The Stuff Game

Having the same address for fifteen years allows one to see the deterioration and the proliferation of stuff around you - and at one point or another we get to deal with their disposal and replacement as necessary. That was the case with this family during the last couple of days: a Costco delivery of a new and disposal of an old mattress, two trips to the dump, new wall art replacing an old one, and hours of cleaning the garage - and there still a lot to be done.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." 

- William Morris

I like to think that I am guided by the quote above.  However, the guidance remains more in my head than in my actions.  The challenge here is a function of the accumulation/elimination ratio. 

The interest in acquiring things come like waves - it comes highs and lows at a consistent interval. "Oh, I love that chair.  It will look good in the reading room."  "Oh no, these rugs are old, I need new ones." "These lamp shades are outdated." And you know what comes next. People are like nesting birds - always adding a twig or fluff to make the home feel or look better.  This situation results in high odds of accumulating not-so-useful and not-so-beautiful things.

On the other hand, the urge to purge comes like a tsunami (at least in this house).  As if we slept in hibernation for so long and finally spring is inflicted upon our every nerve.  Life takes over and everything must be new so we want to the place to feel new again.  But then, accumulation urges kicks right back in and the cycle goes on.

I still dream about the absence of senseless things in my possession.  :)

Suddenly...Doors!

Buying a door is like buying a car.  You never pay attention to the make of cars until you are shopping for one.  Since we started looking for a door-style, doors suddenly became the most interesting feature of any home that I see.  Tim and I have been walking around our neighborhood for our morning exercises for years and I hardly ever paid attention to the doors of homes around.

After looking at so many different brochures, I think we have decided on a door to replace our broken one.  We have a quote from Home Depot, but until the contractor comes to make the final measurements then our options remain open.  The door is single with two wings (I think that's what they call the vertical glass panels on each side of the door).  We are planning to  replace it with a double door without wings but I am vacillating between that and the former style.  With a double door, bringing in and out furniture and appliances will be a lot easier but I also like the light coming in through the glass panels on the wings of a single door.  One thing is final at this time - we are getting a wood door (with a glass) instead of a fiber glass door.

In the meantime, our insurance company already informed us of the check that they wrote for us.  Although it is not sufficient to cover all the replacement cost of what we lost, it is substantial enough that we can afford to upgrade without breaking the bank.  God is good!

Things are moving forward but we were told that the door we are going to purchase will still have to be shipped from Panama.

We are learning...

2013 Begins..

2013

This is the picture we took of our family during the first two minutes of 2013.  At midnight on New Year's Eve, we start the year with a cheerful a toast (sparkling apple cider) and then we clump together for the picture.  The problem this year is that the couch was too small for the five of us.  The bench at the breakfast table is usually the place where we'd pose for the picture but this time we were watching "Pride and Prejudice" prior to midnight and were so lazy to move.

Among the many Filipino traditions that we have adopted as a family is to have the following in place when the New Year comes in: a bountiful table; well-stocked pantry and refrigerator; all bills paid; clean house; and good mood for everyone.  Cleaning the house is always the most challenging part of this.  For one thing, it is impossible to clean the yard, which is a part of the house, in the cold wet winter days.  The garage, which always needs organizing, is also cold.  Oh well... I'll just have to suffer with a desire to have a perfectly clean something throughout the year. 

Tim brought us to Seafood City in Sacramento and had lunch at Chowking.  We don't live anywhere near an Asian community - so this was a treat for me and my kids.  It reminds us of the Philippines.  It is also a treat for Tim because he gets to use his Tagalog skills and surprise all the unsuspecting Filipinos.  Our evening munchies this year included the following:  Fruited Chicken/Macaroni Salad; Shrimp Cocktail; Chocolate Fondue; Pumpkin Pie; Apple Pie; Herbed Sausage Croissant; Lewis-style Lumpia; and more.  

Shannon and Brahms played LOL (League of Legends) while Miriam played Mine Craft since she's not thirteen yet to be able to play LOL.  The three of them played Portal 2 and Lego Lord of the Rings. 

The following morning we all watched the Rose Parade and then the HGTV Dream Home.  It was generally a lazy day because everything should have been done the day before. :) The only thing I had to do was to go shopping (yes, shopping New Year's day!) for things we needed for the next day to host the Actis family.  We also put away all the Christmas ornaments including the gingerbread houses that the kids made.  

Miriam's Fluffy House

Brahms' Luxury House

  

Shannon's Three-Sided House

We can laugh at the days to come because we trust in the Lord.

Busy Saturday

Chess Tournament 2011. Shannon and Miriam played as a team and won First Prize at the Brooks Elem. Chess Club Tournament.  Miriam also won First Prize as an individual player.  That's right; they came home with two trophies.   This was a Parent-Child Chess Tournament where parents play against parents and their kids against other kids.  Each parent-and-child is a team. Brahms and Tim ran the tournament.

Sam visits us.  Sam is the new addition to George and Barbara's household.  We got to see him when today.  Miriam and Brahms played outside with him until he got tired.

