Have not had the chance for much creativity lately but my soul needs some healthy diversion so I went in search of some autumn photos ...

For my days are consumed like smoke,

and my bones are burned like a hearth.

My heart is stricken and withered like grass,

So that I forget to eat my bread.

Because of the sound of my groaning

My bones cling to my skin.

I am like an owl of the desert.

I lie awake,

And I am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

For I have eaten ashes like bread,

And mingled my drink with weeping.

My days are like a shadow that lengthens,

And I wither away like grass.

Psalm 102

What should have been a joyous and satisfying time for us as we finally got to return to our rebuilt house has turned into a time of grief and confusion. We have lost another son. The pain is great. He left without warning. He cut himself off from everyone we know. We have no answers. There is no comfort. I know I will never recover.

 Little change of pace...my birthday was August 17th and I like to stretch out the celebrations. I still have one more to go with my daughter on Sunday The pink bike has gotten a lot of use this summer and together with the blue bike went on a mini adventure and ended up at one of my favorite restaurants for lunch. Here are a few photos.

Lambertville Station ... a converted rail station ... yummy food 

It's along the Delaware canal on the New Jersey Side ...

We sat outside and although it was a warm day it was very pleasant ...

Dessert ... caramel cheese cake ... nicely presented ...

The Lambertville - New Hope Bridge ... next to the restaurant ...

This shop has interesting things for sale including everything for jewelry making ...

Another row of shops ... sometimes we get coffee here ...

We rode about 8 miles then had lunch..it was a nice day.

Hope you all have a good long weekend!

Tuesday and Wednesday I had off from work. It's because this is the week the students return and it is/will be crazy the rest of the week. Had a lovely bike ride down the Delaware Canal path to New Hope. Ran around a bunch trying to find things for the house. The kitchen cabinets arrived yesterday and the kitchen guy has begun to install them. We have the nicest friends and neighbors. One of them helped tear out the steps and others have been diligently working on the wood. We should get some use out of the fireplace this year I am exhausted ... worked 9:30 until past 7 and only had a half hour break. Tomorrow may be even busier.

A few more photos FYI

Where the steps will be replaced...

The family room has been lightened up a bunch ... see the new fan?

The kitchen so far ...

Brian's room...

Our bathroom ...

It has been a very long time since I have had a chance to update. There is so much to write I need to do it in bullet form to keep things simple.

@ The job is not working out. Long story but God did put me there for a reason...just not the one I thought.

@ Had a good birthday Tuesday. We finally made it to the beach! My youngest also took me out to lunch...just the two of us

@ The house is coming along rapidly now ... I will list what has already been done and what still needs to get done ...

DONE...

New roof including lots of new beams.

Bedroom was rebuilt, windows put in, walls and ceiling put in, wood floor put in, painted, new electrics.

Outside of house.. siding was replaced, new gutters, paint all around, chiminy fixed, electric hooked up from main pole, porch replaced, new flood lights and beside the door lights, five new basement windows (really nice!)

New walls in kitchen and family room, painted, new lights in ceiling and new ceiling fan, new wood floor, window fixed, new door to garage, new trim, beam replaced between kitchen and family room, new electrics and up to code.

Garage was wall boarded in and painted (code). Loads of old junk was removed from garage, basement and attic.

Hallway has new hatch to attic and was painted.

New electric panel for entire house all up to code..not complete yet but nearly.

Master bath had wall repaired and new tile on floor and wall.

Heater and airconditioner were checked.

Three more trees were removed and mostly cleaned up. Loads of wood was chopped and split.

WHAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE:

Fix outside step.

Landscaping (that will most likely come later)

Insulation needs to be blown into the attic.

Kitchen cabinets will arrive later this week and need to be installed, counter will arrive 7 days after that, need to get some sort of chandelier for there... not sure if we will have money left to replace appliances ...

Some repairs need to be done to two other bedroom ceilings and then paint ... master bedroom needs to be painted ...

Electrics need to be completed ...

Basement now has serious mold problem and needs to be cleaned, walls and floor repainted ...

Master bath needs the sink and toilet reinstalled and needs to be painted ...

Hose pipe needs to be moved from inside garage to outside...

After all that we still have a load of boxes and things that will need to be moved back in and find proper places, get rid of a load of things we don't really need to keep around, landscaping and replanting grass and shrubs, and we would like to get the driveway (which is totally trashed) repaved and new front steps and a deck added on (this will be at our own expense for sure...so is part of the new kitchen). We reckon we can move back in about four weeks.

Two photos... we did not realize how faded the outside had become until we painted it! And the family roon part way done and lightened up much. I plan to do a photo log with before, during and after pics later.

It is no wonder that no one understands me. Very few things in my life work according to "normal" "orderly" "expected" ways!!! I have been looking for work for months with no success and I suddenly find myself with a job where I was not looking. It is absolutley a "God Thing" as I have come to recognize by now!

I found the details of the cars so interesting....I like detail

It has been a good week...hot but a lot of work is getting done at the house. More photos from the auto show.

  Our small town had a car show today and we walked over to have a look after church. It was very hot but the cars were really cool! My father-in law and his brothers owned a dealership so my husband grew up around cars and loves cars of all kinds. I took the camera ...

Bindi was very interested ...

This is one I wouldn't mind owning and it was raffled off!

Really nice mail truck...

And a milk delivery truck...remember those? I do.....

Tomorrow...more old cars ....

 Today marks four months since the tree fell on our house in a storm. We finally have the building permits and just yesterday the contractors began rebuilding in earnest. Of course today it was pouring rain! It was needed after several really hot dry weeks but what timing!!! Anyway, the sun is out again now. I am trying to keep a photographical record of the process so here is what I have this week...

This view is from the drive...

The carpenters have rebuilt the roof over the porch and have begun rebuilding the bedroom... they have fixed the lower roof rafters and are taking off the old shingles from the roof...

It was in the 90's when these guys were working...

Inside they had to replace the beam between the kitchen and family room ... all the cabinets were removed and all the wallboard ...

They took off some pine paneling that was around the fireplace ...

The window needed to be replaced and properly framed... they had to temporarily brace the ceiling to do it and some rafters above were replaced ...

The window and some of the new rafters...

Since the kitchen cabinets were removed, they decided to tile over to the wall...we had just put this floor in last autumn so we could still find matching tile ...

Had another fun day with my daughter in town while my husband taught a class. We rode the elevated train from her house and went in search of murals. There are hundreds. We also found some interesting buildings along the way. We went to Chinatown in search of bubble tea. Then we collected her dad and went back to her house to watch the World Cup, UK vs. USA game. Sorry if we have divided loyalties but we were sad that England played so poorly and the game was a draw.

A hotel... along 13th street
  

Performing arts mural...we decided that some of these were like huge billboards...created elsewhere and pasted on....

I liked this building on Locust Street ... I think it is the home of the historical society

This building housed many different organizations including Poor Richards Club but or a long time it has been a woman's advancement group ... 

The mural on the side of it is all females ...

The Kimmel Center of the Performing Arts ... Broad Street

The Academy of Music ... also Broad Street

A side street...

Pine Street ... the cute girl in the yellow dress is my daughter ...

Typical Philly Street ...

Beautiful city garden ...

A more simple mural ...

Cool lantern ...

 
Liked the architecture and the name... The Last Drop Cafe

Back up 11th Street ...

The gate to Chinatown ...

Dragon mural ...

Chinese workers mural ...

Some of the tallest buildings from 10th Street ...