Keep The Checkbook Open - August 10, 2022

Three weeks in and it looks like we’re going to be here for a while….

So many things have not happened the way we planned, and that folks, is why we call it an adventure.

What have I learned so far? I’ve learned that most of the furniture you order from Wayfair or Overstock has to be assembled and it takes Superman to do it. You can pay their people to do it, or you can try to do it yourself. We tried the “yourself” route. It took my husband six hours to put together a set of bunk beds! You get a clue of how things are going to go when a coffee table, end table, desk and chair comes in a flat box.

Then there’s the flip side. We (not me!) take hours to put them together to find that they are damaged, do not work properly or are not as described and then, you guessed it, they must be disassembled. Which once again, you can pay someone to do this or spend the rest of your week doing it yourself.

Moving on, the next step is shipping it back. We can’t take these large items to the UPS drop off store as we can barely lift them, so we have to call for a pickup. “How much does that cost,” I asked the agent about a pickup for an area rug today. She responded, “That will be $19.79.” Now you cannot say something like that to a frugal, penny pincher like me and expect I will say yes. Knowing there was another delivery due to arrive today, I got my husband to drag the packaged rug to the front porch and put a sign on it for the UPS driver. Then I watched for him. When he arrived, I practically accosted him while I asked if he would take the package. He enthusiastically responded, “Yes, I’ll take that every time, as long as there’s a label.” I am so proud of myself for saving twenty bucks! That and another hundred will get me a new light fixture to replace the broken on in the bathroom.

Speaking of the bathroom, we were under the impression this was a two-week job, thus the thought that we would only be here a little more than two weeks. Now, being that our son owns a contracting company, this was easy to believe. Enter a flood in one of his houses that needed to be fixed and a delayed permit, and that put our job on hold. Now, why I was so foolish to think a bathroom renovation would only take two weeks is something I am still scratching my head over. Even being the mother of the owner of the company, I still should have known better. As of this writing, the demo is done, the electrician has done his thing and the tiling is underway. The tiling may be done by the end of the week. That does not count the days needed for painting or installing the vanity, tub, and toilet. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of projects. It’s looking like we may be welcoming in the month of September.

“The rains came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. – Matthew 7:25

Before I go on, let me just say that I am writing this while staring at the waves, right outside my window. Truly I am blessed to be in such a breathtaking (but pretty darn hot) place. All of the unexpected projects and stress have taken their toll on my body, and I am grateful to have a view from my couch and bed, as I am spending more time there than I would like. At these times I wonder if I have bitten off more than I can chew. I am doubting whether we made the right choice in buying the house. Spending most of the day yesterday in bed due to pain clouds my perspective. I am re-committing myself today to the tried and true, “One step at a time, one minute at a time.” That really is the only way. I am reminded that Almighty God brought me here, and if he brought me here, He will see me through.

“Where God guides, he provides.” Isaiah 58:11

Stay tuned for more of my beachfront adventure.....