Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Well, That Was Unexpected

Happy Treason Independence Day to all my American readers. If you haven't already read it, Signing Their Lives Away by Denise Kiernan (a friend of my sister) is a must-read for the holiday. It's entertaining, funny, and informative, and it celebrates the real humans who committed treason in the name of freedom 243 years ago tomorrow.

Now, for a couple of cards after such a long break. These were made over a month ago. I was playing with color layering stamps from Hero Arts. So much has happened since I made these two cards. 


This card was totally inspired by this photo on Pinterest, but June. June happened. I can't remember exactly the thought process that led to this super different version. Still, you can see the connection, I hope. And my signature white-on-white layering. These layers were made with 80lb Neenah Solar White, while the card base is 110lb of the same.



Note that I embossed AND die cut for this card. So out of my usual, but so possible because of Eva's gift of a Cuttlebug. Still so grateful for that! Thanks, Eva!

And then, this card evolved while I had the stamp set out.  The color combo came from a pin as well. Aqua and yellow. What a fresh and fabulous combo.






Okay, so June was a weird month.

First, while in Lakeside, OH, waiting for the start of the commissioning of a friend as a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church*, which was delayed by a tornado warning, I received a text from my hubby saying he was quitting his job. Wow.

That was weird. And wonderful, as George's skill set is in high demand in the Dayton area, so he landed a new job with little effort, no relocation required. He's currently goofing off between jobs, making homemade pierogies and roasted chicken and other yummy things.

Flashback to Father's Day when I woke up and found the carpet squishy underfoot. Basement flood. First, insurance said they wouldn't pay. Then, after a second flood, the restoration company figured out the problem was the sump pump. We have a sump pump rider on our homeowner's policy, so yay! It won't cover everything, but still, yay!

The second flood happened three hours after the restoration team of three big, strong men spent 8 hours ripping out wet carpet pad and floating the carpet with 16 blowers.

The second floating. Magic carpets make me sad, now. This
whole area is empty, awaiting new padding and carpet/baseboard reinstall. 
I completely lost it when I saw the water squirting up between my foundation and the wall of the basement. Squirting! Gushing! It poured through the cleaned out area, with nothing to impede its progress to completely dry parts of the basement. The second flood was worse, completely saturating the entire basement, ruining baseboards and drywall that had been unaffected by the first flood.

Hormones. I'm blaming the hormones for my sobbing phone call to the restoration company to tell them that all their equipment was running in a new flood and ohmygoshweareallgoingtobeelectrocuted!!!!!!

Perimenopausal hot flashes and vacillating between homicidal rage and thumb-sucking fetal  depression rendered me a (literal and figurative) hot mess in the face of the mayhem in my basement. 

Everything is dry now, but we can't move any of the piles of stuff until the restoration company does its repairs, which await insurance company approval, which is delayed by the higher priority of tornado damage in north Dayton from the Memorial Day tornados that did WAY worse damage to already impoverished areas of Ohio.

My craft area. So sad.

One great pile. I've started to go through this and throw away
damaged stuff or old stuff we should have thrown away years ago.

See, Eva. The Cuttlebug is fine.

A small bedroom stuffed with stuff.

The larger basement bedroom, also stuffed full.
What a mess.

Two unfinished areas are similarly chaotic. Our beautiful new sump pump is working away, keeping everything dry.

I'm just grateful we can get this all fixed up.

Mercy, grace, peace, love, and dry basements,
Susan

*The UMC has made national news since its February, 2019, Special General Conference made some unfortunate decisions regarding policies related to LGBTQIA+ inclusion in ordained ministry and same-sex marriage. I'll be weighing in on my religious blog, Transforming Common Days (which hasn't had a new post since 2017), once I can type without either crying or raging...neither of which is very helpful. Or Christ-like. But crying and raging are most definitely hormonal. Ain't perimenopause grand?

Whine over.



12 comments:

  1. Oh, dear,you had so much to deal with lately! And hot flashes make everything so much worse. I still get them, but last year was so much worse, because I had heart palpitations and just didn't feel well overall. I got through it somehow and even lost the 20 pounds I had gained over 4 years. Postmenopause will have other challenges I'm sure, but I feel more positive now.

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    1. I'm so glad you lost weight. It gives me hope. I've regained weight I'd lost and am feeling quite discouraged. It gets better. Yay!

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  3. You've had your hands full, and then some. Hang in there, one day at a time and it's a great release to scream into your pillow. Ask me how I know. Hope your husband's new job works out well and you will soon have a chance to actually enjoy the rest of your summer.

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  4. oh my goodness - I'd be sobbing into a glass of wine - hope you get sorted and fixed very quickly ,Perimenopausal is pretty awful sadly stress will make the hot flashes come even more .Cold to the feet and icecubes to wrists will stop the flush and cool you down .I often had bare feet as a result .take care

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  5. In 2016 you posted one of the (many) most wonderful, evocative cards for the 4th of July. Your text was "Remember their Sacrifice". I confess copying and sending a similar card although I used the word "Cherish". I made it my screensaver this week. Wishing us all the endurance to keep Believing. And freedom from disasters. And friends to get us through.

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  6. I love your cards and am thinking of you and all your problems. Best wishes for you and your hubby as you work through the mess. Cyber hugs too.

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  8. Wow! Your June was really crazy! My 'June' was actually June of last year until June of this year. Too much to get into here, but girl, I feel your frustrations! Your cards are so pretty. Love the white space on each. The whole hormonal thing will pass, just never soon enough for those of us enduring it! Eager to read your Transforming blog post. Good luck to George, and in the meantime, enjoy his wonderful culinary skills! Hope the boys are doing well! Ugh...so sorry about your basement. I don't have that, but am still crafting and living out of boxes due to a spur of the moment move last summer (and the fact that DH says if the old house doesn't sell soon, we will move back into it and sell this one)! See? Crazy days, weeks, months! Great to see you back here posting your gorgeous creations! Will keep praying for things to get better!

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  9. Oh, and thanks for the sump pump rider info...I had no idea we could get that! We have a sump pump at our new place! Will look into that with State Farm!

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  10. The cards are beautiful. I am sorry that your summer began with such an awful flood -- twice. I hope George loves his new job and that the rest of the summer is much much better!! That poor basement level. UGH

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  11. Oh my goodness! You do make a mini disaster seem more bearable with your wonderful writing skills.. Water damage, however, is not a laughing matter...BUT having your husband text you with an "I quit" message was amusing (to me). Not sure how you really absorbed that though! Hang in there with the perimenopause..hopefully you'll do well with the transition...it's much sunnier on the other side!

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!