Every time I walked into the room, I smiled. Every.single.time. It didn't hurt that the view was breathtaking and the company delightful... or that the food was "to die for" – but I smiled because I experienced the JOY of Simplicity. Rather than filling the dining room at The Cliffs Preserve (Patagonia, Chile) with an overabundance of flowers and "expected" table decor, the staff practiced what is perhaps a tablescaper's best kept secret: ... Keep Reading...
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The Gardens: Old House Renovation Story
Over the past few weeks, I've shared with you our Old House Renovation Story. You saw the rebuilding of the front porch – and the house itself. You saw the garage/Mudroom addition. If you missed any of the tour, you'll find links listed at the bottom of this post. Today, I'll show you the back patio and some of Renaissance Man's gardens. Fortunately, our century-old house came graced with several beautiful trees (oak, white dogwood, redbud, magnolia) and a few pretty plants (Lily of the Valley, holly, old roses). Beyond that, virtually everything in the yard was added over the past seven years. Plantings... Fencing... Brick patio... We're told there was once a brick mill behind our house, and we found evidence ... Keep Reading...
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Feeling discouraged? Read on…
Bom dia (Good morning) from Brazil! The last time we were together here at My Place, I wrote about young girls in Chile... but I've spent the past week in Brazil with the kids at Hope Unlimited for Children. The days have been long – and the nights short – but we've accomplished a lot. We introduced the children and staff to two prospective Board candidates – and gave the candidates an "up close and personal" look at the organization. We welcomed two women from an El Salvadoran residential care facility (as well as a mutual donor) – and trained them to use our highly-successful graduate transition program with their own students. We're still working with a world-class photographer and his ... Keep Reading...
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Faces of Chile
I didn't expect to see it in Chile but it was there... in facial features, names, and architecture: the influence of Germany The town of Los Muermos, Chile, population 6,000, is located in a rural municipal district of 16,000 people. The majority of the population is poor, but – in drastic contrast to what we see in Brazil – they show great pride in ownership. Notice the clean appearance of these homes and the sidewalks surrounding them. Renaissance Man and I were invited to Chile specifically to visit this little town... and to meet some girls there. What beautiful memories we made! From our own experience as parents of two daughters to our work with Hope Unlimited for Children, one thing I know for certain: No ... Keep Reading...
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The Mudroom: Old House Renovation Story
What's the next chapter in our Old House Renovation Story? The Mudroom It's not a very glamorous topic, I don't suppose, but the addition of the Mudroom to our old house was actually inspired – if I do say so myself. The conversation began because the house was built in 1907, and in the 99 years thereafter, no covered parking was ever added. As much as my Renaissance Man travels, he wanted an attached garage to add another layer of peace of mind for himself and Yours Truly. I really appreciated that – and staying out of the rain and cold! Fortunately, there was plenty of room at the back of the house to add a 2-car garage. It sounds like an easy enough project, but what I've never told you is ... Keep Reading...
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Why is it so hard to let others bless us?
I come from a family of blessers. Not the "Bless your heart" kind, although they're around me, too. I'm talking about good people who do things to bless others. I learned from the best. And so I'm a blesser, too. I enjoy doing "little things" (or big ones, when possible) to bless other people. But I've noticed that we blessers often have a problem: We have a hard time letting others bless us. Since last Friday, Renaissance Man and I have been on the receiving end of the blessings spectrum. Big blessings. Never-imagined blessings. One hundred percent undeserved blessings. We've had lots of opportunities to practice gratitude. A member of a Hope Unlimited for Children partner church in South ... Keep Reading...
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Upstairs Bedrooms: Old House Renovation Story
Welcome to My Place to Yours™ and the continuation of our Old House Renovation Story. We've already seen the downstairs rooms and the mid-level bathroom. If you missed any of those parts of the story, the links are added below this post. Today we're headed the rest of the way upstairs. In reality, I'm listening to the roar of the surf and sitting in front of a fire at the most wonderful villa in Puerto Varas, Chile! More about that soon; just wanted to mention it now so Mom and Dad will know we actually did make our flight out of Bogota'! When I first laid eyes on the upstairs landing, it was wrapped in very old flocked wallpaper. Renaissance Man said it looked like a bordello and should go. But I loved it – ... Keep Reading...
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Leaving it all behind…
We thought it was fixed... The waterfall-of-a-leak that drained through the Upstairs Bathroom floor into the Dish Pantry below. I repainted the shelves, washed the dishes, and put them all away. We were wrong. The waterfall came back. I was proud of myself for not adding tears to the overabundance of moisture. Renaissance Man turned off the water and called the plumber – weeks ago – but it's been a cold Winter here, and our problem was not in the league with that of some of our neighbors, so we waited our turn. ... Keep Reading...
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Upstairs Bathroom: Old House Renovation Story
Welcome back to the next chapter in our Old House Renovation Story. So far, you've seen all of the downstairs except the mudroom; I'll show you that later when we head out to the back yard. If you missed previous posts, they're all listed below this one. Once again, let's start today in the Living Room where you've just stepped in the front door. The staircase in this 1907 house is straight across the room in front of you. ... Keep Reading...
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Mailbox surprise
It was an unexpected surprise. An unexpected blessing. I opened the mailbox to see a large brown paper envelope with a Colorado return address. Inside was love. A young teacher friend had shared the story of our girls in Brazil with her 5th grade class. The students were fascinated that children their age could live on the streets without parents – and eager to create Valentines for Hope's girls. Some even looked up Portuguese phrases online. Then, in her note, my young friend said, "thank you for giving us this small way of serving/loving others – and introducing my kids to real needs". Yeah, this gal's a keeper! Aren't her students lucky? Obviously her Mama and Daddy did ... Keep Reading...
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The Master Suite: Old House Renovation Story
As we pick up our ongoing Old House Renovation Story, we're once again standing in the Living Room near the front door. Renaissance Man's Study is to your right. Across the room, to the left of the stairs, is the Master Bedroom. The Master Bedroom Even in these poor excuses for pictures, you can tell: This room was a mess! I'm not exactly sure the original function of the space, but it contains the house's only existing fireplace – and it's still coal-burning. We don't use it. The (too) dark wood fireplace surround with its stained glass doors would not have been added in 1907 when the house was built, but it is quite old. The floral wallpapered ceiling, 1970s paneling, and cheap "Tiffany" lamp left a lot to be desired ... Keep Reading...
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Weekend wondering…
Last night Renaissance Man and I attended the annual CASA (Court Appointed Advocates for Children) banquet, and I officially checked the "I want to be a CASA volunteer" box on the contribution card. God help me. I have so much to learn... about the courts, children's realities, myself. We heard numbers: 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S. 86 children in our two-county region have received CASAs 50 CASA volunteers needed in our region; we had 10 I guess now we need 39 more... Last night Renaissance Man and I returned home to a disturbing phone message: THIS IS A LOST PET AMBER ALERT. On February 18, your neighbor, Jennifer, lost "Carson" – a Rottweiler/Doberman mix. If you find him, please call ... Keep Reading...
