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Monday, April 16, 2012

"Mama, her HINEY is pushing out again."

I just came in from a long morning of running errands in preparation for Easter dinner. I had just steped in the door when my husband called out "DON'T GO DOWN STAIRS!" Was that panic I heard in his tone or was it nervousness? I ventured down the stairs to see what was troubling him. Sometimes I just don't listen so well. 
Suddenly the basement fire alarms came to life with piercing wails. I rounded the corner and was overcome with disbelief. The cloud of dust instantly choked me and irritated my eyes. My eyes were drawn to the gaping hole in the wall where my kiddling's toy shelves once stood, cluttered with too many transformers and zhu zhu pets. Sunlight filtered through thick gray dust poured into the basement family room. So did the bitter cold breeze on that crisp April morning.I looked around in amazement. Dust covered everything.  I stood transfixed at the sight of the young man cutting away another piece of my wall with a large noisy saw....making more and more dust. My husband looked at me helplessly, trying to read my expression as he grabbed for the edge of the blue tarp on the floor to try to block some of the dust that continued to stream into the house getting into every crevice. I slowly scanned the room with my eyes, taking in every incredible sight. The television on the wall hastily covered with a blue plastic tarp.
The rest of the furniture was NOT covered, well not with any type of material meant to protect it - it was all completely and shockingly covered with a thick layer of cement dust.  I stared at the mess before me and felt fat hot tears welling up in my eyes. I left the room and ran up the stairs as the tears threatened to spill over onto my cheeks. It's Easter weekend and I have company coming for dinner.... this unexpected mess is the last thing I need right now.  I need to keep reminding myself that home renovations sometimes lead to unforeseen "situations".  I went to the washroom to wash my face and compose myself.  When I returned to the basement to survey the scene with a better attitude I was surprised to see the hole in the wall had a board proped up against it. "Well that's very nice of them, keeping some of the cold out for us" I thought to myself.  I stepped around the large pile of rock and debris on my carpeted floor and soothed myself by reasoning that these guys must have a shop vac or something and certainly they will clean up after themselves. I wondered why they wouldn't have forewarned us about the dust and rocks so we could have covered up the furniture ahead of time? I sighed deeply and returned upstairs. It was very quiet..... too quiet. "Where did the workers go?" I asked the Teenager. "They left." She said matter of factly. "What? What do you mean they left? They can't leave they have a mess to clean up..... and there's a big hole in my wall with an ill-fitting board propped up against it!" I said in dismay. "I don't know Mom" she replied "They just left - maybe they're coming back?" she added. "Well they'd better be!" I ranted. I went off to the barn to find my husband. "Please tell me this is a cruel late April fool's joke!" I demanded. "What are you talking about?" he asked in confusion. "That big hole in our wall and that monstrous mess in the basement." I shot back "Tell me that's some sort of joke and someone's going to clean it up." "Of course they are." He said in reply to my drama. "Well when? They're gone. They just left." I countered. "They must  have had to go get something or are taking a break." He reasoned. "They wouldn't leave the place looking like this not to mention leaving a large gaping hole in the wall with only a board propped up against it. There's a six inch gap at the bottom of the door and about half an inch all around the sides - they MUST be coming back." he reassurred me. We walked across the yard to the "work in progress" and surveyed the scene. "It's much worse indoors." I said sullenly. "Let me call the contractor and find out what's happening," my husband calmly retorted as he dialed a number on his cell phone. I stood close by wringing my hands and sighing alot - not knowing what else to do about any of it. When he closed his phone and slid it back into his pocket I looked at him expectantly "Well?" I inquired impatiently.  "He's not sure. He is going to call the concrete guys and see what they say.... he'll call me right back." he informed as he went down the ladder to check out the "disaster" I complained about. As he moved the board from infront of the door way I could hear him gasp. The look on his face said it all. He grabbed the edge of the crumpled blue tarp and dragged it outdoors, carrying some of the rubble and dirt out with it. He hollered for one of the boys to bring him a broom and he began sweeping the pile of stones and garbage out the opening in the wall. "The MUST be coming back" he said breathlessly as he swept faster with determination "they WOULDN'T have left this huge mess if they were done for the day - it just doesn't make sense." He unconvincingly reasoned. Just then his cell phone rang. The broom slipped from his hand as he reached deep into his pocket and fished out the phone. I knew it was bad news from the way his face fell as he gripped the cell phone tighter. "I see." was the last thing I heard him utter before stomping away with the phone pressed to his ear. It seems the concrete guys WERE done for the day, for the whole long weekend to be exact. It was Easter weekend and they all had plans for the holiday too. They had no intentions of coming back to the work site until Tuesday or so, when the concrete would be poured for the floor. It seems they ordered the concrete but the truck couldn't come until next week - and only if it didn't rain.... if there was rain it would obviously take longer. So my question to whoever would bother to listen to me is "Why in the world would they cut a hole through my basement wall and leave it open exposed to the elements and to any critters that might feel like checking the place out?" This made no sense to me and I was angry. The basement was a mess and the hole wasn't even sealed up and NOW I am told they won't be back to do anything for four to five days....IF it doesn't rain.  I was overwhelmed and had no fight left in me.... so I just stood there and cried. My husband gave me a hug and told me to leave the mess to him and go upstairs. I didn't argue, I couldn't. So up the stairs I sulked to get myself cleaned up and ready for a class I had to attend that evening. I hoped that some time away would help put me in a better mood. When I returned home later that night I was surprised and relieved to see a cleaner basement. My hero, I mean husband..... had spent hours washing everything down and vaccuming and sweeping, and cleaning... and he even sealed up the hole in the wall inside and out so no creeping things would come into the house in the middle of the night. I LOVE this guy so much!!! And I am so blessed to have him :) 
I had hoped this would be the extent of our renovation disaster..... but the following week would prove that there was so much more to come.....

