Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day 2010



This video made me cry.

~~Angie

A blessed Memorial Day . . .

What are you plans for Memorial Day? We're getting together with friends for a cookout later in the afternoon.

But let us never forget
that we enjoy the freedom of America
because others gave their lives,
their fortunes,
and their sacred honor.

~~Angie

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Kisses from Katie


You may have seen this blog, Kisses from Katie. It is the amazing record of a remarkable young woman who went to Uganda at age 18 and decided to live there . . . and adopt children because Jesus loves them and so does she.

I had an opportunity last week to meet now 22-year-old Katie and her family (in Tennessee, not Uganda), and hold one of her 14 children on my lap. I've also ordered one of the necklaces she and others have trained women to make in order to make money for their families in a way that doesn't involve prostitution.

Take a moment to look at Katie's page, read some of her stories, and ask the Lord what you can do to help feed these beautiful children. If Katie can go LIVE in Uganda, can't we give some of the money we've earned by spending a bit of our time involved in the work the Lord has given us?

When I teach time management, I always stress that your time is your life . . . and we all have a finite amount of it allotted to us. When we give of our money, we are donating the time--the life--it took to earn that amount. And I can think of no other way to love these lovely children than to spend a little of my life on them. That's what Jesus commanded us to do. That's one way we can show that we love them.

~~Angie

Friday, May 28, 2010

Would You like to go with me to Israel?


Yes, seriously. February 24 through March 4, 2011. Plenty of time to clear your calendar and plan the budget. Details here.

I've been to Israel once, while I was in college. I worked for my fare, serving as a "hostess" on a tour bus, but even though I stayed pretty busy, I was awed and amazed at the land of Israel. I always knew I wanted to go back, and I knew I wanted to take my hubby with me.

So when I heard that the folks I'm studying theology with were planning a tour, I knew I had to sign up. We'll be traveling with scholars who can make the tour even better and more meaningful.

So if you want to join us, why don't you start thinking and praying about it? We'd love to have you join us. :-)

~~Angie

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Duck in the Truck

My mom sent me this heartwarming video . . . and now I'm wondering if this truck driver hasn't established a new trend! Ducks are compact, easy to feed, relatively clean . . . Hmm. Can a duck be potty-trained?


Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Little Dorritt


I've just finished watching the new BBC version of Dickens' "Little Dorritt" (available on Netflix, but make sure you order all FOUR DVDs.)

What a great story! I love Dickens and his over-the-top characters, and some of this themes (money vs. true happiness) are as relevant today as they were when Dickens wrote. The acting is wonderful, the characters fascinating, and the costumes are fabulous. Well worth watching, plus it's broken up into episodes, so you don't have to sit down and watch it all at once.

Though you may well want to. :-)

~~Angie

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Feeling Lucky? These people should be!



Reminds me of the time I was standing in Home Depot, and a toilet fell from three risers up and missed my head by inches. I was too stunned to move.

And then I felt blessed. :-) I'd hate to be killed by a falling toilet.

~~Angie

Monday, May 24, 2010

Marlo Schalesky's Latest


Arrrgh! Before I tell you about Marlo's new book, I just have to vent.


Yesterday afternoon the hubby and I were outside digging up an out of control asparagus fern--it had completely swallowed a bouganvilla, and I had a new plant, a snowball bush, that I wanted to try in that one protected spot. So the hubster and I pulled on our gloves, gathered our equipment, and went at the asparagus fern.


I don't know if you've ever wrestled with one, but those lovely, lacy ferns have THORNS! So, after much snipping and clipping and tugging and raking, we finally get the mass of the fern out of the ground . . . and then we watched in horror as the matted root system pulled up about ten feet of ground cover! Plus, the roots were covered in those things--I think they're called rhizomes--that looked like shriveled pods. I called my neighbor across the street (she was working on her lawn, too) and told her to come over and look at the alien creature we had just dug up. Yuck!


