I'm Still Alive

WOW it's been a long time since I've written anything. A lot has happened, but being tired like I am tonight what I have to share is not very clever, just an update on the things going on for me right now.

I am now officially moved into my new place, and slowly unpacking, not because I like having all my stuff in boxes, because I really hate that. But more because I'm trying to figure out where everything should go. Last week I discovered that the shelves that were left behind for the "pantry" were only cut large enough for them to fit in between the opposing walls, not the actual brackets that they should go between. Argh, it was very agravating. So I went down to Home Depot to see what I could work out. Normally the HD in my town is sub par when it comes to customer service. However, I came accross a helpful guy that was able to have some particle boards cur down for me and they've worker perfectly! I still need to find a way to make room for all the various GF flours I have though. For some reason sticking them on the shelf next to the bathroom just doesn't seem kosher. Other than that things seem to be coming together. I have another couple refurb projects that I'm going to get started as well, but I'll post on those on my other blog.

Riley is trying to get used his new home and we've come up against some issues, but I'm hoping that he starts to get over those as he starts to get more comfortable in his new home. Right now I think I'm more of an food resource for him than anything else, but he loves his walks in the afternoon and his squeeking Kong toy, oh and peanut butter. It's hilarious to watch him lick his chops when he gets going.

Well I hope that can suffice for now. More to come when I can think clearly.

Purging & Packing

This weekend has been a whirlwind of packing activity, not just me, but my roommate as well. Seeing as I have another couple weeks here I thought it advantageous to not make it more hectic around here than necessary. So tonight starts the first efforts to officially purge my stuff. You know all that little petty clutter that eventually ads up to a lot of petty clutter. The trechery of idle papers or receipts that just accumulate out of "know where". You know what I'm talking about. Especially us ladies, our purses are full of them, but I digress.

At first I thought that getting rid of stuff would be hard. Don't get me wrong, it's no picnic as far as time invested is concerned, however, with each decision I make in what goes or stays I find myself leaning more to the going, rather than the staying. You know like all those projects I was gonna start, but only got half way with...GONE. Those clothes that I just know I'm going to fit into again...GONE.

Some decisions have been given a little more thought. Like my sewing machine. Once upon a time when I was a younger me I was actually learning this skill. But then the lady that was teaching me up and left her husband and that was the end of the lessons. I bought my sewing machine a few years ago, with the honest intention of re-learning, but the business of school and Bible Institute and that little thing called time has kept it at bay. So I had decided to get rid of it, until my friend Kim said that she would teach me. So it stays. Which is good because I've had a long designed project in my mind to take my old Navy uniforms and turn them into a quilt. It can be very cathartic to turn something that was a source of stress and angst into something that is useful and hopefully beautiful too. Yeah that's just dripping with irony because as anyone associated with the military knows that to beautify a uniform is pretty difficult. Stay tuned.

Another dificult decision, and one that I'm still up in the air on is my hope chest. Really people before I get an onslaught of advice on this one I REALLY don't have the room. My place is small and so I must decorate vertically, and a hope chest can take up a lot of room. I'm going to hang onto it at least until I get there just to see (Nicki's mom's advice). If it works maybe I can turn it into something that will have a dual purpose, like a window seat, but if not it's gonna have to go. It's nice for storage, but it's not like anyone built it for me so there's no sentimental value to it, and if I think about it for too long a single 31 year old woman with a hope chest just seems kinda sad. Even though it mostly olds memories from my childhood and not things that I would use when I get married.

Surprisingly easy to decide what goes was some other of my furniture items. My Kitchen table, my coffee & end tables, my desk & large bookshelf to start with. The other night I was on Craigslist and I found a woman who is trying to make a fresh start with her and her sons (no I don't know the whole story there) but she posted a listing asking for some of the items that I had available and so I contacted her and am hoping that I can find a friend with a truck that is willing to help with that. Paying it forward I guess you could say since I was given a free W&D last week. But it felt satisfying to make that decision and to know that those items will be appreciated.