Preliminary interview for Princeton.  One of the many schools Shannon applied to is Princeton University.  Today she drove herself alone and met with her interviewer.  Different universities take different approaches to evaluate applicants.  At the moment we do not have any clue as to her chances of being admitted to any school.  Only God knows and He knows everything about it. 

Sunday Afternoon in the Backyard.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Plumbing Problem

Since we moved to this house there have been a lot of times when the wall below the window was wet.  Leaky window was the first thought that came to mind.  However there were times when the wetness occurred during the months when there was no rain.  Then we though that the faucet was leaky but there were no signs of water damage under the tub.  Many contractors came to see it.  No one told us what was causing the problem.  They would readily describe the damage that they see but not why.  Before we did anything we asked Dave Rambo, a Handyman we know, to look at it.  He did not say anything new and he was willing to fix the damage around the tub.  He also recommended that we'd ask a plumber to fix the leak first.   So we did.  It was then when we understood the problem. 

There was a pipe that was cut too short to meet a rubber gasket.  I cannot say what it is called but it was under the spout.  This was a construction problem that came with the house.  Every time we used the tub water would leak into the wood pieces right under the tiles.  The water was being wicked into the dry wall just below the window.  Unlike the shower, we did not use the tub daily hence it did not remain wet all the time for us to be able to recognize the problem sooner.

Weird occurrences always have underlying reasons.  The sooner they are dealt with the better.  :)

Yesterday Dave Rambo opened and removed all the damaged wood pieces.  Today Rob the plumber came to install the new hardware to replace the old one.  Then, Dave R. will come back next week to put back the walls and the tiles in place.  

It seems to me that most of the major repairs done in our home are scheduled when Tim is not here. :)  We don't plan it that way but it happens.  The last time he travelled I had one side of the fence replaced.  On another time I had to decide to buy a new sump pump because the old one broke.  Now the bathroom. 

Saturday with Friends

Last weekend we had a fun evening with the Cranmers and the Bohlkes.   My children entertained the Dan and Bernadette D. showing and telling them about their pets.  This was like an act of "vengeance" because the Cranmers showed my kids how their pet snake swallowed a mouse in a few seconds.  This time it was their turn to hear how our turtle snaps a fish in half.  Marina on the other hand didn't realize that I was picking her brain regarding orchid growing.  She is a pro and I am a newbie on growing cymbidium orchids. 

Tim grilled some ribs and chicken while I did the easy part - baked potatoes.  Bernadette brought a curried rice salad with shrimp and palm shoots and it was very good.   I prepared the makings of Bruschetta in advance which my kids assembled and served to our guests.  We ended our meal with Marina's strawberry cobbler and Shannon's Chocolate-chip/cranberry cookies.  It was great getting to know each other some more and spending time together.

Outdoor Office

Tim working in the 'jungle'.

The weather has been beautiful this week.  High temperatures were in the low 70s with night temperatures in the high 40s.  It is that time of the year when Tim can work outside in the backyard.   I guess he prefers the sound of birds and wind chimes over the sounds of the refrigerator and the washer when he is working inside the house.  The flowers and the greenery might also be a better sight to stare at while he's thinking. 

Thanks to Wi-Fi.  He can move anywhere he wants in the yard and still is connected to the internet and his co-workers around the world.   As long as he is not working on a 'motherboard' (a hardware he uses to build a code, I guess), he can work anywhere.   The only things he needs are his laptop, phone, headset, and a cup of coffee or green tea.  When I remember, I bring him some chocolate covered raisins to increase his blood sugar a little bit.

Tim being disturbed by paparazzi.

It is great to have my husband programming in the yard when I am out there gardening.  The problem is that sometimes when I am watering, I get carried away and forget that he is there. :)

Some Pies are Better

In our family pie is considered the staff of life.   My husband often quotes his late grandfather Waldo by saying "All pie is good pie.  Some pies are better but all pie is good pie."  

As the only person who makes pie in this house, I must say that I have made a great discovery.  WinCo's Lemon Meringue Pie is much better than what I make.  Although the crust is not that great, WinCo's Berry pies are also very good.   An even more important discovery is that my entire family agrees with me.  Now I don't have to make lemon meringue or berry pie as long as we live near a WinCo Store.  I will still enjoy making apple, peach, cherry, plum, and pumpkin pies yet I will also enjoy the break from time to time.

Renewal of Old

Our house was brand new when we moved in.  Although we've already spent ten years here, the thought of it being new still lingers in my head.  The house has been revealing its true age more and more as the days go on.  Like an aging woman our house has been continually deepening the creases of its age on different parts. 

It seems as though there's always something that needs fixing now.  The only built-in appliance that we have not changed is the oven.  Even then the oven is now unreliable.  It would turn the lights on and off by itself at any undefined time as if a ghost is operating it.  This month alone we changed the disposer, dishwasher and the microwave oven.   The good thing is that we did not only change them but also upgraded.  Old appliances are being replaced in order for the house to be functionable and technologically up to date. 

Well, just like an aging woman, our house is also getting better as the renewal process continues.  :)