The new new and the old new

Of course the windows are different in size etc. but the top is the new new and the bottom is the old new.  Of the windows we did not replace I want to redo them with storms I make and then paint them the same paint as the new Marvin windows.  The bottom picture is the first I was able to complete.  It looks very much like the new ones which was the goal.
The kitchen project has come to an end except for a few small things.  The old metal cabinets are now old newly painted ones.  They look nice and Terry and I like the wall color with the cabinet color.  The thing is in spite of all the work Terry did and the great job she did on the painting I am in the same place I was 30+ years ago.  I just plain hate the metal cabinets.  They just do not make a good kitchen.  But for now it is what it is and we hope in the not too distance future we can remake the kitchen into something that is nice. 
I really like like our new french press coffee maker.  It is a thermos and stainless steel which mean it looks nice, it keeps the coffee hot and it will not break like the glass ones.  I maybe should say that a coffee maker is only a coffee maker and not that important and of course that is true but-----that morning french press cup of good java is actually important.
This week marks the 5th year that I have been able to drive past Highland Junior School and see all the cars there for the week of workshops and SMILE.  The four years since I worked in the St. Paul Schools have been so full, have gone so fast and have been so life changing it makes me dizzy to think of it.  To think of the 7 week camping trip, the 3 weeks in Hawaii, the 1100 shakes on the house, working 12 hour shifts at night at the fair, Gail's recurring cancer, the 7 months of caring for Gail, her death, learning to live without her, working on the house so so so much and then regaining life again as I married Terry I can almost not catch my breath when I think of it.  Some of the things I have taken away from these last four years are:

• It is not a matter of will life change but rather how fast will it happen
• Retirement has been very good
• Travel is fun
• Kids and grand kids just are so important and such a blessing
• I have found that I love to rehab things and make the house look better
• I have found that money does not bring happiness but of course one needs to pay the bills
• I have found out again that it is IMPOSSIBLE to know the heart of anyone else and it is often difficult to know your own heart.  For sure when difficulties come new insights emerge concerning friends, family and things.  I found that out in a startling way many many years ago and it has surfaced again.
• I have found that one needs to stay active, stay engaged in things but even with that effort a person can see that age comes and comes and comes and you can not stop it.
• I have found in a new way that I need to make decisions for myself but of course with input from family and friends.  I have found that it is so so important to keep conversation going as to what a person is doing.  In that area I have not done as well as I should have but still the bottom line is as life goes on families change and often that is difficult to adjust to.
• The last thing I will share is I found out that I did not know some things about myself.  I found that so many things I do I desire to do it with/for others.  I thought I was a loner because when I grew up I often was alone making toys, doing things alone and just "being" but I did not realize that in doing that it was mostly the farm life and not who I was.  The new view on who I was came as a huge surprise to me, go figure.

Enough for now.  Terry and I have 2 more tickets for the fair and we may go today.  We would rather not go on the weekend as there usually is more people there.  As I write it is rainy so will see what the day brings.