And then, just before hubby hauled away the corpse, I saw a cable cord . . . not jaggedly severed, but pulled out from something. The thing is, I KNOW where the cable cord is, and we weren't digging anywhere near it. Though we searched, we couldn't find the other end of the severed cord, so we came in the house, hoping to find that maybe we'd just unearthed a dud wire . . . no such luck. I had no TV, no Internet, no telephones. Nada. No email.


And the guy couldn't come to do the repair for another 24 hours. So I quietly missed the LOST finale (haven't really followed it, anyway), but I was determined not to miss the 24 finale tonight. But a man just came out to set up a temporary repair line, which is the ONLY reason I'm able to type this post now. Sigh. Oh, the things we take for granted.


And now, here's the scoop on Marlo's lovely new book!




SHADES OF MORNING

By Marlo Schalesky

Published by Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishers

Shades of Morning is Marlo’s third “Love Story with a Twist” (think a Nicolas Sparks type love story with an M. Night Shyamalan type twist!).


A BIT ABOUT THE BOOK:

Marnie Wittier has life just where she wants it. Quiet. Peaceful. No drama. A long way away from her past. In the privacy of her home, she fills a box with slips of paper, scribbled with her regrets, sins, and sorrows. But that’s nobody else’s business. Her bookstore/coffee shop patrons, her employees, her friends from church - they all think she’s the very model of compassion and kindness. Then Marnie’s past creeps into her present when her estranged sister dies and makes Marnie guardian of her fifteen-year-old son—a boy Marnie never knew existed. And when Emmit arrives, she discovers he has Down syndrome - and that she’s woefully unprepared to care for him. What’s worse, she has to deal with Taylor Cole, her sister’s attorney, a man Marnie once loved—and abandoned. As Emmit—and Taylor—work their way into her heart, Marnie begins to heal. But when pieces of her dismal past surface again, she must at last face the scripts of paper in her box, all the regrets and sorrows. Can she do it? Or will she run again?


FROM ROMANTIC TIMES:

Top Pick! 4 ½ Stars! “Schalesky has a knack for weaving a surprising spiritual twist into her tales. The touching plot will make readers examine how they deal with past regrets, and how God moves them through it. A not-to-be-missed, stunning novel!”


A BIT ABOUT MARLO:

Marlo Schalesky is the award winning author of numerous books, including her latest novel Shades of Morning, which combines a love story with a surprise ending twist. Marlo’s other books include the Christy Award winningBeyond the Night, and its sequel If Tomorrow Never Comes. Marlo is also the author of nearly 700 articles, the mother of 5 young children, and holds her Masters in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. When she’s not changing diapers, doing laundry, or writing books, Marlo loves sipping Starbucks white mochas, reading the New Testament in Greek, and talking about finding the deep places of God in everyday life.


FIND OUT MORE:

www.marloschalesky.com/fiction

www.facebook.com/MarloSchalesky

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The Laundry Room is Very Green

See yesterday's post for the "before" pic.

If our house were still on the market, I would not have chosen this color--it is quite vivid. :-) But I need vivid in the laundry room, and I think this color will keep me awake while I'm sorting lights from darks. :-)

The hardest part about this job was removing the wallpaper. The regular wallpaper came down quite easily, but there were a few spots where I'd applied spray adhesive to keep the paper stuck to the wall. The spray adhesive did not want to surrender, so that took a bit of doing. Then the paint needed two coats (it wasn't Benjamin Moore!), and then I needed to caulk around the little molding strip at the top--realized that my walls aren't perfectly flat. (I think the dry wall guys got a little careless in the laundry room). Anyway, my caulking job was less than perfect, so I had to haul the ladder out yet again to apply one final coat around the molding.

But--ta da! Perfect or not, I will live with it until I don't like it anymore, then I'll simply paint again. I think those walls would also look nice in a nice shade of gold . . .

~~Angie

Saturday, May 22, 2010

If it's Saturday, I must be painting.


