Backyard swimming pool issues. First-world problems, ya know?

My great-grandparents, Heie and Helena Jansen

Good evening, everyone.

It's been raining and storming off and on all day, so not able to get a whole awful lot accomplished.

The Debster and I finally got our pool set up in the backyard the other day. The fifteen-foot diameter monster takes up a sizable chunk of the tiny backyard we have. Anyway, we've been working on getting it filled, and are about 3/4 of the way there. 

We're seeing one issue that we HOPE doesn't turn serious on us. Turns out the yard wasn't quite as flat and level as it appeared. There is about a 6 inch difference in the water levels from one side to the other. So once it's filled, one side will be filled to the brim, and the opposite side will have 6 or 7 inches yet to go. 

The real problem is, the opening for the filter pump is kind of high up on the wrong side. So we're crossing our fingers that the water level will be high enough for the pump and filter to work. If it isn't, then we are faced with draining the pool, and then take on either the back-breaking chore of using a shovel to dig out, by hand, the whole area to level it off, or to turn the pool around to put the pump on the lower side. Problem with doing that is that the pump's electric cord may not be long enough to reach the GFI outlet closest to the pool.

Speaking of that outlet, it doesn't even exist yet. I'm hoping we can tap the existing wiring going to the storage shed. There's a perfect place to put the outlet on the outside wall of the shed, where the wiring conduit goes through. But, we don't know if the existing circuit will be able to handle the load.

My handyman nephew has promised to check it out for me, and get an outlet installed even if he has to put in new wiring or something. The problem is, he is highly undependable. We can never be sure he will show up when he says he will. Today is Thursday, and he had promised to come this past Tuesday. Haven't heard a word from him. 

We may have to fork out some money to have an electrician come out and do this, but when I broached this idea to our landlord, he balked. (He is my brother-in-law and father of the wayward handyman nephew.) Not because we wanted him to pay for it, that's on us. But because he doesn't want "outsiders" to be working on his property. He's an odd duck about that. Always has been.

Well, that's enough of my first-world problems.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to subscribe, and comment below.

Ron out.

Sunday at home (like every day these days)

Well, this morning the Debster and I logged on to Harvest Bible Chapel South's on-line service. But, before I go on --

One thing I have to put out there right up front. I find most contemporary Christian music to be vapid, silly, shallow, and completely lacking any depth Biblically or theologically. It seems to be written and performed to appeal to the lowest common denominator, emotional entertainment for people wanting to have their ears tickled. I grew up in a traditional Lutheran Church Missouri Synod church, learning the beautiful old and deep hymns of the faith.

With that said, Harvest has seemed to have found a vein of contemporary Christian music that is soundly Biblical and solidly theological and that really does praise the Lord.

Pastor Micah Mathis's sermon this morning from Acts 19 was about how Jesus is bigger than our ignorance. "Jesus Is Bigger Than" has been his theme for awhile now, as he preaches through Acts. This week, he showed how Jesus and the Word of God can overcome ignorant beliefs. In verses 1-10 disciples of John the Baptist are taught the complete gospel and about the Holy Spirit. Syagogue Jews are taught about the Messiah. In verses 11-20, Micah showed us that Jesus is bigger than our ignorant and/or false practices. Some charlatans were given a serious drubbing by a demon-possessed man for attempting an exorcism. It was enough to cause many new believers in Ephesus to turn from false "magic" and burn all their books. Books that were worth a whole awful lot of money went up in smoke as these new Christians sacrificed these pagan beliefs.

Later in the morning, I managed to get a little genealogy done, still working on the Formhals family from Alton, to whom I am indirectly related through my paternal grandmother's family.

Mostly, I've been processing obituaries.

Pauline Formhals obituary
Alton Evening Telegraph, 17 Oct 1918, Page 5

Obituary for Albertine Thornton nee Formhals
Alton Evening Telegraph, 4 Dec 1920, Page 1

The Debster's cousin and her husband were planning on coming over and helping us set up the pool, but it's been stormy all day, and supposed to be like that all the rest of the evening. Maybe tomorrow.