March 7 2015

March 7 2015 Greetings My Friend I love when I can puzzle out a problem. This renovation project has given me so many opportunities to puzzle out how to set up the house. Today’s big adventure was setting up some kitchen cupboards. I am utilizing baskets in this endeavor which is another organizing project I love to work with. Junior put a facade on some old book cases so that we have a rustic country kitchen look going on. With the doors in place we should have no more food ate up by frisky fur children. Sometimes these fur children help us to work on projects sooner than later. These cupboards are one of those projects. Junior is in his late 60’s and I am in my early 60’s which means we are approaching the age where we want to do what we’ve always done. I am grateful for these learning opportunities which means we are not so set in our ways we won’t change. Again I am thankful for 2 moves in 2 years, for disabilities which make me think with a new thought process. We are into our 4th year of renovating and for some reason we have a household of fur children both cats and dogs. Puppies teach us to put each and everything of value away. This means we aren’t in the habit of setting something down and getting back to it at some future time. It means we have to put clutter away right away or risk it being chewed up. To me this is like when I had toddlers running around. I could scold and scold or direct their attention elsewhere. As they get a bit older of course we give them the “no’s” and sometimes it is easier to put things away. In the mix of things we learn to pick our battles. Our main goal is to teach them to go outside to do their business and the scolding works better if they aren’t fussed at for each thing they get into. I see that in all of the chaos of renovating I am learning to accept life as it is and I have gained patience. In my younger years these types of upsets would have ruined days and weeks on end. In the process of learning to accept Junior for Junior’s strange ways and fur children acting up I allow more things to not go to battle on. I like this new attitude. Grandma C got so irritable when she retired. She was lonely since she did not drive and waited on others to take her places. I understand her lack of tolerance for things due to being lonely. At the stores Grandma pushed a buggy since it helped her move around better. Grandma would get so impatient waiting in the check out line that she sometimes became a bit overbearing. If someone got in her way she would run into people with her buggy. I wondered why the big rush and today I understand that was what she got used to as a working woman and mother. She had all the time in the world but once she went out she rushed it along. I get Grandma’s irritation and at my age I am grateful for new lessons so that I am not responding in anger like I used to. I keep finding that older years have as much to learn, to give and do as previous years and that excites me to no end. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet