Thursday, December 3, 2020

Louis Dean's Sump Pump and My Christmas Decorating!

 I am sorry about having a sad picture to start tonight's journal entry.....


but this was Wednesday and Louis Dean realized the concrete sump pump housing he made was not deep enough. **Sigh** And he does really good concrete work.
The housing had to come out and he could NOT break it up with a sledge hammer!
Like I said, he does really good concrete work!
He got it UP out of the hole - and it had to come up because that's the lowest point and exactly where the pump needs to go!


I made us a good wholesome lunch - hr needs to eat to keep his strength up.
He had hot buttered cabbage, buttered sweet potato and two salmon croquettes.
I had one small salmon patty, cooked cabbage without butter, a small sweet potato and a serving of mixed veggies! I have lost 10 pounds since I discovered I had outgrown three pair of my blue jeans!

We ate and watched a Christmas program.......we are still watching Hallmark Christmas movies and totally avoiding the news! YES! That day's feature was The Christmas Waltz. Really good.


While Louis Dean was working - I was, too.
Decorating! And cleaning.
I'm doing my best to not junk things up.
I like this table because it's where I eat most of the time.
Louis Dean prefers to eat in the den in front of the TV....but at least he's watching Gunsmoke instead of the news.


I decorate on the wing.
As I bring in a tub - and I try to bring in the ones suitable for the room I'm working in - I just kind of go with it. And I try to use some colored LED lights where I can since Louis Dean loves them so much.
**Note to self**
BUY MORE COLORED LED ONES FOR NEXT YEAR!


I love the laundry room this year!
I had no idea where I was going with this but I spied the red and black tablecloths I bought at Hobby Lobby in last year's After Christmas Sale.
That worked!


And it all came together for me.
I do not pretend to be a real decorator - but I do what I do and I love it when it looks warm and cozy.
Those are two of my very favorite words!


The kitchen flows right into the laundry room there at the end.
I hung that curtain from Tuesday Morning a few years ago when I realized most of the photos on Christmas Eve included the washing machine in the laundry room!!
I may be slow but I do finally get it!


I do so love my Christmas kitchen!
I am happy to tell you that I found all my Christmas coffee cups.


Cups are hung and the rest are in the cupboard.
My Christmas stitchings are all hanging on the doors.


As I went to bed on Wednesday night - the coffee was ready to turn on and Louis Dean and I had matching cups for the morning.

I woke up first today and had my quiet time.....


and then I joined Louis Dean in the den to read the Bible and our chosen book....which is The Duck Commander right now. I should find a Christmas book of some kind...


While I read, Tabitha was curled around Louis Dean.


She loves him and he loves her.

HE went back to work on the sump pump problem......and after I convinced him he could BUY a sump pump housing instead of making another one out of concrete.....(because Summer told me so!) ....he marched off to Home Depot and bought one. Then he went back this afternoon and bought something called 'A Pull Along.' He needs to MOVE that concrete house away......to where? I do not know.


Today I worked in the dining room.
I do love turning chaos to order....


This is a new tree and placed in a new spot.


I love fairy lights.....


The table is set and I have a lunch date with Brenda and Shirley next week!
We willeat in here if my friend, Pat, joins us....and I hope she does.
It's been more than two years since I have seen her. Maybe three......how is it that we don't see friends as often as we would like? Here lately we have Covid to blame.....


The dining room tree is all about red cardinals.


Most of these have been gifts to me from Summer.


I am loving it!


The candle is lit!
This room is done!


Tabitha is all about checking the lights, trees and decorations.


She's such a cutie!!
When we are going in and out - we put the kittens in the guest room.
That way we don't have to worry about them getting out......
and us having to chase them!

So I am knocking the rooms out one by one......


and everything gets piled into the NEXT room......
which will be the sewing room.
It's a wreck!
But I will tackle that on Saturday because I am taking Friday off to have fun!
I have packages ready to mail..... the Chritsmas Santa  to Michele in Ohio and one to a relative and one to a friend's daughter in Utah. And I will be spending the day with my sister, Nita, and we will take Lillian some treats and no telling what else we will do!!


I have been writing tonight in the den while Louis Dean is watching The Santa Claus movie with Tim Allen. I guess I will close this and join him in the finale......







12 comments:

Deanna Rabe said...

I love The Santa Clause! So fun!
I feel for LD! I hope the come along worked and he was able to remove the concrete!

