creativeartworksblog

We’ve had several ‘wins’ lately, and I AM ‘smiling on the inside.’

The most important is that we are finishing up on the generator project. We had put a new car battery in it and a new starter solenoid. We changed the oil and the oil filter. The generator tech/electrician did his magic, getting all the red lights to go off and pronounce it ‘good to go’ again. Yesterday my husband removed what he called a ‘tach (and something else) combo and has a new one ordered. We looked on the general log we keep to find out when we bought the generator and found it was 2008, so it’s old. In fact, the tech said he had never seen on as old as ours. Of course, WE are also older than dirt, so it fits right in. We’re HOPING that the generator will last as long as we do. The generator did its weekly automatic test yesterday – the first time this has happened in about a month. HOOORAAAAAAY!!!!!

Second, for the first time in a couple of years, it’s a pleasure to go down and up our driveway. We had to plan to be able to afford someone to do the project because the driveway is 650 feet + and STEEP. It really needed some reshaping and scraping, as well as a couple of huge truckloads of a special gravel that the city uses when it does roads, plus the work of spreading it. THEN nature was trying to go back to what it was 37 years ago when we first cleared it for our house, our shop, and the driveway. We had done what we could each year, but it just wasn’t enough. We hired a guy who calls himself “The Tree Man” to cut away the branches and brush and even trees that were trying to close off our access to the road. Happily, he said he would make himself available if during the winter we had any problems with trees coming down into the driveway.

Third, my husband mowed the grass last night, so we look as civilized as we ever do around here. Plus, he waited until 6:30 to do it, not risking heat stroke. The weed whacking and weed killing I’ve done in the past is holding up so far. My husband had an easy time of using the riding mower.

Fourth, I’m still alive and mostly sane after riding in the Vette with my husband to our teeth cleaning Wednesday. The hygienist is now used to my blood pressure being sky-high when I first get there, and down to the only-mildly-elevated-about-going-to-the-dentist reading by the time she finishes with me. We don’t have to go back until January 27th of 2025. Ahhhhh!

Fifth, our foyer corner is empty and clean for the first time in about a year, since it holds waiting-for-donations stuff. I’m letting it bask in all its glory for a few days before starting to gather more donations.

Finally, I hit the 33-pounds-down mark this morning, so I’m re-motivated in my efforts. I’m exercising, eating right, and making slow, steady progress, PLUS I’m having a blast experimenting with the concept of wood burning. I have two more pieces in the works and the ideas are keeping me up at night. I have a pad of paper and pen beside my side of the bed so I can write down some of the ideas that are swirling around. :0)

We still have many challenges to work through, but the progress we’re making is encouraging.