Christmas at Halloween

My house is all decorated for Halloween and I'm thinking about Christmas. My third and final Christmas story is in print!

Backstory: Almost four years ago I heard an old Christmas song on the radio and came up with the idea for a Christmas story and wrote it. I heard about a Christmas story contest but it didn't meet the criteria. I was a little disappointed but still it was a cute little story. Enter the twist, an author friend of mine told me about someone putting together an anthology of Christmas stories and needed authors. The coincidence, he wanted stories based on Christmas Carols. So, for the last two Christmases I've contributed to the anthology. We have donated to various charities including: The National Down Syndrome Society, and Autism Speaks. This year all proceeds from the sale of the books will be donated to 4p-Support Group, which provides support to families who have a child with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a chromosomal defect. Major symptoms may include severe growth and intellectual disability and distinct physical features and disabilities.

If you'd like to donate to this cause by purchasing a copy let me know. My story is connected to the last two but also stands alone. I will be giving you a preview by posting the prequel story between now and Thanksgiving, so keep an eye out! Happy Halloween!

The Stairs

Downstairs

I won't say they are done since I may have some touch up that I still need to do. But as everything this too was an adventure.

In the beginning: I opened the can and I saw purple paint. WHAT? I checked the can, yes it said brown molasses (or something like that). Why was it purple? I'm not saying brown with purple highlights I'm talking little girl's room purple. Neon pick merged with royal blue purple. What now? I had purchased the paint a while before I was ready and not checked it, was it mixed wrong? Before stressing too much I stirred. Turns out purple must be the lightest color so it came to the top after a good stir I was ready to go. Who would have thought that purple would be in brown?
Surprise discovery number 2: Floor paint requires 24 to 36 hours to dry between coats. Yeah, I planned on 4 to 8 hours. It took a few extra days, or late nights since I had to do it after the kids went to bed. What do you think? 

Upstairs

The best thing about them. I don't have to drag out a vacuum to clean them. A damp rag and a few minutes is all it takes!

Ode to summer break

Summer Break why must you tease me with the word break? Why do you make me think that there may be time to just sit and read, or write, or do crosswords or stickdoku? Yes, I can do these things but then there is guilt about the things I am leaving undone with the idea of tomorrow. Yet, tomorrow is another series of tasks that are waiting. They can't be left for much longer since summer break will end and work will fill the hours I dream of spending untethered to responsibility. Why Summer Break? Why must you tease me with the word break?

back deck prepped for painting

As June ended and July began I spent time working on the final big painting projects at my new house. Our first renters moved out July 1st. In mid July a few potential renters appeared and priority shifted back to the old house. The carpet in the bedrooms needed to be replaced. It consisted of carpet scraps nailed to the floor. Yes, you read that right, nailed. The size of nail varied by room. When the former owner ran out of the small finishing nails he switched to 3 inch long nails. In one room the nails did have a few carpet tacks interspersed but scraping the floor only managed to make the ear splitting sound of metal on metal and not remove any of the fasteners. On hands and knees with a hammer one nail at a time (two when placement was strategic) I cleared each floor of carpet, then linoleum that had been buried under the carpet. Good news, the house is in better shape than it ever was while I lived there and our new renters seem to be happy with our choice of carpet. I did finish ALL the exterior painting on our new house before I started that and stairs are finished except for touch up. Hopefully by next month's post I will have finished stairs to show you. With school starting, it better be done.

During



BEFORE

Clean floor (finally)

AFTER!
 

Where were you during the Sanpete County earthquake?

With the end of school and start of summer travel I have slacked in a lot of areas but no more. I'm back. So, for the last two days I've been up and down a ladder with a sander, caulk gun, rag to clean that all up with, primer and finally paint and the finished product:

Saturday evening as I stood atop my ladder it felt like someone was hitting the wall on which it leaned. My neighbor calls over, "Did you feel that? Felt like an earthquake."