I love seeing your home. It’s perfectly warm and cozy!

Vee said...

I like your new tree in the cozy (and warm) dining room. Have ever two kitties had such a Christmas Wonderland to play in?

So sorry that the sump pump housing is causing such an issue. Always something! And so glad that Amber was able to offer a good suggestion so Louis Dean doesn't have to redo all of it.

Have a blessed day with Nita and have fun secreting things to Lillian. I say a prayer for her every time she comes to mind, which is surprisingly often.

Merry on, Linda!

Susie said...

Linda, It sure is Christmas at your house. Love seeing all the decorations. Cats are such fun at times. You could turn that big concrete housing into a planter. LD will eventually get it all done. He's a go-getter . Blessings to all, stay safe, xoxo,love you guys, Susie

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I can spend hours just looking at your beautiful home on the blog...I can not imagine how good it would be to be there to enjoy it! Love those mugs! I'm going to decorated some today. Now you have me excited about it! Give that L.D. a hug for me!

MadSnapper said...

Only one more room to go you're doing great. So by Saturday and Sunday the house should be done for the holidays and the sump pump should be in the new bought house. Daddy wants made a set of steps to go up on the back porch of my mother's mother's house and he used so many bags of cement that the family joke was that whenever every one of us is dead and buried and gone those steps will still be there the house might not be but the steps will. Have fun on your day off and I wish Bob would watch a Christmas movie with me but I was watching One when he came in the house and it had 20 minutes left so he let me watch the rest of it and the whole 20 minutes he was making fun of everything so I have to wait until he doesn't have the DVR in the living room which is only about an hour a day so I watch him in pieces

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

You have a lovely assortment of decorations and are way ahead of me as far as decorating goes. I've barely started and the only thing done so far is the dining room table. At least I got a start and the rest will come shortly. I love the decorating but need more lights too. I don't have many but light lots of candles, making everything bright and merry. So sorry Louis Dean had to start all over on the sump bump but it's good to see he didn't let that stop him and he's still working on getting the job done ! Enjoy the lunch with your friends. They do make the holidays merrier !

Chandy Johnson said...

I just LOOOOOOVE LOVE LOVE your decorations and Christmas spirit!!!!!! I cant wait until I can do the same 😁. Hopefully next year. Good idea with home depot for the sump pump! Granddad and Chris both will tackle the biggest of beasts to make our home happy. Love them. I need some paintings for my home. Maybe sometime you can give me and the kids a painting lesson!!!!! I love yall!

Arlene G said...

Always fun to visit your house, Linda. And that Louis Dean....how he does all that he does is a mystery to me. I cannot even imagine. I am glad you take good care of him to keep his motor running!!:) I have a hard time persuading Marvin that it is better to pay someone to do things around the houses than for him to tackle it himself. When he gets down in his back, no one is happy. Enjoy your holiday festitivities.

Donna said...

Something can always go wrong (and usually does) but Louis Dean is the fella to set things right. You house is so festive! Love all the lights. Enjoy your time with friends and with Lillian. I'm hoping the nursing home folks aren't stopping mail delivery because of the covid thing. Here in Indiana the National Guard was called out to help with staffing at nursing homes. I'm going to look for cards for her and if I can find one in Espanol, one for her roommate. My high school Spanish is so rusty, although I could probably find a translation site online. Just hate to think of those ladies isolated with a language barrier.

MimiG said...

Happy Friday Linda!
I'm soliciting prayers again. My DIL (daughter in love) has Covid. She is quarantining in their upstairs guest room (she sounds so bad). No steroids or anything yet - just lots of liquids and a mild cough syrup. My prayers are requested for her, plus my son (her husband) has, in the past 11 years, had colorrectal cancer and a year's worth of chemo and radiation; a quadruple bypass; and has Type 2 Diabetes. I am terrified that he will get Covid. They also have the twin boys (17 yrs) and this is the 3rd time the oldest has been exposed. The boys are healthy kids, but with it in the house, it's probably only a matter of time. Prayers please for all of them - Rosa, Jason, Alex and Devin. Thank you!!

JBen said...

Linda, your house is awesome! I guess just looking at your post has inspired me to get going on my own house, lol. Glad you both take time to slow down and enjoy a movie and quiet time. You are both energizer bunnies and I get tired just seeing all you get done. xoxo June

Carole said...

You have enough Christmas decorations to cover me as well - you would be amazed just how minimalist I can be... Cheers