Today's Minutiae (am I spelling that right?)

This is what our living room looks like. Yup, there's extra seating in there. Ain't construction fun? We're finally (after 6 years of sharing one bathroom - talk about fun) having a small bathroom put in downstairs! (Not in the living room, in case you're wondering.)

Our thrift store received a freezer bag full of old jewelry today - lots of single earrings, rhinestones and pins, just waiting to be turned into something arty-crafty! Working at the store is kind of like being able to dig through an old attic full of treasures - something I have not only daydreamed about, but have had night dreams, too, waking up so disappointed! By the way, we have a thrift store page on our website: http://www.victoryhomerecovery.com/. Forget South of the Border; if you're traveling south or north, stop in to see US!

Dusty (a Victory Home staff member) and I went to a Christian Business Network luncheon today, hoping to begin spreading the word that we are about to begin a capital campaign to combine all Victory Home's operations into one facility, and we need investors and influencial people to form an advisory committee to this end. It was a good meeting, but we left without any prospects. About an hour later, I received a call from a financial advisor who was at the meeting, and he expressed interest in becoming part of the committee. Hallelujah! We're off and running. Please keep us in prayer about this.

What a beautiful day we had today. Sunshine and temperatures in the 70's ('til tomorrow - snow flurries expected!), so we spent a little time working in the much-neglected yard, Buddy included. I did, he undid; I smoothed, he roughed up; I pulled weeds, he ate them. But one thing we agreed on: there's something very satisfying about playing in dirt!

Kiki joined us outside, but she prefers to play by herself. She does a good Rambo impression - good thing she has eyes or she'd disappear completely.

I just love a freshly dug garden bed, edged deep and piled high, curving in and out, inspired by my dad's method - no artificial edging for him, no flat, shallow, bland beds! If only I had his thumb. I am only semi-successful at the actual growing of plants. Last summer I neglected my tomatoes for so long that they outgrew their stakes and ended up horizontal, spreading all over the ground like ivy - took up almost the whole yard, and when I needed a tomato, I'd just bend down, spread the leaves and pick one off the grass. Amazing how many tomatoes I had that year. I should write a how-to book for lazy, inept gardeners like me!

That's all for now, folks. Sorry I've been so slow at posting - it's a time-consuming job and time is not something I have a lot of lately. But check back every now and then, and I'll do my best to report the minutiae of my life for posterity!