Only Fitting

Given my recent self-induced public humiliation, now would be a perfect time to share this funny anecdote.

The other night, as we were working on quilting, Adele' said to me...

"Mama.  I've decided I'd like to be EXACTLY like you when I grow up... totally self-deficient."

She cocked her head and knew instantaneously that she had said the wrong word.  My peels of laughter may have had something to do with it.  She tried to back track but I wouldn't let her.  It was too great.

It was, in fact, just the right word.  Also, totally hilarious.

The Coop de Jardin

Or, from the looks of these photos... a very time consuming jungle gym.

Matt began hauling logs from our woods... a few too many to call firewood... and then he disappeared into his timber shed every weekend for quite some time.

And I knew he had plans...

When one Saturday in June, the old chicken coop was torn down and burned, I knew what those plans were.

(Not only were the beams made with precision and skill, to fit within one another, but Matt had to make the pins too.)

Please take special note of Judah's work boots... or what is left of them.

(It is NOT MY FAULT.  It is hard to convince Newman menfolk to throw comfortable, though worn out, things away.)

Yes Judah.  What a great idea!  Run on the roof boards in duct taped shoes!

(Here's Judah, holding the storm clouds at bay until the work was done for the day.)

Now that Andrew is a hard-working roofer (who gets PAID for his work!), and spends half his Saturdays taking EMT classes, he is not around as much for free slave labor.  

He was able to help out a few times though.

(roofing goes on.  The most expensive part of these projects.)

Then the siding boards and WINDOWS!

(The windows were free from a neighbor... I only had to store them for 10 years or so in my granary, that's all.)

(Isn't the inside beautiful?  I love the beams.)

The handy fellow, himself.  I love him, too.

And then the door goes on!

And then a wall is put up. dividing the shed into two portions... one part garden shed, one part chicken coop.

Or saphouse.

Chickens were the original objective but the saphouse makes more sense, given that Matt has wanted a saphouse for many years (and will, no doubt, want to build one if this one doesn't suffice) and of course, that he has no great love of chickens.

(Waiting on baited breathe for Matt to decide!)

But this part here, for SURE, is the garden shed.

Hopefully, it will be enough space to house my two shovels, a hand trowel, and a wheelbarrow.

he he.

I kid, I kid.

It's beautiful and amazing.

And then the snow flies, and it just kinda takes your breath away.

(I'll share pictures of the inside someday when it is finished.)

Public Penance and Personal Revelation

 Blogs are wonderful in a lot of ways.

They are also TERRIBLE in a lot of ways.  

Like when I happen to reread what I wrote years ago and inwardly groan at my own hubris or naivete or lack of grace or __fill-in-the-blank-foolishness____.

I happened to look back upon a post many years ago in which I said some pretty unapologetic (rude!) things about the kind of people who would allow messes to explode on their watch.  How they lacked godly stewardship.  In that blog post of yesteryear, I may have even said "There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for it."

Granted, I was likely grumpy from spending hours cleaning up someone elses' mess in an old barn and the exhaustion/frustration was speaking at that point.

But WoW.  Just wow.

Turns out...

 I got myself a Granary of my own.  And I got myself a handful of children of my own.  And life kindof exploded for a bit.  (And, I like to think that maybe I even grew up and into a bit more compassion and grace for my fellow man.)

After my public chastisement of 'those sorts' of people a dozen years ago, my penance today shall be my own public shame and humility.   Apparently, I am one of "THOSE" sorts of people, after all.

Most of the 'before' photos were deleted, including of the top floor, but I salvaged this single photo of the lower level from a message thread to a friend who shares a certain kinship with and compassion for Overwhelming Projects of DOOM. (OPODs, for short.)

Here is the bottom floor, in all its' glory...

It took weeks to finish because I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it RIGHT.  I would also go through each and every bin stored in there to throw away/give away/burn/donate as much as I could.

The eyebrows were raised as people drove past and, no doubt, we were the topic of dinner conversations for quite some time.  I had to sheepishly make a sign of my shame for all the prying eyes... and more than one person asked about it being a yard sale.

But weeks later, it felt pretty stinkin' good to be stewarding myself back into a clean and organized Granary.

Here is the 'after' of the lower level:

And, the top floor, which housed leftover furniture that just doesn't fit in the house but has sentimental value (and some rugs free from the side of the road), became a  playhouse/hangout spot, made just a wee bit magical with some Christmas lights hung from the ceiling.

My message today, a dozen years from that embarrassingly stonehearted post, is this (and it is to ME too)...

Life can get away from you.  Life can get messy.  And if you have failed to do what needed to be done, for whatever reason, it just doesn't do to dwell on what is done.  Maybe you've made a mess of things.  (Like me.)  

Just roll up your sleeves.  Take one step at a time and do a tiny bit better.  And then don't stop.  

Glory will come.

Watkins

(a kind stranger saw us trying to take a selfie and offered to take a picture of us.  Nice!)

A camping trip to Watkins Glen with tons of people from our community.  (A Trail Life and American Heritage Girls community camping trip.)  If you ever get a chance to go camping with other people you know, it's tons of fun.  The kids were partying 100% of the time and the parents were relaxing 100% of the time.

On Saturday, the Watkins Glen gorge was INSANELY OVERCROWDED.  (This is beautiful tourist attraction so people come from all over.)  There were major traffic jams of people on those teeny, narrow trails.  (At one point, we were at a standstill for 20 minutes as people tricked past one another.)  And just days before they had seen major flooding to the trails so everything was puddled, pooled and wet.  We Newmans arrived mere moments before our whole group was leaving, so we didn't have time to grab waters or snacks or prepare in any way.    It wasn't a super great hike.  We arrived back to the campsite tired, THIRSTY, wet and annoyed that a 25 minute hike had taken nearly 3 hours... and we didn't see anything but our feet or other peoples' heads!

Sunday morning, the girls and I went out early before we headed home and it was peaceful, serene, quiet and beautiful.  I am SO glad we tried again the next day... if ever you go to Watkins Glen Gorge, tour the gorge early on Sunday morning and you won't regret it!

(You can tell by the pictures which day they were taken.)