Yard Saling!

Henry, oh, henry! Did I ever have fun today!

I wasn't sure at first about getting up early on my day off but Aunt Esther needed to be at the Wichita airport at 8:30. I was profoundly glad that she planned it for a Thursday morning as that is prime time to yard sale in Wichita!

It didn't take long to drop her off and then Mom and I were off, keeping our eyes peeled for yard sale signs. It didn't take long before we hit a neighborhood sale and merrily went from one to the next, collecting items along the way. A hamper, an endtable, a floor lamp, a skillet and a Rubbermaid container were all safely stowed in my car, with room to spare.

And then...we hit a huge moving sale! I found the perfect white cabinet I'd been longing for! It would just fit behind my bedroom door. Mom looked at it doubtfully and said, "Do you think it will fit in the car?" "Oh, yes!" I replied, with more confidence than I felt. I knew it was the one, and one way or another it would go in. In a jiffy I had pulled out my tape measure and proceeded to measure the cabinet. Mom looked on in amazement. "Do you have a tape measure?" she asked in surprise. Oh, yes, we are prepared when it comes to yard saling! I then went to measure the car and rearrange the earlier bargains already hogging space. At last I said, "I think we can do! Let's give it a try.

Thankfully, there was a man and a strong woman willing to carry my prize purchase and shove it in the trunk. With a little manuvering it was ALMOST in. "We can fix that," the guy declared, and ambled off to get some rope. He kindly tied down the trunk lid and we were set! By this time I was grinning wildly to myself and could barely refrain from dancing a jig right there in the street. I bit my tongue to keep from saying, "I told you so!" to mom.

AND on top of all that, God gave me a little bonus. I found an adorable wooden chair/toybox! (Children come on over!) At this point Mom was beginning to wonder WHAT ELSE I might squeeze in that car. I was beginning to feel like it might be time to head home and yet I was having so much fun, it was hard to quit. We soon did, though, and a wastebasket was the last remaining bargain of the day.

I asked. God answered. He is faithful far above what I can ever imagine. Try it and see if He will not pour out of the riches of his storehouse, blessings more than you can receive.

Ducklings

Emma received two baby ducklings for Easter. Ernest and Olivia seem to like their new home, which was once a dog cage. It has been adapted to contain these two wee ducklings. They are temporarily residing in the laundry room off the kitchen and once they are older, will join the three ducks back at the pond.

Emma loves looking at them and would hold them, if given a chance. We aren't giving her a chance, for at her age squeezing is more like it.

So far they haven't been much of a problem. They make plenty of noise for such small creatures, but other than that, they really can't get into too much trouble. At this point, I prefer them over dogs or cats in the house.

Housewarming

Thursday night my sister planned a housewarming party for me. We didn't know at the time what the weather would be. About 5:oo the neighbor lady came over to tell me there was a tornado watch out for Reno County and to offer me the refuge of their storm shelter, should it become necessary. I had visions of my house full of people when the tornado struck and everyone making a mad dash for their cars, the culvert or running over to the neighbors. Thankfully, no such action was necessary.

The housewarming was a smashing success and I felt warmed inside and out by the generosity of family and friends. It meant even more to know they braved the weather just to come out, for even though there were no tornadoes, battling the wind and rain and manuvering the muddy roads was no easy feat. I received a lamp, broom, wash basket, grape towels, glass pitcher, cookie sheets, spice rack, silverware and many yummy food items, not the least of which was two boxes of Cheerios. These Cheerios go back to Choice Books days when Perry Lee's and I worked together. I can always count on them to keep me supplied. I laughed and clapped my hands in glee when I saw them walking in, Cheerios in tow.

As it was a come and go party and people came and went all evening, which was a good thing considering the size of my house. But at 8:00 there was a rush and these people stayed to visit and my house was bursting at the seams. What fun! I enjoyed every minute! One unlucky gal got her car stuck in the mud. There were some capable and very willing men who helped this damsel in distress.

It was fun having Emma and her family there. She was the center of attention and made the most of it, walking around waving and saying "hi". I think she was surprised to find me in this crowd of people and couldn't quite understand that this was my house. She kept coming up to me and saying "Pau", her shortened version of Pauline.

It was after 9 o'clock by the time the last person walked out the door and I was left with a popcorn littered living room and a muddy floor. But when I viewed the bountiful aray of goods on my overflowing table I felt blessed beyond words.

Thanks to all of you who made it such a wonderful evening!

The Barn

I've moved! And I love it! The big day has finally come and gone and it's nearly a week since I took up my abode in "The Barn".

This is the outhouse. We make them big in the ole wild west! (Just kidding!) Seriously, this is the catch-all shed. It's nice to have a little extra storage.

Here is a back view of my "Barn". Notice the balcony.

This is the view from my balcony! You can see for miles out here!

This is what you see when you drive in. All the watering

is paying off and green is starting to show.