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| "It's good to ditch the old things and start fresh." |
Monday night my husband was out of town. I locked and double locked doors before going to bed. And I went to bed with many intentions for the next day. Written down, even! One of them was to throw away the robe I had worn so comfortably for at least the past eight years...and it was a thrift-store purchase when I acquired it! I had recently worn a hole in one elbow and it WAS time to ditch "the old thing and start fresh".
Next morning, I put it on one last time, made the coffee, and headed out the front door with a sack of trash in hand. Tuesdays are trash days here. When I returned, I found the door locked. I was outside in 48 degree weather in a holey robe and barefoot! I tried to open windows. No luck. Every door double locked.
So, at 6:00 I padded down to the bakery - about 1 block from my house. (It opens at 6:00.) From there I called my husband's cell phone. Got his voicemail. Trudged back home and waited on the front porch. After an hour and a half, and assuming that he didn't get the message and wasn't coming to rescue me, I tried to think about my options.
Only then did I remember our cabin in the back yard. Outfitted for overnights when our children/guests visit us. So, after about two hours, my feet had thawed, and I settled in for the day. We have an old fashioned porta-potty out there, but no running water, etc. I listened to the radio, read some 1998 Victoria magazines, napped, and prayed. I missed my (no longer) Red Hats luncheon, didn't get a hair cut, didn't get the birthday cards sent, and didn't clean up my kitchen counter. Didn't even get to drink my cup of coffee!
At 2:00 my husband returned home. He spent the rest of the day trying to make up for my no-good-very-bad-unproductive day.
I was MORE than happy to abanadon my robe to the rag pile after a whole day in it!
I even cut off a sleeve so I wouldn't be tempted to retrieve it!
I even cut off a sleeve so I wouldn't be tempted to retrieve it!
And we've done our best to make sure we can't lock ourselves out of the house again.
People may make plans in their minds, but the Lord decides what they will do.
(Proverbs 16:9)
Oh sweet friend, I needed this, today!
ReplyDeleteHugs and prayers,
andrea
Oh my goodness... what a day! Praise God for your little cabin. Definitely a few lessons illustrated here. Glad you are no longer at the mercy of your doorlocks or shabby attire... ;)
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Debbie
Oh My! We had a spare key tucked away at one point, but it got lost and we've not replaced it...Since I have a terrible habit of locking the door automatically, I really should try to prevent such a mishap as yours! I am glad you had a place to shelter. LOL and I'll just bet that robe did go in the trash after you spent the whole day in it!
ReplyDeleteoh I thought I was the only one who had deliberately cut a hole in something I KNEW needed to go, for fear I would keep it and wear it again!! :)
ReplyDeleteI know you were glad to walk into your own house again.
This sounds like my horrible wreath incident, stuck outside in my pjs after I hung the wreath on the front door!
ReplyDeleteOy, what a day you had! You were resourceful, however, and made lemonade out of lemons. The idea of your little cabin always sounded so charming and cozy to me and you just proved it. If you had to be locked out of your house, it was a good place to be. BTW, do you keep bottled water and snackies out there?
ReplyDeleteNo, Donna, but that IS a good idea! I could have accessed the outdoor spigots, but wasn't sure our well water is safe to drink (we have city water inside). I did have a couple of packets of hot chocolate and a small electric teakettle, but I think the hot chocolate as as old as the Victoria magazines (1998).
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by....have missed you hon!
so wanted to say Hi.
You have been a busy girl, see you have lots of posts for me to catch up on, course, don't know when that will be, but at least got to read the bathrobe story. Very good............I could just pic it, and I so related...............
I have had that happen to me too. When my son was small I was working on walls for my Home Interiors shows, out in our garage,
I used to sell that many moons ago, Scott decided to come and see what Mom was up to and closed the door and it locked. I had my nite gown on but fortunately found a pair of shorts and a t-shirt in the dryer, and a towel to wrap around my neck to cover up my lack of top undergarment, if you get my drift. Now my hubby worked about 50 minutes away, and the close neighbors were all gone and I found one, where only the wife was home thank goodness, a gift from the Lord, as she is a working lady and just happened to take the day off.....course, some would call that a coincidence, but I know a divine appt. when I see one, So she let me use her phone to call a sister-in-law that worked only 15-20 mins. away, to see if she could come and get Scott and I, at lunch time, which she did and we spent the day at her house till hubby got home. Such fun!! lol
Funny Memory tho..........
