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Our bathroom is in renovation stage.

All of us have stages in life.  This is the – been there, done that, time to change to a new look!

We have a second  bathroom which was renovated the last few months.  Now we can approach this renovation by gutting the entire washroom (which feels like walking into a small room with nothing other than a window.

Next comes the restoration.  When we decided to gut the bathroom we did some preliminary preparation (a number of months ago).  Put in the rough ins for plumbing and a ceiling fan, along with some new wiring.

Now we have reinsulated and are about to put in a new door, fixtures and drywalling.  Then on to painting and a whole new look.

The old bathroom was quite functional.  This one will also be functional but with a tub that isn’t scarred, a toilet that only uses a few liters of water and a sink that has drawers.  Nice to walk into in the morning and to exit last thing in the evening.

Sometimes our lives are able to function as is.  When the opportunity arises, and the resources are available, we can change.  Not for the sake of functionality but for the sake of a new landscape.  Either choice is acceptable.  In this case, we chose the invitation to use our washroom with eyes wide open. 

This morning I was out cleaning off a wooden sign.  This is our identifier for our house – proclaiming that the Bakers live here!

Now, for years I have played with the eternal dispute of sandpaper versus blade.  My original mentoring in woodwork was with a purist.  Use only blades – sandpaper and electrical tools when you must.  No chemicals and only oil finishes.

Lately I have encountered the need to consider sandpaper.  When a dilapidated furniture piece is best finished with paint, then an electric sander is economical and fast.

This morning I returned to a paint scraper – an instrument with which I am comfortable and have extensive experience.  Holding it in my hand, I felt confident in the work to be done.  The final result was quite acceptable.  And I had fun.

I grew up playing par 3 golf at a local course.  My driver, five iron and putter became the staples of the game.  Later in life I was exposed to, and used the full range of golf clubs.  I still love to return to a full course, with only three clubs, and see if I can beat my opponents (which I still seem to be able to do). 

The tools of the trade are honed for a general approach to a situation.  Taking into account the general population, the instruments should work best for most people. 

Then there are those who are genuinely artists in their trade.  Their instruments may be those the marketplace offers as best practise.  Or they may be antiquated tools, or ones that no one has ever seen. 

The matter at hand is not whether a person is using the tools that our society expects them to use (or even demands that they should use).  The question is more along the lines of whether the craftsman is an artist with their tools.

Let me add that an true artist is teachable and strives for perfection.  They will pick up the latest tool that can help them to perfect their art.  But they will not be bound by society’s perceptions of what tools are the best!

I wandered down my FB friends’ postings today. 

I know this is my age, but cancer appears more than baby announcements. 

I like the baby announcements.  You wish them well and prepare gifts to give. 

Cancer announcements are not much different.  You wish them well and prepare gifts to give.

The real difference is in the earthly life expectancy.  At birth the days can be expected to number around 22,000.  At death the days stop being numbered.

Now, one of my great achievements when I was in grade school was to be able to count to 100 – in rapid succession with as few breaths as possible. 

I wonder if I could have done that 220 times in a row?

If so, when I got there, would I be ready to stop?  Or would I want to keep going?  Or would I want to find a place of peace and rest where I could just sit back and breathe without wondering whether I would need to take my next breath?

Maybe the idea of heaven isn’t such a bad idea after all!!

One day a journey person headed towards the west.  The day was won as he skimmed across prairie and encountered the foothills.  The travel was light, his mind was filled with great adventures, and the scenery was inviting.

As he travelled, he encountered hamlets and villages along the way.  Small towns of unlikely inhabitants.  The restaurants were filled with dreamers and rushing business people.  The fill up station was inhabited with curious eyes and trusting helpers.  Everyday life filled the air.

Crossing the line from hills to mountains was indiscernible.  The elevation rose, but not much else.  Greenery changed shades and sizes. 

Until he reached the Mountain.  The towering rock did not embolden him to scale the heights.  Rather, to return to the lowlands and live a peaceable life.

A journey person does not gain their reputation without facing fears and accepting challenges.  But sometimes all they do is journey – they never scale the heights.  Those who do gain a new appreciation for the landscape and are never the same.  They have mastered their craft, floated to the top of the waves and returned with the knowledge of something far beyond the normal and acceptable.

Congratulations to those apprentices who work to master their craft.  May you have greater joy as you scale the heights of your vocation!!