temptation

Sheepdog's blog has an inordinate number of animal photos and postings. (And a lovely post about our Worship Team - thanks!) Some of her pets are even brilliant enough to write their OWN posts!!!



Millhouse is not that smart. This is how I found him this morning. And...if you're wondering...yes, that's a straightening iron that his tail is in.



There was a real temptation to turn it on, and see how long it took him to notice.

moving checklist

Done:
Got boxes, packing tape, newsprint, markers
Transferred utilities
Signed almost everything
Picked paint colours

Still To Do:
Use the boxes, packing tape, newsprint and markers to pack our stuff
Transfer phone, internet, cable
Change addresses with everyone
Final signatures and pick up the key
Paint

Just thought you'd like to know.

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On another note, this is an actual news headline I saw today.

"Glacier Girl, buried in ice for decades, retries transatlantic flight"

It really threw me off, until I read the article and discovered that "Glacier Girl" is a plane, not a person.

a different kind of meeting

This morning, I went to a meeting with Andy & Randy (our two missions trip leaders). We had been invited to a small group comprised of adults with developmental and mental disabilities. They meet every other week to sing a little bit, do some activities, and have a prayer time.

Why did they invite us? Because they wanted to support our missions trip to the Philippines. How awesome is that??!! They have made bracelets in the colours of the Philippines flag, to be taken over and given to children or whoever is appropriate. They decorated a simple wooden frame with a photo of themselves inside. And they are decorating 7 wooden crosses - one for each team member - as a reminder that this group is praying for our team. They are also planning to make a financial contribution, to help with the expenses.

One lady danced with me, a gentleman came and sat with me as I played the piano and sang, and another gentleman chatted away about life, as he looked for paints to colour his cross with.

I think it must really please God, and touch His heart, to see a group of people in Canada - who are vulnerable, not a lot of power in society, sometimes marginalized - doing what they can to help another group of people in an entirely different part of the world - people who are very poor, and also vulnerable in the society in which they live.

I think that is huge. And I was tremendously honoured to be a part of it.

houses, hopes and nausea

Well...we have a house!

Would you like to hear the story? Of course you would, that's why you visit this page, right?

May 16 - landlady told us she wanted to move back into the oh-so-wonderful apartment we currently live in.

May 16 (5 minutes later) - called our real estate agent...whose link is to the left, in case you're interested...and he bumped us to the top of the priority list. We said, no pressure, we can rent again if we don't find a place we want to buy. He said he was certain we would find something, no problem.

We told him the two districts we would like to live in, and we started searching.

Went through many houses. (as I have mentioned in previous posts)

May 19 - went through a kind of crazy little place (it had the first of many random toilets) with a big overgrown lot. Walked in and my heart said, "I'm home". (While my brain sat up and said, "Pardon me??")

Debated...debated...debated. It had been on the market for months...no one else was even mildly interested...there had been no other offers...listing was expiring soon.

Debated...debated...debated. Put a low offer in, with a willingness to negotiate.

Offer was rejected flat out. Vendor wouldn't negotiate. Listing expired.

We moved on. Added two more districts to the parameters. Checked out some rental places, just in case.

May 28 - found another house that seemed quite lovely.

May 29 (8:30 PM) - went through the house

May 29 (11 PM) - put an offer in

May 30 (9 AM) - found out there was a bidding war

May 30 (9:15 AM) - put in a better offer, felt certain we would get the house

May 30 (1 PM) - went through a few more houses, "just in case"

May 30 (10 PM) - found out we had bid more than the other guys. Vendor sold to the other guys anyway.

Phoned more rental places. Added another district to the parameters.

June 6 - found another house, very nice, not exactly what we wanted, but again - been on the market forever - maybe there's room for negotiating. Put an offer in.

June 7 - Counter offers.

June 8 - drove through tornado warnings to counter offer again, assuming we were fairly close to an agreement. Turns out we weren't. Offer died.

June 10 - went through another rental. Groaned.

June 11 (9 AM) - decided to go through another house we had decided against a long time ago. Maybe it's better now? Pretty much decided we would probably put an offer in on it that evening. The appointment to see that house once more before offering to buy, was at 5 PM that day.

June 11 (4 PM) - did a drive-by on another new listing that had just come through. No good. We were in the area of the very first house we had offered on, way back in mid-May. We "happened" to drive by. It had a new sign! It was listed again!

June 11 (5 PM) - met our agent at the other house we had been planning to put an offer in on. Asked him about the re-listed "I'm home" house - the price had dropped. We went through the other house anyway.

June 11 (5:45 PM) - told our agent we wanted to offer on the first house again. I started celebrating. Jeff cautioned me. I said, "What could go wrong?"

June 11 (7 PM) - agent phoned. Two other offers are also coming in on this house that no one wanted a month ago. Another bidding war. Nausea set in.

June 11 (8:00 PM) - put in a better offer.

June 11 (8:30 PM) - tried to eat. Didn't care.

June 11 (9:00 PM) - I went to bed, and pulled the covers over my head. Jeff coped much better than me.

June 11 (9:30 PM) - All offers were presented to vendor.

June 11 (10:15 PM) - agent phoned - we got it!!!

June 11 (11 PM) - June 12 (2 AM) - I tried to sleep. Couldn't. Too freaked out by the whole thing.

And now we've gotten through the conditions, and it's all firmed up.

Oh yeah, on June 12, the listing finally came through on our computer, for the house we had already bought.

Meaning...if we hadn't "happened" to drive by when we did, we would have bought a different house, and never have known that the one we really wanted was for sale again.

Random toilet photo (below). Note: if you visit, we will refill the toilet paper, but we cannot provide a door. There's also a regular bathroom, complete with door and sink. But that would be a boring photo.

any guesses? (answer below!)

Jeff and I went for a loooong walk on Monday.

Took some pictures.

Anyone want to venture a guess as to where we were walking?

Also went to the Turkish Festival at Gage Park on Sunday afternoon. Paused to watch an artist at work....

And the answer to the "where were they walking" question is...

The Great Crossfire Personal Tattoo Worship Jamboree

Turns out Kelly was right!

jeff's new tattoo