A Good Sign, SOLD!

What a beautiful sight this sold sign is.  Thursday is Bible study day out in Katy for me and after running a few errands I decided to drive by the lot.  Roy and I had talked about it last night.  That I probably shouldn't drive past the lot because we received the news on Wednesday due to paperwork not processed with the developer that instead of beginning today, the house will start next week.  I have to admit, I was feeling a little discouraged and emailed Roy asking, what kind of paperwork.  He gave me the best lawyerly statement speculating what the hold-up might be.  Have to admit I was thankful at that moment that Roy attended law school, graduated and passed the Bar and the total enormous cost became worth it with his explanation.  You can't really tell it in the second picture but there is an electrical box on the post which signals construction to be happening very soon.  I was shocked to see how much had been done on the house at the beginning of our street.  So guess it is true, that once they get started it goes pretty quickly. 

While out that way I decided to stop in at the HEB Plus store and see what it is all about.  I'm not a fan of HEB but this store didn't give me the hebbie jebbies like other HEB's do.  Got some produce and brought home a couple of Cafe on the Run dishes to see if HEB will be able to take over cooking duties once we leave the close confines of the Play Grocery Store.  Also, score on some Yellow Box Shoes half price at La Centerra.  Yes, once again I broke my guideline of not purchasing anything that will have to be moved.  We are contemplating giving away two overstuffed club chairs with ottomans, 2 side boards, a three shelve glass display case and two bookcases.  I KNOW we won't be moving them. 


Yesterday, Dani and I went to The Amish Craftsman.  Roy and I had gone on Sunday and chose a few things we liked.  Dani's job was to confirm they were good choices, pick the stain and wood, and pick the fabric.  We were famished after all the selection process and headed to Escalante's for a semi healthy lunch, spinach enchiladas, grilled veggies and fat free refried black beans.  We took in Pottery Barn catalogs and poured over everything we like.  Oh to have a million dollars to spend on furnishings.  Roy has agreed to cash out some of our Am EX reward points for Pottery Barn gift cards.  I found the bed covering, which we called bedspreads back in the day, for the guest bedroom from the catalog, so the cards will be put to good use. 


It did the heart good to see the SOLD sign today.  Trendmaker is working on two home across the street from us.  Guess it will be a happening cul d sac at least for a little while. 

Such a Cutie!

How hard was it to say goodbye to this little cutie?  Beth's granddaughter is a world of fun!  If course I got to visit with Mardie, Beth's daughter but when I took this picture Mardie was helping Poppaw with a new email account.  It was a fun couple of hours.  Beth is leaving this afternoon to go back to Seattle.  Her visit has been such a great surprise and I hope she pops into Houston more often.  While I was over that way, I stopped at Belden's.  It is kind of a forerunner to Rice Epcicurean.  As a child, Belden's was on the corner of Post Oak and West Belfort but it is now located at Chimney Rock and North Braeswood.  It was a fun stroll through the store because it has all the kosher things out for Passover.  Lots and lots of things.  I got Roy some flavored tea bags of Kosher tea.  Belden's has the best gingerbread men, although I'm not sure if they are Kosher or not, but I bought a few for Roy and I to share.  If you are ever over that way it is so worth the stop. 


On my way home I stopped at The Nord to return a watch I bought last year and have never worn.  Last year I was totally convinced that I needed a gold watch.  Daily life bears out that apparently I didn't need a gold watch.  Of course I had to look around a little and found a couple of things...on sale but yet again I have broken my rule of buying new things.


On my way to Beth's, I stopped at Goodwill and made another deposit of books and knick knacks.  They are beginning to recognized Sequisha at Goodwill.  I told Roy last night we have cleaned out so much and yet I feel like there is still so much to do.  He disagreed but he is never quite ready for the huge big deal that moving is and all that is involved for it to be a smooth process.  We moved a lot when we were first married but we hardly had anything to move, so it was easy.  This move is ginormous the amount of paper, books and junk that needs to be gone through. 

A Visit From a Long Time and Very Loved Friend

Thursday night I got a text message from my friend Beth who lives in Seattle.  We have known each other since the 6th grade and have been friends since high school.  She had been offered a free stand by ticket and decided to take advantage of it and come to Houston to see family and well, friend...that would be me.  She texted when she arrived in Houston and we quickly made plans to get together yesterday.  For grins, I decided I would go to her house like I used to in high school.  So I found myself in the old neighborhood.  Muzaks, where everyone went to take music lessons and since this was in the 70's everyone was taking guitar lessons, is no longer anything like it used to be; now it is a convinence store.  An ugly one at that.  The Weingarten's, which hasn't been Weingarten's in eons of time is now a 99 cent store, a huge 99 cent store.  As I took my time driving through the neighborhood I counted off and named the houses where friends and acquaintances lived.  I was a bit surprised at the power of recollection.  It also seemed that the houses that kind of looked run down and ill kept while growing up hadn't moved past their glory days of the 1970's.  I passed by friends houses where we hid in the huge hedges that fronted the house and played Flicka, Fury and whatever other horse stories we could act out from TV.  We had a way to tell if you were a person or a horse while playing, if you talked in the neighing type voice, horse.  Regular talking, person.  We had to play duel roles.  I don't know why most of the boys didn't want to play horse.  Well, they would play basketball HORSE but no acting interest of our game.  My growing up house looks awful.  It is painted a drab brown, no spark or life to it.  Maybe it just was sold or something...because there was stacks of flooring on the front porch.  I would hate to think the stacks of tiles are there all the time as an adornment.  So I began from there my trek over to Beth's parent's.  I went the back way like I always did passing the house and I can't remember the name of the friend, but her father had built her a stage complete with dressing rooms etc instead of a boring old play house.  The junior high kids always were the directors and casting people.  We'd all try out for parts of some play that the neighborhood kids had written.  At the end of the summer we put on our production, charged for tickets, sold Kool Aid and popcorn and had a blast.  Next to that house was Ronnie Hooker's house.  He was just a kid I went to school with but across the street from him lived my best friend in elementary school, Leah Rae Montgomery.  Leah, her brother and I would always get in trouble for playing in the small bayou that ran behind their house.  We got caught every time!  We were shocked that our parents knew when we had disobeyed.  Thinking back, it must have been all the muddy socks, shoes and shorts we had on.  I passed Bonnie Jacobs house.  Went past Mrs. Love's house,  She was the VBS director for all the years I participated as a child in Vacation Bible School.  I can still remember fondly marching into the sanctuary to the VBS song, then waiting for Mrs. Love to say, good morning boys and girls and we would respond good morning Mrs. Love.  Then we were allowed to sit for only seconds because we still hadn't done the pledge of allegiance, Bible and Christian flag and we were instructed to pop back up again for full participation.  I passed a home that held a Bible study that I went to some while in college and I passed by homes of teammates from years of playing volleyball.  Just because the paragraph and thought is long and drawn out doesn't mean that it took forever to get to Beth's.  No, just a few minutes and I still remembered the directions and which house it is.  I got to visit a few minutes before leaving with Beth's mom.  I love her!  She always made coming to her home fun.  After a bit Beth and I were out and about.  She wanted to see our lot and the model home in Katy, so we headed out there and then went to lunch.  Beth wanted to go to lunch someplace cool.  I tried to convince her that Luby's is the coolest place in town, better known as the Hobble and Gobble to Roy and me.  She didn't bite.  We went to Grand Luxe which met the cool factor.  Glad because I couldn't think of place one when we were deciding but of course on the drive home I thought of lots of places we could have gone. 

