Another Mystery

I was going to write this post last night. Then I fell asleep in the bathtub and when I woke up I figured it was time to go to bed.

It has been that kind of week ~ some good plans and a few detours.

Last weekend we dealt with a water stain on a ceiling in a downstairs room that has no plumbing directly above it. I know a plumber in town who kindly paid a call on Saturday when she checked everything upstairs: toilets, sinks, shower heads, drains, and every exposed pipe. No water anywhere, which was good news but didn't solve the mystery. We brainstormed all the possibilities and concluded that water being water might have come in during a heavy wind/rain storm around the vent pipe in the roof and wound its way to this particular spot. The water on the ceiling has dried, leaving behind a stained, wrinkled, cracked, peeling patch of paint that will need to be professionally repaired. [Ceilings are hard to fix.]

That's when I realized I wasn't going to be able to make everything perfect for the upcoming holiday. I can do everything in my power but there are things over which I have no control.

This Christmas is a big deal for my family. It's the first time in eight years that my daughter has had the Eve, which is her birthday, and Christmas free and clear, and she has made plans to spend the time with us. My son P is traveling from California with his wife for her first Christmas in Maine. My son T is coming home from Seattle after completing his first quarter of grad school.
I wanted everything to be just right. My first clue to the futility of that should have been when the Anderson window took on a life of its own a few weeks ago ~ those windows are still unwashed. [I am sorry that so many of you have had the same problem.] We will just have to look past the dirt to focus on the beauty outside and the gradual increase in daylight.

I have turned my focus to what I can do, which has been a good thing. I have made four new tablecloths and four sets of cloth napkins. Today I start cleaning this house from top to bottom and next week the baking will begin. We will get a tree on Sunday and decorate as time permits.

I fully anticipate that more obstacles will appear and more mysteries will go unsolved. Such is life....

I did solve the mystery of the missing plant pots. I haven't found the pots but I have spotted various other lightweight items scattered about. Then one morning I saw the younger dog from next door proudly carrying off a piece of kindling from the bin on the porch. Aha! As long as the furniture and the grill stay put we will be okay.