A Few Good Things

1.  I was up till almost 3 AM last night, but the bathroom is done--textured, painted, new flooring installed, dreadful mold on ceiling gone, new tub, new hooks.  Thank you, God, for helping me get a few things done.  Thank you, Mom, for helping me tear off wallpaper over a year ago, and thank you, Mike, for installing the tub.  And thank you, Menard's.  (This is like the Academy Awards speech of home remodeling.  "And I'd just like to thank my manager who convinced me that redoing the bathroom was a good idea...")  At one point in my life, simply entering the doors of a building supply store would have thrown me into a state of narcolepsy.  I would have found a place to nap, possibly in one of the tub displays.  Now, I am that kid who likes candy and goes to a place that has lots of candy.  That guy.  That's me.  

At the end of one of my favorite movies of all time (Comes a Horseman), the final image is of a house being rebuilt after it's been burned down.  I don't know.  I think a lot about how God gave us bodies and time and space to move within.  I think making things, rebuilding specifically, is part of the necessary training we all must go through.  In this sense, Menard's isn't just a building supply store--it's a potentially holy space we make with our own hands for family and friends.  This is homemaking.  I like homemaking a lot.  (Understatement.)

2.  In addition to the farm cats, I caught a gigantic raccoon, a possum who limps, and what I think was a ferret eating the cat food tonight.  I took a picture but all you can see are the raccoon's eyes glowing back at me in the distance.  I didn't get too close because he looked like a real bruiser.  If any of you are missing your wallet, I think I know who has it.

3.  I fell asleep with Nora tonight at 9 and woke up at 10 thinking "this is like gaining an extra day!"  So, I just might make some popcorn and watch a movie.  I'm so used to watching movies on a laptop with headphones now, I can't see or hear anything happening on a real TV anymore.  If it's not animated, I get confused.

4.  Speaking of good movies:  Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Sweet Land, above mentioned Comes a Horseman.  All great.  Ooo.  Jeremiah Johnson.  That one's good too.  Any other recommendations?  It's summertime and I can watch movies now.  I primarily enjoy movies with at least one horse, a waitress who makes do, or someone who can make something out of nothing, especially if there's a drought or too much snow.