MommyCoddle

Just a few nights ago my husband made some remark about being bored with the winter weekends and how he was so anxious to get going with spring projects and gardening and cleaning up the yard….

So perhaps, I should blame this on him.

Saturday night, as I was finally getting my long-overdue shower–hair lathered, soapy body parts–the water pressure started to change and get lighter and lighter…

With this house's past history, I quickly got most of my hair rinsed before that trickle came to a complete stop.

I managed to use a freezing cold glass of water to rinse off the rest of the way and called down to Dan, who was oblivious, reading in the living room, "Umm…we have no water???"

Long story short, our well pump went out this weekend (yes I did eagerly study that diagram last night.). You know that large pipe sticking randomly out of your yard. Yup. That's where it lives. And of course, is anything ever easy? Of course not. The wrong tools. Buying the new pump only to have it be a broken pump with no continuity (a term I learned this weekend). A trip to the giant hardware store with teenage help who don't know much about our problem. A trip to the other giant hardware store where finding help is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

But, with car lights shining into the yard and a series of family members coming by to help out through the day, by 9:30 last night, almost 24 hours to the minute, the sound of running water could be heard at Thomas Run once again.

Granted, the water has a beautiful brown tinge. And the kitchen sink is still refusing to give me any kind of water pressure, I'm still thankful that just maybe, I might be able to take a shower later this afternoon.

In the meantime, some other things I learned:

*without water, I had to constantly remind myself that we did have electricty.

*I become obsessed with keeping the house tidy when everything else (like Mt. Dishmore) is in chaos.

*that when the lady at the hardware store UNDERcharges me by $100 I will go back with my receipt and pay up.

*that one day, I wrote this. And it's good to read it again.

*that the lights I see shining from the windows in the farmhouse next door remind me that my twenty-four hours without water pale in comparison to the dear farmer next door who has come home for his final days.

*that we're all gonna be just fine.

This past summer while my little sister was away on vacation, something sad happened in her life. Her pony, who she would describe as her best friend, was tragically injured beyond what could be helped and had to be put down. The news, the loss, was obviously devastating to her, and the rest of her family. There is a connection between humans and their animals, but there has always seemed to be something uniquely special and different about the bond between a girl and her horse.

And so, when holidays rolled around this year, I knew I wanted to do something special for Margaret. I gave her beautiful red roses from flower delivery ireland.

My friend Jenn and I have worked together in the past on some stuff for MOMformation, and when she asked me if I wanted to try out a new service at art.com that turns your photos into “art”, I knew exactly what I’d do. I uploaded my favorite photo of Margaret riding Mickey at my grandparents’ farm, and was able to turn it into a large print on stretched canvas.

The result was beautiful. Margaret loved it. And it hangs in a special place at her house.

And even though I’m not doing many reviews here on my blog, since writing for momformation, I knew this would be an idea all of you would love to know more about. As photographers, mothers, gift-givers….I’ve already used this service again for a few other special gifts. It’s one to bookmark and store away for the next special occasion.

MommyCoddle

so much for boring

as if i need another hobby

a special gift