Purging and packing. Because I can't take it with me when I go. Matthew 6:19-21 - Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Hook Ups

One of the benefits of my new abode is the fact that it has washer & dryer hook-ups. If you're the average renter you know how rare this benefit can be. I have a washer & dryer in my current appartment and it has been such a treat over the past year. I was devastated at the prospect of giving that up. And I never really thought that I'd be able to find another place with that benefit that I could afford, at least not without huge sacrifices in other areas of my everyday life, except that when I saw my new place and that it did have the W&D hook-ups I was pleased, but it would be a while before I could afford a set (even a used one) right?

I'm happy to give a resounding NO to that question.

Some time ago, in the throws of my bereavement in having to look for a new place, I was sharing my angst with Sarah, a friend & co-worker, and she asked me if I had any "absolutes" only list of desires on places to look at. Now her question was completely reasonable, and asked in a genuine way because she just wanted to try and help me look at the good possibilities, rather than the horrid dilemma of what awaited me in apartment hunting. However, I have long given up holding out for "absolutes" within the prospect of anything regarding something that isn't mine, which includes renting a property. It's a reality that I came to accept a long time ago when I first started living in apartments. Unless the property is your own you really can't hold out for much demanding, and in depending on where you live even hoping, for a whole lot. That may sound sad to some of you, but being the pragmatic person that I am it just seems best to find the best that you can for what you can afford and make the best out of it. Setting "absolute" standards on that account just don't work well and only serve to be a disappointment when you think about what you would rather have, instead of what God has blessed you with, Philippians 4:11 - Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. Now one day if I'm able to settle down into a home purchase, there will be things that I would like to have (2 words: IKEA kitchen), but until that day comes I believe my outlook is the sanest one for me at this point.

But I did indulge in a private thought or two of things that would be nice: possibly a pet and possibly a W&D were on there, but I dared not linger to long there.

Well, if you read my last post you already know that I am able to get a pet & there were W&D hook-ups, but now to get a washer & dryer. How long that would take only time would tell depending on cost and what was available on Craigslist. Well today I got to find out how long that wait would be.

A few weeks ago Sarah told me that she was using her W&D set as a bonus for people to come & look at the apartment that she no longer was renting, but that if they didn't need it then she wanted me to have it, free! Well last night she got the call that her old apt had been rented. And since they weren't needing the W&D she told me today that I could have it.

Now...no lie...in a 500ft2 space that W&D is gonna be in close quarters, however I HATE washing my clothes at the laundry mat; and while I know that friends would probably let me use theirs, but they need to wash clothes too and I always feel like I'm imposing, unless it's at my friend Kali's. What I'm sayin' is that it's just nice to have hook-ups in life, with friends and appliances. A humble thank you goes to the Lord for paying attention to the "little things", and a special thanks to Sarah for her generosity.

And for any of you that may be interested here is my dream IKEA kitchen: brushed nickle appliances, white cabinetry, a sky blue paint job, and black marble couter tops that SPARKLE!!! Literally, they really do.

New Diggs

So as I mentioned in my last post I've found a new place to call home. And below are just a few pics. It's small, a whopping 500ft2. It's the smallest space that I've lived in since being out of the Navy, and usually that space was shared with another person. But this one will be all mine.

It's also a period that I'm using to get rid of my STUFF (I'm gonna come up with a mnemonic device for that word...standby). But if I can't use it, I gotta loose it. And then there's this one that I like, because it's a play on Johnny Cochran's closing argument from the OJ trial..."If it doesn't fit, it's got to git". HAHAHA

At first the thought of it freaked me out a little, but now that I've accepted it I'm looking forward to the challenge and have plans for it, but more on that later. Pros for the new place...1) A yard, because it's a duplex, 2) I have the opportunity to get a DOG!!!, 3) Pergo flooring, so no creepy formerly used rug to deal with, 3) A smaller space to clean, 4) Washer & Dryer hook-ups and 5) Close to work again (this time I may even walk since I won't have any hills to climb). Now trust me the pics make it look bigger than it is, but here are a few below for your voyeur pleasure.

My Yard

Small Living Room

Tiny Kitchen

Micro Closet
(no really it's only as big as it looks,
behind those doors there is no extra storage space)

Well anyway, all this change has inspired me to start a new blog. Now normally I'm not all into the whole "working multiple blogs angle" of blogging, but this new endeavor has me thinking that of the specific niche that this lifestyle offers and what kind of creative adventure there are to be had from it (who knows I may even write a whole post on the challenge that the closet offers). I don't have anything posted yet, but if small space living and my adventure of using space creatively sounds like an interesting topic to you cruise on over to A Cozy Place and become one of my first followers and then you can join in the adventure from the beginning.

