House Warming/Dedication

It was a busy two weeks leading up to the House Warming/Dedication on Saturday the 1 September.

Monday 19^th Nezka and I visited a few second hand shops including the one at the local tip recycle centre.  We came away with a selection of household goods including a bedside table to replace the cardboard box I was using, cups, plates, glasses, serving plates and the like which I needed for the day of celebrations.

I have had several trips to Masters before and after the big day as there were a few more hiccups with the kitchen and things I had purchased or neglected to purchase.  Glenn was attaching all the door and draw handles and noticed there were two missing.  Actually I had counted two cupboards under the breakfast counter when in fact there were 3 doors not two.  I only had one short but he had misplaced the other so in a frantic dash at the end of the day I bought two and on return found the missing one so promptly returned the extra one the next day.  So as not to waste a trip and the fuel spent to get there and back, I wandered around looking at what else I might need, especially as it was a closing down sale with up to 50% off! I bought extra light bulbs, batteries, a watering can then wondered about their sheds.

I needed a small one for all my now new and collected tools and gardening equipment.  I had planned to buy a water tank first to put up against where the backdoor and laundry window had been bricked in.  This would cover the patchy work done to fill in the void.  There wasn’t much room as I also wanted to attach the old laundry trough to the wall.  I felt having a large trough was an asset, not only for large items to be washed but also for all the gardening and outdoor cleaning I might need a trough for, especially as I had now lost the laundry area.

I looked at a few sheds but they were all too big for the space I had except for once that was tucked away on its own.  Although rather small it was perfect and I just couldn’t get over the price!  $52!!  Thank you Jesus!  Now I just need to get it home!  The guys tried to put it inside the Golf but it didn’t fit.  Praise the Lord, Kathy had a roof rack.  I just needed something to attach it so it didn’t fly off in the howling gale on route home.  Another purchase of a strap also discounted, and I was off.  I drove very carefully down the freeway and was about three quarters of my way there when it poured and I prayed!  The shed was in a cardboard box!  I prayed it wouldn’t disintegrate before I reached home!  Then there was the challenge of getting it off the roof.  Praise the Lord I arrived with shed intact and was helped to unload it by a neighbour’s teenage daughter.

Now that I had my shed I needed a water tank before I can set it up.  I was planning to put the water tank against the back wall first as the shed in front of it will keep the hot easterly sun from heating the water and causing unwanted algae and micro life breeding in it.

Saturday 24^th September the vinyl was finally laid.  It was impressive.  A friend who visited shortly after thought it was real wooden floorboards.  I’m very pleased with our choice, thank you Lorna for your support.

During my time waiting for the kitchen to be finished I took the old backdoor screen, painted it cream like the fence and cemented it in beside the side colour bond fence as a trellis to grow my passion fruit plant up.  It looked very functional.  I also pulled up some of the paving stones from the path and patio area as I wanted to extend the patio out past the original area extending it towards the northern limestone wall. There’s quite a few more pavers needed so it is a work in progress.

I had invited, Helen, an old friend from the Armadale Church, to my house dedication.  She asked if I needed any household goods as her mother was moving into a retirement home and was cleaning out her home for sale.  There was a washing machine, fridge, queen size bed with matching bedside tables and a load of other little stuff.  I was delighted!

So on Wednesday 28^th I drove 2hrs to Brookton which is south east for Perth. It was a pleasant drive through the Armadale hills (or should I say up into the plateau – Perth doesn’t really have any hills, we have the plateau), past the fruit, vegie farms and into the wheat belt where they also grow canola and other crops.  Along the road side were strips of native bushlands.  I just love the native bush especially in spring when all the wild flowers are blooming.  The air too in filled with the scent of wattles and other blooms.

I arrived a little earlier than Helen who was meeting me at her mum’s house so stopped at the local roadhouse for a coffee.  I then parked outside the house and waited.  While waiting I’m sure the neighbours had called to report me as a police car cruised by.  A typical country town where neighbours keep a watch on the neighbourhood.  Its good thing which is unfortunately often missed in the cities these days.

