The tree in our front yard was flowering, but the flowers are fading fast. I grabbed a pic of it while it was still loaded with these sweet smelling pink blossoms. Tomorrow, I will snip off some blooms from the lilac bush and bring them inside. I love lilacs. They may be my favorite flower scent--well, until I breathe in the perfume of heritage roses or gardenias or lavender. I have a lot of favorite flower scents.
I had an interview yesterday morning for an administrative assistant position for one of two openings in the area's high school LDS seminaries. My choir director, Denise, just got hired as a new seminary teacher, and she immediately texted me and told me to apply for this job, which was her previous position. I know they really liked her as an admin. assist., so I channeled my inner Denise as much as possible during the interview with the principles of both the seminaries and the regional director of seminaries. I think it went very well. I was articulate and relaxed, and they even laughed at my jokes. We'll see. They said they would let me know either way by the middle of next week, so I'll say more about it if I get the job. I really hope I do. If not, I will continue to be a bus driver.
In other news, my brother, Aaron, just signed the papers and is the new owner of my parents' house, where he has been living with my parents, my grandma, and my youngest brother, Thomas.
Aaron could have left at any time in the last few years--and, in fact, he very much wanted to--but the Spirit kept telling him to stay, so he put up with the constant teasing from ward members about being an adult male in his 30s still living at home. He didn't like it, and he often got really frustrated, but he listened to the Spirit and stayed. He has also been able to be a great helper to my parents, both physically and financially at times. The process of him buying the home is a story of some major and minor miracles, and I think this was one of the reasons he needed to stick around. I won't get into details of his personal life, but I will say that he would love to be married and be a husband and father, but that hasn't happened yet. I hope he is rewarded with all of his righteous desires, because he is an excellent man.
Aaron is now responsible for a mortgage payment that is less than half what my parents were paying, which relieves my parents of a massive financial burden that hasn't been getting any easier as they get older. Because Aaron has a good position at a good company and has been financially responsible, this means he will have some cash to update the place and get it into shape. To that end, he has commissioned me to come up with a plan. He knows I love this sort of thing, and he feels absolutely overwhelmed. I haven't been able to think about anything else since we talked about it (except for the interview, of course). My head is delightfully full of ideas, and I've been writing it all out in order to create a sensible timeline of needed renovations (updating the roof and plumbing first) as well as creating a coherent and unifying redecorating scheme that can be implemented in stages, as Aaron's finances allow.
The home was built in the late 1960s, and it has a mid-century modern vibe. I'm thankful we never had the cash to ruin some of the original details of the house by ripping them out back when we lived there, because now the massive rocks in the fireplace wall, stone flooring in the entry, unbroken expanse of glass in the living room windows, and brown and white kitchen tiles are considered retro and desirable rather than dated and ugly. I plan on incorporating all of those details into the updated decor, when the spaces will all be given a fresh face that winks flirtatiously at its mid-century modern origin without wanting to marry it, if I might stretch a metaphor a little too far. Honestly, it's a tract house, and all the neighbors have the same floor plan--and none of the houses were built all that well in the first place--so this house isn't some marvel of mid-century craftsmanship that should be regarded as a national treasure. I won't be trying to mimic a Frank Lloyd Wright building. Everything I do will be aimed at creating functionality, comfort, and beauty for my brother and my parents while still bending an eye toward the resale value.
I could go on. And on. But I will cease and desist to preserve your sanity, if you've even made it this far, dear reader. I can be so long-winded. But, oh, I'm so full of ideas!
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