Yes, I'm still painting. Today I want to tackle the laundry room, because the top half of the wallpaper is a little bumpy and the seams are visible in some places (of course because I installed it.) So I'm ripping down the top half and I'm going to paint it in some bright, happy color--because that's what you need in a laundry room. :-) (And fortunately, I have a garage filled with paints in all kinds of colors.)

Here's a "before" pic. I'll post an "after" , well, after. :-)

~~Angie

Friday, May 21, 2010

Incredible South Korean Crowd . . . control?

Okay, so "crowd control" isn't the right word, but when you watch this video, you'll understand what I mean. These are soccer fans in a stadium, and look at how tightly this is coordinated into a human LCD screen. Can you imagine getting a stadium filled with Americans to do this? We're lucky if we can get 90 percent participation in "the wave." There's always some guy who doesn't want to stand up and be part of the movement . . .

This is amazing. I can't imagine choreographing it . . .

~~Angie



Thursday, May 20, 2010

Which do you prefer--cats or dogs?

Personally, I like cats a lot--and have owned them (as much as one can "own" a cat--but I LOVE dogs (because they love me back). I'm allergic to both, but my nose rebels more violently against cats.

I found the following statistics fascinating, so enjoy!

~~Angie

Cats vs Dogs
[Source: Online Schools for Neatorama.com]

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

In the Key of Comedy

This is delightful!

~~Angie

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Feeling frugal?


Hi, everybody!

I'm here at the Blue Ridge Writer's Conference, with my roommate, Nancy Rue. Nancy is working on her classes for today, and I'm obviously putting together something for my blog.

Last night was wild and crazy--the faculty talent show and improv team. I was on the improv team, but trust me, the other folks were much funnier. :-)

Have a little something today for those of you who are TRULY frugal. I'm frugal enough to print on both sides of the paper, but I'm not frugal enough to save empty toilet paper rolls. But if you are, here's a website where you can find amazing things to do with them. Fun for you and the kiddies. :-)

Enjoy!

~~Angie

Monday, May 17, 2010

The REAL Mother's Day Picture


Waking up this morning, Lord willing, at the beautiful Ridgecrest Conference center and the Blue Ridge Christian Writer's Conference, where I'm teaching several classes on fiction and TIME MANAGEMENT! LOL! Will try to blog from the conference, but making no promises. :-)

When I saw this photo (not the one on this page--the one at the linked site), I knew I was looking at a mother bird and her adolescent offspring. You can take a peek at it here.

LOL! Have a great day!


~~Angie

Sunday, May 16, 2010

The Bronte Sisters Rock



LOL! I write books about tough, independent women . . .

A tip of the hat to Robin Lee Hatcher, whose blog introduced me to this delightful video. Thanks, Robin!

~~Angie

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Seagull with Chutzpah



What is wrong with that cat? He must not have any worries about where his next meal is coming from!

~~Angie

Friday, May 14, 2010

Re-introducing Shannon Labrie


I'm so excited for my friend, novelist Stephanie Grace Whitson. Her daughter, Shannon Labrie, has written and recorded a song which was featured this week on the TV show, One Tree Hill. You may remember me featuring a video of Shannon on this blog here. Now you can buy her latest song, "Calls Me Home" on iTunes.

Download a copy and enjoy . . . and help launch this major new talent. Congratulations, Shannon (and Stephanie)!

~~Angie

Thursday, May 13, 2010

I Did it!








Before: blah green ceiling, nothing special. After: Haint Blue ceiling!

Yesterday (Tuesday) I handed in my book, so this morning (Wednesday) I got up with every intention of painting my porch ceiling in haint blue (which in this case is Ben Moore "Thunderbird.")

So I got up, did my daily theology reading, cleaned the house, did my treadmill, and got the paint ready. Quickly discovered that painting overhead, behind the back, etc., is exhausting! Had to sit down several times to rest, and my porch isn't that big! Plus, I was painting in the hottest part of the day, even though there was a nice breeze and this is only May.