Our time went by so quickly.  We always have a lot of laughs and we always have the best in-depth conversations.  I may get to see Beth again on Monday and also see her daughter and 18 month old granddaughter.  When did it happen?  When did we get to be the same age as our parents or maybe even older in the season of life?  Beth's kids are all married, grown up.  Gee, yesterday it felt like we were still in high school just driving around, hanging out together, trying to solve the world's problems and  muddle through our own.  It was a great day!  After having acted like an old person this week by taking double medications, it was great to just sit back and laugh with a friend.  A friend and friendship that has spanned lots of stages and seasons, lots of trends good and bad, and again the bad hair styles, but Beth like Marty always chose an elegant timeless style.  I must have been the only crazy one with zany wacky hair a great deal of the time. 

Returning to the Land of the Living

Let's see, I will probably make a run to the Kroger tomorrow and on my list or should I say the list that runs on continually in my brain, will be to pick up a daily pill dispenser thing.  You know the type that old people have to use because they can't remember if they took a pill?  Hi, my name is Nancy and I officially became old yesterday evening.  It all happened because taking my evening pills have had a better effect the earlier I take them in the evening.  Taking pills is such a rote thing these days that I double took heart medicine, Lipitor, and Metforman.  Then happily it was onto choir and as we began singing the first song and John asked us to stand is when I felt it.  Oooh, not a good feeling.  Since the rehearsal hall was so warm I thought it might be due to the lack of cool air.  Then the familiar feeling of 2008 overcame me, head sweating, clammy to the touch, shortness of breath and I really wanted to sit bent over or lay on the floor in the fetal position to get to feeling better.  Man, I love choir rehearsal and I didn't want to leave but I didn't want to make a scene either.  Between Emily and Peggy we discussed the plans of evacuation for me.  We did this as we sang Arise, Shine...as soon as I stood up I'd be arising and had the shine part already taken care of, my face was dripping with sweat.  I went down the steps and gave a lot of thought to sitting in the lobby to regain some strength but decided to press on.  Hurriedly a call to Roy was made asking him to meet me at our parking place at home.  Peggy wasn't too far behind me because she thought it wasn't such a good idea for me to walking alone and she saved me from running into a crepe myrtle tree.  It must have been a funny sight because I was walking bent over like the lady in the Bible who couldn't straighten up and as soon as Roy unlocked the front door I made a bee-line to lay or lie down in bed, curled up, clutching a heating pad.  My pain threshold is pretty high but we were contemplating taking me to the ER.  Everything hurt, my upper stomach, my legs, head, arms, hands....well head shoulder knees and toes, knees and toes.  Roy had decided he would sleep in the other room due to my restlessness but then decided I might need him in the middle of the night and slept with me.  Now here is the funny thing, I have asked the Lord if anything were to ever happen to me health wise, never let it happen at night.  The boy can sleep through just about everything.  His head hit the pillow and Buddy became the ever vigilant care taker.  Every hour or so she would put her nose up to my nose, guess she was checking to see if I was breathing.  Roy snored.  Because this is a family blog I will just say that I got up several times to use the facilities and several of those times was to throw up all that was within me and bless His holy Name.  Not a creature was stirring, not even Roy.  I turned on KHCB, as a reminder that I was keeping Him close by.  I was awake for most of the Spanish programing and for most of the music, but dang it, missed Unshackled.  I like that program especially all the dramatic organ music.  Slept right through it.  This morning Roy woke me up to tell me good bye and he was so happy that I had experienced a good night.  Didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise.  Buddy and I knew. 

So today I missed Bible study, didn't pick up our Colossians workbooks (Peggy is celebrating Kate's birthday) and I stayed in my jammies till 4:30.  Dry toast stayed down, got braver with crackers and peanut butter in the afternoon and Roy's bringing home dinner.  Going out on a limb to see if pizza will stay down.  Not going to take my meds until right before bed.  I never want to make that mistake again.  It was killer but I'm so grateful and happy to return to the land of the living.  Yep, duel pill dispenser will be in the basket tomorrow. 

What Am I Supposed to Do?

I love the series that Dena is teaching in Sunday Bible Study, which is still Sunday School to me (thanks Billy Joel), What Am I Supposed to Do?  The series is all about discovering God's story for our lives.  Sunday we began some of the practical aspects of the lesson and we were given a list of questions to answer to help us find clues for what we are gifted to be and talented to do.  Without any depth of thought I began to answer the questions based on the surface words I heard throughout my childhood and teenage years.

1.  What activities did you enjoy as a child; in junior high and in high school?
          Standing in the corner, elementary years and detention in Jr high.  High school where I kind of behaved better conduct wise, volleyball and drama.

2.  When asked what you wanted to be when you grow up, what was your answer?
          I'm still working on that
3.  What came easy to you?
          Getting in trouble
4.  What prediction has anyone ever made about you?  Has it happened?
         That I would never straighten up and fly right.  Has it happened, I think so.  Also there was the prediction I just might land in jail.  Thankfully, that has never happened.
5.  Did people say, "You are so good at___________.
           Yes, but none of it was anything you'd want to hear like messing up their life, getting on their nerves, but I did hear from other people that I was funny.
6.   What are your spiritual gifts?
           Lying and deception along with delegating and then taking the credit if it is successful.  (This is an old joke that Debbie and I had)  I know what my spiritual gifts are.  In fact I have been given the spiritual gift test numerous times.  I don't know if it's because I've never been a good test taker and they are trying to help me get higher gifts or what.  I do know I took a spiritual gift test in McDonald's once but it was only to keep me busy and occupied. 

