Mother/Daughter Time With Amber and Other Things.....

 Tuesday morning.....

I choose a different coffee cup every morning in December - and YES, I have more than 31 Christmas cups! WAY more!

This one holds special meaning to me as it was a gift from a very young boy in my Sunday School class. His name is Travis and I have  loved keeping up with him and his lovely family on Facebook. He grew up to be as wonderful a man as he was a child. This cup came from Denny's and it's a snowman when it's empty but when you pour hot coffee into it - the snowman melts into a puddle and the words are: 'I would have preferred something cold....'

That was the beautiful start of what proved to be a very difficult day.

We have been having plumbing problems - as in the bathroom toilets not flushing for days.

Sometimes they would and sometimes they wouldn't. Until Tuesday when they decided NO, they catagorically and definitely refused to flush even one more time!

Louis Dean was making noises about NOT calling a plumber and HE would get out there and dig down to the sewer.....yada yada yada. I made an executive decision and called the plumber!

Alas, he was booked until December 29th!!!!! They referred me to a couple more and one said they could possibly come between 4:00 and 6:00 PM.

Then Charlie - my sweet brother in law - called me - after seeing my posts on Facebook - and suggested I need a sewer company more than a regular plumber.

So I took his advice and called a number.

Roto Rooter!

Wes was here less than 2 hours later.

And roughly two hours after that - the sewer was cleaned out and the bathroom was back in working order!

We saved $200 by Louis Dean taking the commode up himself. That meant he had to put it back after Wes left. Well, things didn't go as planned and I actually don't understand WHY he couldn't put in a new wax ring and set the commode back in its place. Instead - IT spent the night in the bathtub!

I was so relieved that at least one bathroom worked so I moved on to the rest of the day and that involved a considerable amount of damage control.

The mail brought a sweet blessing from my friend, Teresa.

Her card and these cheerful cardinals helped my attitude so much.

Louis Dean went to bed early Tuesday night and I was grateful to get a little time to myself.

I've been working out in the gazebo - my last 'room' to decorate - and I heard a commotion over on the kitchen deck and went running over there to see what it was. 

A raccoon!! He scampered up the fence and jumped into the pecan tree and then stopped to peer down at me! I'm not all that fond of raccoons but it was still a bit of a treat to have him visit.

Have you read 'Rascal' by Sterling North?

It's a memoir and features a pet raccoon.

I had just come in from the gazebo and was making coffee for the next morning when I looked over and saw a possum eating dinner! Two visitors in one night!

The first thing I do when I open my eyes in the morning - is pray.

And I'm often a bit ashamed at my impatience and not-so-great an attitude from the previous day.

God gives us golden opportunities to use the grace he always provides and it's humbling to look back and see where I could have used a bit more kindness.....but didn't.

I told Louis Dean I was sorry I had acted ugly and he said, "I didn't notice that!"

Like I said before, he always sees the best side of me whenever that's possible.

We had our devotions and coffee together along with a slice of this German stollen.

Then I was up and getting ready to go spend some time with Amber - leaving him HOME ALONE!

I figured that commode would keep him busy until I returned.

Amber and I decided on La Madeleine for lunch and it was delicious!!

We both had salad samplers and can you see that piece of decadent coconut cake???

I treated myself to a mimosa - first one in a long long time!

We lingered long over lunch and talked and talked and talked some more and laughed so hard I thought I was going to cry! What with Amber being a mom to four 9-year-olds we never seem to get much mother/daughter time in so we are purposely planning some!

We already have our next lunch date on our calendars and it is going to be so much fun!

I'm going to take her to Addison Circle where Ruth Ann and I went a few years ago and I've always meant to go back at Christmas time - so this year I am doing just that!

We left the restaurnat and had just enough time to shop Marshall's before doing the school pick up.

I stayed over there for a little while and admired her Christmas decorating which is well underway!

She has a complete set of Christmas Spode dinnerware and Lennox napkin rings with some brand new napkins. I helped her unpack and set the table. It's a beautiful table and she just bought 8 black metal chairs that are just perfect for this room!

I'll take more pics when she's finished decorating.

Her home has been undergoing repairs since March 10th when they had a water leak.

The final repairs were just finished on Friday!

New floors. New walls and paint due to the holes they had to cut out for the plumbing.

It has been a nightmare for her but she handled it as well as possible and far better than I would have.

I returned home and Louis Dean had NOT put the commode back!

Something about painting a ring to put under it for it to sit on.

Something in addition to the wax ring.

I never undertstand what's going on.

But he did graciously offer to help me with the lights in the gazebo!

I'm loving how the Dollar Store bags look with the pillows inside.

Not quite finished but I'm getting there!

I like it!

I closed and zipped all the rain curtains up except for across the front.

Looking out through the French doors from the sewing room.

So I woke up this morning (Thursday) realizing I have one day to get ready for my Sibling/Cousin luncheon! I truly do NOT want to have a bad attitude.....and I know I've used the word 'attitude' several times lately.....but I really DO want things to be nice for my company. 

I keep Scripture memory cards both in my car and here at home and I pull one out each and every day to claim and meditate on. 

Yesterday on my way to Dallas I read this one......

"Peace I leave with you, my oeace I give unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

John 14:27

I have been thinking about this verse ever since, so this morning I went out to the car to get the card. 

It was that important a verse. And I purposed in my heart to be kind and not be agitated about things beyond my control. Nothing that concerns me is beyond God's control, so I prayed.

Louis Dean is more important to me than anything else.

He's 85 and struggling with memory issues and I want to be a blessing and a help to him.

As is our custom, we had our coffee and devotionals before starting our day.

While I was still writing in my diary and finishing my prayer time.....he came in and said,"Guess who has a working bathroom??" ME!!!!

It did NOT look like this when I went in later today to clean and restore it.

That old wax ring under the toilet had been mashed and walked on and tracked......

it took a good bit of elbow grease to clean the floor....and the sink.

I had been wanting to take pictures of the bathroom before the sewer issue came up.

I used hand crafted cards from my Florida friend, Sharon, to decorate!

Each one is a work of art and worthy of being displayed and enjoyed!

To my credit.....I fully realize that I have a large 6 foot husband who signed on in marriage to live in what he calls a 'Barbie Doll House!'

So I did NOT hang 'debris' on his cupboard doors this year!

I put the debris where it wouldn't bother him!!!

So the bathroom is back and all is right in my world tonight!

And just for the record......I love Louis Dean more than all my debris put together.

I just get upset now and again......