A Day In My Life

Ever since I started learning to edit html to tweak my blog, I’ve never been one to leave it alone for very long. Now that the template has been updated (yet again!), I’ve decided to add a few features that I had before…

along with a new one I’ve been waiting a long time for. I still need to work on the Expandable Post Summary coding a bit (and will do more reading on that soon), but it is once more part of my blog.

This summer, I decided to get better organized. I got tired of not being able to find my manuals and user guides for our appliances, few though they were. I got a few supplies together:

– a large looseleaf binder
– page protector sheets
– a zippered pouch for pens and small items
– dividers for the binder
– lined paper for extra notes

Then I set to work. I gathered all of our aforementioned manuals and user guides and tucked each of them into sheet protectors. Now if I need to refer to one, I know just where to find it.

Today is the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. He died on December 22, 1983, and his funeral was December 23. I still hear his voice in my mind, and I can hear him calling me “sister” as he used to do so often. I am thankful for the years I had with him, and that I could help care for him in the weeks before he passed away. I still miss him…but he is at rest, and I will see him again some day.

Today, we had two of the interior doors in our home widened by just a couple of inches each. This was something I had specifically asked the builder to do before construction on the house began. He declined. So we planned to have it done ourselves…then we were told that if we made any changes to the structure of the house, it would void the 1 year builder’s warranty. We considered carefully, and decided that safer and easier access to ALL areas of the house would be worth losing the 1 year warranty.

My idea for a window covering for the front door is a big success. Jay got a magnetic cafe curtain rod, and a fabric shower curtain (a replica of the Texas State Flag). He hung the curtain rod at the top of the door on the inside, and I put the curtain on the rod, accordion style. It isn’t a bit too long, and it covers the window quite well while still admitting some light. So now it feels more private and looks just fine. It is a plus too, that when the curtain gets dirty it can be washed easily and hung up again to dry. The whole project cost less than $30! I am quite happy with it. I just love finding creative and inexpensive ways to make our home comfortable.

Our front door has a beautiful oval glass that covers the center of the door. Since I do not care for the idea that people on the street could possibly look in on us without my awareness, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to cover the glass in a way that would not detract from the attractiveness of the house from either inside or outside. I don’t sew, and do not own a sewing machine, nor do I have a lot of money. So I’ve been puzzling over this since we moved in.

Amidst all the activity of work, school and final exams, unpacking and life in general, it really is beginning to feel like Christmas. I have been reading Kim Komando’s newsletters for some time, and I listen to her weekly radio show regularly. Kim’s husband works with Mannheim Steamroller as a producer of the annual Christmas radio show. I plan to listen, and you can look for a station in your area if you’d like to hear it also.

We’ve made a fair amount of progress unpacking. The kitchen is put together, and we bought a cabinet for use as a pantry. We also bought a new bed today, (a new queen size mattress and box spring with frame I found on Craigslist…the owner is moving and needed to sell it, and we got a huge bargain) so sleeping will be more restful. We had our first company over for dinner last night — our neighbors. We had homemade enchiladas, rice and salad. They have a new puppy, plus an outdoor cat. We had a good visit, and plan to get together again. We also rearranged the furniture in the living room to make better use of the space. I’m hoping to rest better tonight than I have been.