A new kitchen countertop

 We built our home 19 years ago.  

What's "in" back in 2005 is different than what is "in" now.  (And yes, I know...I decorate like an old lady.  Because I am.)

We had formica countertops installed back then, mostly to save $$.  But the formica we chose was textured and over these 19 years, it was wearing off.  You could see the white showing through.

We toyed with the idea of replacing the countertop with quartz or granite.  What sealed the deal was that in December we were burning some frankincense incense.  We thought we had a dud one and set it aside.  We didn't realize it was really still burning, and it burnt a hole in the countertop.  Ugh.  At least it didn't catch on fire!

Time to go shopping.

I brought home lots of samples....quartz and also laminate.  

I looked at lots of pictures on-line.  I liked the dark, like the picture below.  Al did NOT.  We read reviews of how it shows streaks when you wipe it.  I still liked it but one must compromise in a marriage relationship.  

We both liked this one quartz - MSI Montclair White.  I put the sample on my copy machine to make several sheets to cover part of the top to get a feel for what it might look like.  It matched the tile that I wanted to keep.

I have these herbal tiles behind my oven that I really like, which I don't want to replace.

A friend from church who is a dealer was able to get it for about the same cost as laminate from other places!  We were excited about that!

The day finally came when it was time to clean everything off the top - toaster, can opener, coffee maker, recipe box, etc.  The people came to double check the measurements and give us final instructions about what needed to be done before they arrived.

The day before tear out/ install, we also emptied all the things from the top drawers.  Plumber Al turned off the water,

and unhooked the gas line.  

So that's where my cookie sheet cooling rack and bacon splatter guard went!  They had been missing and I just didn't know where I had mis-placed them!  They had been stored in the drawer under the oven.

The guys from Keystone came the next day to begin the tear out.

Because I wanted to keep our old tiles, this guy was very careful to make sure he wouldn't break any.  We did have spare ones just in case, but he did not break a single one!  

These guys were so professional and so very good!  They got done that morning.

In the afternoon, the installers came.

This was going to take time to get used to the new color for me!

Plumber Al began to work on the faucet.

I'm so lucky to have such a handy husband.  He says "Be sure if they don't find you handsome, they find you handy!"  Well, I got handsome AND handy!

We needed to wait for a part for a few days, so we could not put back our undersink items.  

And since the water was turned off, we would accumulate our dishes in this bin and run it downstairs to our basement kitchenette to wash.  

A little cumbersome but it's a first world problem.  I think of some women around the world who have to walk miles to get water from a dirty river....I read that more than 3 million children and nearly 14 million women walk more than 30 minutes to collect water.  Why should I complain.

But now I have a new sink and faucet.

And a new countertop.

Our house, at 19 years is needing lots of work.  We have replaced our carpet.  Things are starting to break.  We'll need a new water heater.  The house needs painting inside and out.  When Al retires, he says he'll have time to do more work on the place.  Then we'll probably move at some point.  Life goes on.

Although our house and our bodies are aging and wearing out, we both feel that we are being renewed and growing stronger as followers of Christ.  

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  Psalm 73:26

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He,  I am He who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."  Isaiah 46:4

In the woods of Arkansas

After the eclipse was finished, we were encouraged to go on a hike into the woods nearby.  There are 600 acres here with the camp!   The owner told us he would take us in his 4 wheeler.

That suited us!

We went down a steep incline - I don't know that Lisa and I could have hiked this without falling!

This is the Thomas Creek.  Below is where the spring is that is the beginning of this creek.

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."  Isaiah 58:11

The color of this water... evidently from minerals and shale.

The owner, whose name was Josh, asked us if we knew what this stone in the picture below was for.  We made several guesses.

Back in the "old days" it was the anchor rock for the pulley system to drag trees down from the top.

Wild flowers

"Consider how the wild flowers grow.  They do not labour or spin.  Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these."  Luke 12:27

We came across some horse riders and chatted with them for awhile.  They were headed to the Ozark National Forest that borders this private property.

We finished driving around and went back to the camp.

We asked if we could see the cabin they are building.  They were not able to save the original civil war era cabin, but they were able to save the 3 fireplace stones to rebuild the fireplace.  They copied the original footprint of the cabin also but were putting in a modern kitchen and bathrooms for the cookstaff that would be working over days when they had camp.

He told us how God opened up this place for them and their hopes/plans for use of this camp for inner city kids.  To give them "dad" role models and introduce them to the Heavenly Father.

We said our good-byes to Josh, Emeri, Eli and Lisa.  Headed back home!

Maps showed a busy highway due to people returning home after the eclipse.  Josh's decided to return the way we came to avoid it.  We would need to go as far as 412 with the traffic jam, but would avoid it going further north on 21.

The cattle were wondering about all the cars on their normally silent road.

Good to leave the busy roadway.

Such a pretty drive.  Ozark country.

It was after sunset when we arrived in Kansas.  We could smell smoke in the air.  They were burning the Flint Hills (a controlled burn for those of you who read my post and don't know about that).

The reason for burning this grassland annually is to reduce undesirable trees and shrubs and so that nutritionally rich grass will grow for the cattle to graze.  They have to wait for good conditions - no wind.  An out-of-control fire is devastating!

Here is a video of one of the times we went to the Flint Hills.  We love going there!