Helen arrived and showed me around.  I measured all the furniture and large appliances I was interested in to make sure they would fit before putting my name of those I was intended in buying. What I could I loaded into the back of the Golf.  Brooms, two framed pictures, carpets, kitchen utensils, tools and all sorts of little nick-knacks that make a house a home.  It was fun unloading and finding a spot for it.

Lorna had also brought around some gifts as well as a beautiful carpet with looked like it had been especially chosen to match the grey floor boards.  I put this in front of the sofa which the guys who laid the vinyl had brought in.  Behind this I put my large desk, and against the wall in front of the sofa I set up an old chest with a tablecloth on top of which I put the TV.  It looked very cosy.

Glenn, my builder, had been very busy elsewhere as he was waiting for a rainy day to finish off the indoor work.  I mentioned the house dedication and invited him to it hoping he would make an effort to finish off the kitchen at least.  He was running behind in his work but did make an effort and came a few evenings, attaching the cabinet above the fridge space, putting the breakfast bar bench top on and doing handles except for the three on the cabinet doors below the breakfast bar.  He also removed all the blue protective plastic revealing the glossy white cabinet fronts.  It looked very smart.

Friday the last day of September, I attended a funeral for Beryl Rodgers.  Beryl and her husband, Don, had been my pastors not long after giving my life to Christ in 1983.  It was a lovely memorial service for her, I caught up with quite a few old friends whom I hadn’t seen for years.

The big day finally arrived.  I made another dash to Masters as I thought I’d left something behind on my last shop the day before. And, of course, did another little shop.  This time buying a few little things for the garden.

I had been up early for my jog and to clean the house in preparation.  I made some French onion dip, and put out the fruit I had purchased from the farm on route home from Brookton.  I had suggested to those who came to bring finger food so there was little to clean up.  I also borrowed chairs from my neighbour and made a few benches from the left over kitchen benchtop and a few milk crates. Mum came over early and helped squeeze lemons, from her tree and lemonade fruit from Helen’s mum’s home, for the base of our punch.

It was a lovely afternoon.  Many people from different connections came.  Neighbours, unit owners, my old tenant (who was amazed at the changes), family, Christian and non-Christian friends and new friends from North Beach Baptist church, including our pastor who spoke and prayed. It was a good gathering not to many people although not all were able to come.  A friend who was unable to come suggested I have a second and invite all those who were unable to come to the first one.  I told her I thought that would be a great idea but I would wait till everything was completed and all the furniture in.  Anything for a get together!

I also received lots of gifts including, picked flowers, potted flowers, a blueberry bush, bowl of fruit, chocolates and of course food.  I have been so blessed.  Helen also arrived a little earlier with a car full of furniture including the bedside tables and a large chest of draws.

That evening my neighbour Jess and my friend Grace arrived with her two girls.  She had been unable to come earlier as she had been given work for the first time in months so needed to take it.  I had food left over so was delighted they had come to finish it off for me.

Photos: 1. Kangaroo paw   2. Feature lattice (old backdoor screen painted)    3. Once again redoing pavers    4. Wattle out in bloom    5. Glenn putting handles on cabinets   6. Kitchen nearly finished    7. Lounge room ready for guests     8.  House dedication prepared   9. Grace and her girls    10.  Jess and me

Take a look at when I pulled the old kitchen out and the lounge area when the walls were taken out.  Next post I’ll give your some before and after shots.

Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for His abundant provision and blessings with all the gifts and purchases I have received for the unit.

Praise Him for all those who have given to help make this little house a home. For their generosity and labours of love and all those who were able to come and celebrate my first house dedication/house warming.

Praise the Lord for all my supportive friends and prayer partners who have stood with me praying for mum and her adaptation to my not living there.  She has been coping well although sometimes quite tearful.

Please continue to pray for Mum as she adjusts to living alone.  I continue to return to cook for us both and to leave her medication for the morning.

Please also pray that she will be willing to join activity groups of her interest, for her to find things that she can do and reconnect with her summer acquaintances.

Please continue to praise the Lord for His protection, provision and Mum’s and my general good health.

Thank you for your continual prayers for Mum especially with accepting some of the things that come with age especially with the loss of memory.  She is finding this very challenging and is often feeling down because of it.

Please also continue to pray she stays safe on the road.