There are four more questions but you can see the direction that my surface answers are taking.  I've actually taken the time and since memories are rather fresh these days from the past because of all the purging I'm doing before we move, it has been easier to remember the good and positive input from others.  I can see the design that God has on my life.  Just this week I began reading Plan B by Pete Wilson.  I have had this book since it was published and it had almost found a permanent home on the desk, but a conversation with a friend prompted me to pick up the book and begin reading.  I really wasn't planning on giving it too much time because I felt like I had dealt with the past disappointments and the opportunities I had and missed or messed up when it came to God's will for my life.  Actually, the book is more helpful and forward preparing than looking back and lamenting.  Basically, those are our choices forward or backward and I know too many people who have stopped living forward and spend the majority of the time rehearsing every disappointment, the fulfilled life they've never experienced (by their own design), the bitterness and self pity which sends them spiraling into always being the victim.  They can't rejoice neither can they weep with others, they can only loathe with contempt and wish the worst upon you...just like they experienced.  I'd rather not be that person and Plan B is so helpful preparing you for the little turns and twists we experience on the road of life.  I am seeing David, Joshua and Joseph from the Bible in a whole new light. 

What am I supposed to do?  Well the answer of the moment is, continue going through drawers, closets, folders, and files.  Discarding and shredding.  Really we are living a plan B right now.  Never in our wildest dreams did we think we would actually ever be a single family dwelling owner.  We have preferred town homes and condo living.  When our plan A of buying a town home in our area would become such an adventure into plan B.

Joyful Revelation

Sunday evening was a very fun ending to a busy but enjoyable weekend.  Since Roy's photography class was on spring break, he was a huge help on Saturday.  With him we were able to begin the process of going through his stuff.  We made a big dent into his t-shirts and shorts.  Such a big dent we made our second trip to Goodwill of the day.  Of course knowing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we started out early at Le Peep.  We ran errands and then Roy took the daunting task of shopping at Costco on a Saturday.  Even after all our work on Saturday we are still faced with the fact, we still have too much junk. 

Sunday evening was the last small group gathering from choir.  What a blast!  So thankful for the opportunity to have the time to sit and visit with friends that we see only at a distance in the rehearsal room.  Because of course, we would never, ever visit with one another during choir rehearsal.  What was that big flash of light that nearly struck me?  Anyway, it was great visiting and playing. 

Best Baptist Bartenders on Sunday Night.  The dispensers of all things delicious like milkshakes

The only shot of the beautiful big moon that Roy took.  The cloud cover quickly shrouded the moon after this picture

Ria and me in the booth.  Ria is from France and she is making lots of long distance calls to family and friends.  Bill and Peggy will never know who made all those calls to France!

Me and my partner in crime and we'll soon only have 2.6 miles of distance between us.  Look out Katy!

All I can say is Praise the Lord, what an opportunity!

Serious minded hymn trivia participants

Our small group guessing answers to the questions.  I did this at the last choir small group party that we crashed and didn't remember enough to help my team.

Claire giving the right answers to the group

Roy went outside to capture beauty.  He had had about all the beauty he could stand indoors

Roy and I drove out to Katy a little earlier than the party, just to run by and see our lot.  We were happy to see some new stakes in place and the beginnings of our section being wired for electricity to start the building process.  Now this was the most fun, it was taking the back way to Peggy's that she had discovered a couple of weeks ago.  2.6 miles between us!  I kept saying to Roy look how close we will be!  After the party we drove back to our lot area just for me to experience that joyful revelation again of just how close by we will be.  At the pre-construction meeting the builder told us he was going to try and have us in our home by the 4th of July.  Wow!  Come quickly!  

We Are a Divided Household

We are a divided house.  No, not on shaky ground marriage or relationship wise, we are totally divided on our choice of diet sodas.  I've been a Diet Coke gal since the inception of the product.  Roy has been wishy washy on his choice even giving them up years at a time, but this year he discovered caffeine free Diet Pepsi.  He loves it!  Seems like we have a lot of 6 packs of diet drinks to store.  That is one thing we have disliked about our condo, the total lack of storage.  We've had to become quite inventive and at times we are down right lazy when it comes to storing diet drinks bought on sale.  We are trying to cut back on drinking so many Diet Cokes and Pepsi's.  You may be thinking, is this all that is going on in life?  Have you nothing blog worthy other than drink choices?  Well, yes there is a whole lot going on and most of it would bore you to tears.  It's just that Diet Coke is now the number two choice of sodas passing Pepsi.  Fondly, I remember days of yester year when I was a sponsor at Camp Houston.  Many of us went to Alto Frio ahead of the campers to get it Camp Houston ready.  A bunch of us girls were sitting around in the main cabin talking about the times of our best Diet Coke we ever drank.  Each of us who were Diet Coke aficionados had multiple stories about the times of the best Diet Coke.  Years ago when we went to Atlanta, I bought a case of Diet Cokes in glass bottles.  Nothing like a cold, iced glass bottled Diet Coke on a hot summer day.  Finally Peggy broke in on our stories as we waxed poetic about our favorite drink.  Peggy is a regular Coke drinker, doesn't drink the diet and she let us know she has never, ever had a conversation with anyone about the best Coca Cola in her life.  She was mystified how we could go on and on and relate in great detail, our best Diet Coke.  Guess that is something that only the partakers of Diet Coke do.  Her interruption didn't stop our stories, if anything our sacred Diet Coke memories increased.


We have finished with our preconstruction meeting and only made a few minor changes.  We are waiting on pricing of stamped concrete and slate.  In the middle of the night I remembered we had discussed adding a door to our walk in closet at the design center but we never discussed that item with our builder.  We met Adam on Wednesday and we really like him.  The foundation should be poured in about two weeks.  On with adventure! 


Last night I met a friend for dinner and we ate at the Nord.  It is triple point time and I came out of the store with only two pairs of earrings from BP.  If you shop the Nord you know the earrings in BP are pretty darn cheap.  The thought of moving more clothes is enough to daunt triple reward points.  Besides when I was losing weight last year I bought more clothes than I needed.  So those items are new to me this year and will suffice as new clothes.  Well, I will come clean, I have bought some Flax items that were on sale at Whole Earth Provision. 

Think I will go open a Diet Coke and begin tackling my next "moving" project.  Have a happy and blessed Friday!

Predustination

I'm a huge believer in predustination, that is the practice and belief that one must pre-clean the house before the housekeeper or maid shows up.  Today is our pre-construction meeting where we will meet the builder in charge of all things construction concerning or new home.  We have printed off our fact sheet and have our building folder ready to go.  This is the last meeting before construction begins and this is the last time we will have a chance to change our mind or change anything about the house.  Actually, we feel like we have looked at everything and with Dani's watchful eye at the design center, all things are covered.  Yet in the back of my mind I keep thinking, should we add an ice machine that makes ice like Sonic ice?  Maybe I'll float that idea in the meeting today.  Sonic ice is incredibly good. 

