Month: March 2021

Posted on in Faith, medical treatment

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Bob and I got our first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. It was a relief to get the process started. After a drive through cone at Dairy Queen we decided that since it was a pretty day we would go see if there was progress on the new construction. We hoped the slab had finally been poured.

Were we ever surprised! Yes, the slab had been poured, inspections done and framers were hard at work.

The crane is in front of our garage where the driveway will eventually go. The boards sticking out of the side of the house is the Master Bathroom. Other window is in the guest room..

Boards in this window locate the office for you. We will have two windows looking out on the street. The man with the orange ladder is standing inside our front entrance. Obviously, no door yet.

We went back the next day to take the guys some donuts and the roof trusses were on. Monday, March 1 the shingles were to be delivered. Hoping the weather will hold for them to get it shingled this week without getting drenched. We had 2 inches of rain yesterday! It is supposed to be drying out.

After that most progress will be hard to record in photos. The interior work from drywall to flooring will take the bulk of the next 10 weeks.

Today is the first showing of our home to one family who is here from out-of-town for a family emergency. Then we board the dog on Saturday and Sunday, the 6th – 7th, and let the public make appointments to see it. The housing market here is so tight that most properties go into a bidding war and sell within 48 hours. (We could not find a house to buy. That is why we chose to build.) The only stickler for our property is we are rigid about no occupancy by them until May 28.

Unless the Lord builds the house,

    the builders labor in vain.

Psalm 127:1

Thanks for joining us on this wild ride!

Posted on in Family

Jay Died in His Sleep

My mom always said that was what she wanted. She too, died in her sleep. That is another story altogether.

Jay was actually Joseph M. Lerant, my best friend’s older brother. He was a type 1 diabetic. He survived the COVID 19 outbreak in the nursing home. He was 73 when he died on February 17, 2021. You see February 22 was Jay’s funeral service. He was only three years older than me. And he has “gone to his reward.” He was something of a miracle man in that he had juvenile Type 1 diabetes, yet lived to 73 with all of his limbs in tact. There was a pesky wound on his heal that refused to heal. Perhaps it was talk of amputating that foot that led him to loose his grip on life.

One of my first introductions to classical music was when I heard him practicing and learning to play the following on the upright piano in their dining room.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=21EU31SqQEg&feature=share

And then there was this one.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=UXtmcQCgSgc&feature=share

Oh goodness. I am about to cry. He would tease his sister Dana and me mercilessly. He gave us nicknames. The three of us took silly photos together when I got hold of a camera once.

When he advanced to this piece I was mesmerized by the music. His hands flying over the keys as he practiced. Not Grandma Snapp’s piano hymns.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=zucBfXpCA6s&feature=share

One time when I “was invited over” for dinner Jay’s details of the anatomy of a chicken almost made me ‘barf.’ He nicknamed his mother’s favorite tea “constant vomit,” instead of Constant Comment.

He had an amazing brain. He could remember not only conversations, where you were going when it took place, but the date and usually the time. Often he recalled the weather that day and perhaps what you were wearing.

Jay was the first person I knew who went to a counselor regularly. His sharing of that experience was a generous gift. I have now seen my share of counselors.

May he rest in peace in the Presence of our Resurrected Lord and Savior.

St. Ignatius prayed, ““Wherever Your glory be best served, whenever, however; there, then, and in that state let me Your servant be; only hide not from me Your divine love.”

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Beagle, Faith, Nature

Miracle of Melting

Have you ever watched autumn leaves falling? Didn’t it seem rather miraculous that one week they were offering you shade and the next they were colored as if by crayon and tumbling through the breeze? The February snow reminded me of the leaves.

I had been complaining about snow that fell and melted in just a few hours. Once in Wisconsin it had been a delight to watch snow fall at the rate of an inch an hour.  Then we had snow in Ohio, upon older snow upon piling snow until there was an accumulation of about 14 inches that did not melt but stayed!

After two weeks of constant snow cover, birds that do not usually come to the feeder were suddenly eating the seed we put out. There was nothing else available except for a few bugs under tree bark.

Fourteen days in I was more than weary of wading into deep snowbanks. Sinking into deep snow while walking this dog who still refuses to ‘do her business’ in our yard was giving me a workout. Irritability was growing. At least I had long zip up boots instead of having to lace up ankle bracers!

My husband and I had been daydreaming about not having to bundle up against the arctic cold to walk the dog. We even mused about the time we could just grab her leash, hook her on and head out the door!

And then there began a slow but gradual thaw. At first there was only a tiny border around the base of the trees. Then on the hill patches of brown leaf detritus with birds hopping around, turning over leaves looking for lunch.

This miracle of melting snow, the return of rocks, grass, and soil – a marvelous discovery. Today I walked the dog amongst snow banked on the sides of the road. The melting was a constant sound as the water flowed out of the yards, across the seams in the sidewalk and down into the storm sewers. Gurgling water, not created by a man made fountain!

It was as if I was watching a holy transformation. Suddenly we do not require boots, scarf, hat, and gloves. Today it was 50 degrees! Tomorrow’s forecast is 51 degrees. Then almost every trace of snow will have vanished.  One more of the many miracles of our God.

By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast.

Job 37:10 ESV

Out walking on 2/27/21 there were still patches of snow!