Learning the Hard Way

 Occasionally I need to go to the basement for stuff in the refrigerator or freezer or do laundry. Usually Wesley goes down with me. I tell him regularly to hold the railing, to leave the switch without a cover alone, to keep away from the furnace, and to stop touching everything in reach! He's all boy and of course toddler curious to boot! 

Today we were switching over the clothes from washer to dryer and he grabbed the furnace vent as he went by, but I wasn't looking directly at him at that moment to stop him even if I could have been in time. I heard him scream and realized immediately what had happened. I scooped him right up and went straight to the laundry sink for cold water immediately. I kept blowing on it which seemed to help. 

He was crying pretty good so I knew it really hurt in addition to the shock. There were three red places I could see on his little hand. He got himself under control after short while and went back to playing with his toys. 

I texted Melissa and she also had told him innumerable times to leave the furnace alone and don't touch anything near it. I guess he'll listen from now on! 

Dec. 11  Update: every time I say we need to go down cellar now, Wesley says he wants to put on his play work gloves first! He says it will protect him from being burned! 

Dec. 18  Update 2: Melissa sent a picture of Wesley's hand peeling. So the burn was bad enough that it needed all new skin. 

Kraynaks of Course

It's almost Christmas season, so time to head to Kraynaks and go through Christmas lane! Grandpa Lanza joined this year which we enjoyed very much. Afterwards we ate at in Sharpsville, first time for Bryan and I and ten years for Joe, Melissa, and David! Delicious. And a fun little chef hat for the kids!

 

Last WaterFire

 Now I wish we'd taken more pictures. We didn't know until recently that the city decided not to host anymore! This is so disappointing because we have enjoyed going so much over the years. Also it is the first thing Wesley did out of state after his adoption was finalized. So he went all three years of his life and now it's gone. I really hope it's not final. 

Reading on Archive.org

Having been recommended multiple times from many YouTubers about the author's Ingri and Edgar Parin D'aulaire, I have been looking up their various titles. These have been published so long ago that their copyrights are expired, which means they are in the public domain and many are accessible on archive.org. So far I have read Pocahontas, George Washington, and Conquest of the Atlantic.

Also reread where Two Ways Meet by Grace Livingston Hill. 

Plus still working on Tactics and Happy Lies. And started How to Study the Bible by John MacArthur.

New Used Car

 We finally got our replacement car. It needed brakes and tires. And of course it will get Bryanized!

White House Fruit Farm

 

It Finally Happened!

 Midas told me months ago--I wish I remember exactly when--that my differential was going to freeze up. We found and bought a replacement rear end and agonized over the options for which mechanic shop or ourselves we could use to put it in. Meantime, I just kept driving it, and it kept just on going. 

 Until yesterday! 

Of course I was on a delivery. Of course it was in heavy traffic. If course Bryan was working so not available to rescue me. But also very close to safe places to pull off and be found and keep busy while help arrived. I texted Melissa immediately, wondering if she could get there fast enough to get the food delivered reasonably soon. And running through my mind who else I could call that might be able to help. 

Suddenly, my friend Brenda from church called me which is super unusual. Amazingly, she was driving down the same road behind me, and aw me go by and put on my Hazzard lights, and followed me right into the parking lot I pulled off into!! She was a godsend! She graciously drove up the road for me to deliver the food before it was tined out and then took me home where I retrieved my back up car!

God took care of me again!!

Later Nathan looked at it, hoping he could drive it home, but to no avail. Bryan came after work at midnight and very gingerly babied it and incredibly got it all the way home into our driveway!! We're calling him the Blazer whisperer! 

Now we're forced to make the final decision to do the work ourselves or bite the bullet and pay someone! 

Or we have to buy another car so I can keep working.