This and That

I spent the morning in the garden. Garden produce waits for no man or woman so you better be prepared to harvest when it is ready. I will spend the afternoon canning green beans and tomatoes. Our tomatoes have had issues all year due to the wet weather. I am hoping to get enough canned to get us through the winter, but I am not sure that this goal will be achieved. Each year it seems that one thing doesn't do well, but another crop does exceptionally well. Last year our green beans were uncooperative. This year they are great. Last year our tomatoes were the best we have ever had. This year they are poor at best. If there is a bumper crop of something one year I guess it would be best to can extra because you can't count on that crop producing next year for sure. My flowers are gorgeous this year. I could spend all of my spare time playing in the flowers if I let myself. Our fall garden plants are growing nicely. Joshua already started preparing several beds for our fall plants. It will be awhile before the plants are ready to go outside, but maybe this year we will have the beds ready and waiting.

Tomorrow will be the final call on our kitchen renovation. Everybody Michael has talked with have said it would be fine to take down the load bearing wall and each person gives a whole hearted "I think" at the end. Neither one of us feel real comfortable banking on people's "I think". Most of the people that have been asked are engineers, but nuclear engineers don't know all the ends and outs as structural engineers. We decided to bite the bullet and hire a professional to give us the truth. Michael told him his plan and the structural engineer told him that it sounded good, but he needed to see it to be 100% positive. Of course he got an invitation to our house for tomorrow. We will know without a shadow of a doubt if removing the wall will cause any damage to our home. As much as I want a great room, I would rather have a house that doesn't slant, droop, or fall down over time. I will be sure to pass the verdict on as soon as I know it myself. I sure am ready to get on with it one way or the other. He has spent the last several nights pondering and looking and calculating and looking some more. I am a doer and my nature is to tear the wall down and repair the damage later. Michael is much more methodical than I am so we work well together in the end. The saga of the wall continues until tomorrow!!!

grace and peace,
julie