Okay — so now the weather is getting ridiculous. With highs in the 90’s, we have broken the previous dew point record from the 1940’s. It’s a sauna out there. We are hotter than Florida according to my sister who lives there. She’s invited us over to “cool off.” (For a quick definition of the dew point, click here.)
Since we’ve moved to Minnesota, we have had the 5th worst winter and now we’re breaking summer records. I won’t judge Minnesota on one summer — I’ll give it three years. Then — well, if the summers are this bad I may have to go back to Seattle. The winters I don’t mind — even if we do get below zero.
We have had so much rain that my potted outdoor plants have drowned.
Looking into a clear pond, I see my face — wavy, as ripples of water flow through my reflection. Ahhh — that’s what I look like. The reflection here is similar to a mirror but not quite. I ponder how the waves of life have affected me. Some waves have swept me off my feet and landed me in places that I have not wanted to go. Small or large, the waves of life have had an impact.
As these waves impact me, I have impacted others with the waves I have caused in their lives — for good or bad.
The good and the bad make its rounds in our lives via people who enter and leave. Reflections of our hearts.
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19
The weatherman last evening made an interesting statement: “The dew point is 2 degrees more than in the Amazon jungle.” In other words — it’s more humid here than it is in the jungle right now.
Who needs moisturizer? Walk outside and your body absorbs the humidity in the air. When we woke up this morning, our windows were all “weepy.”
I’m missing Seattle weather right now.
Lake Elmo had 6 inches of rain Friday night. There was quite a commotion outside with thunder that shook the house and rain that pummeled it.
Interestingly, on the way back from the store this afternoon, people were speed walking and riding their bicycles. I guess they didn’t see the warning at weather.com that said “Dangerous heat index. Outdoor exposure should be limited.” And they are expecting this to continue for the next 4-5 days.
My outdoor plants have received so much rain that they are just about dead now. If the rain doesn’t kill them, the heat will. And nary a bee has graced our yard to pollinate the tomato plant. Sigh …
Yesterday there were quite a few cars driving around our neighborhood and we walked outside to find out what all the commotion was about. A garden tour was in progress and one of our neighbors was part of the tour. She has a very nice landscaped garden — similar to the one I’d like to have on our one acre.
But — that will have to wait for next year. Heat indexes will keep me inside for a few days taking my focus from the outside back to the inside.
The lyrics to the song called Beautiful by MercyMe reminds me that in spite of all of my faults I am beautiful in the eyes of my Father.
The days will come when you don’t have the strength
When all you hear is you’re not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart they’d see too much
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful, You are made so much more than all of this
You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You’re beautiful
I’m praying that you have the heart to find
Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you’ve held inside so long
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross
You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You’re beautiful
Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You’re the one He madly loves
Enough to die
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Genesis 22:2
Whoa God! It seems like you always want from us what’s hardest to give. And yet, nothing on this earth is ours. Even our children are a loan from you. Our possessions? Not ours. Our money that we work hard for? Not ours either.
Stewards of everything on this earth that has been given to us — that’s what we are.
In a way, it’s a good thing. We take care of what we have and leave the rest to God.
And Isaac? God provided His own sacrifice — both in the ram that took the place of Isaac and in the person of His Son, Jesus.
He just doesn’t expect us to do anything less than what He would do for us.
This is a weird commercial. I don’t understand why they have to have a commercial for the Minnesota Zoo where people are waddling — yes, I know it relates to the penguins. Â But still … it’s just weird.
Our house guest continues to enthrall us with homemade non-traditional meals. The three below were all very delicious. The first is an Indian meal with homemade paneer (cheese), rice, malai kofta, aloo matar (potatoes, peas, tomato sauce).
Our next meal was macaroni and cheese (mascarpone, gorgonzola and parmesan), three bean salad with feta and lemon cornbread. All turned out really delicious.
Mascarpone, Gorgonzola & Parmesan macaroni, Lemon Cornbread and Three Bean Salad with Feta
Click here for the recipe for the three bean salad. And here for the mascarpone macaroni.
The last meal presented in this post is the Mexican meal which also included homemade refried beans.
Cheese Pupusas, Mexican Rice, Chicken in Enjococado
Click here for the recipe for the pupas de queso (cheese pupusas). And here for the recipe for enjococado.
I decided to fill the picture holes in the walls with the paint that the previous owner of the house left behind. The paint container for the kitchen walls looked very old and rusty all around the lid. I expected the paint not to be useful but when I stirred it up, the paint came back to life. The touch-ups came out really well.
Next — the olive color in the living and dining rooms. This paint can also looked old and the label showed it was from 2004. Still — the touch-ups came out great.
The last touch-up was in the family room. The paint can looked fine although when I mixed the paint it didn’t “feel” right. I had expected the result to be the same as the previous two cans of paint. I was wrong.
I touched-up the walls but it was blotchy and showed an entirely different tint of color. My only option was to paint the whole wall. Normally that’s not a problem but the family room has 2 walls and a hallway that’s also painted with the same color.
Blotchy Touch-up Paint
The ceiling in the family room must be about 12 feet high so the long ladder had to be used. I enjoy painting but the height of the ceiling seemed daunting. I have visual and balance problems. In spite of that, I decided to challenge myself.
Everything was going well until the 2nd day. I made it almost all the way up the ladder – one step left — and then I froze. I couldn’t go up and I couldn’t go down. I must’ve stood there for about 10 minutes trying to figure out what to do. Eventually, I went up, continued my ceiling “edging” and went back down.
I’m using a Benjamin Moore paint — pricey but it rolls on nice and smooth.
The ceiling wasn’t as hard as I expected. I didn’t tape the ceiling but rather used a small brush and painted downwards with the tip of the paint brush. Then I painted side to side with the edge of the same brush. This requires more time but the effect is usually better. Patience is key.
My hardest challenge was taping the corner as I couldn’t lean the tall ladder on the “orange” wall since the window was in the way. So, I had to tape while I was standing sideways on the ladder.
I’m almost all finished with this one wall except for the two cubby holes. Since the new paint is much lighter than the one on the wall, I had to use 2 coats of paint.
Next — the hallway that also has the same blotchy touch-up this wall had.
Finally! I hung three pictures in our new house. It’s amazing because I have never hung a picture before. Well — I’ve put a nail in the wall and plopped a picture on it. But, that doesn’t count.
Hand painted pictures from MexicoCaribbean Picture
This time, I bought picture hooks.
Picture Hanger hooks
Then I measured the wall to the center, from the top down and I measured the length of the string in the back of one picture so I could account for those inches also.
Hard to believe I’m middle aged and I just hung my first real picture. I wonder what’s next. Ahhh … the simple things in life.
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