Jen's Pen

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Last week I started haunting Craig's List in earnest for a sofa for the basement.
I knew what I wanted. I wanted a sofa with recliners on each end, but not one that was too long.
I also wanted to hold out for one that is in good shape.
After I got the office furniture at such a great price, I wanted to wait for a good deal.
So on Monday I found an ad for the type of sofa that I was looking for down near Baltimore.
I called and the lady assured me that it was in great shape and "hardly used". She wanted 200.00 for it, which was a good price for what she had advertised.
John and I got our act together after school and drove the 40 minutes to where it was located.
I started to get concerned when we turned onto the first street into the neighborhood. This was not exactly the type of place that people own "hardly used" furniture.
We found the house, went around back to the basement door and went in and found that what the woman had advertised was not what she was selling. The sofa was snagged and dirty and had apparently been there awhile. So much for "hardly used".
When I came home I made a promise to myself that I was going to hold out for a local seller that had what I wanted. I still had the cash, and I just figured I would hold onto it until someone in Harford county showed up on CL.
I watched the furniture ads for a couple more days and on Thursday night, at around 11:00, just before I was going to bed, I found an ad for a sofa that was exactly what I wanted, in Havre de Grace, for 200.00.
I emailed the lady, who said she still had it because she had JUST posted it! I told her I would be down the next day to see it, but it seemed to good to be true.
When I went in, I could smell cigarette smoke, which is a big red flag, but it wasn't too bad, and the room the sofa was stored in was OK.
It was clean. The recliners worked. It was the right size. The price was right, AND it came apart, so that I could get it in my van! Big plus!
I gave the lady a deposit, and told her I would be back that evening to pick it up.
When we got there I noticed a very small tear in one of the cushions that I hadn't noticed earlier, but it was so small that I didn't think it would be too tough to repair. It wasn't.
John, and his friend Liam, and I got the thing down to the basement in pieces and it began to fulfill it's purpose immediately! The smoke smell is going away and is hardly noticeable. I love it. It is so comfy!
Perfect for long winter evenings.

Another great deal from Craig's List!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Having a Ball...

The Harvest Moon Ball that is!
On Sunday we were Blessed to attend, and help out at, Good Shepherd's first Harvest Moon Ball dinner and dance.
There was a delicious meal, lots of amazing desserts,

and hours of great music!


Mathias, The Fearless DJ

The youth were the actual hosts of the ball, as it was a fundraiser for their trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.
They did a lot of serving, welcoming, clearing dishes, and DANCING!

So many great people...

Some of the kids are going to Swing Dance lessons at a local church, and they have really learned some amazing moves!
There was music for any taste.
It was a wonderful time!