"Yes," I reply as my husband comes out to ask the same question. My neighbor joked about needing to go inside and check to see that he still had a house. Sure enough an earthquake mearsuing 4.2 originating about 10 miles from where my ladder rested. Don't worry I'm fine (I doubt if I were hurt I'd be writing about it right now, as the aftershokes vibrate my computer screen). I am glad that it wasn't worse, there could have had a different ending.

In other slacking news, I finally finished editing my NASCAR novel for the 134th time (may be a slight exageration but writers understand). Now, do I go back to my Paire Diamond story or the one about the cold hearted man finding love? And the real question do I query publishers or agents? Decissions, decissions!

Living Room

This is a view looking back at the entryway. I love my floor!

Since this is what you see when you first enter my house, I figured we'd start here. Then next week we'll move into the kitchen. The walls are more bare then I'd like but I have a few pictures hung. I want to be sure I put them in the right place so I haven't committed to the rest of them. Patching holes and repainting wouldn't be that treacherous but since I know how much work it was to paint it all in the first place I hesitate. I guess you could say I have commitment issues.

I posted about my coffee table a while back so many of you know the story that I didn't pick it out but it looks as if I did. The lines and color match the couch like they were made to go together.

My railing. I really should have taken a before I stained them picture.

In writing news, my husband is downstairs watching NASCAR while I work on my novel entitled, Married to NASCAR.  I'd like to have it polished and ready to submit by mid summer. I might need a reader to two if anyone is interested, just let me know.

And your 2014 prom royalty...

A month ago our local high school had their annual junior prom. Numerous movies have been created about the coveted crowns awarded by peers to those who are considered most attractive or popular. At this school, the tradition of a promenade floor show performed by the junior class continues. Accommodations are made to allow students with special needs to participate and the "typical" student body has always been supportive of this. But beyond allowing the students who aren't "typical" to have a regular high school experience this student body has exhibited a knowledge that many adults have yet to acquire. The truth about what makes a person attractive. The boys who were honored may not have been the most physically pleasing in attendance. This school has previously honored students who were born with special needs and for continuing this model I offer my praise.

However, they went a step further this year. The ladies that were crowned were not students with special needs. They were not honored because they had the most expressive dress. I suspect that their looks had little to do with this honor either, although they are very pretty. Their peers had seen the extra time and care these lovely young ladies had taken to help their male counterparts enjoy the evening. The girls who had CHOSEN to work with the boys now wore crowns beside them. The extra work to help their partners be able to participate in this rite of passage hadn't gone unnoticed or recognized.

As an adult I can affirm that beauty is only skin deep and what you choose to do is much more important than how you happen to look. You can not usually control how you look or with what abilities or limitations you are born. But, only you can choose how you will treat others. Only you can choose how you will spend the time you have been given.

 So, kudos to the Manti High School class of 2015. I am proud and humbled by your selfless choices.

 

Back to the virtual tour next week. Today I gave my bedroom the deep clean and organization that is desperately needed. I still have my prom dress. Would anyone like to see me try it on?

Virtual home tour starting at the top!

Here we go!! I finally feel like my house is truly coming together. Thanks to spring break I have completed some of my tasks.

The storage room had become a dump stuff location. I'd started putting things away so many times and even had several things on the shelves until I'd decide that I didn't like where they were. Then I remembered one of the biggest problems is leaving space to add new items and more moving things around. But I think I can say now that it's done.

BEFORE: Painting shelves

AFTER: Installed shelves

An even more fun project... My bonus room! I'm very excited to say that it is complete. There will be upkeep but the initial organization in the biggest step. The built in bookshelves are AMAZING. My books get to be stored in a organized and well cared for fashion. A shout out to my sweet husband for cutting and placing each of the shelves. Our cars again sat in the weather while I painted in the garage. It took longer than anticipated, doesn't it usually? Now that it is done, it's so worth it!!

 

What do you think? Would you hang out up here?

Stay tuned next week for a special prom posting!