Use what you have

     Even though it was a holiday week and it seemed every day had a family gathering, we were still able to get some work done.

     Here I am struggling to climb the broken front steps back when we first looked at the house. There was a real concern how we were going to repair the steps. The rise was too high and the flights were too short. Beside the fact the concrete was broken and poorly patched.

     New wooden steps were built with wider flights and less rise. This added one more step. I had removed the iron railing from another house when it was inspected. The tap screws into the cement had come loose and I could not get them to tighten down. The railing was not needed to pass code so it was easier to remove the railing than to get it tightened up.I cut them down to fit these steps and there we had free railing. Also half of the wood came off a closed in porch we had opened back up.

     The kitchen floor was the original style laminate. That type did not lock together. The planks had to be glued together. The glue had let loose and the planks had spread. Micah tore them out and the floor went to the landfill.

     We had 4 boxes of Tarkett oak laminate flooring in storage and those went into the kitchen. I do wish I had started on the west side of the room instead of the east. I need to buy a box because I came up 3 planks short of finishing the room. If I had started on the west the 3 planks missing would have been under the stove and I could have just grabbed another style and finished the room. No one would have ever seen the different flooring under the stove.

     There were a couple of pieces missing on the cupboards.

     We had a finished board in storage. I cut it and fixed it in place and there you go the cupboards are fixed.

     Micah had demanded new flooring upstairs just because it had some spots.

     He laid the floor Friday and Saturday

     Saturday afternoon we trimmed the rooms upstairs. It had previously not had trim along the floor or around the doorway. Russ had given us a bunch of trim boards earlier this year and we had more than enough to do the project.

     We used a lot of product out of storage this week. It cuts down on cost and we can use left over items instead of filling the landfill. It is a good feeling to use what you have to improve a house.

     That is a theme I am planning on using next year. Use what you have. I am not thinking of house remodels when I write that. I am thinking of how I live my life. Use the talents that God has given me to build His kingdom. Sometimes we think Oh if I could do this, or if I could do that, I could really work for God. God created each of us and has put all we need in our "storage" all we need to do to work for God, is use what He has already given us.

Everybodies Working?

So I went down to Menards this week to get some flooring and windows. 

     First I went over to the flooring department. A young woman, I would guess she is still under 30 years old, was stacking some cases. I asked if she had any more of that brand. There were only about 12 cartons she was unloading and I needed 27. She didn't appear to hear me, so I asked again. She said, "I will have to check the back of the store, sir." She has always been very helpful in the past so I was kind of surprised she kept unloading the last cartons off the dolly. She then started to leave and I asked again if there was anymore of that flooring. (I knew there was because online it told me there were 61 cases available). She repeated "sir I will have to check the back of the store." 

     Ok like I said she has always been helpful in the past so I started wandering over to where I knew they kept the flooring not on display. I was a bit concerned when she was no where in sight. Another young sales woman asked if I had been helped. 

     "yes , some one is looking for the flooring I need." But I did not see that someone anywhere around, so I quickly said" Maybe you could help me, here is the skew number and I need 27 cases".

     As she was printing the order, she told another worker that the young woman I had first asked had gone on break. I am thinking, WHAT? she tells me she is going to look and goes on break! Really? Then it occurred to me she did not tell me she was going to look she just said she would have to look. See it is all in the details. Always be precise in your language.

      Then I went over and ordered some windows

   After I had the order sheets, I paid and then had to go back to door number 9, You know the one, its, by the Pepsi machine, or is it a Coke machine. I should know that because they tell me every time I go through the gate to the back.

    So I get to door number 9 and a young man is just starting his shift. I have been very fortunate the last few times I loaded out at Menards. Just a few minutes and I am headed back toward the gate. Oh it was not meant to be this week. The young man told me it would be just a minute because he still had to clock in. That means he had to stand and stare at the time clock for several minutes. I am guessing he could not clock in early so he was waiting for just the right moment. Now being a naturally patient man this was just what I wanted in my day, watching the back of someones head as they watched a clock.

     Finally the correct minute must have arrived because he clocked in and was ready and raring to go to work. He took my load out sheets and looked around the warehouse. Then he wisely said "it doesn't look like your order is here yet". Yea, I saw that when I got out of the pickup and it was not making my mood any more pleasant I can tell you that.