I'm still keeping this blog going though for all my random thoughts and experience in this life I enjoy, Just As I Am.

There's always a price to pay

Well, the apartment search continues. I thought that I had found one tonight, but every instinct in me is screaming NO!!! Why??? Becuause the price may just be to high. I'm not talking about the monatary price, no that's price is quite ideal. There's another price to be paid that may be just to much, and that price is the cost of my own peace.

I've work hard to let my armor down over the past few years, to not walk around with my defenses up all the time. And you know what? I like it. Scratch that, love it! It's very liberating to not have to be on guard all the time. To know that the people that encompass my life are trust worthy and that my friends are not just friends, but family. But if I choose this new place to call "home" all that could be in jeapordy. I REALLY don't want to have to move again until I get married.

Moving is a hassle, and I don't want to move again after this unless I know that there is a purpose to it. For example: 1) I get married. Now there's a purpose I can get behind. Moving is very necessary in order to estabish a family and home together; 2) My future husband is a missionary. Now I don't know that to be a fact because there is no one in my life at this point, but moving would definitely be necessary in order to GO to the people that the Lord has called him, and really us, to; 3) The Lord provides me with a job somewhere else in the world (this is also not in the cards at this point), but again neccessary because I would have to move to work. Right now I just feel like a vagabond, moving just to move, and I hate that feeling. If I wanted that feeling to persist I would still be in the Navy letting them drag me every which way they desired. I like the feeling of staying put, having a community to go to and knowing what to expect. I'm a person that likes rules, and knowing what the expectations are and rising to the occasion to meet them. I do well with a clearly defined purpose and moving from place to place randomly impedes upon that.

There's always a price to pay for that thing that you want, but at what cost? For me, for now, that's a cost that seems just to high.

Apartment Pics

Here are some pics of the new place, sans furniture. I'm still waiting for help moving the big stuff but slowly my things are making it over there, with Sandi's help. I'll post more once I'm settled.

Living room...the walls are actually a very nice neutral brown

Yay!!! I can do my laundry w/o leaving home!

As you can see there is plenty of counter space

A mirror over the sink. . .
so that I can still be a part of the conversation when I'm busy

View from the living room

New Apartment

I've started, and then stopped, so many posts over the past few months that I don't know where to start. So I guess I'll start with my latest exploit and just simply start over.

I AM MOVING!!!

I'm sooo looking forward to what the Lord has in store for me during this next stage of my life. Out with the old and in with the new! Seriously, where I live now was a good starting point for me after the Navy. I got to be separated away from the Navy town for a little bit and it was a place for shelter and warmth. The Lord provided it for me at a time when I was very uncertain about what the future held for me. After a long time in the Navy they like to brain wash you into thinking that you can't do anything without them, but I have a Saviour who says " for with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27) Faith is believing what the Word of God says and then acting upon it, which is exactly what I've done, or at least tried to do over the past 5 years that I've been out of active duty. And so I venture to do the same thing now.

If you've read some of my past posts you've seen the issues I've had with windows, and stoves, and mold (oh my)! The last thing that happened was a few weeks ago as I was getting ready to wash my face the faucet on my sink busted off. You guessed it. Water everywhere! Not FUN! I made my trouble call on a weekend so I knew it wasn't going to get tended to until Monday, but that came and went, and then so did Tuesday and Wednesday (in fairness to the property manager he did say that the plumbers would be around one of those 3 days and that he would have them stop in and fix it then). However, once Thursday came that was it. I didn't mind using my kitchen sink for teeth brushing and what not, because I did have water, it was just a major inconvenience. So when I called the prop manager he had already thought it was done, so it got to it. But after that I started praying about how I could get a new place. I didn't have the $ to start over yet by myself, and as far as I knew no one else was in the market for a room mate (see if I'm going to be living with anyone else they have to share the same faith that I, which is not an easy prerequisite to fill). Meanwhile, the Lord had me make some really hard decisions, or at least they felt like that at the time, about the direction that I was going in my life. Things just seemed to start piling up, I was ridiculously tired all the time, and the joy that I was previously experiencing in my ministries was waning. Something was seriously out of whack with my spirit and it had to get fixed. Through a series of seemingly non related messages that were being preached at church, the Lord showed me what was wrong, which was not what I wanted to see. I was in denial, but I knew that as long as I stayed there "my fruit" would start to rot and that's never any good for a Christian's growth. So I handed it over, begrudgingly at first (I'm not that spiritual), but as I started to gain encouragement from my friends and my devotions,since they were finally starting to get through to me, the more settled I became in my, or rather His, decision for my life.