My devotion this morning is titled A Wide Open Spacious Life based on II Corinthians 6:1-13.  The Message Bible adds this little sentence that is huge in profound truth..."Our work as God's servants gets validated-or not-in the details."  Paul wraps up this passage with, "Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life.  We didn't fence you in.  The smallness you feel comes from within you.  Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way.  I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection.  Open up your lives.  Live openly and expansively!"  Of course in this season I equate spacious in house terms.  Small is a term that has taken on new meaning in these past few weeks.  Small and spacious being exact opposites yet very synonymous in meaning.  My desire and prayer is not to live a small life! (well except maybe in clothe size)  In the Pray portion of the devotion we are to pray about the opportunity to live a wide open, spacious life and to work hard with a heart of gentleness, holiness and honest love and with a life of power and joy.  Maybe this devotion is my predustination for preparation for the next few or possibly long months, depending on completion.  Our lives will be wide open and spacious and validated in how we handle the details in the construction process.  We have already spoken of our life in Christ to our salesman and I don't doubt that we will look for the opportunity to share Jesus with those building and constructing.  Once the framing is up we intend to write some verses on the 2x6 lumber.  You can't write scripture on lumber for all to see then act all mad and angry in and at the process of things or ideas.  Our work as God's servants gets validated or not in the details. 

"People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly...in hard times, tough times, bad times, when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating,; with pure heart, clear head, steady hands,; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all."  II Corinthians 6

That is one huge run on sentence.  I knew I liked Paul. 

Condomanium Report for Spring

It is obvious that it is spring time here at the old condominiums.  The group of older ladies who are nearly nonexistent during the fall and winter months are just like the birds returning when temperatures are warmer.  Since the dreaded daylight saving time change has come they have gathered poolside around the tables which are located right under our windows.  There is a loud talker in the group and sometimes with her normal tone and the amplification from the pool, she drowns out the television.  Their group is a little smaller this year to start out the season but by midsummer they should be back at full strength.  One of their group has moved to a nursing home.  She didn't do well after the death of her husband.  She stopped taking her meds and when one is bi-polar, that's not a good thing to do.  The two older gay gentlemen who sometimes join in with the group seem much frailer than they were last year.  I found out yesterday that the retired man who volunteered for so many of the building projects around here, retired engineer, died a couple of weeks ago.  He'd been really beaten down by cancer but made a remarkable comeback, but the comeback didn't last too long.  His wife had died suddenly a year and a half ago and I think he missed her something awful.  He was so ill that the casserole ladies around here were really bringing him food to help him, not for potential mate possibilities. 

We have lived here for 17 years and have watched the cyclical nature of everyday life.  We seem to be in a cycle of dog owners.  Lots of dogs live here and not too many of them are of a quiet nature.  The condominiums seem to be in a young people phase too.  I won't know until optimal pool time rolls around.  I wonder if Fern will be the first to the pool this year.  That is when I truly know spring turning into summer has arrived.  Her friend that lives on the second floor should be out there with her too. 

The annual dusting of yellow pollen is in full gear.  It will be nice to have a garage to put our cars in because it gets somewhat discouraging to have the cars washed only to have them coated in yellow by the next day. 

The chorus from Handle's Messiah keeps rolling through my brain, goodwill...goodwill...good will...goodwill...  and that's because I make a stop at least once a week.  This morning I dropped off several boxes and shopping bags full of stuff.  This afternoon I already have two boxes loaded up and ready for a return trip.  I made a quick stop today at The Container Store to get more glass/china storage bins.  I have the two sideboards cleaned out and the glass shelves ready to roll to another home.  A friend has volunteered to post pictures on their inner office server where people buy and sell.  Now I just need to get our resident photographer to capture them in all the cleaned out glory.  I read an article today on de-cluttering, maybe I should write yet another article.  Looks like we are on a good path of ridding ourselves of stuff and not all of it is junk.  Things have never stayed in my hands for too long and it is easier for me than most to pass on sentimental objects to others who might appreciate them or just give away stuff that might benefit someone else. 

We are looking forward to being in our new house but we have many good and fond memories of our time here at the condomanium.  Even the times of the casserole woman, the crazy woman who lived downstairs underneath us, the old lady who sat by her window and took names of people letting their dogs relieve themselves on the grass.  I told her once I was Clara Barton, started the Red Cross and the other time I told her I was the lovely Consuela who was married to her handsome husband Carlos and our little dog's name was Carnetia.  Ah good times...

A Recap of the Happenings

Monday afternoon.  It has been quite busy these past few days.  Most of it has been pleasant but there were a few pot holes hit and a few that we avoided.  Building and buying a house as Catha said to me is a full time job.  She is so right! 

Friday, Dena and I went to the Livestock show not to see animals, but to shop.  It is like shopping at the Nutcracker Market only it isn't as crowded and defiantly has a western theme to it.  My shopping interest is usually jewelry, Yellow Box shoes, and maybe some clothes.  This year, my interest tended more to home items.  I'm really excited about what I found and anxious to see how it fits into our new home.  I was texting and sending pictures to Dani left and right.  I thought I had found a piece of hand painted porcelain for $100.00...score!  Dena even thought it was a $100.00.  Guess we both misread it, because it was a $1000.00.  No need to send a picture of that to Dani, but I did find a smaller and less expensive piece by the same artist and they threw in the display stand.  We ate out there, I mean that is a must.  I got the pulled pork sundae.  Awesome!  It is pulled pork and mashed potatoes swirled together.  Of course you have to have something fried and Dena got some fried Oreos.  We shopped then schlepped back to the park and ride with all our purchased goods in hand.  I should have been smart like Dena and purchase smaller items.  Our reward for our quality shopping and massive traffic jam?  Dinner at Grand Luxe.  And as if we hadn't done enough shopping we headed over to the Rack.  It was such a fun day! 

Meanwhile Roy had all the fun of boring money and mortgage meetings with our loan officer on Friday afternoon.  He brought the papers home, explained it all to me in tedious detail and then I signed and initialed most of Sunday evening.  I took everything back to them this afternoon.  I don't have the attention span to sit through things like that.  I would have probably played Angry Birds or my new found obsession, Ant Smasher. 