     "This might take a bit" He said as he headed toward the flooring department. I am thinking, it shouldn't take too long, but you should have taken a forklift. There was a whole pallet of it setting in the staging area. 2 minutes and you could be back. Why didn't you take a forklift.

    Well 40 minutes later here he comes with a hand cart and my 27 cases of flooring. See that is only 1 and 3/4 minute per case. Not bad eh? So he pulls that cart out by my pickup and we are ready to load. I started putting cases on the pickup and noticed he was not loading quite as fast as I was. I am sure he is less than half my age. I loaded 17 cases while he loaded 10. That might explain why it took a while to load them in the store.

    Now we needed to windows yet. I am thinking I will be at Menards when the sun sets, but just then the window department showed up with the windows.

     Well, he rolled that cart with the windows right out to my pickup and prepared to load them. While he was preparing I put a window on the pickup. Then another, then another. They only had 5 of the windows I needed. I loaded 4 and then took the last window out of his hands, because he was not getting it high enough to get it onto the pickup and I was concerned he was going to break it. He looked like he was in good shape, but I am not sure he is in the right job.

     So all loaded I headed for the gate to check out. I pull up and the woman, (another 20 something age) is sitting in the shack. She does not look up. I thought maybe she is catching up on data entry, but from where i was sitting it looked like she was reading on her cell phone.

     I tried turning up my radio, calling out "hello". I didn't want to be too much of a pain if she was doing data entry for her job, but it still looked like a cell phone to me. Finally I stepped out of the pickup and slammed the door kinda loud.  

     Boy did she jump. "Oh I didn't see you, I was reading about these 3 bucks that locked their antlers and drowned in a creek." That's right she was on facebook while on the job. I am thinking employee of the year material here.

     She continued to tell me about the three bucks and how they were going to mount the antlers. Yea , you know what? I could care less. Check the load and let me out the gate.

     So I am thinking there might be an issue this week with younger workers. Christmas is coming and they have already left on vacation. 

     Speaking of on vacation. The house I am working on now has some interesting electrical work in it.

    This was inside one of the closets. Uhm. you could have run the wires in the wall. The wires that run up to the top box were just going there... because, I guess. 2 of the wires just ran to the top box and back down to the bottom box. 

    One of the wires did run over to this wonderful receptacle. No switch, not even a pull switch on the receptacle. Were they turning the bulb in and out to turn it on and off. Inquiring minds want to know. 

    After this week I am beginning to wonder about the work ethic and capabilities of the work force out there.

   So do you suppose God looks at His workforce here on earth and thinks the same thing about us that I thought of many workers I saw this week? Either slacking off on the job or hopelessly incompetent? 
    Hey it's Christmas and everyone is open to talking about Jesus. Don't waste the opportunities to tell that Jesus was born to save sinners. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him. Tell It!

Someone's at work

     We took possession of a house on November 13. It looked like it needed a lot of work when we bought it and there were a few surprises as we worked on it.

     One of the nastiest surprises was when I realized that although there was a modern and fairly new breaker box there was still some ancient electrical wiring in the house. I had to call Rich for help with that problem. It took Dan and Drew a couple of days to figure out how to get the lights to work, once the old wiring was removed.

 

   Wednesday afternoon the 12th of December I walked out of the house and rented it on Thursday. 2 weeks ahead of schedule.

    The kitchen was kinda sketchy when we bought the house.

    A couple of the drawers were broken

     Drawers taken apart, glued and refastened. 3 coats of paint on the doors, rails and drawers and it looked a lot better

 

     There are plenty of cupboards but you either have to be 7 foot tall or have a ladder handy to reach half of them.

     When I turned on the water, I found the toilet was broken. That is to be expected in a house bought out of foreclosure. We always put the price of a new toilet in the estimated repair costs.

     Lookee there! A new toilet and new flooring underneath it.

     I thought the whole bathroom turned out decent. Sharon is not so sure. I think she would have preferred to have the shower tiled. Sure that would have made the whole thing look more upscale, but let's remember, I rented the house in less than a day after it was ready.

     Sometimes when walking out of a house it is difficult to remember just how bad it was when we started.

     We gave away the old front door. I know there are many who would think that old door with the beveled glass was really great. I like doors that seal and you can not see daylight around them. We throw away a lot of antique doors. If you want one, contact me. I am sure we will be throwing more away in the future. I think they look great in someone else's house. 

