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...