Saturday, Roy and I went out for breakfast and then hit the road for a day trip to Huntsville.  He has class most Saturdays and since it is spring break, we decided we needed a little get away.  We ate a late lunch at the Farmhouse, shopped, he took pictures and then we decided to take the back roads to Madisonville and of course pay homage to all things Buc-cess.  There was a small blip on our pilgrimage.  Roy wanted to take a picture of a prison chapel that was surrounded by fence and razor barbed wire.  I'm thinking there has to be a reason there are no parking signs all up and down that road in front of the prison.  Long story short, Roy was swarmed by three prison guards on foot and a guard in a car pulled in front of Sequisha so I couldn't drive away.  Roy had to delete the pictures, they recorded his TDL and our license plate.  They escorted him back to our car and gave me a dirty look.  Here's the deal, you can't take pictures of prisons.  I asked Roy didn't they teach this in law school?  He said no and I plan to ask for a tuition refund.  Roy is none the worse for wear, but my blood pressure spiked and I had the worst headache for the rest of the day.  Johnny Cash songs were playing in my head and I thought about all the Lock Down shows I've watched while everything was going down.  Ultimately, Buc-cees was not quite as much fun as it would have been before the photography incident. 

Sunday was church, lunch with friends, and grocery shopping.  Then of course all the initialing and signing one has to do these days for a home loan. 

Today I met Cassi for lunch at "our place."  She is such a joy to me.  We have the best time and I always think that the people around us must think, oh mother/daughter lunch and to tell you the truth, I want them to think that.  We celebrated their bathroom project/renovation being through and new home buying for us.  Then she said those words that every person who is moving in the near future loves to hear, we have a big truck if you need some help with stuff.  Now, we will hire movers but there are always those things that are best done under your own supervision.  Before meeting Cassi I took back socks to Joseph A Banks that Roy didn't like and window shopped at Pottery Barn.  Actually, I am feeling really close to buying a bed cover, shams and pillows. 

It has been unreal to watch the videos coming from Japan and the massive devastation and catastrophe.  We find ourselves praying for the survivors and all that they have ahead of them.  There are news reports that the earth's rotation was affected by the earthquake and tsunami but I might have had a little something to do with that as well.  While in Huntsville I went into a fabric store and not only went into said store, but made a purchase of some fabric.  Just saying...

We are going to have a delicious dinner of Rice Epicurean home made or rather store made chicken pot pie.  That is one of our favorites.  When we move to Katy, maybe I will have to make a special order of it every once in a while.  The chef there doesn't make it very often.  Yep, most surely I will miss the play grocery store a little more than Nordstrom.  Oops, that may be heriesy talk. 

Dinner is Served

Ah, spring.  Fall is my favorite but spring is pretty close as second favorite.  Face it, summer too hot, winter, all three days of it, is too cold.  So along with thinking about pollen and the fact that poor Sequisha is wearing a fine dusting of yellow powder, spring makes one think on love.  If love is in the air, it is being crowded out by oak pollen but love is more sustaining and sticks around longer.  Although love can make one crazy as much as those pesky allergies.   A memory I had forgotten has come back to mind these past few days.  I'm thinking back to the dating days of Roy and Nancy.  We began dating in September and we were engaged in January.  The time I'm thinking about happened in the fall before we were engaged.  Like I said, we had been dating and we both felt like it was getting serious but we hadn't really talked about it much.  We just kept going out and spending a lot of time together.  On the Friday night that I'm thinking about, Roy came and picked me up and said he was taking me somewhere special for dinner.  It was a new place, a trendy place that just happened to be in an old warehouse in Bellaire.  The name of the place, Arno's.  Oh, it was such a special evening and it was there were we began our serious discussion of our feelings for one another and what might the future look like with each other.  The owner seemed to sense that our dinner was a special one.  And in our emotion and joy-filled dinner we came to realize when the bill came, it was a whole lot of money.  The dinner came to $20.00.  Roy had that amount but not much more...don't think together we even had enough to scrap together tip money.   After we had given up all the money we had on us, the owner came back with a special dessert for us to share.  We protested, we didn't order dessert, we didn't have the money for dessert. I think he gave us back the piddling tip we had left and told us our joy had made him very happy and he hoped we would continue on sharing joy with one another.  Oh, I love stories like that.  I love when others want to share and bless.  The kindness of that man hasn't ever been lost on me.  Oh and Roy are coming onto nearly 34 years of being married.  Mostly joy-filled years but I was a pistol and more moody back then than I am now...probably not a lot of joy for Roy then but thankful he rubbed off on me. 

A Life Well Lived and Time With Well Loved Friends

I'm feeling a little nostalgic and very joy-filled right now.  Interesting mix of emotions and fueled by the home going of one of my long time friend's mother.  Actually, we know the whole family and we share friendship from long ago but also share in joys of a soon to be wedding of a child I've known since she was a baby and then had the joy of working with when we both were on staff at church.  The little girls that I visited in Boerne are all grown up and married yet I cherish the memories of their childhood and a very fun trip to Sea World.  My friend Marty and I go way back to junior high school.  We were in history together, Mr. Crittenden's class.  I sat between Kevin Cunningham and Gib Fowler.  It seems that Kevin and probably Gib had a crush on Marty.  What I remember about her is the report she did on Emilia Earhart.  She reminded me today that she was so nervous in front of the class that she dropped her note cards in the trash.  I have no clue what or if I even completed a book report on any subject for that class.  The details of that long ago time are still with me, but I'm not quite sure what I did yesterday.  We ran with a different crowd in high school, that is the beginning of high school.  She was a Rebelette, drill team and back in the day it wasn't dancing but drum, bugle and fife corp.  I played volleyball and hung out with rowdy band members and druggies from drama.  That is until my junior year of high school when I came to know Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.  There is where our lives converged because we shared a friendship with a mutual friend, Beth.  I started going to Willow Meadows Baptist Church and like the familiar saying goes, the rest is history.  Marty, Beth and I hung out together a lot.  In our senior year we were all dating guys who were in college, so we had a little more time on our hands.  I loved going to Marty's home.  It was so cool, they lived in a town house near the happening place, Westbury Square.  Her parents were so kind and welcoming.  Her dad if he were home, would always stop whatever he was doing and talk with me.  He made me laugh.  Her mom, always had a kind word for me even though we would laugh when she'd ask us if we'd seen her glasses and and we'd have to tell her they were on the top of her head.  They were the only family I knew who had a "damn it room."  That is a room in the home where everything under God's creation finds itself.  I have since instituted that term for rooms which have become much like the original DIR.  Right now the room formally known as our guest room and now house moving staging area has been referred to many a time as the DIR.

 Marty poured a lot of love and life into me those first few years of walking with the Lord.  We were saying today that the Lord had gathered so many of us together back then who have had profound effects on how we live out life in deed, in spirit and in ministry today.  I am thankful and grateful for long time friends, we've seen each other go through awkward times, live life bravely in perilous times, persevere, in the worst of times and in the best of times.  Through them all we have shared so much, but in the midst of it all, we've always shared laughter.  We've all seen each other through several hairstyles although Marty has been true to stay with a classic elegant look.  I think my hair choices were more disastrous.  If you doubt my decision making, please refer to my post of the lovely china I picked as a know it all 22 year old.  So today the friends and relatives of Marty and Vicky's mom, Catha, Crista, Tricia and Megan's Nana celebrated a generous life of a woman who loved God, loved her family and loved others.  I am better for knowing Mrs. Z and if you knew her, you'd probably join in echoing that same sentiment. 

