And they did!

The Shiwoo arrived on Tuesday. He had an exquisitely done faceup in grey, which suited his previous life, but I see him as a tween boy, and Fourthborn wiped* his face yesterday while I folded laundry. It was too humid to use the sealant, so his new faceup will happen the next time we get together, if the weather cooperates.

*Wiping means to remove all previous paint and embellishments. It's like cleaning the chalkboard and starting over.

The Australian print got here on Thursday. I found its frame after work on Friday, in the clearance bin for $8. Sweet! That's all assembled and waiting in the living room.

The Vettrianos arrived on Friday. I unrolled them, admired them, and rolled them back up. I don't have time to mess with them now. Will probably mat them identically to the new print of the Savior, as they will be hung nearby in the hall.

Oye, the hall. I pulled quite a few bits of paint off the wall when I was removing the painter's tape. So that will need to be fixed. Fourthborn and I got the last of the tack strips up yesterday. Along with small chunks of the concrete, enough that I will have to do some patching (unlike in the dining room). And there are maybe a dozen nail heads that must be removed, or they will tear the vinyl flooring. So I'm kinda stuck until that gets figured out. And we know how much I love feeling stuck.

I also can't get the doorknob off my bedroom door, to replace it with one that won't pinch me or lock me out. I'm wondering if a hacksaw is the solution (and if that would work for the nails in the hall). The door is in good shape, but bland. One friend suggested replacing the door. That may turn out to be my best option.

In happier news, I now have a butler's tray table for the hall, saving me the cost of the demilune table at IKEA, which was the right color but also, sadly, bland. (People! I don't *do* bland!) The savings covered most of what I paid for four carved oak chairs. All from my favorite little antique shop. I got four chairs for less than the cost of one of the chairs that Squishy butt-tested for me a few months ago. So I can cross those off my list.

I also have two new 7.5 foot ficus trees that match the small one. Friends from church sold their house faster than they thought it would go. So she put a message on the ward RS Facebook page: please come help yourselves. That saved me another $300 plus.

So, I have spent some money, and I have saved a lot more. Six new dining room chairs would have set me back between $900 and $1000. I briefly considered getting two benches from Pier One, on sale for a little under $400 total, but I couldn't tuck them under a gateleg table when not in use. These chairs are eminently tuckable, and they cost me $119 plus tax and a quarter of a tank of gas (but I was picking up Faythe anyway).

I have a lot of stuff out in the living room, just waiting to go up on the walls, but I need to do the ceiling and floor first. I knew I needed a relatively quiet weekend for pondering and planning. That doesn't stop me from feeling a little frustrated that I can't start charging full speed ahead when I wake up tomorrow.

It's just another reminder that I really have minimal control over my little corner of the world. And I have had far too many of those reminders of late, from the thing with my eye that could have been a detached retina but wasn't, to a child's name change that will cost me another $400 at some point to get my will updated if a handwritten and notarized codicil is insufficient, to concerns about where some of my beloved children will spend eternity if they don't rethink some of their choices.

This is Fast Sunday, and because I am diabetic I will not be fasting. But I will definitely be praying for wisdom, understanding, and comfort. And if my home teacher is in town I may ask for a blessing. I have a lot to think about, from stubborn nails to my own faults and weaknesses.

I am so thankful that I am not in charge of the universe.