So great you had that lil house in the back,
the Lord sometimes has other plans.................that is for sure!
His plan for me that day was to do some housecleaning and nice things for my hard working Mom, sister-in-law. She was thrilled!!
Glad everything turned out all right, know you
were more than happy to see your hubby!! Just
as I was!! lol
Blessings sweetie,
Loved hearing from you.
Nellie
Well, I guess it's time for me to take a dose of my own medicine. It's very, very bitter though...rather than elaborate, I'll leave my blog to explain my own sad experience with change. It was good for me to read this today. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteWhat a day! What a day! I'm glad you didn't have to spend your time on the porch.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your Trial had a happy ending. And I want to thank you for the encouraging Words left on my Rant Post... each is a precious Gem and Word of Wisdom, Thank You! This is why I have decided to occassionally share my Heart here in the Land Of Blog, the support, Prayers and encouragement have been so uplifting and I've often found that others can relate to our experiences... good and bad... and that connection is what forms deeper relationships.
ReplyDeleteBlessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
Girl, you amaze me! I would have broken a window for sure. So glad you found some warmth and comfort, despite the thread-bare robe. I did a purging of clothing not long ago. Shoes as well. Now onto the other nook and crannies that fill my home. I dread the process, but I welcome the results.
ReplyDeleteAlso glad to know you found the book you're looking for. I have an old one called "The Tall Book of Fairy Tales" (retold by Eleanor Graham Vance), published by Harper & Row, in 1947. It was old when my mother read these stories to me as a child. One of the few books I can remember LOVING so very much. Glad she kept it. I think I'll go read "Snow White and Rose Red"--a favorite.
Have a great weekend.
peace~elaine
What a great story! I chuckled as I read. It could have been me!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your most entertaining post, I would have to conclude that you have a gift for turning ashes into beauty spots, in spite of it all! Even barefoot... and without coffee!
ReplyDeleteHad to chuckle at the final snip to the ole robe -- there, that settles it!
Oh dear! I chuckled as I felt your pain. I once did a similar thing and was locked out in my nighty. I managed to find a high up window to climb in by standing on a very rickety wobbly bench. I just hoped no neighbors witnessed my very un-graceful entry.
ReplyDeleteDarla
Oh my...I do find once I get rid of something I very seldom miss it. I do still have the same red bathrobe for the last six years but I still love it so that is staying for at least this next winter....
ReplyDeleteI put one of those "realtor" key boxes on our door. But now the fence gate locks, so I'm going to have to figure out something for that, or I'll have to climb it just to get TO the key box.
ReplyDeleteIs it okay that I laughed about you? Not actually AT you, just about you? I hope so. Because I did. Still am.
Bless your heart....but it seems God had an entirely different plan for your day!!! It's so funny about cutting the sleeve from the robe!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh Rebecca my friend. I had this experience not quite the same but I will say, that when it happened to me I broke in the window in the back :) I didn't display your patience or bravery :) For me it was a freezing winter day in New Jersey. I ran out to put the garbage in the bin before the garbage pick up. I was 6 months pregnant with our now over 18 year old. I had only my gown on and socks. When I ran back to the door it was locked. Found out later it locked on it's own. Unsure how but I went to the back of our then townhouse and used my elbow and broke the glass and climbed in. Oh my goodness what an ordeal it all was but thankfully all was well.
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful all ended up well for you dear one.
Oh and let me add, I totally threw out the gown but it was bloody from my torn skin on the elbow. :) After it all calmed down I thought about how I thought the morning was going to go but things changed. I ended up snuggling in a blanket with a warm cup of hot cocoa and a I remember reading the book of Romans that day rather than going to work :) I took a personal day. :) God had other plans for me that day.
ReplyDeleteSuch an 'interesting' turn of events. You are so funny. Wow, this would really change a person's day! I think I'd not have the grace to accept this inconvenience--I'd be mad!
ReplyDelete