Tag Archives: BLCRC

Made it to the ‘Ber months

UntitledSeptember hits a little differently here in Texas.  Right now, instead of pulling out the sweatshirts, we’re just happy that it’s ONLY going to be ninety-one tomorrow. And look, there’s even a “high” number that begins with the number 8 in our future! We’re hopeful (but not confident) that the triple digits are over, and we’re also hopeful (but still not confident)that the forecasted rain will also materialize later this week.

But while we adjust to summer in Texas, we are also getting settled here at home after our wonderful Vermont summer.  Many of our neighbors also head for cooler climes in the summer, but one by one, they are venturing home.  We’re thoroughly enjoying reconnecting with folks here, Gary and I are getting into a routine of sorts, and I’m still looking for those matches!

So as we start these ‘Ber months, I’m hopeful (but not confident) that I can step up this blogging thing. You know there are lots of stories from the summer – I just need to get them written down!

Happy September, everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

Steph

Home

Our first Vermont Summer has come to a close, and ready or not – we’re back home in our little nest in Texas.

We were ready – because we both were missing our house, our neighbors, and our neighborhood! I’m not gonna lie – it feels great to sleep in our own bed and cook in my own kitchen.  (OK, I haven’t actually cooked anything yet, but I did make some killer chicken salad with a rotisserie chicken tonight.)

or Not – because it’s 9 PM, and it’s still 91° out!  (Honestly, the lows here in Lindale are the highs at the Cabin right now). But thankfully, the A/C is working just fine, and I have so much computer/bookkeeping work (i.e., I reconciled four months of bank statements today) to catch up on that staying inside isn’t really that hard to do!

The truck and trailer are mostly unloaded, and we’re generally unpacked.  I’m working on reacquainting myself with where things are in this house (I know I have matches somewhere to light that scented candle) and collecting hugs from our friends here in the neighborhood.

It might be stupid hot, but we’re glad to be home anyway! And ready to see what the Lord has in store for us here!

Thanks for stopping by!  I’m so thankful for your patience and encouragement as we continue on this new journey!

Steph

Tuesday Newsday

Seven Snippets for a bit of catch-up!

    1. Taran’s Adventure took an unexpected turn when a persistent (though not continuous) tummy ache (Taran) and then an unexplained foot pain (Gary) cut our time in Fredericksburg short.  We still managed to fit in some fun –
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      But it was a much quieter adventure than we expected it would be. Yet all is not lost. I was able to get a refund from the campground we stayed at (SKYE Texas Hill Country Resort – highly recommend!) since we left three days early, and have already booked a spot in downtown San Antonio for Taran’s Adventure – Part II!

    2. We have three birthdays in October – one in each of our kids’ families. This year I tapped into a bit of AI to help with their birthday photos –
      Reis turned 12 Alex turned 11 Deacon turned 6

      Sure do love these superheroes!

    3. Gary has been very busy this fall. And most of that busyness seems to have involved ladders!!
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      So many hard to reach chores!

    4. I have a new upgrade in my sewing room. My first ever (and much anticipated) design wall! It’s just a couple sheets of foam board covered with some old flannel sheets, but I’m so excited to have something vertical to lay out my quilts!Untitled
      I’m feeling kinda fancy these days!
    5. I’ve been spending a little time each morning updating our mailing address.  Since we have an actual address these days, I won’t be renewing our mail forwarding service when that comes due. Unfortunately, given current postal regulations, since we are already using a forwarding service, I can’t just fill out one of those handy dandy ‘change of address’ cards and be done with it. No. I need to change every address myself. The reality is we don’t get much mail, but even with most of our life on line, there are lots of places to make that change. I think I’ve done the major ones – credit cards, banking/investments, Medicare, and insurances. Pretty sure I’ll be doing this for a while yet!

(Reading over that last paragraph sounds a bit whiny. – Sorry ’bout that – just keeping it real! Life’s not all new decks and sewing studios!)