Catch Up and China, Not the Country

It has been a productive morning.  Had the early morning Dr appointment and as soon as it was finished I headed over to Le Peep for a short stack.  I'm a day late celebrating Shrive ( I think that's what it is called).  Oh well.  Anyway, it is not the business hub bub of Buffalo Grille yet the men who eat at such places and discuss their business do not use their inside or prayer request volume voice.  I heard all about hedge funds and capital funds and also how to run a side business in that general genre.  These men discussed Merrill Lynch adnasium and actually talked about some people I know from good old tennis days.  These men realized that this is a young man's business and they were trying to make as much as they can now before they hit the old age of 40.  I really didn't want to sit there and overhear all their talk, because I was trying to read a book, make my to do list and send some emails.  I was taking my time because Tanglewood Gifts doesn't open until 9:30 and I had a package to mail to my cousin in Atlanta.  Once I finished eating and mailing it was off to The Nord.  Had some blouses to return and I wanted to check out things since next week is triple points.  Yesterday I decided to keep my china because I have so much storage in the new kitchen.  I bought some china storage deals and returned today to buy stemware and another cup storage container.  Then I made a quick trip to Whole Earth and found a few things on sale, then I finally returned home before 11:30.  Not bad for a morning's work. 

Yesterday, before packing up the china I took a couple pictures of it.  This is Norataki, Savannah.  Notice the little pink, blue and green flowers.  As a 22 year old I just KNEW this china would stand the test of time.  If my memory serves me correctly and I do believe it does, this pattern was discontinued a few months after our wedding.  Now here is the puzzling thing, 8 plates, salad plates and dessert plates.  Although I have 9 coffee cups and only 7 saucers.  I do not remember anything ever getting broken.  So the extra cup is going to go to Erin D since she requested if I had any to give she would love to have a Nancy Mon mishap.  Think I have several other cups and saucers that I have collected, and since I don't collect cups and saucers, I don't know why I have these to donate to her cause.   

Roy and I were talking about the china last night and he seems to remember he didn't like this pattern.  I don't remember that he really cared about patterns.  His concern was the weight and handling of the coffee cups.  He totally picked out our long gone everyday stuff based on the heft of the coffee cup. 

We registered for crystal but I only received one goblet.  I kept it so I would remember what I picked out.  I think it was castle garden or something like that.  It was a popular and a main stay back in the 70's and into the 80's.  The china has probably been used twice in 33 years.  Thus the remodeling of the dining room in our new home is being made into a sitting room.  I have sat more than twice in the past 33 years.  Once we move and get settled in I'll probably pick something new and fun from Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel.  Heck, I should throw myself a shower because I need new stuff and in all these years since we never had children or grandchildren, I need payback from all the showers I have attended.   Just kidding but I do believe we should give each other replacement showers every 10 years of marriage cause trends have come, towels are worn out, harvest gold crock pots are considered vintage and the like.  Goodwill has actually received about 3 wedding presents that we never used and still in the original boxes.  It is a good thing we picked out everything with a casual lifestyle in mind.  Never have been into all the formal junk.  

Sunday we had our second appointment and the David Weekly Design Center and we finished up.  Just have a few things that needs to be priced out.  We chose slate for the courtyard and we are going to extend the backyard patio.  I probably should have thought about adding an ice machine that makes Sonic type ice to the kitchen but I didn't think about it and I have also heard ice machines are in the need of constant repair.   

Last night Roy and I tackled one of the bookcases that has become the receptacle of all things we don't know what to do with.  I came across one of the earliest Mildred and Gertrude scripts we ever did.  It was fun skimming through it and I kept it.  Sermon notes from the years, thrown away in a heartbeat.  Worship Guides and bulletins, trashed.  Such is the fate of a graphic artist's work. 

Toddlers & Tiaras with Tom Hanks

Thank you Laurie for sending this to me. For all you T&T lovers and haters, this is just too funny...and a little too close to the truth. Great spoof. Love it!

What Mirror Are We Gazing In?

Isn't it interesting how our attention is focused on particulars that are relevant, very relevant to us in our brief moments of time.  For the past few years I have read everything I could, whether in hand or by Google, pertaining to heart issues.  I've read about when a virus attacks internal organs, specifically the heart, a-fib, enlarged hearts, heart disease, how stress affects the heart...well you see the direction and time a lot of researching has gone toward.  The subset information has been nutrition, medicine side effects, exercise and sleep.  My world has been seen through the filter of all things heart no matter what I was reading or doing. 

In just the past two weeks of time my attention has shifted to building a house and making a warm, inviting and comfortable...yes dare I say it, simple and uncluttered home.  Now when reading a magazine, my eyes are searching every article and advertisement looking for decorating ideas.  I've noticed the trends and I am trying to stay as neutral as possible.  Believe me, if we go with a trend, that trend will be dead the moment it becomes part of our home.  I'm fearing that granite counter tops might become as laughable as harvest gold and avocado green from the 70's.  Hold a good thought...that granite holds firm.  Another view we believe in is building a home that isn't overwhelming, overpowering and a money pit to keep maintained, cooled, heated, and insured.  Even with this being a strong mindset and decision it's funny how the temptation to have more room, more bedrooms, bathrooms and 3 to 4 car garages begins to slip in, and trickle into our thoughts and plans.  We had to shake ourselves and regain the proper mindset of having a smaller, more maintainable home that has adequate space so we live together without being on top of one another 24/7.  We had to rein in that thinking of more is better because we don't want to be house poor and be handcuffed and not being able to be good stewards of everything that God has blessed us with. 

Last night while clearing out magazines I came across this month's Southern Lady.  Now before anyone makes a wise crack about me not being no Southerner or much less a Southern Lady, I take the magazine because I'm interested by those who know how to be this and do this.  The articles are interesting and at times written with the bent of knowing the Lord.  The pictures are gorgeous!  And now with my new all consuming interest of interior design with me in mind, :), I came across an article about Leah Richardson and her book Interior Wisdom: Designing Your Home and Heart for the Lord.  This quote from the article got my attention, "It is the presence of God that makes our homes truly beautiful, a haven from the world, and a special place where we can be still and hear His voice."  Broke guideline number 7, no new books until we move this morning and ordered this.  Not so much for design ideas but for the inspirational quotes and Bible verses intended to inspire the reader.  Her design lines are clean, simple and she wants the end design plans to be peaceful, timeless and comfortable.  Seems to me she has a blog that I have read but can't remember the name or address of it.  No, this doesn't mean our home will be decorated with Jesus Junk, you know the 12 disciples ice tea glasses, bless this mess plaques or any other of that ubiquitous stuff that is found at your nearest Christian bookstore. 

