I think the people benefiting the most from my sabbatical are owners of Lowe’s stock! So far, it’s been atleast 2 trips per day to Lowe’s. And Since I go back to work on March 1, I won’t be visiting there as frequently… a sure negative impact to their bottom line.
Since my last post, I’ve felt a little bit like Tigger–hopping around all over the place. Addison and I have knocked out a few more “handyman” projects. On Tuesday, we gave a much needed haircut to some shrubs for a co-worker. And I spend a bunch of time in my garage staining and finishing a shelf destined for another co-worker’s home. On Wednesday, Addison and I painted a garage door for a lady who tragically lost her husband in December. Today I’ll be replacing a broken toilet valve and installing the aforementioned shelf at a co-worker’s home. Hopefully on Saturday, my son Brendan and I will be tackling a swing set. Next week will bring a return trip to help the recently widowed woman with a little more painting and a few other things. I see several more trips to Lowe’s in my immediate future!
I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands. There’s nothing like the feeling of seeing something broken restored. Or seeing the before/after of a household project. The results are so tangible. I like to think working with my hands is a way that I honor my father and my mother’s father. My dad was a diesel mechanic who later worked for a natural gas pipeline company as a repairman. He was an accomplished “do-it-yourselfer”. He could finish a basement, do a valve job on a car, or shingle a roof. My grandfather was a farmer. I have vivid childhood memories of his garage. 50+ years of farming meant he had accumulated a treasure trove of nuts, bolts, parts, and metal objects of all shapes and sizes that were housed in old coffee cans or strewn about on an old, oil soaked workbench. His farm was quite a distance to the nearest repair shop, so he learned to fix just about anything.
On the fitness side, things are moving nicely–mainly by playing basketball on Tuesday and Thursday morning at Beltway. I’m glad Kris joined in because those twenty-somethings we’re playing with are darn hard to keep up with! And Jeff Stewart convinced me to do Zumba on Tuesdays at 5:30. If you want some entertainment while working up a nice sweat, just come watch me try to Zumba. Jeff can comment on his own efforts. Maybe I’ll be able to coordinate my hand and foot movements by the end of the month. Maybe.
Next week, the service projects should be pretty much wrapped up. So I’ll focus on my devotional and catch up on some reading.
For those Tigger fans out there, TTFN!