6. When we moved here we loved the fact that we had a tree in our yard.


And when we decided to add a deck, we knew we would have guaranteed shade. Yay! The good news is that it’s a Live Oak, and it stays green all year. The bad news is that it’s a Live Oak and it sheds copious amounts of acorns each fall. Combined with metal roofs on all of our covers, we often feel like we’re in a war zone. Those little brown bullets land with gusto (are the squirrels throwing them?), and when the wind blows it sounds like a machine gun. If you’re outside and a breeze picks up, you’d better head for cover!
Every morning (truly, Every.Morning.) our deck looks like this.
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Gary blows them off, and it starts all over again!  This too shall pass, right? Keep focusing on the shade…

7. We have officially listed our dear Lizzie for sale! She has been our constant companion (and home) for over 20 years, but to everything there is a season. And now is the season for her to find a new family! As I was emptying cupboards and cleaning her up, I was reminded of all the memories we made during our years together.  God has been so gracious to give us (and we had zero RV-ing experience) such a great coach, and we feel she still has many miles to go and more memories to make. So if you know of anyone who might be interested, please let us know! (You can check out more pictures HERE! She really did clean up nicely!)

Phew – that took way longer than I thought it would! But it feels good to be back on the blogging road, even if it is a little sporadic! Thanks for stopping by!

Steph

But what is Dad going to do? Part I

Any time that we would talk about life “after SOWERs”, our kids would ask – “But what is Dad going to do?” Let’s face it – SOWERs is a perfect fit for Gary. He gets to work on a variety of projects, and even if that month’s assignment isn’t his most favorite type of project, he never complains – “You can do anything for three weeks!” he’d say. And it was a perfect fit for me too! I got to meet new people, see different areas of the country, watch God working in so many different ways, and as an added bonus – I had a very small house to keep clean! We always had at least a week off each month, a free place to park, and work that was (mostly) geared to our aging bones! Win-Win-Win.
But we knew it wasn’t forever. And the kids were concerned. I think they knew I’d be able to fill my days with computer work, sewing, and reading (and napping?), but Dad’s happy place is building, fixing, and helping (and maybe a bit of napping too?). Well, I’m happy to report that our Little Lindale House has been a pretty perfect fit for both of us! On the one hand, it’s in great shape! It’s keeping me busy just trying to figure out where things are going to go inside (I think I’ve finally got the peanut butter in its forever home), and Gary is busy with some improvements on the outside!
His first project was the shed!
This was pretty much how we found my side –
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and despite finding termites and all of the fun stuff that went along with that –
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I’m happy to report my “Studio” is mostly outfitted and ready to go!
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I haven’t moved all my sewing from Lizzie to its new spot yet – but I’m sure I’ll be tackling those UFO’s (UnFinished Objects) soon! No excuses now!
When Gary needed a break from the sewing room project, he’d work on his side – The Workshop! It also was pretty full when we moved in –
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but pictures taken today show that he’s been busy channeling his organizational alter-ego!
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(Now that I’m looking at His side – I’m kinda embarrassed about the general disarray on my side! All in good time, I suppose!)
Of course, that just scratches the surface of the “What’s Dad going to do?” answer. But this is long enough, so I’ll save that for Part II!
Stay warm my friends – it’s crazy cold here in Texas, so I know many of you are in a deep freeze! Thanks for stopping by!
Steph

Movin’ on in!

And here we are! We arrived yesterday, parked Lizzie next to our cover (so Gary could have easier access to the shed for the renovation work he has planned),
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and began the job of movin’ in!!
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First things first – a stop at the local library to get our library card, a visit to the local internet provider to get that piece of the puzzle started, and of course – a trip to Lowes to get those reno supplies!
While Gary was busy out in the shed (aka Sewing Studio!), I was busy trying to figure out kitchen cupboards. Where things should go – what things do we need? We’ve lived such a (lovely) minimalistic life for the last 20 years, I’m a little overwhelmed with the amount of dishes and glassware that came with the house.
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So many dishes…
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So many glasses!
The Wi-Fi set-up took a little longer than expected, but finally, we’re good to go with that! I think I’ve weeded out what dishes and glasses I’ll be keeping, though I still haven’t figured out the best cupboard for them.
But progress out in the shed is moving right along!
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Pretty soon I’ll be picking out paint colors and flooring!
I using the “Bring-it-in-when-you-need-it” method for moving in, so it will be a slow and steady process in the weeks ahead. But I have clean sheets on the bed in Lizzie, so the guest room is ready for company! Come away! (And maybe you can help me figure out this house organization stuff!)

Thanks for stopping by! Welcome to this baby step into staying still!

Steph