     The ceiling fan in the dining room quit while we were working on the house. Joe and Elise had replaced their ceiling fan and given their old one to us. I have a confession to make. I honestly dropped that thing 3 times while trying to get the screws in to install it. The first time it crashed to the floor. I was on the ladder thinking well that baby is shot now. Then I looked at it and saw that the glass flutes had survived. That thing was so heavy I was not going to put it up and then find out it wouldn't work because some fool dropped it. Now kids don't do this at home. I held onto the fan and pushed the wires into an outlet. There I was holding the light. I pulled the light chain and it lit up. Wow the lights survived the fall. Then I pulled the fan chain. Yes! that baby took off spinning. There is some force when a fan starts to spin. I was desperately trying to pull the wires out of the outlet before I got caught up in the fan. As you can see I succeeded because I am typing this now. Yea me!!

     It is amazing how fixing holes in walls and a new coat of paint changes a room.

    I did leave the Pepsi motif. 

     I had to make 2 trips to the landfill to get rid of all the old carpeting.

     We always remove carpeting. Who wants to live on someone else's carpet. The mere thought of it makes me a bit queasy.

   The 3 seasons room on the back of the house was piled high with old carpet. Looks a lot better emptied and cleaned.

    Thursday I loaded up tools and started moving everything to the next house. It was time to start painting again.

     Started on the bathroom on this house. I just hated the brown in the bathroom. It had to go first thing.

   Much better look. 

     I had thought we would leave the carpet in the upstairs bedroom. I know I just wrote that we never leave carpet.

    Well Micah had some input on the carpet. He tore it out today and threw it in front of the house slated for the landfill.

     By this evening most of the interior of the house is painted. Well, except for the kitchen and the hallway. So we have a good start.

     So we finished a house and started on another house this week. Just a mundane story, right? Well let me tell you about the couple that rented the house. They are living in a house that the city is about to shut down. The owner is not in compliance with code. 

     I was sitting at my computer putting the house on-line available for rent when our land line phone rang. They were calling because they needed a house. After we met and they went through the house, I told them they could rent it.

     Jared said to me, "You are a God-send" 

     I said "I take that very seriously. I get a call just as I am about to list the house. That doesn't just happen." I found out they were baptized in March. God was taking care of them. We finished the house 2 weeks early. They called just when it was finished. The rent on this house is even cheaper than where they are living now.

    There are many who would say it was just a coincidence. I think we only get to see God at work if we open our eyes and watch for His action. God is caring for His people daily.

     We are coming up on Christmas. The day we remember when God came to this world to save His people, and He is still active and working today!

Generation after generation.

This is a picture of my father Arie Spoelstra sitting on the steps of my Great Grandparents house north of Pella. My Great Grandfather was Arie Boot.

     I have been told what the model of this car is that my dad is sleeping on the running board but I forget. There is a man I could ask but he would spend at least 2 hours, not only telling me the make model and year of the car but also the whole history of the family, so I am not going to ask.

 Dad grew up and got married and had children. (I know mom did also, let me tell the story the way I want to OK?)

     I don't remember our house looking like this, but it must have, when I was small because I am standing in front of the house before there was a front porch and there was still a window on the south west upstairs. Anyway I grew up and got married. (I know, I know Sharon did also but I am still telling the story OK?)

 We had children.

    Three boys.Joshua, Micah, and Matthew.

  

     And they grew up. 

     I am going to have to ask Joshua if I helped him tie a tie. Here I am helping Micah get ready for something where he needed a tie

    Ditto for Matthew. (I am sure this was not the same year and yet I am wearing the exact same clothing. If it fits why buy something new, right?) I am hoping I did more than just teach them how to tie a tie. Maybe imparted a little wisdom of how to live, as my father taught me.

      Joshua married Casey and here we are in Northeast Iowa a couple of years back.

     This summer when we went to Northeast Iowa we had 2 more young women traveling with us.

     This year at Thanksgiving we have 2 weddings coming at us like a Mack truck down the highway. (Sharon's parents are in this picture) Micah and Linsey are planning a January 5 wedding and Matthew and Meagan are planning on March 30. 

     Generations keep moving on and we are celebrating. It was great fun when our boys were little and it is great fun now that they are grown. Time does not stand still and in Sharon and my life it is a time of change and moving to a new parameter. What fun!! Celebrate and rejoice with us!!