Five Things

1. Mom and Dad were so helpful last weekend – they watched the girls while we moved thousands of books on Saturday night. They watched Disney movies and read stories and played with the girls. Dad also did an electrical project at the shop on Sunday while Mendy picked up Mom & Cate & Jane and took them to church and then out to lunch with Nana. It was nice to have them here although I would like a repeat visit on a weekend that’s not quite so full of work.

2. This picture was taken on Monday. Saturday night we moved all the books. Sunday Telfer and Tony (a good friend) laid down the new flooring while Mark (our favorite painter) painted and I ran around doing errands and supplying food and putting the children’s section back together. On Monday we put the shelves back and moved all the books back into the main shop room. On the floor. They were sort of piled by section but obviously completely out of order. At one point Mark said, “You guys have a lot of da**ed books.” Yes, Mark, we do.

3. This is another shot of Monday. Now that it’s Friday, all of the books are off the floor but there is still much work to get them all back in order. My hands are so tired from moving books and arranging books and shelving books. But! Everything we did looks so wonderful and we have received a lot of positive comments from our customers this week…it feels good. Our two employees were also very helpful and hard-working and it gave me hope that we can continue on as is.

4. My one St. Patrick’s Day trick is to color the girls’ milk green and proclaim leprechauns have invaded the refrigerator. After that I am out of ideas. Even in the age of Pinterest. They seem to enjoy it though. Yes, Jane is rolling her eyes in the picture. She has learned this from a really good eye-roller (me).

5. I did manage to finish the Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You. It’s really fun concept – alphabetized ailments and descriptions of the novels you should read to aid the cure. I love reading derivative literary types of things.

Oh boy friends, I am here to tell you I am tired on this Friday evening. The girls are singing and playing around me and this whole week they have been so sweet. We are up to a variety of things this weekend. Tonight is the sacred PJ Party at our gym – every third Friday night! Sometimes Telfer and I go out to dinner or to a movie but tonight we are getting Indian takeout and watching The Theory of Everything. Telfer is working part of this weekend and Eleanor is going to be here and we are going to our old friend Keegan’s installation service at Gig Harbor Nazarene on Sunday morning. I am planning to read this and this and make my very favorite vegetable soup – I have been eating far too much takeout and I am craving something warm and healthy and good-for-me.