12-32pm
Project House continues. The glass has been put back in all the cottage pane windows downstairs. Those are the windows that I cleaned. Our bedroom doors (upstairs) open onto a balcony – and they also need to be done. “How hard can it be?” I wondered. So this morning, I thought, ‘let me try.’ I got the putty and even scanned the directions…
The window I chose already had no putty, so that was a help. I cleaned the frame, sloshed a bit of wood oil on it and stuck the pane of glass in. Generous globs of putty followed, before I realised that I should have put some putty in before putting the glass in. So I took the putty out, took the pane of glass out and put a small amount of putty back in. Ok. I am learning. Anyone can do this, right? Put the glass back in and then softened the putty with turps and put the globs back….
Then came the fun part. I took the putty knife, dipped it in the turps and smoothed out the putty as best as I could. To write this down, so far, has taken 200 words. This little window frame exercise took 1 entire hour! The 200 words just don’t do justice to the pain of the pane! If you wonder why the photos are few and far between, it is because my hands were covered with putty. Even taking the photo above was a tricky business. But, determined to see how hard this was, I pushed on and eventually completed the task…
Considering it was my first ever, I don’t think I did TOO bad a job. One down, 35 to go! Can you imagine if I did all of them? I would be quite a pro. After I had finished, I tried scraping all the excess putty off my hands over the balcony. Then I remembered that when Leonard did the downstairs, he had his helper inside doing something. So I went inside to see what he could have been doing. Oops!!! You actually need to put A LOT of putty in before you put the pane in, because now there is a gap on the inside and that will let rain in. It was at that point that I cried in a squashed up, wrinkled nose, winy voice, “I don’t want to do this any more!!” LOL! The next time Leonard is free, he can do the remaining 35 and mine if he thinks it’s not good enough! New respect!
It took me a whole stack more time to clean my hands and get the excess putty out from under my nails AND it will be the rest of the day to get rid of the lingering putty/turps smell. Yip, I’m not ready to make a professional change!
After that, I went across to the cottage and had a chat with Dustin. I showed him the chameleons…we’ve now counted up to 8 on the lavender bushes. Also showed him how the washing machine works and we discussed a couple of other cottage related things. On Monday, after he finished work, we treated Dustin to 9 holes of golf at Simonstown….
I caddie for Mike, but after seeing Dustin play, I wanted to change my allegiance! :-). Anyway, they both got birdies….Dustin on the 8th. Simonstown Golf club is short and windswept, but you have the pleasure of ocean (and mountain) views from every teebox and every green! Dustin enjoyed it. He’s such a nice guy! He’s got a busy week ahead with a team arriving today to help with the children’s clubs during the school break. What a blessing it is to have these missionaries sacrificially coming to Cape Town to sow into the lives of the next generation.
This morning I started reading Jeremiah. Jeremiah was called by God and set apart. Each one of us, who know the Lord, are also called by God and set apart.
Fairly regularly, I pray for my grandchildren and even my great grandchildren! It may sound strange seeing as I am not yet a Granny, but God surpasses time & He knows them already. He knows the kind of world they are going to be born into. Jeremiah 1:5 God says,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”
That goes for you too. He knew you before your parents even knew each other! He knew when you would be conceived. He witnessed your birth. Any trauma, He was there, and although He allowed it to happen, He suffered with you. He protected you from more pain & He set you apart. You have to believe this. God knows your every moment, your every need, your every breath. A few verses on in verse 12, the Lord says, “I am watching to see that My Word is fulfilled.”
Trust Him today as you rest assured that you are in His sight AND in His Grip.
God bless you loads.
Helga xx 🙂
Gratitude Pic…windy spring dawn sky….so happy to be home to enjoy …. (notice also the leaves of the vine, soon to dominate our balcony)