But here it is--and I love it! Interesting--the entire time I was thinking about painting, I kept thinking that the blue wouldn't match anything but the sky, as my house is green, not blue. But look at the pillows in the rocking chairs--guess my subconscious knew I'd have a perfect match. (Click on the photo for a close-up). I love that kind of serendipity.

Also discovered that painting overhead results in lots of drips--I used a drop cloth, but I think I should have worn a rain coat. My face (got a couple of drops straight in the EYE), my shirt, my arms . . . all dotted with blue. I look like I'm made of dotted swiss. (Isn't that what we used to call that material with the raised dots on it? Can't find it in the dictionary.) And I'm afraid to look at my hair.

Anyway . . . I love my made-over porch. Now, to find some time to sit out there and relax . . .

And happy 30th anniversary to my darling hubby! Maybe to celebrate, we'll sit on the porch. :-)

~~Angie

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Deb Raney's new release!

1



While I'm hunkering down this week to get my WIP out the door, I'm happy to tell you about my friend Deb (Deborah) Raney's new release!

Almost Forever
by Deborah Raney
A Hanover Falls Novel
from Howard/Simon & Schuster

Unearthing a lost memory may cause her to lose everything she holds dear. but could it also set her free?

Volunteer Bryn Hennesey was there at the Grove Street Homeless Shelter the night five heroic firefighters died at the scene. Among them was her husband, Adam.

Now a terrifying absence of memory has her wondering if she might, in some way, be responsible. Garrett Edmonds' wife, Molly, was the only female firefighter to perish in the blaze. He was supposed to protect the woman he loved.now she's the one who's died a hero. How can he go on in the face of such unbearable loss? And what started the fire that destroyed the dreams and futures of so many? Investigators are stumped. But someone knows the answer...

Deborah Raney books always captivate me! Almost Forever is a beautifully written and enthralling read. It made my heart sing, dance, cry, and turn more than a few flips!
~CindyWoodsmall, New York Times best-selling author


As a fan of the very talented Deborah Raney, I expected a great read and I got it in the richly emotional Almost Forever, a story of faith, forgiveness and redemption. It began with a gripping scene and proceeded to hold me enthralled to the end. Don't miss this one!
~Karen Young, author of Missing Max and Blood Bayou

DEBORAH RANEY is at work on her 20th novel. Her books have won the RITA Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. Her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Almost Forever, first in her new Hanover Falls Novels series, will release in May from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. They are new empty nesters with four grown children and two precious grandsons, all of whom live much too far away.

Visit Deb on the web at www.deborahraney.com
Order her books here: http://snipurl.com/raneybooks

Enjoy!

~~Angie

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

More redecorating

Old bathroom (red/gold)
New bathroom (seafoam)

Old dining room (purple)
New dining room (seafoam)

Old office (dark green)
New office (lighter green).


I love looking at before and after shots in magazines--whether it's of women who've had a makeover, or houses that have had a face lift.

For about the last five months, I've been redoing some rooms in my house--simply because we've been in our house almost eight years and I'm tired of the old colors. Time for something new!

So enjoy the before and after shots!

~~Angie

Monday, May 10, 2010

I'm still redecorating






In an effort to make over my house, I have decided (as I've mentioned) to banish the Tuscan colors--except for the gold. I love my gold kitchen, and I don't mind it as an accent color. But I have cranberry everywhere (mostly on the upstairs carpets, and elsewhere as accent color), and I've decided to do away with all the cranberry paint on the walls.

So in my living room, I painted all the cranberry in a lovely soft green shade. And I thought I'd cover up the fireplace surround with a nice darker green, but my ceilings are 23 feet tall. I had a hard time painting the light green on the little fireplace niche--I had to climb to the top of my 20 foot extension ladder, and then I was hanging on so tightly that I could barely use my paintbrush and handle the container of paint!

But I started by painting the bottom of the fireplace surround because I was eager to see what the color would look like. I painted as high as I could go in my stocking feet, then stood on a chair to paint a wee bit higher. Then, after living with it half-painted for a couple of days, I brought out the five foot ladder and painted a wee bit more. At that point I decided that I was too chicken to paint all the way up myself, even if I rented a scaffold, and it seemed silly to hire someone just to paint a single fireplace surround.

