Messy Work

Today I reached a breaking point. The noise and the dust were overwhelming as the crew sought to skim off the residual left from the old tile. Since we are putting in a wood floor, it has to be smooth and this is painstaking and dirty work.

All those ridges need to be scraped off and buffed.

Tanner even had to go to my cousin's today because it was totally untenable. I had to get out of the house as well so I went to water aerobics this morning and enjoyed a good workout, the warm sunshine and a hot jacuzzi soak afterwards! I also decided to get a pedicure and sitting in that massage chair while a nice lady worked on my dry, cracked feet was balm to my entire soul! I arrived home to lots of things being completed! The new hallway into the master bedroom is now framed and looks great. The walk-in closet is beginning to take shape. The master bath is starting to reveal what the end product will look like! I love the newly installed bench

in the master shower. It's going to be great! That is our mantra when things get a little crazy!
The weather is spectacular so that is a big bonus. We decided to fire up the grill tonight and honor my father's memory by grilling up some gorgeous rib eyes. They were delicious and this is the meal that we love eating out here! We "baked" the potatoes in the microwave, bought some salad in a bag and enjoyed the meal on our patio. Tanner was impressed with the bone he got to work on and the scraps that ended up in his bowl!
I have figured out how to wash dishes in the bathroom but it does remind me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer washes his lettuce in the shower! I have turned the microwave into a cupboard for storing the few dishes that we are using. Helps keep the dishes clean. I turned a bookcase into a small pantry and it helps me feel like there is some kind of organization in my life! Of course, Clean is a weird concept. There is a distinctive, thin film of dust covering everything. At least we can keep the doors and windows open!
Today was a tough day. We've been back for a week and while we are thrilled with the work on the house and enjoying the gorgeous weather and surroundings of the desert, clearly, our hearts are missing our loved ones in Stockholm. We miss our church family and not too many waking hours go by without our thoughts drifting to them. It's a very strange feeling to have invested in a ministry and community for almost 17 years and then, all of the sudden, you no longer have a role in the life of that community. Such is the oddness of pastoral ministry but sometimes it makes the heart and soul ache a little.
But while we're dealing with the chaos of a total house renovation, all of the challenges that we are facing are clearly first world issues and a result of having the luxury of owning a home and making it look the way we want it to. I remain deeply thankful for the gifts we enjoy in this life. Next up, sorting health care in the U.S. of A. while unemployed. And I thought today was a headache!