Yesterday after lunch Roy and I went to Courtney's Home and Ranch store.  It is an interior designers haven and heaven.  I like to go in there and look, maybe even pretend briefly that I have unlimited funds and I'm a trained or gifted interior designer.  For weeks I have noticed a huge clearance sign in the window, but never stopped to take a look see.  I almost stopped there on my way home from Sugar Land but I was going to have to back track and decided against going.  While we were talking at lunch I told Roy I felt that "holy urge" to stop in at Courtney's.  No, I didn't see a cloud or pillar of fire leading me there, but just that gentle nudge.  There under the clearance table was a 5 by 8 rug, which just might work in Roy's study.  It had been $600 but marked down to a $100.  We unrolled it, inspected it and decided it was too good of a deal to pass up.  I also found a copper coffee urn marked down from $450 to $160.  I may never serve coffee out of it but dang it is going to look good in the new kitchen.  Since we were so close we made a stop into Home Goods.  Roy asked, are you feeling the holy nudge here?  No, I replied so he went over to Office Max while I looked around. 

This morning I went to Le Peep for pancakes.  Roy is at the rodeo livestock show taking pictures of animals with his photography class.  For company, besides Facebook, I took along Soul Print by Mark Batterson.  I cannot recommend this book enough.  I am ever thankful to Kelly Fisher for introducing me to his books and podcast.  I'm re-reading this book for about the 3rd time and came across this quote he used by C.S. Lewis, "Your real, new self...will not come as long as you are looking for it.  It will come when you are looking for Him."  In the chapter, The Devil's Workshop, Mark encourages us not to define ourselves by the wrong mirrors.  Don't just look into the mirror of culture or the mirror of the opinion of other people.  The only perfect mirror is the scripture and the more we read it, the more we will reflect God.  Mark adds, if you want to discover your soul print, you've got to begin and end with scripture.  As long as we don't read the Word as much as we could or should, we will always find ourselves with identity issues.  Then it hit me, because like I said at the beginning of this long, rambling post, my filter right now almost has everything to do with a new home.  It hit me that God is the master designer and architect (thanks Jenea for the shout out on yesterday's devo) and  if we will keep our eyes on Him being the master designer, creator and planner, all the choices will fall into place.  Our home will reflect Him because we have looked into the mirror of scripture.  The mirror of trends, design, color, accents will simply fade into the big picture of "unless the Lord builds the house."  Why I had a moment right there in Le Peep.  No, I didn't make the vow of using our home for church fellowships or parties but I did think that our home can reflect the Lord by its warmth and hospitality.  I have always been amazed by Romans 12 that in the midst of all those huge practice this and be this, hospitality is there right smack dab in the middle of things. 

Now I need to focus on the mirror of, focus.  I have about 3 different projects started  today and not one has come to completion yet.  Yes, blogging is distracting from the course.  Oh they will be completed by the end of the day, but chaos reigns right now in the cataloging and potential distribution of 17 years worth of junk.  I found several wedding gifts we have never even used and in the original Joske's box.  I'm still thinking about what to do with the china and I've been asked to dedicate a post on the china.  Will do, just need to take a picture of it in all its beautiful wonder...little pink, blue and green flowers...a 22 year old know it all picked it and didn't heed the wise words of her elders that simple is better. 

A Delightful Excursion to Sugar Land, Well Except for the Stink Eye Inncident

An excursion to Sugar Land was in order today.  It is hair day when shaping, texturizing and cutting happens.  Of course along with an absolutely fine hair cut at Emmanuel, God with us so you can never have a bad hair day there in the salon, I made my regular stops.  Whole Foods before hair cut and then my first stop afterwards was Super Target.  Found three more of the large plastic modular drawers and a hanging file storage container that Roy asked for.  I was feeling in a particular patient mood, so I dropped in at the Family Christian Bookstore.  I debated on a CD of piano music that is all Chris Tomlin songs and I thought I might be in luck because there wasn't a line.  Well, there was one lady who stood at the counter the whole time I was there waiting on someone to come check her out.  That sealed the deal, checking iTunes for the CD.  Thought it might be great background music.  Made my last stop at Academy.  I am so happy to report I haven't been in an Academy for 6 weeks.  That's a record!  And in that one stop I broke my guidelines I have been living by since two weeks ago, don't buy anything that has to be moved.  The discounted rack held some too good to pass on bargains.  Since I am being honest, I broke the guideline in Target too.  Picked up a hot water deal for Roy and his hot tea.  Well, I started the day breaking the no new hair product guideline, but a Bumble and Bumble product was calling out to me.  At least at no time today did I buy any hand lotion.  I have enough around here to use till the Lord returns. 

Ooooh, I got the stink eye from a lady in the parking lot at Whole Foods this morning.  Peggy and I were discussing the merits of baseboard color on the phone.  You know that was a first time conversation for us.  She was even going to Hobby Lobby today.  I can almost top that, a Jo Ann's Craft and Fabric store, which I would usually refer as a material store, is opening next to the Academy and I was all fixed to go in and peruse the fabrics but it doesn't open until March 11.  Guess I can catch it when I return in April to have highlights.  Oh yea, I was writing about the stink eye.  I pulled into a parking place not even noticing the lady parked beside me.  Guess Sequisha was a little closer to her door than she like and she stood there starring at me.  Wasn't a thing I could do, there was a tree right in front of me, so I couldn't pull through.  I wanted to roll down my window and tell her she could make that whole getting out of a tight spot a game.  I like to call it playing astronaut.  As a kid I remember when the astronauts returned from space, their capsule landed in the ocean.  There was a tiny, little hatch they pulled themselves out of when rescuers were near and so getting out of a car in a tight spot mimics that exercise.  Once I got into Whole Foods, I thought she might corner me, but she was no wear to be found.  In fact, after Peggy and I got off the phone I moved to another space so that she wouldn't be tempted to key Sequisha. 

After spending a wonderful time in the land of sugar, well excepting the stink eye episode, I stopped back in at Pottery Barn to look at a quilt I like and take a picture of it to show to Dani.  Since Restoration Hardware is close by, stopped in and picked up some paint sample cards.  Just in case anything matches what we plan to do in the new home.  Now I am just waiting on Roy to get home and we'll go to a late lunch. 

