I think as one embarks on a construction project there is always the understanding that something unexpected will come up.
An unexpected waterline that had to be re-routed.
An unexpected extra 1/2 inch on the bullnose edge of the countertop which made it impossible to open the fridge door.
We budgeted for the unexpected.
We prepared for the unexpected.
We did not prepare for this.
Yesterday as I was getting the girls ready for the day I heard a crash.
Actually a crash does not begin to define what I heard.
But I knew exactly what it was.
Immediately I knew.
I put Halley in charge of Janey and gave the girls strict instructions to NOT come downstairs.
I needed some time to assess the damage.
To cry a little.
To pray.
To get my camera.
To clean up the mess.
To get it together before they saw me again.
Because after all, these are only dishes.
It was only a cabinet.
All are replaceable.
We were safe.
The granite did not break.
The new floor is now scuffed, scratched and distressed just like the old floor.
I might just have an excuse to buy these that I have been really wanting, but not really needing.
Earthly goods.
Earthly goods.
Now I have three tubs of materials to make a mosaic.
A memory.
That what seems like a catastrophe now can be made into something else.
Different.
Unexpected.
Unexpected.
To remind me that if faulty cabinets and broken dishes are the worst of my problems than I really don't have it all that bad.
When I first saw your tweet regarding this - I seriously froze. I thought about you - I tried to picture it. I wished I could help somehow by magically reaching through my BlackBerry to you (now, wouldn't that be cool!?).
ReplyDeleteGlad no one was there when it fell. yikes! (but, sad that the dishes didn't fare too well... but - they *will* make a pretty mosaic! :)
AH! That confetti set is what I have!!! Did you know you can get it at Pier one? :) They are awesome dishes...and what a great perspective. :)
ReplyDeleteoh so sad. My son even just gasped and said "what happened? It must have been a robber or an earthquake" So sad.
ReplyDeleteOh I love your positive outlook! And, you're exactly right, this gives you a chance to go shopping for the dishes you really want :) Happy shopping!
ReplyDeleteOh Julie...I saw the tweet pic last night and wondered what happened...yikes! I would be so devestated. Thanks for sharing your positive outlook! :)
ReplyDeleteI am still in shock that your cabinet FELL! So thankful no one got hurt. And, I am *pretty* sure your cabinet guys WILL be replacing your dishes!
ReplyDeleteYour perspective blessed me. I can only hope that after having a good cry, I'd be able to see that clearly. Yes, they are only things which can be replaced.
ReplyDeleteThank God none of you were in the kitchen when it fell!
ReplyDeleteLove all that blue though!
Ahh I know how you feel. We shipped our wedding china when we moved and almost all of it was broken. Now its all broken sitting in our wearhouse waiting for me to make a mosiac. SO I would love to see the finishes project! And I love the confetti set!
ReplyDeleteSo very happy that no one was hurt.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are making lemonade out of lemons...I love mosaics and when someone breaks a dish I don't cry too much because I know it will turn into something beautiful in the end. Curious if you ever had a redo for that table during the scarf along you mentioned? Table tops are one of my favorites to see as mosaic pieces, that and picture frames. :)
Also, a link to that necklace I mentioned that has inspired me, hope to finish my piece soon!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25745219
I can pass off some Fiesta dinner plates in periwinkle light blue? Sigh...I would die...I might need to come and borrow some pieces for a collage...
ReplyDeleteNo one is HURT, that's the good part, right?
Great attitude and I love the polka dots!
ReplyDeletemy jaw is still on the floor! so.very.sad. What a pretty mosaic though...in your spare time. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry. Your beautiful dishes!! Glad it didn't hurt the granite. I would have cried too.
ReplyDeletethat is sooooooo sad.
ReplyDeletei can see the beautiful mosaic already though.
it will be gorgeous!
Oh, no! I am so sorry. Love your fiestaware though:) I have the cobalt set... A mosaic is a wonderful idea! Here is the one that I did in my kitchen. It was so much fun to do!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/threemoonbabies/3534387320/in/set-72157604516020754/
Can't wait to see what you come up with!
I love those dishes. I drool over them every time I go in Pier1...
ReplyDeleteHave fun mosaic-ing!
Thank the good Lord that all of you were upstairs...far, far away when it happened. And you're so right that they were only dishes, but I'm going to take a quick sec. to mourn a little for you, cause I have a feeling those pretty Fiesta ware dishes might have taken a while to all come together.
ReplyDeleteAnd how lucky that you have such pretty dishes to make your mosaic out of! If our dishes broke I'm not sure they'd be much for making into something else. :)
ReplyDeleteYou have an amazing outlook. Were you kind of cry-laughing? I would have been. Can't wait to see the mosaic.
ReplyDeleteThat is going to be an AMAZING mosaic!
ReplyDeleteoh, julie. i almost cried when i saw this. all that aqua.
ReplyDeletebut that is going to be an AWESOME mosaic! you can be strong! i believe in you.
I've always wondered if that has happened to anyone. I load up my dishes and glassware into my cabinets and hope and pray they hold. I have little faith in the plastic reinforcements. So sorry for the loss of your dishes. Hooray for new art.
