moving into the kitchen.
4. My husband went out and bought all of the specific binders, colored folders, # 2 pencils, highlighters, graphing calculators, index cards, red pens, spiral notebooks, boxes of tissues, hand sanitizer, and paper the teachers requested for class.  THANK YOU, Pat!
5. My new planner - which is amazing!
6. Shopping for baby girl clothes for a friend.
7. New school shoes.
8. Getting to see my students again.
9. An encouraging word from a friend.
10. A tiny frog in my yard.  It was about the size of a nickel.
11. Moving the alarm on my clock to off on Friday night.
12. Kayaking on a quiet lake.
13. The fresh smell of rain.
14. The trees in the neighborhood sporting their first tinges of fall color.
15. The sound of thunder rumbling in the distance.
16. Evening walks with my husband.
17. Our cat curled on my feet at night.
18. Any dessert involving Nutella.
19. Hair dye, which restores hair to an actual color found in nature.  (Not for me.)
20. Being in Grand Central Station.
21. Red, white, and blue on 9/11.

Entry Closet Reorganization - Preview

     We have been working on our entry closet.  This closet serves as our launching pad for the day.  It houses coats, backpacks, and shoes.  It is used by guests, how embarrassing, and family.  There were even seasonal tablecloths stuffed in there.
     Let me give you a glimpse at how far it has come.

     Here is the sad looking before.  In an effort to organize several years ago, we added this shelving organizer.  It was a bit of a disaster and never worked for our family the way I hoped.

     Here is the same closet now.  Not quite finished, but coming along.  It does make me smile!

     Here is another angle of the sad before.

     And the after.

     I'll post finished pictures and tell you how we did it soon.  We also added beadboard and a chair rail to the hallway.  So excited!