Fresh Paint!

My heart just went out of writing in this blog ever since my dad passed away.  It had to be from my heart -- not forced, no fake smiles, no hallow words.  So I waited.  I tried. I waited some more.  I don't know if my heart is fully into writing here on a regular basis again, but tonight I feel somewhat inspired so I'll capture what I can. 

Summer has arrived.  Not a joyous, yippee, shout it from the rooftops summer, but a soft roll into longer days, sleepy mornings, warm walks in the sun.  It has been a good summer to take care of needs -- inside and out.

So I've been having work done on my house.  Some wood siding and window trim showing signs of wood rot have been removed, the house has been pressure washed and fresh butter-colored paint applied from top to bottom, some plumbing and electrical repairs made. 

The side fence which was in such pathetic shape that the nails wouldn't even hold the slats when I tried to repair it, has been replaced with a sturdy redwood fence.  Pretty new cushions now adorn our patio furniture.  And next week I'm having my old family room and hallway carpet (with one too many stains) pulled up and homey wood floors put down.  The house seems grateful for the overdue attention. 

My dad was a carpenter -- a good one!  He had a saying, "Be a job, big or small, do it right or not at all."  I thought of him often as the carpenters were sawing and hammering on the sides of my house.  He would have been happy I was getting things fixed around the place.