Brick, Stone and Paint

This was a full day.  A day that tired me out but it is the good kind of tired.  Of course today is Bible study out in Katy.  I even thought I had left early enough to be on time but alas sitting through three lights at the Grand Parkway took away some time.  We had a great core group time studying II Peter, mainly about false teachers.  Dani met up with Peggy and me around 11:30.  We had a delicious lunch at Lupe's and then we headed over to the model home to pick out brick, stone and exterior paint color.  Kind of makes me think of earth, wind and fire.  That is a huge decision brick and stone.  If it had just been Roy and me, we might still be there looking at all the samples.  Both Dani and I agreed the subtle look is what we wanted to go for.  Then we toured the model home once again making notes for the design appointment on Sunday.  I have already changed my mind on two things.  Dani hadn't ever been to Peggy's so we stopped by there for the quick tour.   I headed back into Houston and got home about 4:30 and I was dragging.  Roy came home soon afterwards.  He had been in meetings at EPROD on the West Loop.  He had a little down time before going to his photo shop class.  My eyes were getting heavier and heavier and I decided a cat nap is just what was needed.  So I asked Roy to wake me around 5:30.  If he hadn't, I might still be asleep. 

Last week I had a major doctor appointment.  Lots of meds changed and a new one added.  It took me several days to acclimate to the changes and I was quite foggy and out of it for several days. 

I have made several Goodwill trips and I feel like I haven't even made a dent, especially with books.  I did pack up many Southern books I said would never leave my possession.  Just the thought of moving books has been in getting into a great mood of purging.  Even Roy is thinking of letting some books go that he has hung onto for quite some time.  Buddy doesn't know this but she is going to be losing some toys.  She hasn't played with them in forever.  She is going to be so excited to have new places to explore and sleep on.  Maybe she will chose to sleep in another bedroom. 

Tomorrow is a fun excursion to the land of sugar for a haircut.  I am probably looking forward to the stop at Whole Foods and Super Target.  If I am in a patient enough mood, maybe Family Christian Bookstore.  Although, just the thought of moving stuff has severely curbed my appetite for very much new, outside of plastic storage containers.  Oh and a fabulous trip to the Amish Craftsman.  Think I found the dining room table and chairs, some pictures and maybe some bar stools.  Jennifer, I know someone who is going to be thrilled not to deliver here at the condo.  Once we have a better idea of build and build out time, I will order.  That furniture takes about three months since it is being built from the ground up.  Once again I'll be patient for its arrival and not be in such a big hurry.

I know my blog has been dominated by the subject of a new home and all the fun that goes with it.  I'm mainly writing all this so I can remember and rejoice in the process.  Really, I am so glad now that 8 out of 8 times, we lost out on the town homes and condos we were looking at.  Roy and I were talking tonight, how much fun it is to be in on the process from the ground up. 

There's A Change A Coming

Buddy is sitting on my lap purring to beat the band.  Little does she know that this summer her world will be rocked.  Rocked in a good way, more room to explore, more windows to participate in her hobby, bird watching and new places to curl up and take her early, mid morning, after lunch, late afternoon and early evening naps.  Buddy is a Russian Blue and that particular breed doesn't like change, they love the status quo.  So she'll have some adjusting to do. 

I have to be honest, I have some adjusting to do.  Until we got the word yesterday that we had been pre-approved for our loan, I wasn't going to let myself get too emotionally attached.  Once we got the phone call and the email confirming everything, my heart was skipping and jumping, in a good way.  I had heard even with stellar credit, you could be turned down for a mortgage loan.  Roy was confident. I was putting my trust in the Lord, oh then taking it back to worry about for a bit, then fully surrendering it back to the Lord, until right before bed and losing sleep because I was just merely thinking about it, not worrying....OK, yes, I was worrying but I'd promptly give it back to the Lord until mid morning.  You know the pattern.  The whole process is coming onto the two week mark.  Sometimes it feels like it has just been days and at other times it has felt like two years.  I'm so glad Roy is detail and task oriented.  He knew the time line from the very beginning.  I jumped in a couple of days later panicked that we wouldn't make our initial loan application in the allotted time period.  He had been on top of it from the very beginning. 

Yesterday was our first appointment at the design center.  Helping us navigate this path is our friend and designer Dani.  Once she was on the scene, the process sped up.  She knows how to look at flooring, cabinets, and color quickly and assess if the tile has too much yellow, the wood floor too much red and if the cabinets have that early American maple look, which we don't want.  We got a whole lot done yesterday and we go back Sunday at noon to finish it up.  We have done quite a few upgrades and we are staying on track on the budget we set for ourselves.  After Bible study on Thursday, Dani is going to meet me to go through the model home so she has a better perspective than just looking at the floor plans.  Here is a link to the home we have picked out and you can take a virtual tour if you click that link on the right hand side of the page.  It has pictures of the model home.  As much fun as it was to pick out everything, my attention span lagged the last 45 minutes or so.  Angry Birds to the rescue.  So thankful for detail oriented Roy cause the boring stuff, that will have an effect on the bottom line, is hard on this ADD rattled brain.  The David Weekly designer, who is awesome by the way, was trying to help me stay in there with them by giving me pictures of garage doors and the like.  Reminded me of a time way back when I accompanied Dena to a speaking engagement she had been invited to.  She gave me a spiritual gift test to keep me occupied and to keep me from distracting her from her last minute note revisions. 

It has been in my mind and heart, unless the Lord builds the house...I know, not a very original Bible verse for this happening.  None the less, it is so true.  We are so in tune with the Lord building our home for His glory.  Thankfully, I wasn't stupid and made the promise, if we can just get this house I will use it to host church groups etc...  I really only know two people and I don't know if they ever made that vow, but Marsha T and Peggy B really, truly use their homes in that way and glorify God through their hospitality and warmth.  But I have volunteered to be Bain overflow when the compound is at its limit.  I tend to go along with Mark Batterson's idea of our spaces being sacred.  Our "stuff" should reflect who we are and the milestones or our Ebeneezer's  that God has used to grow us up in Him.  My mindset is just not having beautiful accessories but they need to be meaningful and purposeful. 

So glad I have a massage appointment today.  Very good timing.  Then I can come back home and return to the great purging.  We happily realized the other day that we won't need to own so much basic clothing.  Our dryer takes forever, so we have to have multiples because we just can't throw something in the dryer and be good to go. 

Buddy had left but has just now returned to my lap.  Oh Buddy, you are going to be so stressed but then so happy once we arrive in our new home.  That is pretty good advice to give myself right about now.  Buddy, you are going to be a Cinco Ranch cat and I'm going to be a Cinco Ranch woman.  You, Roy and I will be a Cinco Ranch family.