So I stopped painting, drew a tape line, and wrapped up the job. I call this design, "I'm too chicken to paint all the way and too cheap to hire someone else." :-)

Enjoy! Photos are before (gold) and after (hodgepodge).

~~Angie

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Haint Blue

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!




Before: gold

After: blue (Benjamin Moore's "Thunderbird.")

Since I'm not moving, I've decided to keep repainting my house. I'm tired of my "Tuscan colors" and am in the mood for more "beachy" colors--greens, purples, blues, aquas. I'm only a mile from the beach, so I figured the new colors are apt.

So on Saturday I decided to paint my master bedroom blue (see before and after pictures). And when I realized I was going to have a lot of extra paint, I decided to paint my front porch ceiling "haint blue." Never heard of it? I hadn't, either, until I read a Southern Living magazine, I think, and learned that "haint blue" is what most southern folks painted their porch ceilings to keep away "haints" (ghosties) and because they believed the sky/water color keeps away bugs and birds.

My front porch currently has a green ceiling that's the same color as the walls, so it does nothing but sit there. How cool it would be to look up and see the color of sky!

There isn't one specific shade that is "Haint blue," apparently these colors can vary from region to region. So in my house, at least, "haint blue" will be the color of my leftover bedroom paint.

To read more about 'haint blue," you can visit these web pages: here and here. So if you live in the south (or even if you don't), why don't you paint your ceiling blue? My painting is going to have to wait a couple of weeks, because my next few Saturdays are busy. But I can't wait to do it!

~~Angie

Saturday, May 08, 2010

A new kind of puppet


My aunt sent me this video--and I had to look closely to understand what was going on. The man in the middle is real; the others are puppets controlled by the man in the middle. LOL! What will people think of next?

Friday, May 07, 2010

It's Coming! Glen Eyrie, that is!

Our Theme for 2010: Get Re-inspired!

Dear friends:

As some of you know, each year some of my writing friends and I host a writer's workshop at Glen Eyrie, a retreat center in Colorado Springs. This is not the typical writer's conference--no editors, no agents, just people who want to write and a team of dedicated instructors. You'll choose the instructor whose approach suits you best, and then you'll spend practically all day with them, writing and learning new tips and tricks. After dinner, we meet together again for some fun and inspirational exercises--it's a workshop that just might change your life!

This year I'll be joined by Nancy Rue, Kathy Mackel, and James Scott Bell. Our classes will be held in a castle--that's right, a real castle--and you can make your reservation and learn all about it here. Tell a friend and make arrangements to come together.

And when you register, be sure to tell the folks at Glen Eyrie that you heard about the conference through Angie's blog. :-) This conference is where we met Clyde, Kay, Mary Kay, and so many other regular blogees. :-) We'd love to see you this year!

~~Angie

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Electron Boy



A boy dying from liver cancer submits a wish to the Make a Wish Foundation--he wants to be a super hero. So some kind and loving people band together to help him fulfill his dream . . . and he does.

A precious video for a precious child. I love it that these adults were willing to pretend for the sake of a child.

Enjoy! A tip of the hat to Michael G. for this video!

~~Angie

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

The Magic of Ordinary Days


This month my book club read THE MAGIC OF ORDINARY DAYS, by Ann Creel. It was a delightful story, and most of us really enjoyed it. And we always enjoy our discussions.

Next month we're reading SUITE FRANCAISE, because it comes highly recommended. :-)

If you like to read and you're not a member of a book club, I recommend that you seek one out or start one of your own. We meet once a month and always have a grand time. I like it especially because it forces me to read for pleasure.

Happy reading!

