Backside of Forty (archive)

Sunday was Lily's 6th birthday.  It doesn't seem like she should be 6 already.  She has grown and changed so much in the two and a half years that she has been a part of our family.

I am hesitant to use my blog "commercially".  Yes, with internet ads everywhere, now even bloggers can put ads on their blogs to generate income.  Slightly tempting, but I don't think I have enough readers to make it profitable, it would change the whole atmosphere of my blog, and I like having total control of what appears on "my" page.

Nonetheless, here is a "commercial", of sorts.

I met an adoptive mom in my travel group, when I went to China to pick up Lily, who had also adopted a little girl.  We have since maintained a friendship through blogging and facebook.  Her and her husband have felt the call to a second adoption, and have recently been matched with a special needs little boy.

I can attest to the fact that there are many bureaucratic costs associated with completing an adoption, and many families (like ours) try to find creative and tactful ways to raise funds to offset some of those costs.

I wish I could link you to some of her blogs, but because bloggers sometimes struggle with privacy issues, she has made the difficult decision to make her blogs private.  So, if you decide to help her out, you'll just have to trust me on this one!

Here's what they are doing... and I wish I had thought of it.  I think it's one of the simplest and most creative ideas I have heard in the world of adoption fundraising.  They have purchased a 500 piece puzzle of China's Great Wall, and they are selling puzzle pieces, through PayPal, for $10 each.  With your donation, you can dedicate that piece (or pieces) of their adoption journey in the name of your choice.  They will write that name on the puzzle piece, and create a treasured family heirloom representing the people who helped to bring their son home.  Awesome idea, huh?

Would you care to help?  I believe in this family and this effort, and I purchased 6 pieces... one for each member of my family.  If generosity or giving was a part of your New Year's resolutions, here's an opportunity.  If you would like to help this family, send an email message to (goneartoorphans(at)gmail(dot)com) with dedication names and ask for a link to the secure PayPal site.  Tell 'em Backside of Forty sent ya!  Thanks for considering this cause.

With my current work schedule, I don't have nearly as much time to work on my remodeling as I used to have.  So, just before Christmas, I made the decision to hire a drywall contractor to get the first floor walls and ceilings hung and finished.  It's amazing what some cash and a hired workforce can accomplish.

The Monday they started, I left for work in the morning and the area looked like this:

I came home from work in the evening, and it looked like this:

By the end of the week, they were finished, packed up, and gone.  The walls were ready to paint!

Or... maybe not.

Once they were finished (but before I paid the bill), I inspected my new walls.  What I found was not exactly what I had in mind.  Granted, I'm a bit of a perfectionist.  And, in all fairness, the result wasn't terrible.  But, I'm an amateur do-it-yourself-er and I felt I could have done a better job on the final finish sanding.  Maybe it's just me, but my thinking is that if I hire a professional to do a job, they ought to be able to do a better job than an amateur, like me... or, at the very least, just as good, right?

So, I called the contractor (he's a nice guy... I like him) and he was very cooperative.  He assured me they would make it right.  He sent one of his finishers out to meet with me.  I discussed my concerns and he went back over some of the finish.  He called me that evening and assured me that if I had any other concerns, they would take care of them.

I inspected it a second time and found it considerably better, but I still found some flaws that I felt should be remedied before painting.  I believe he would have tried again to meet my satisfaction, but at this point (after two chances), I'm tired of calling and meeting to explain my concerns... you know, "if you want something done right, do it yourself".  So, since I was off Wednesday, I got out my drywall tools and finished it to my standards, which means that I now need to call him and discuss a billing adjustment to compensate myself for the material and labor I invested in his work.

But, pick out the paint colors, now it's ready to paint!  (Well, after I sweep... and sweep... and sweep the dust... and apply the primer...)

For those of you with an interest in orphans, adoption or China, here is the blog of a family that I met in my China travel group in 2008.  They arrived back in China yesterday to complete their second adoption, bringing them (for now, anyway) to a family of seven.

48 pounds. 4 pants sizes. 2010. One word: Wow!

I'm really proud of my wife. With the births of three kids over the course of eight years, my wife's body hasn't been "hers" for quite some time. But, barring the miraculous or supernatural, we are pretty sure we have closed the book on family additions.  (Well, we have considered a puppy, but that doesn't count!)  She's now reclaiming some of her youthfulness.

She's not doing it for me, or anyone else... she's doing it for herself. She's like a completely new person... and I don't mean just outwardly. She has much greater self-esteem, and she says she feels better than she has in years.

What's her method? Two things:

1. She has a modified view of food after completing a self-study Bible course titled, The Lord's Table.
2. She discovered a form of exercise that she loves, called Zumba.

She has a final goal in mind for 2011, and she hopes to hit it by her birthday in July. I'm pretty confident that she will.  If she does, she has a vision of hosting a Zumba party, at our home, with her Zumba instructor and a yard full of dancing friends. I'm pretty sure the neighbors have never seen anything like that, but I think it's a great way to celebrate 35 years and a job well done... and expose others to the health benefits of her new Zumba addiction!

I enjoy living in a region of the country where the four seasons are very distinctly diverse, and I love to hike in all of the four seasons.  Although it takes more motivation to get out in the cold and hit the trail in the dead of winter, it can be one of the best times.  Think about it:  The woods are very peaceful, the trails are virtually abandoned, you can see so much more without leaves on the trees, the weeds and underbrush are sparse, and bugs are non-existent.  On the right winter day, the cold is actually refreshing and, if dressed in the proper layers, the body heat you generate makes an afternoon on the trail very comfortable.  Today was one such day.

I hadn't planned to go hiking today.  The thought really hadn't even occurred to me.  But, it was a beautiful sunny day in Ohio, and Zachary asked to go hiking.  I checked the forecast:  Sunny, with a high of 27 degrees (F).  Cold, but with no wind chill, not bad.  Of all my kids, Zachary is generally my best hiking buddy, so I hated to discourage him from joining me in an afternoon of my favorite activity.  Dress warm, Zachary... a hiking we will go!