Still Life with Saw Horses
Concrete Art
The (notso) Big DigWe've been making plans all winter long. Presumably spring is near and so our contractor bravely began construction on a new addition (fondly called 'the Hearth Room') and new kitchen. Four days into it and they have demolished a small, ancient addition to the old kitchen and the balcony that was above it; dug the foundation after waiting for significant rain to end; then poured the footers. Wow! No small miracle this early in March!
The new false wall in the kitchen blocks out the current mess and chaos, so I have no complaints. We'll see just how this 'little project' feels when they begin to demolish the current kitchen and a couple of inside walls! (My heading to the Caribbean is a couple of weeks too early to avoid that, I'm afraid!) I am likely to have complaints. But, alas, I am told it will be worth it in the end.
On a more philosophical note. Our house is already big. Too big if we neglect to share it with others in the future who may need some housing, though we know not who, nor when. Yet, the kitchen is the heart of the home and the heart of this kitchen quit beating years ago! It was high time we provided a significant pace maker.
Knowing this, we had a hard question to ask: Are we redoing the kitchen to make the house sale able in the future, or are we redoing the kitchen for US and for our family into the future? This necessitated my husband and I take a serious look at our current calling and place. Was God saying to us, "Time to move on or Time to stay put?" And, staying put (the answer) means we have to quit imagining ourselves weekly gathering huge, cheap bouquets of flowers from Pike Place Market, or hiking up to our favorite mountain lakes after work on the long days of summer. "Bloom where you are planted," so the old, tired saying goes!
We've already been planted here for years and years. In fact, we've already bloomed for several seasons as well, but alas, apparently and gratefully, there are more to come. A funny thing happened to each of us independently of the other once we renewed our commitment to staying put. Subtly our appreciation for our surroundings grew!
We started to mentally note and list the benefits of living in this area, not the least of which is that our community of friends is right here! Housing prices enable us to live in a gigantic house that would cost over a million bucks in some parts of the country. A fifteen minute drive takes us into a National Park with great bike trails and herons that come to roost every March. Farmer's markets are growing and the CSA we belong to produces a delightful abundance of fresh produce every summer. And the list keeps growing and growing.
This, to me, is part of the Abundant Life that Jesus talks about and promises to us. Seeing abundance all around, and living and breathing it. Growing more content to be 'blooming where we are planted" and watching the list of positives enlarge.
We also happen to be employing some fine people and will end up with a kitchen where the heart beat is strong and loud. We'll be able to invite others in to share wine around the new fireplace and play cards late into the night. We'll let them help us add to the list to make sure it keeps growing and growing...
The new false wall in the kitchen blocks out the current mess and chaos, so I have no complaints. We'll see just how this 'little project' feels when they begin to demolish the current kitchen and a couple of inside walls! (My heading to the Caribbean is a couple of weeks too early to avoid that, I'm afraid!) I am likely to have complaints. But, alas, I am told it will be worth it in the end.
On a more philosophical note. Our house is already big. Too big if we neglect to share it with others in the future who may need some housing, though we know not who, nor when. Yet, the kitchen is the heart of the home and the heart of this kitchen quit beating years ago! It was high time we provided a significant pace maker.
Knowing this, we had a hard question to ask: Are we redoing the kitchen to make the house sale able in the future, or are we redoing the kitchen for US and for our family into the future? This necessitated my husband and I take a serious look at our current calling and place. Was God saying to us, "Time to move on or Time to stay put?" And, staying put (the answer) means we have to quit imagining ourselves weekly gathering huge, cheap bouquets of flowers from Pike Place Market, or hiking up to our favorite mountain lakes after work on the long days of summer. "Bloom where you are planted," so the old, tired saying goes!
We've already been planted here for years and years. In fact, we've already bloomed for several seasons as well, but alas, apparently and gratefully, there are more to come. A funny thing happened to each of us independently of the other once we renewed our commitment to staying put. Subtly our appreciation for our surroundings grew!
We started to mentally note and list the benefits of living in this area, not the least of which is that our community of friends is right here! Housing prices enable us to live in a gigantic house that would cost over a million bucks in some parts of the country. A fifteen minute drive takes us into a National Park with great bike trails and herons that come to roost every March. Farmer's markets are growing and the CSA we belong to produces a delightful abundance of fresh produce every summer. And the list keeps growing and growing.
This, to me, is part of the Abundant Life that Jesus talks about and promises to us. Seeing abundance all around, and living and breathing it. Growing more content to be 'blooming where we are planted" and watching the list of positives enlarge.
We also happen to be employing some fine people and will end up with a kitchen where the heart beat is strong and loud. We'll be able to invite others in to share wine around the new fireplace and play cards late into the night. We'll let them help us add to the list to make sure it keeps growing and growing...
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