Monday, 7 March 2005 - Two new spaces

Dear God:

Today, I am grateful for two new spaces.

With spring fever running rampant in the neighborhood, we joined the cleaning frenzy, finally getting rid of some of the "old" to make way for something "new."

First, S gave our 20-year old weight bench and related equipment to our neighbor, an athletically gifted teenager who wants to start weight training for football season. We haven't used the bench in years. S works out at World Gym, and I augment my walks with T with Pilates and Callanetics. With our new interest in boxing, we now have room in the basement to set up the heavy bag.

Next, S dismantled the old wooden dog house that has sat on the patio for the past 17 years. Our first dog, Y, used the house during the winter. He was born in Texas and, although big and brawny, he never acclimated to the wind and cold. T, on the other hand, is a Colorado native and doesn't mind wintry days. He eschewed the shelter for a dirt burrow near the dryer vent. The dog house occupied half the patio. Now that it's gone, we can use the space for important family activities like barbeques and lounging in the sun on weather-perfect March afternoons.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.