My Desk

 I thought I had already written about my new desk, but when I was looking through my posts today I aw I had shared about my new chair, but not the desk itself. And that's a mistake I must rectify, because this desk is very special. Not only is it a beautiful desk and exactly what I wanted, but it is a desk with character and history! I would love to know more of the stories this desk has to tell!

I had been looking at desks, and I was going to build one on my own, using some plans I found on Pinterest (something about building a desk for $20). It was a pretty simple build, and I didn't need anything fancy, but if you've met my potting bench or the table I built for the yard, you may have noticed my legs are not always all even, and I was a bit concerned my desk would wobble. Paul offered to build me a desk, and I thought this was definitely a great offer, because he is a very talented carpenter and builder of things and I knew it would be sturdy, functional, and special. We even went and picked up a piece of wood for the desktop...and then the world got really crazy around here! I knew he wanted to build the desk, but I didn't know when he would ever have time to build the desk, so I kind of started tentatively scouting around for one. 

I found one that looked really neat on Facebook Marketplace, and I sent it to Paul. He told me I'd better get that, because it was beautiful. So I contacted the lady, rounded up some volunteers, and went to town to pick up the desk. And it was (and is) absolutely beautiful. And it has stories! It has been all over the world as part of a family that worked for the State Department, and I would love to know its travels.

It was in great shape, but I did go ahead and strip and sand it, staining it my own color, and sealing/sanding/sealing it again. It occupies a place of honor in my library and is well loved and well used.

Here are a few before pictures:

And here are some more throughout the project.  I started sanding it and realized it was going to be a long process, so I did use stripper, scrape off the old stain, then sand.

When I finished sanding it, I put on two coats of stain, then polyurethane, hand sanding it smooth, and more poly. The first drawer pulls I had planned to use on the bottom drawers were too long, so I ended up going a different route, but I love it!

 

I took a photo of two products here, because I just can't remember. I thought I used poly, but this one is outdoor, so I may have used the shellac.

Voila!!!!

Hezekiah's Prayer - Sermon from 9/20/20

 

First Class Killer by Tonya Kappes Releases 9/26/2020! #5 in the Mail Carrier Cozy Mysteries Series!

 First Class Killer by Tonya Kappes Releases 9/26/2020! It's #5 in the Mail Carrier Mysteries, and it's a good one! 

Here I am hanging out in my library, reading First Class Killer!

                                                   Really enjoyed this one! I'm loving                                                                 Bernadette and her front porch ladies. It                                                     was fun to add another new character to                                                     the mix and I hope Revonda Gail will                                                             stick around awhile!

Here's the blurb from Amazon:

Discover the southern life of Bernadette Butler, along with the eccentric and lovable citizens, along with all the fur babies, who live in Sugar Creek Gap in this southern cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes. Don't miss out on the good RECIPES at the end of the book!

Mail Carrier Bernadette Butler just can’t stop delivering clues when the clerk of the new book store turns up dead in Sugar Creek Gap, Kentucky, after the town is already shocked over a tell all “fiction” romance novel that hit the shelves filled secrets that were brush under the rug and now left hung out to dry.

This is the 5th book in the Mail Carrie Cozy Mystery Series.

My Reading Nook

 This is actually something I did a few months ago, it just dawned on me that I hadn't shared. We built this set of steps a couple of years ago for our son's wedding (by we I mean Paul and a friend of ours), but they were just steps.

This spring I noticed some of the boards had warped over the winter, so I sanded/trimmed them so they would fit in their original spaces, refastened them to the frame, and put another coat of poly on them so they would hopefully be protected from the weather. Then I decided to dress it up a little, and I enjoy sitting in this sunny little spot to read my book (if I can convince the cats to share)!

Here's what it looked like before:

And here it is after I made a few changes. I know somewhere there's a picture with a cat in my chair, but I can't find it at this moment!

I planted some pretty flowers in the pots as well. 

Rowdy Randy by Casey Day Rislov (Illustrated by Zac Pullen)

 

This adorable read is the latest from local children's author Casey Day Rislov, and is a nominee for the   2020-2021 Wyoming Library Association Buckaroo Book Award (Grades K-3). She and local illustrator Zac Pullen have teamed up to provide this fun and feisty troublemaker with her very own story. Here's a link to the Rowdy Randy on the author's website, Goodreads, and purchase links on Amazon or Indie Bound as well. I definitely recommend this one!

There's even Rowdy Randy Gear!

Here's the book blurb from Goodreads. Enjoy your ride and spend some time with Rowdy Randy!

"Yeehaw!" Rowdy Randy shouted to the wind. "I was born to buck!" Rowdy Randy is the toughest cowgirl around. Never mind that this broncobuster is a horsefly. She acts taller than any tall tale. She might be easy to overlook, but Rowdy Randy definitely can t be ignored. She spends her days buzzing and biting all the creatures in her path, all the while stirring up a whole heap of trouble. Saddle up and hold on tight for a story that ll jangle your spurs and blow your cowboy hat clean off. 

Check out the book description from the author's website:

Rowdy Randy is the toughest cowgirl around.

Never mind that this broncobuster is a horsefly. She acts taller than any tall tale. She might be easy to overlook, but Rowdy Randydefinitely can't be ignored. She spends her days buzzing and biting all the creatures in her path, all the while stirring up a whole heap of trouble.

Saddle up and hold on tight for a story that will jangle your spurs and blow your cowboy hat clean off.

With over thirty pages of vivid traditional art and a story that will leave you wondering if you've ever had the displeasure of meeting Rowdy Randy, this book is sure to please as a campfire story or a bedtime one.

Rowdy Randy will enlighten your imagination and bring joy to anyone who reads it.

I hope she doesn't make you her next snack.

The Story of the Young Prophet - 1 Kings 13

 https://youtu.be/QklKX0lH-IQ

New Chair for Me!!!!!

I LOVE MY NEW CHAIR!!!! Just getting that off my chest right off the bat ;).

Yep, it's a super cool looking chair, and it is sooooo comfortable! 

I found this one on Amazon. It' actually listed as a "Gamer Chair", but it's a pretty darn comfortable desk chair. It arrived several days earlier than the original estimate, and I am very excited.

I looked for quite awhile, because I wanted a good chair, but I didn't want to spend tons of money on a chair that I wasn't sure would be a good fit or of good quality. Going to the store and actually sitting in several chairs for fit isn't really an option at the moment, so I needed to find one that would work for me, and one that I could return without a hassle if it didn't, which is where Amazon comes in, because free shipping and free returns is a pretty big deal in this day and age.

Isn't it cool?

 

 I can't decide if I feel more "Captain America" or "Wonder Woman" when I sit in my new chair!

The wheels are easy to attach and it rolls easily, and the arm rests move in and out as well.

My Amazon review hadn't posted yet, but here is the information I provided:

I love this chair! I am not super mechanically inclined and it wasn’t that hard to put together. The problems that I did have were mostly mine because I wasn’t paying attention when I was putting the arms on and I had the seat upside down and flipped it over to put it on the base and realized that the arms were upside down. That was me not the chair, not the directions. So pay attention!

The only difficulty really was with some of the thicker pieces I had a little trouble matching the screw into the hole, but it was just a matter of wiggling till it got there.

When you go to attach the armrest on the right side, you do need to hold the tilt lever up out of the way in order to be able to turn the Allen wrench.

And the Allen wrench with the handle well that was just a fantastic idea. I had a lot more torque and a lot more comfort with my hand and could turn the screws much better than if I had just had a regular Allen wrench.

And when it was all put together and I sat in the chair, my helper of course wanted to be in my lap!

How to Love - Sunday, August 30, 2020