ReplyDeleteOh no :( I totally feel for you. Several months ago, my Hoosier cabinet doors' latch broke, the doors opened up, and out came spilling all my china. Somehow, only a couple of pieces broke. I bought it all second hand on the cheap, so I didn't really mind. Too much.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for newly installed cabinets falling off the wall... I'm a teacher in a building that got renovated recently. They must have done a piss poor job installing the cabinets, because one fell off the wall just like yours did. Luckily no one was hurt because those things weigh a ton.
Have fun with your mosaic project. I know it will turn out beautiful!
Oh mercy~!! Well, I am so glad that you took this so well! I would have probably been a mess. If it's any consolation, I have recently had something similar happen to me TWICE. Actually, 3 times...but only twice did the closet shelving and aaaaaall of its contents totally avalanche onto ME.
ReplyDeleteAnd BTW, I am sooo glad to know that you are making something new with all of these broken pieces!! =-D
Oh hon, so sorry but yes, we all have it good! And, can't wait to see that mosaic... I'm so sure it will be beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteSooo sad, but what a wonderful outlook you have. As you said, they are just earthly things - which you will make into something beautiful, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteI cannot close my mouth, I am still gasping at the broken pieces of RETIRED colors of Fiesta! *whimper*
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to you. This past week I dropped my camera bag and broke a very expensive lens. Shock and horror sets in and like you, I was reminded that it's "stuff" we can certainly get attached but we can't control everything which is a lesson I needed to learn (again). Have a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteI saw this HOT mess on your twitter... I wanted to cry a little for you...
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh...that is all i can say and think of! what a great outlook you have on it...i still can't believe your cabinet fell!
ReplyDeleteoh Julie...... I hope they are going to fix that for free, you are too kind I would have lost it and the girls would have heard it all...ugh....nothing to say.....
ReplyDeleteHow frustrating! Sounds like you have (or are at least working on) the proper persepective.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry! You have such a good attitude, bless your heart! Glad that all were far away from the scene! I hope you can get your dishes replaced with the ones of your dreams, and do the mosaic project! You WILL laugh at this one day.
ReplyDeleteI gasped and scared my cats! So glad that no one was hurt!!! My goodness.
ReplyDeleteUgh. That gives me a little bit of a headache just looking at it!
ReplyDeleteAfter my grandma passed away we were cleaning out her house & took her china...packed it up securely in boxes and shipped it to my house using a certain brown parcel service.
It arrived in pieces.
I was in pieces.
After crying for a week I used it to make a mosaic picture frame & put a picture of my grandma inside.
Not the same as her china, but still good.
You'll make something fab. I know it.
~Keri
I'm SO sorry! How terrible!
ReplyDeleteBut I vote for the new confetti plates :)
wow! i feel your pain and i love your attitude! way to keep it in perspective! those pictures show a gruesome scene!!!
ReplyDeleteI stopped with my mouth open when I saw your picture.. So sorry... but LOVE your attitude. It will make it all go so much faster with such precious thoughts as yours.. Best of blessings your way.... and some fabulous new dishes too.
ReplyDeleteStaci
I'm so sorry! Dishes are something that I know I treasure. So many memories over meals.
ReplyDeleteohhh my!! You guys are so lucky!! we had a similar experience when my oldest was a babe we literally just left the house when a large chunk of ceiling fell in from unknown water damage...YUK!! I bet there are extra kisses at bedtime for a few days :) I am excited to see your upcoming mosaic plans!!
ReplyDelete(((HUGS))) I would cry too, and I am so amazed by your positive attitude!
ReplyDeleteI love how you made lemonade when life handed you lemons - mosaics - great idea! But oh, I definitely would have cried.
ReplyDeleteYou get the "best attitude on the planet" award for today!
ReplyDeleteAll I could think was mosaic, too. After I thought about how I'd also cry!
That mosaic's gonna rock!
Oh my, you poor thing. What a mess. I just saw those dishes at Pier One!! I love polka dots
ReplyDeleteMy heart sank as I starred at the broken dishes on your floor. We just moved into a new house and I have repeatedly asked my dh if the cabinets are strong enough to hold my things..."are you sure", I keep asking, as he shakes his head. The thing is that as I read your post, it made me think that although I have been worrying about things like this, it kinda puts into prospective what is truly special and meaningful....then those "treasures" become things, even though I would still cry (profusely), and hopefully handle it as graciously as you have :)
ReplyDeleteHugs, Ingrid
oh Julie! I so can understand that incredibly overwhelming feeling of wanting time to turn back and pull the dishes out BEFORE the cabinet crashes.
ReplyDeleteso sorry.
but I love that you are looking on the bright side :)
Oh My, what a mess!!! Thank God you guys were not in their!
ReplyDeleteI got a feeling the cabinet guys got in some deep doo-doo with their boss! At least you will have a beautiful mosiac!!! Good for you for being so positive about everything!!!
You're either extremely calm or trying to convince yourself. But either way, I totally admire your perspective on this whole thing. I believe the same things you stated...but it'd take me at least a few hours to calm down about it.
ReplyDeleteIm glad everyone is safe. Youre right...its earthly goods(wood, hay, stubble) but its still very hard!
