A Bit More Siding

Today, my mom came over and after a few minor setbacks, she and I managed to get two rows of siding up. We were feeling fairly proud of ourselves. We would have done more, but working off ladders was getting a bit uncomfortable.

Siding

So... we started on the siding this weekend. Friday night, I had visions of us slapping up the entire west wall the next day, but we didn't even come close. After a run to Lowe's Saturday morning, it took all day for us to cut, paint, and put up the trim on two windows. Sunday morning, we started the siding in earnest. Again, I was hoping to help get the ball rolling, then take a break and head to church or something. But as we didn't have a roofing nailer, we were hand-nailing every piece; and those fiber cement boards are really heavy, so it took the two of us a concentrated effort to put up each piece. By noon, we'd only gotten three rows done. I figured it would probably take us the rest of the year to get the siding up at the rate we were going, so I was (easily) able to convince Chris to stop in at Harbor Freight on Monday and pick up a cheap nail gun. Things should go more quickly now.

Finley dressed up her stuffed hamster, Scamper, to match her own outfit today. Scamper's outfit included a Barbie skirt, a little ribbon barrette for her hair, and a necklace that matched Finley's.

Today was farm day for the kindergarteners at school. Last week, they sent a note home asking if we had any farm animals we wanted to bring to show the kids. I was a little hesitant, thinking that there would probably be a truckload of people bringing farm animals since we live out here in the country.

I decided to offer to bring Isadora, our blue Polish hen. I named her after my grandmother, since they seem to share the same white, round, fluffy head of hair. I figured at least if there were other chickens, at least Isadora would be a different kind of chicken...

Turns out there weren't as many people bringing animals as I thought there would be. Out of about 100 students, only seven families brought animals. There were handful of chickens, one duck, one rabbit, a few goats, a horse, a calf, and two miniature horses.

Needless to say, Isadora and her funny feathers were quite the hit.

Maybe when Z in in kindergarten two years from now, I'll have a pig to bring, too.

I have been thinking lately about the act of receiving. I know the bible says somewhere that "It is better to give than to receive", but I have the feeling that was meant for an audience that struggled with greed and selfishness more so than pride.

There is something in those of us that are proud that wants to reject a 'gift' if we feel we can provide that thing for ourselves or are ashamed that we can't. Whether it is something in the physical, like money, or something abstract, like forgiveness, it takes a certain amount of humility to receive.

When we are able to finally receive well, without either the greed of a kid on Christmas morning that just wants more or the embarrassment of feeling that others are giving to meet some sort of deficiency in ourselves, we are able to truly experience love.

And that's really the goal of life, isn't it: To be able to love and be loved without our personal issues getting in the way?