On Valentine’s Day, I gathered with some people at Church to make Valentine cards to deliver to residents at an assisted living center in North Aurora. Each of the residents would be getting a card and a carnation. Though the residents vary in age, all are incapable of living on their own due to mental or physical disabilities.
I am not a “believer” in Valentine’s Day, so I generally disregard anything associated with it. To be honest, as I was gluing little pink hearts onto purple cards, I was thinking that it was all kind of cliché. I thought the residents would look at the card and carnation as a novel gesture, but ultimately as somewhat impersonal and trite. I could just imagine them saying “Wow…you shouldn’t have…really”.
When we got to the home and began passing the cards and flowers out, I saw that my misgivings couldn’t have been further from the truth. I could see the joy on the residents’ faces as we handed them our hastily constructed cards and inexpensive flowers, things that most people would disregard as trivial and bothersome.
As I watched some of the residents hold their carnation to their nose, taking in the scent as if it were the most beautiful fragrance, I was struck by a thought…my unwillingness to slow down and appreciate small, seemingly insignificant things, like a carnation, is unfortunate. They treated a carnation the same way we would treat the most exquisite rose.
While there are a number of thoughts I can take away from this experience, the one that sticks out the most is that in all of the “important” things we find to fill our time with, somewhere inside us is that same level of appreciation. As trite and cliché as it may be, we need to be reminded to stop and smell the roses…and maybe even the carnations.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
The floor beneath the floor
Spurious comments regarding my criminal activity notwithstanding, I'm glad to see that my posting privileges to Barnhart Central have not been revoked. And I suspect you'll be glad too (at least in an empathetic sort of way) when you see the photos of my weekend's work. I decided to use Lisa and Ann's upcoming visit as a good excuse to refinish my living room and dining room floor, and here's a brief photo journey along the way.
The drum sander (with 12-grit sandpaper), about to make the first pass (Friday night).
What 12-grit sandpaper hath wrought.
Another photo of the living room after the 12-grit pass (Saturday evening).
After a pass with 36-grit sandpaper, I found myself needing to fill a few gouges and cracks. Thanks for the wood glue/sawdust tip, Steve. That's worked well for me.
Au revoir, purple paint (Saturday evening).
The living room floor after passing over with a 50-grit sandpaper (Sunday morning).
Winter sunlight shining on a smooth, "nearly-new" floor.
The dining room floor, ready for a final screening and the first coat of polyurethane (Sunday afternoon).
The hard work's done. Applying the polyurethane should be much easier and quicker. The hardest part is just waiting till its fully dried. But I should have a newly-refinished floor by the time Lisa and Ann get here Saturday evening. Which reminds me, Lisa, do you still wear golf cleats indoors? I might need you to take those off at the door.
Update from Wednesday evening:
I applied the final coat of polyurethane this morning, letting the floors dry while I was at work. Here are a couple pictures of the finished living and dining room floor. Now they just have to dry for a few days before I can move furniture into these rooms.
The drum sander (with 12-grit sandpaper), about to make the first pass (Friday night).
What 12-grit sandpaper hath wrought.
Another photo of the living room after the 12-grit pass (Saturday evening).
After a pass with 36-grit sandpaper, I found myself needing to fill a few gouges and cracks. Thanks for the wood glue/sawdust tip, Steve. That's worked well for me.
Au revoir, purple paint (Saturday evening).
The living room floor after passing over with a 50-grit sandpaper (Sunday morning).
Winter sunlight shining on a smooth, "nearly-new" floor.
The dining room floor, ready for a final screening and the first coat of polyurethane (Sunday afternoon).The hard work's done. Applying the polyurethane should be much easier and quicker. The hardest part is just waiting till its fully dried. But I should have a newly-refinished floor by the time Lisa and Ann get here Saturday evening. Which reminds me, Lisa, do you still wear golf cleats indoors? I might need you to take those off at the door.
Update from Wednesday evening:
I applied the final coat of polyurethane this morning, letting the floors dry while I was at work. Here are a couple pictures of the finished living and dining room floor. Now they just have to dry for a few days before I can move furniture into these rooms.