*Here's a few funnies from Our House to Yours *
- Our puppy Emma had a hernia and needed to have it surgically repaired. The day after her proceedure Little Susan was petting Emma and noticed the swelling at the incision site. "Mama, her HINEY is pushing out again." she informed me. (hernia)

- On the way to church the boys were having a conversation in Grandma's car about condensation. Daniel noticed the condensation on the windows and wanted to know if "it rained lastnight?" "No, it didn't rain" Grandma explained "That's condensation. That happens when the air gets cooler overnight. Sometimes you see it on the grass in the morning - that's called "morning dew" Grandma  concluded. Daniel looked thoughtful for a moment and asked "Well, what does it do (dew)?" to which Grandma replied "It waits for the sun to dry it up."

- While driving through town The Baby watched out the van window and said excitedly "Fries in der! I want Fries...." she shouted pointing to Wendys, Andys, McDonalds, etc "No, you can't have fries everytime we go out somewhere." Her face fell and she looked at me through the rearview mirror and very seriously said "but it makes my (me) happy!"

- One morning at the breakfast table I watched the kiddlings having a conversation. "This is longitude." informed Nicholas, making an up and down motion with his arm. "And this is latitude" he explained while making a side to side motion with his arm. "Is that how you say it in french? asked Latoya. "No, that's how you say it in Social Studies." smartly replied Nicholas.

Subscriber's Stories

Introducing another area of the tank.... Subscribers Stories! Do you have a funny or cute story to share? Want to have it included in the "Subscribers Stories" section of The Fish Bowl? Just email me your story and I'll include it in a future edition of the Fish Bowl. Please include your name and email address with all submissions.

Haylee showed me her under arm deodorant that I got her at the dollar store. For some reason it was in my room and she said “Hey! How come you have my under arm air freshener?”
Submitted by Phyllis L. of Chatham, Ontario
me: mom look at that mailbox it has a sheep on it they must be sheepers
Mom: oh kassie they r called shepard's
Me: no sheepers
Submitted by Kassundra B. of Woodstock, Ontario


Blowing Bubbles About....
This week we're blowing bubbles about Great Lakes Stables.
Great Lakes Stables is a family owned and operated business located in Thamesville, Ontario. They offer Horseback Riding Lessons, Summer Camps, Clinics and More!
They teach all levels... from beginner to advanced and specialize in teaching first time riders, beginners and improvers. They follow the Equine Canada Rider Level instruction guidelines and the C.H.A. (Association for Horsemanship Safety and Education) prerequisites. Great Lakes Stables offer Hunter, Dressage and Western lessons for children and adults on a weekly basis. They also provide lessons geared towards showing and E.C. rider level testing English and Western. For more information visit their website or stop by their FaceBook page.

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Blessings to you - from my Fish Bowl to yours :)
Lucy