Preparing and gathering

We do hard work and house work steadily when we can. But people coming over produce more straightening and cleaning and mowing blitzes. Last month Stephanie volunteered for us to host the church's Guatemala mission task force on a Saturday morning in house - even though we've never had that many adults over. Last weekend Stephanie weeded and pruned and planted in the yard. During the week I processed clutter, dusted most of the first floor, vacummed most of the house, and then - from 8-10 p.m. Thursday - mowed both yards and edged the sidewalk in the dark. In the interim we tried to get some replacement vacuum cleaner parts and Stephanie tried hard to get us to buy a new dining room table and chairs and new patio furniture. Pictured above and below is Stephanie taking a water break while she weeded the back yard and swept the patio. Frisco hung out with Stephanie in the back yard (below) and the front yard.

Stephanie labeled that tree behind her (below) a weed when we first moved to our St. Matthews house four years ago - and within months tried to wack it down - but now it's huge and supplies shade to the patio area and some of the house (though it's also grown too close to the roof in places, she's pointed out).

Stephanie also turned her attention to the front yard, weed wacking and sweeping the driveway of those acorns several times (more still came down). Later this fall it will be the berries that we step on and trample into the house (since we often don't take our shoes off until we've gotten into the living room - no entry way).

My predecessor gave her a fig twig some 14 years ago - which reminded them of his home in the Middle East (my family and I also had one at our main Gainesville house) - and "Figgy" has gone with us - in increasingly larger pots - upstairs to my attic apartment at Grandma and Grandpa's in Westerville and then to Florida, Minnesota, Florida again, and finally Kentuckiana. Sometime rough treatment or bad weather (it goes outside in the winter and year-round in Florida) has almost killed - but it always rebounds - Phoenix-like. As part of the run-up to the Guatemala gathering, Stephanie finally repotted "Figgy" - working in our front porch.

Notice Stephanie "Coffee Table" T-shirt from one of our favorite Columbus (OH) hang-outs from back in the 1990s - around the time of Figgy's birth.

And then - with water and some new soil - Figgy was transformed.

Stephanie was back in the back yard watering the mums in pots on the back porch.

Frisco watched.

Ten days later - after lots more cleaning and also some cooking by Stephanie - Frisco was also on hand when we welcomed some half a dozen people to our house for the Guatemala gathering. No one really asked for a house tour - we didn't even get to show off our Florida room - which looks must better than it did several years ago. (Plus we had a stopped up first floor bathroom sink, which was embarrassing - and the cable guy came to fix Vincent's phone while we met.) But Carlos, Nora, and Lara had been over for dinner a couple of years ago and since then Stephanie stripped and painted - and transformed the living room/dining room - plus hung pictures - and they admired/marveled this (including the picture in Guatemala and other Guatemala touches). Pastor Jane and Ellen (below) sat in front of the turtle contraption and the fireplace/mantle.

(Below) Martha and Stephanie also sat in front of the TV stand (with its plant on top and lots of natural light).

Nora, Ana, and Carlos (with the cell phone on which we talked to Pastor Gerardo in El Estor during the gathering) sat on our two-year-old yellow sofa, with the front window, bookshelf, and coffee table (with its coffee table cover from Guatemala - and all Louisville purchases by Stephanie - except for the window).

A lot of work - but our house and yard (not sure anyone noticed the yard at all) did - and do - look pretty darn great. Good job, Stephanie!

-- Perry