Blog adjustments, I hope they help.

Dear Family and Friends,
How I love knowing Friday is over, the weekend with its blessings and rest are here. I firmly believe our Maker knew what He was doing when He included a Sabbath Rest in the weekly cycle. I have experienced many blessings this week and I'm sure you have as well. Highlights for me include: Art coming to visit, riding shotgun with me for work, giving me a real boost with the clean garage and a place to park the bug and the many other tasks he accomplished while he was here. Several appraisal orders have come in this week, enough to keep me somewhat busy and in the process my mind has been busy. The doctor appointment with Jim went well and laid a foundation for several health enhancing things to come. My fragile tooth no longer hurts like it did but of course needs a lot more repairs. I started attending a grief group. I've finally learned how to use the remote control, Nan and Marilyn would just take it away from me and find their own channels but they both are away so in desperation I am mastering this devious device. I've started eating very differently than in the past and some weight has already dropped off. I've walked three times this week including one Art led expedition around Willow Lake which I'm sure is about 10 miles but Art says, no, only 2 or so. My little car has made it another week and its grill has not totally fallen off yet but is hanging by a couple plastic ties. The dogs no longer go outside to potty having found it is much more pleasant indoors, errrr. The kitchen sink can no longer be used, it has some sort of leak that put lots of water on the floor on the night when Art was here. Together we took every thing out from under the sink and found a plastic tray which was full of water. So now the doors stand open and a little heater is trying to dry out the area once again. Some day soon I will turn the water back on and watch for the leak, then with expert skill and cunning repair it ( hope). Gradually the house is taking on the character of a home where a single guy lives. Vital things like clean clothes, towels, a worn out Christmas tree are all standing in their places waiting for further contact. Everywhere there are projects waiting for their turn but with no honey do list they continue to wait. Christmas flowers are beginning to drop their colorful leaves, do they need water or something? Numerous extension cords cross and criss cross the floor in the office since they have not yet been removed and Starr is lurking nearby in hopes that I might decide she is worthy of a treat or two. Lady has assumed one of the pillows Nan used to use as her new bed under Nan's old desk and every available flat surface in the office has stacks of vital papers, stacks that would immediately fall if a wind came through. However progress has been made. The overhead light has new bulbs, this became an issue when the last of the 4 bulbs burned out leaving a very dark room which is precarious since there are so many items on the floor like laptop case (fresh from Hawaii) file cabinets, tax boxes, etc to fall over.
Everywhere I look beckons, please throw me away, please shred me, please file me, please read me, please pay me, please, please.... Well at least life is not boring.
For those of you who still use your furnaces a word of advice, quit. In just a few days your body will adjust to numbing cold, your toes no longer hurt when you bump something, you forsake the robe for sweats as robes leave legs to freeze, if in desperation you let the dog sit in the chair with you, amazing how much heat the little buggers can put out. Furnaces waste money and create a false sense of security, living here means you don't care if a door is open since the air inside and out is the same temperature. Coats no longer are luxury devices, now they are essentials for survival. Did you know even microwaves put off heat while they are on? I didn't know that until recently. In this house it is easy to tell if something you are about to eat is warm or not, you can tell by the steam rising. The refrigerator no longer cycles on, no point. I am embracing winter and should I live until spring I will then thaw out and move on. At night blankets no longer are a choice, they are a vital link to slumber and Starr no longer sleeps on the blankets, she burrows under the blankets and presses so hard against my back that she almost pushes me out of bed. In the morning I know its cold when I see her breath steam rising.
Towels no longer dry during the day unless it gets real cold and then they freeze dry. I used the jetted tub once but the water cooled so fast the joy was quickly gone.
Yes I suppose I might consider one more furnace repair person but I feel sorry for these guys. They come, pass their magic wand over the unit and it lights and heats the house to 80 degrees, they declare it fixed and go away. It works until its time for it to start up again and something is missing, the ability for the aging piece of junk to light again. Unless the repair person is willing set up camp next to the furnace and wait we may never get it fixed. We are working on the third winter without it working so there is no real rush this time. Now its just me and I'm learning to like the cold and if I get too cold I just go get in the car and drive around, that heater still works.
Tomorrow I'm going to Lodi Fairmont church to see the new remodeling that has been done and to enjoy the worship hour, then I'm going to hook up with Bob and Carrol, return the wonderful ramps they graciously loaned us and have some lunch nearby. Keanna has a busy social schedule tomorrow so we can't do Sabbath School this time.
As I've exercised, cut way back on the wrong foods, cut the amount of food way back and included lots of water in my days the old mind is starting to wake up. I've taken baby steps toward a better life and I really appreciate the encouragement you've given.
So tonight I thank you for caring and my prayer is that this will be a special time for you and your family to enjoy life together.

love

tim
ps I've found there are several pages of settings for the blog I never knew about before. Jason did the set up in a tiny hotel room in Boston last time. I hope the changes I have made will allow you to comment without the hassles you have been experiencing. Please let me know.