Blessings,
Sarah
Oh my gosh! I am so so sorry Julie! Wish I could have been there to help clean up. Your poor, poor Fiestaware. I would have so cried if ours all broke like that. But hey, you get to pick new dishes now!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the picture I knew immediately what had happened. The same thing happened to us. It was horrible. Dishes from my great grandmother that couldn't be replaced. However, call your home owners insurance. My sister used to work for an insurance company and told me what to tell them it was covered under because they will try to tell you it is not covered. They replaced my cabinets because they couldn't match the old ones, replaced my counter and my floor but would not cover the cost of the dishes. But they were nice and gave me extra money for the clean up which helped pay for the dishes.
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to you. I am happy no one was in there to get hurt. We were lucky too! Best wishes.
Wow, You have an amazing attitude! What a beautiful example to your children!
ReplyDeletecould you hear me GASP! all the way in alabama??!!
ReplyDeleteoh julie, that is just horrible. but, the bright side (there's always a bright side!) is that now you get to shop for new dishes!! F-U-N!
and that no one was hurt! that too!
I love that tub that is holding your beautiful broken dishes. I didn't expect it to be that bad when you mentioned it on Twitter, though. Yikes. Praying your way for all to go smoothly as you get everything replaced. xo
ReplyDeleteYou have such a positive outlook!
ReplyDeleteOH NO!!!!! The lady I used to nanny for had something like that happen. The day she moved into her new house and put all her crystal (from her fancy wedding) in the cabinets, they crashed to the ground. We're talking dozens of WATERFORD crystal goblets, flutes, etc. I am so glad nothign like that has happened to me...I don't handle things as well as you!
ReplyDeleteisn't it great that we have the great knowledge that "earthly goods" are only temporary and that God can turn beauty from ashes? :) i think you should keep one of those buckets of earthen ware as a display to remind you/us of the temporal state we are all in at the moment. what a display THAT would be!!
ReplyDeleteBTW: your response was WAY more mature than mine may have been.
count it all joy...!
Great job being positive when I am sure you just wanted to sit down and cry! So sorry about your dishes, even though they are just things, it is sad when something that was perfectly fine is ruined in a moment like that! I am so thankful no one was in the room when it happened!! Make sure they double check all the other cabinets when they replace that one!!
ReplyDeleteoh, i have had nightmares about that happening in my kitchen...i have to say you had a amazing outlook on the situation! can't wait to see what happens to your pretty dishes!
ReplyDeleteoh my stomach dropped when I saw this-I'm so sorry! Glad you all weren't in the kitchen when it happened. I don't know if I would have handled this as well as you did!
ReplyDeletebless your heart - great perspective!
ReplyDeleteholy cow. i am so happy the kids were NOT around. what a mess. can't wait to see what you get to replace it.
ReplyDeletehave a wonderful day. sure is pretty outside.
:O)
You have a great perspective on this unexpected event. I admire your determination to do something meaningful with it, rather than pout all day (which is probably what I would have done!).
ReplyDeleteI totally feel your pain. A few years ago, I had a large hutch in my kitchen, glass shelves, all piled way too high with platters and the like. We were eating dinner one night in the dining room and head a loud, indescribable crash in the kitchen. My heart sank because I knew exactly what it was. Two of the shelves crashed, bringing everything down with them. I totally wanted to cry. And it was totally my fault.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to leave a comment to tell you I just read your story for the 1st time. I am amazed by mommy's like you. And I can't wait to see you in heaven one day with that sweet girl that never knew any different than Jesus. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteYou've hooked me for good now:). Thanks for sharing your journey. I'm so glad the Lord chose to bless you both 3 times over for clinging to Him.
Amber
YIKES!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you handled it all so very well. Nice Fiesta ware in the bucket for the mosaic project. Blessings that the room was empty. At leas the new floor is worn it right fit now! God bless and I enjoy your postings.
ReplyDeleteOh no! So sad and so scary! I am so glad it happened while you were all upstairs!!
ReplyDeleteoh my...wow.
ReplyDeleteI am just now catching up on a few days worth of posts. I am so sorry your dishes broke. At this time a year a big bucket of broken pieces makes me think that must be what we looked like before Christ. Yet He takes our pieces and makes them into something beautiful...something with purpose...something that speaks of His name. (I have Fiesta dishes too, which I love, but I have secretly thought if they ever break they will make a great mosaic.)
ReplyDeleteHoly poop! How terrifying and sad...
ReplyDeleteSo great to meet you last night!
I am glad to hear you literally "picked up the pieces and moved on" with such a positive attitude. Your awesome!
ReplyDeleteGreat perspective but I am still sorry about your dishes. :)
ReplyDeleteSomeone left a link to your blog on my blog- we have something in common!! :D
ReplyDeleteCheck out my dishes...
http://makeitawonderfullife.blogspot.com/2010/02/lemons-and-lemonade.html
Perspective is one of the keys to happy life, isn't it?
I love how positive you are. To turn and make something beautiful such as a mosaic out of this small catastrophe is such a lovely perspective.
ReplyDeleteYet another reason why I love your blog!