Which brings me to the past few weeks. Last month Sherri, Steve, Sandi, and myself were the last once standing at the VIP fellowship, when I heard Sandi mention that she had put in a chit for her housing allowance, which meant that she would be moving out of the barracks and out in town. Hmmm, wonder if she wants a roommate? So I volunteered to drive her to the base since he car was inop so we could talk. The conversation was casual at first. Just basically what do you think and lets pray about it. Well nothing more came of it until last week, when Sandi got her approved chit back and sent me an email asking me what's up with being roomies? Well my initial inclination was that since there was a 2 bedroom over in another part of my complex that was open that we could just roll over my security deposit to that place. Ummm, NO. We looked at it on Monday and it was to small. Seriously, my bed would have been my room and in any other home these days Sandi's room would be a walk in closet. Time to start from scratch then. Since Sandi had the day off she sent to work and I told her to go talk to Ginger, a friend of ours that does property management in town. So she did and not an hour later I get a very excited from Sandi telling me that she found 2 places for me to look at when I get off of work. So I looked them up online during a break, both seemed OK, she liked one and I liked the other. Turns out she was right. The place we're moving into has, drum roll please. . .

1) BRAND NEW CARPET (I can't remember the last time I had the joy of brand new carpet. Shoes will definitely be coming off in this place)
2) A washer and dryer (I've been living off the kindness of my friends for the past few years using theirs, but they all have their own families and so I feel largely like I'm imposing most of the time. Ahhh, no more of that)
3) 900ft2 of space and an immaculate bathroom to-boot. And the counter space is more than adequate, complete with an open counter space so at to look into the living/dining rooms.

I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait for a couple days for the photos because I wasn't thinking of that when I went to look at the place, because frankly I wasn't planning on being wooed by the carpet. The next day Sandi and I put in our applications and were both approved. She'll be moving in first, because I still have to give notice to my current property manager on moving out, but my stuff will slowly be matriculating over there. . .to my new home.

When the Lord answers prayer He really answers! And His blessings don't miss a beat either! All in His timing of course. But it seriously helps the process if we are willing to be obedient to His directions. I mean what Father enjoys rewarding a disobedient child? None that I know of. When I was disobedient a spank or grounding was swift to follow. No, dear readers; Trust and obey for there's not other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.

Wonder what other blessing lay around this years corners?! Only time, and a mailable heart, will tell.

Unexpected Praise

I've lived in my apt for a little over 3 years now. Of course it's been the first place that I've gotten on my own and so there have been many learning curves along the way dealing with different property managers. This latest set of property managers have been pretty decent. They at least care about trying to make improvements to the property so that it can be habitable. Don't get me wrong it's no slum, but there are definitely improvements that need to be made since it's an old building. I'm guessing at least 25 years.

Anyway, today I was home for lunch and I got a knock on my door. Unless I'm expecting someone a knock on the door usually means one of two things. It's either the UPS man, and I haven't ordered anything, or it's Mormons. As I walked toward the door I was anticipating the later and what I would say to them to get them to go away, but to my relief it was one of the ladies from my property managers office with two construction guys. She said that there was a problem with the apt downstairs and that he was dealing mold, of which I am allergic, and so they wanted to see about my outer walls as well as his. Turns out I have the same problem:(

However, what this does mean is that my neighbor and myself will be getting new walls and windows, both in the front and back, of our apartments. Hopefully, within the next few weeks. My windows right now are super cheap and sweat a lot whenever it turns cold outside. What this also means is that this will probably just spiral down to a savings in my heating bill!!! I'll let you know how it all progresses. Suffice it to say I wasn't expecting this today, but it's still a praise all the same.

My friends might want to be on standby as I might need a place to stay.