In the cool of the morning

Clearanced flowers from WalMart

I am finally at a point where I feel a little more in control (although almost afraid to say that in case one of the appliances hears what I have stated and blows a gasket).  It has been a difficult couple of months as the gotta do's of life clashed with the wanna don'ts of a low energy level.  As with most women, the list of things to do prevailed and I dropped into bed each night exhausted but with the knowledge more had been accomplished that day.

One thing about the challenge of sorting and packing and putting away and then creating afresh is that one can actually see their accomplishment each day.  Unlike the exhaustion which comes from raising hyperactive little boys in which it can take years to see the wonderful results of doing the same things and saying the same things and wondering if they will ever "get it"... now, of course, realizing he did.  :)

As I write, I am sitting at my makeshift desk in my new room, formerly Christopher's bedroom.  The morning air is unusually cool for this summer's constant heat waves but I am enjoying having the windows open as the sounds of the forest (as well as morning breezes) make their way into the room.  I will take pictures later today but I can tell you already... it is worth all the blood muscle aches, sweat, and tears.

A room to create and to think and to ponder and to write!  Not perfect by any means as I'm using the table from the deck (used to serve food buffet style on the 4th of July)... albeit covered with a vintage tablecloth.  Christopher's bookshelf with all of his books takes up a large section of wall but also reminds me of him.  The remainder of his stuff... all packed away in the closet of this room until he needs them someday.

But I am also now surrounded by favorite furniture and pictures and some of my books... the family room and living room appear almost Zen-like in their simplicity as items disappeared from their shelves and walls to make their way here.  My husband... who prefers almost nothing as decoration and has lived with my combination of English Country and American Primitive... is also happy.

Well, I should mention there continues to be fried electronics stacked in the living room and family room awaiting the settlement with our insurance company and a check to restore all that does not work and replace electronics.  We cannot get rid of the fried electronics until it is settled.  So we continue to live with limited lights and no hot water but one does get used to the new normal (especially with the knowledge it will all be set right someday).

I didn't mention that our air conditioner quit last week, which we were concerned about when the heat wave kept it going day and night (and we keep it as high as possible to conserve energy).  Since the problem is actually in the furnace fan, the guy who will be fixing our gas lines will fix it when the repair money arrives.  In the meantime, we are thankful for cooler (comparative) days.

I thought I'd share the above picture, which shows what the kitchen lights look like after the lightening strike.  They exploded over me!  How I thank God continually for His protection during the actual strike and the gas build up days later.