~~Angie

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Kindle Sale



What do all these books have in common?
  • Afton of Margate Castle
  • The Troubadour's Quest
  • Ingram of the Irish
  • Roanoke
  • Jamestown
  • Hartford
  • Rehoboth
  • Charles Towne
  • My Life as a Middle School Mom
  • Nola's Meat 'n Three
  • The Justice
  • The Proposal
  • The Shadow Women
  • The Yellow Sock
  • Then Comes Marriage
They're all selling for $2.99 at Amazon.com's Kindle store!

Best of all, if you download Amazon's "Kindle for Laptops" program (free!) or the Kindle iPhone app (from the iTunes store), you can read these books on the instrument of your choice.

~~Angie

Monday, May 03, 2010

Romance Trailer



I don't write romance novels, but I have made my own video trailers, and my hat's off to Tessa Dare for her creative use of props in this clever book trailer. Tee hee. Too bad I don't have kids (or their toys) around the house any more. Wonder if I could make a trailer with dog toys?

~~Angie

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Coming in May: Misconception


Look! I'm holding a BABY! (Isn't he precious?)

Over Christmas and in the early months of this year, I set my novel in progress aside to work on this collaboration. As you might expect, it's a fascinating story, and the work caused me to dig deeply into in vitro fertilization--when is it right, when is it wrong, and what guidelines can a couple use to be sure they are honoring the God-given gift of life? Here's the official blurb from Amazon.com:

Coming in May, 2010: MISCONCEPTION, by Paul and Shannon Morell with Angela Hunt

“Your embryos have been transferred into another woman.”

With those words, the journey began.Paul and Shannon Morell struggled through miscarriages and infertility, then finally experienced the joy of childbirth: twin girls, born in 2006. One of the girls was profoundly deaf, and her needs had to be met before the Morells could transfer the six remaining embryos. As they prepared to move ahead with their plans, their doctor called with devastating news: their six embryos, tiny lives suspended in time, had been thawed. According to the doctor, three embryos had been transferred to another woman . . . and she was pregnant. With more questions than answers, Paul and Shannon could only hope and pray for a miracle. This is their story.

Oddly enough, after first posting about this book several weeks ago, I've been bombarded with comments saying nasty things about this book, me, and the Morells . . . and I can't imagine why. This is the Morell's story, and they have a right to tell it. They hope that telling it will prevent mistakes like this one from happening in the future. The woman who gave birth and lovingly surrendered the child will, I'm sure, write her own book, and the Morells will forever be grateful to her. This book is a testimony to her courage and sacrifice, as well as being a warning about the risks inherent in technological advances. It is a positive, enlightening, uplifting book . . . and people should read it before commenting about it. To do otherwise is to be prejudiced and judgmental, no?

In any case, I'm happy to present the introduction to the book, which should clear up any misconceptions and prejudices. :-) Enjoy!

You can read the Associated Press article about the book's release here.

Misconception: Introduction


There is probably nothing more private for a couple, more personal,

than making decisions about reproduction. At least that is how Paul

and I always felt. We have always been intensely private about such

matters. Even close family and dear friends were not privy to our

struggles with infertility or our decisions about turning to in vitro

fertilization, using our own eggs and sperm, to build our family.

Before September 2009, if you’d told us that we would reluctantly

be featured on national television and plastered across headlines as

the victims of a rare in vitro fertilization mistake, we would have

been horrified at the thought. Quite frankly, as our very personal

nightmare unfolded in the public eye, we were more than horrified.

We were shell-shocked, embarrassed, confused, and overwhelmed.

So why would two very private people expose their personal

health information to the public and write a book about how their

baby ended up inside another woman’s womb?


Because through our ordeal we have discovered so many misconceptions.


We have had to face misconceptions of our own about in vitro.

Though we believed we were well-informed before we proceeded,

we have learned much more about the ins and outs, processes and

complexities of in vitro that we never imagined.


We’ve become aware of misconceptions of other couples who,

in considering in vitro for themselves, are turning to our story with

questions and fears.


We have encountered misconceptions on the part of family and

friends—our own and those of other infertile couples—who care

and want to offer support and empathy, but find themselves confused

and reluctant to pry.


