June 22 – “A hole in the wall”

We were excited today.  The fireplace lady was coming to install our Franklin stove.  She got here while Chris was at Omega Bay cleaning up some more.  Our contractor called to tell us he was on his way right after the fireplace lady told me they were going to have to go through our eaves and roof.  He wasn't at all happy with that idea.  He was determined not to put any more holes in the roof that would attract leaks.  Their compromise was that he now has to build a box off the side of the house for the stovepipe to hook on to.  He spent a long time after she left trying to figure out how best to make it pretty.  I laughed when she called him a perfectionist.  She should see him and Chris when they get together.  The other fireplace issue was how close they could place it to the wall.  Now we have to install some kind of fireboard behind it.  Otherwise it has to sit three feet away from every wall, which puts it out in the middle of the room.  After all was said and done, all we have to show for this exciting visit by the fireplace lady is a hole in the wall that they drilled to mark the center of where the stovepipe will go.    Much more action was promised for tomorrow, though.  The contractor's guys will come start on that box and take care of a few other odds and ends he saw.  We also got a call from the Amish cabinet guys.  Actually we got three calls from them.  They changed the day each time of when they wanted to come finish the last of their trim.  Finally they settled on tomorrow afternoon sometime.    Nathan and April and Cailyn came over this afternoon.  He wanted to help me get some things checked off my list.  We put up the screens.  Found out that the two biggest ones had holes right in the middle.  Looks like they fell onto something.  I don't know if there is anything that can be done about that since they have been in our garage and backyard for weeks now.  But the others look really nice.  Then we started on the bathrooms.  Mom's was first, as usual.  We hung the mirror without too much difficulty.  Then we got the toilet paper holder up.  We were on a roll, so we continued to the first towel holder.  And we couldn't get it level.  Even using a level.  Nathan said in cases like this his usual course of action is to blame April.  But she was in the other room.  We decided to blame her anyway, so we yelled out her name.  She and Chris both were there in a heartbeat, so we chewed her out for messing us up.  She took it good-naturedly enough, but then, I didn't have to go home with her.  We finished up that room and got the medicine chest hung in the master bath before time was called.  We had to go to The Original Mexican Restaurant for Christina's birthday party, and I for one needed a shower.   The party was fun.  About twenty people showed up, and she was only expecting four – her family.  Afterwards we went to their house for cake.  By that time I was sinking quickly.  The tylenol I took earlier was definitely wearing off.  I was very pleased not to have to drive off the island to go home.   2 Corinthians 4:8-10 says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."   Father, thank you for the blessed hope that gets me through, well, stuff.  Amen.