A little leak can cause major problems

Went to Columbia this weekend to put lights up in the old homestead; unfortunately, we arrived to find a much more pressing problem that will have to be addressed.  Apparently, in the two weeks that we were gone, a small leak in the refrigerator water tube created major water damage in the house.  The kitchen floor feels like a sponge when you walk across it, and the beautiful hardwood floors in the dining room and foyer are now buckled and black with water damage.  I fear that it also carried through to the living room and hallway.  We called the insurance company at 10:30 at night to report a claim and discovered that the agent would not come out to look at the problem until Monday or 3-5 business days.  We are quit concerned that more damage will occur as we wait out the insurance agent, however, there isn't much else we can do, so we are waiting to see what will come of it.  It is difficult to find the positive in all of this, however I know there is some.  We will now get new floors and paint the kitchen.  I'm sure all of this will help to sell the house in the long run.  It just seems like whenever we take a step forward, we manage to have to take several steps backwards.  But, being God's children, we know that there are no such things as accidents in the big picture of life.  Nothing is a surprise to God, and somehow all of this has purpose and meaning, even if I can't see it or find it in the present.  So, we wait and see.  In the meantime, we came home, went to church, Goodwill, found a Nissan dealership close to home so we can now take the car to be fixed, and managed to clean up all the flower pots and bird feeder and put them away.  They had been sitting on my driveway since the summer trip we took to Columbia.  It's nice to have the driveway back again.  We also put up the birdfeeder and found a birdfeeder sock for the finches so hopefully they will eat that instead of my zinnias!  We cleaned off the deck and transplanted the lemon balm and portulaca.All in all it was an extremely productive weekend.

Not a good picture, but here is the finch, he likes to eat my zinnias!

one down, one to go, and this and that

The house at Darian Drive finally sold.  It was a complicated process at the last minute, as all real estate deals I have had experience with tend to be, but it is gone, a nice missionary lady lives there, and we are happy to move on from the project.  Now, if we could just get the Springs Ct. house ready to sell, our final link to Columbia will be broken and we can devote ourselves whole heartedly to the tasks ahead, whatever they may be.  Mike got his annual first week back at school cold and passed it on to me.  I hope next year we can prevent it by dousing ourselves in emrgen C two weeks in advance.  The garden is drawing to a close.  It is still beautiful, but plants are starting to show signs of the end of summer.  I have greatly enjoyed my "bigger then a square foot, square foot garden".  The hummingbirds are such a delight to me.  They squeak, are very friendly, and seem like pets.  We have had squirrels, a chipmunk, a giant fat green worm, doves, chickadees, titmouse, yellow finches, cardinals, many other birds I have yet to identify correctly, a praying mantis, and butterflies.  The garden is on a high deck and I find it odd that so many creatures have found their way to it, but I guess if you plant it, they will come!  It has been a quiet retreat to commune with God, rest, and enjoy the beauty of nature all around.  It has been a blessing!  I had my first computer classes yesterday.  I think my classroom management plan will work well for all classes, except perhaps the first grade.  They have computer at the end of the day, and bless their little hearts, they were thirsty, tired, and grouchy.  Not sure how that is going to work out for them.  I will need a lot of patience and understanding!