And finally, we find ourselves face-to-face with misconceptions

of the public, wanting to understand what happened—how and

why—and maybe most important, how such errors can be avoided

in the future. The scrutiny of the public is also driven by the highly

controversial questions of when life begins, when infertility treatments

and procedures cross the line of moral ethics, and when assisting

in conception becomes tampering with God’s divine will.


We are not theologians or medical ethicists. We are not setting ourselves

up as authorities on these issues. We are simply one couple

who wanted to build a family of our own, and whose story has become

a touchstone for all who are debating such topics. Our hope is

that in exposing our misconceptions, our questions, our discoveries,

and our experiences, our story will shed light on these critically important

issues.


We have witnessed how a single careless error can have life-

changing consequences. We have learned some important lessons

and gained valuable insights. And perhaps the most life-changing

benefit of all, we have realized that God was working behind the

scenes and continues to do so, bringing his plans to pass and answering

our prayers . . . even when we find it hard to accept what is

happening.


So, though we are not at all comfortable in the spotlight, since

we find ourselves here, we do not want our pain or experience to

be wasted or our joys and gratitude to go uncelebrated. It is our

hope and prayer that in telling our story many misconceptions can

be cleared away, leaving nothing but the truth.


--Paul and Shannon Morell


~~Angie


Saturday, May 01, 2010

When will I ever learn?



Well, Monday morning, fresh from the hospital, my hubby and I decided to pull out of the real estate game. The bank didn't accept our offer on the short sale house we were interested in, and I didn't see anything else on the market that was in our price range and met our needs. (In fact, I like my current house better than most houses I saw).

So we thanked our wonderful realtor for all of her help, and then we took a collective sigh . . . and braced ourselves for the work of moving back into the house we had decluttered.

You see, I took those folks on HGTV quite seriously--down came all my artwork, away went all the family photos and knickknacks, away with all the small kitchen appliances that usually sit on the countertops. All of it got boxed up, along with a fair amount of Christmas decorations and stuff I'd pulled together for a yard sale. All of it went into storage.

So Monday, when we decided to Stay Put, we looked at the calendar and realized we could save a month's rent on the storage unit if we cleaned it out this week. So my dear hubby started loading his car and bringing stuff home, bit by bit. As soon as the boxes hit the garage, I began to put things back--searching for nail holes where pictures had hung, wondering where in the world all this STUFF came from in the first place.

But I'm happy to say that the storage unit is now empty. My garage is full, and the garbage man will have to pick up a LOT of boxes tomorrow, but the house is beginning to look like it did six months ago.

But now I've thought of all kinds of projects--painting ideas, and redecorating. I've still got the urge, but it's going to be much easier (and less expensive) to fix up the place I have rather than try to rehabilitate a place I have not.

One story: I have an office wall that is decorated with shelves--I keep little things on it, along with awards, etc. In the past I have won eight "Angel Awards" from Excellence in Media. They don't give the award any more, but I'm a little fond of my angels because of the name--Angel(a).
So earlier this week I put up the four shelves, lined up my little angels, and smiled at them. I'd painted the wall AND the shelves, so everything looked shiny and new. I was just beginning to clean up my mess when the two biggest shelves--the ones loaded with the angels--came crashing down on my head. Literally. I wasn't hurt, but my wood floor will never be the same, and my poor angels! Out of the eight, only three of them now have intact halos. The others--well, they remind me even more of myself, because a halo is quite out of my reach. :-)

That night hubby and I went to bed, and I woke at about three a.m. Didn't know why I woke, but about five minutes later, CRASH! Got up to peek in my office--yep, the other two shelves had crashed. One hundred percent failure rate, can't beat that.

So the next morning I got up and properly anchored every single screw. Don't know why I didn't do it right in the first place. :-/ (Actually, I do know why--because it's hard to find screws LONG enough to hold in the wall and yet SMALL enough to fit in the little slot on the back of the shelf.)

Have a lovely weekend. :-) I'm going to be resting. Or painting.

~~Angie