Sweat Week

Happy 1st Birthday to Steven Reck and a Happy 12th Birthday to Nathan Fox on this Tuesday.

This was sweat week; meaning the heat and humidity combined to result in large quantities of sweat pouring forth from my body. It started Monday when I helped move the widow Elizabeth Edwards, a 93 year old, from her home of 23 years into a one room facility. She looks the same as she did 14 years ago when I first saw her at church: a smiling face and white hair that looked as if she had just come from the beauty salon. Her mind is still sharp as ever, but she has cancer and has decided she is not willing to go through the treatments; she only has a few months to live. So sad.

That afternoon I ended up removing an air conditioning unit from a rental in preparation of installing a new one. Then I spent two hours on the riding mower beating the grass into submission. Then I came home and did the same to our yard. Sweat day number 1.

Tuesday I started working on the bath room of a rental home that just became vacant. It needed a new tub surround, but before the week was over that project grew: the walls got painted, the old flooring removed, new vinyl installed, and new light fixtures. The previous tenant needed a larger home and moved into one managed by our property manager. Her husband had just cleaned the house they moved into, and when he came to look at what needed cleaning at the house they just vacated, he was not happy. On the surface it looked okay; but it wasn’t. He spent at least 12 hours washing walls, floors, appliances, etc. Even with the air condition on, we both were sweating. Sweat day number 2, 3, and 4.

Friday, at that same rental house, I cut back some of the brush growing on the fence line and removed a vine that had managed to camouflage two eight foot pine trees. Made two pick up loads of debris. This was a two shower day. I came home, cleaned up and went to my local Red Cross donation center. I am surprised that people take time to donate; all the associated material to review, the questions to answer – takes 30 minutes to complete before they draw your blood. And that process is only about 10 minutes. I understand the need to provide ‘safe’ blood, but I find the questions frustrating. I came home and spent two hours riding the tractor bush hogging the west pasture. Sweat day number 5.

Saturday I attacked the fence line with the Shindawa; but it said it was too hot at 8:30 to work longer than 15 minutes and quit on me. So I used the other weed whip for an hour and then finished bush hogging the west pasture and then disposed of the burn pile in that area. Sweat day number 6. Sandy returned home from Girls Camp about that time, so it was appropriate for me to call it quits for the day.

This week we had an opportunity to watch two movies. One was loaned to us by a friend and was on the history of the LDS Church in Africa. Interviews were conducted with early African members who, in many instances had prepared congregations for the time when the Church would be established in several African countries. Really an amazing story of faith and patience. A couple of people had suggested watching “Out of Africa”, a movie starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep and based on a true story in Kenya starting about 1913 for a period of 10 (?) years. Beautiful scenery and wildlife.

The chickens have been pretty faithful in producing about three eggs a day. Yes, we know there are four chickens and no, we don’t know which ones are laying. But the eggs are good.