How long does it take to fill a hole in the ground with water?

Apparently, at least in our case, about five days. 20,000 gallons later and the hole—aka pool—is full.

(Keep reading to see if you won from last month’s giveaway.)

Built almost forty years ago, our pool has had a few liner replacements. This was our first time since buying the house in 2008, and it’s been an adventure in project management. The previous owners installed a new liner around 2007, so we got way more life out of it than they are designed for. It had never leaked, so we were fortunate. But we had other “old pool” issues, and this was the year to tackle that instead of going on some exotic—or any—vacation. But that's okay...the pool is our little piece of heaven on earth.

The journey started in the summer of 2022 with the discovery of a plumbing leak. We also had concrete that had shifted, something that would eventually have caused major pool damage. We’d talked many times about expanding the concrete around the pool, so we used this as the catalyst to finally get it done. Best to tackle that at the same time as the leak repair and the liner replacement.

We’d hoped to have the job completed in early May, but St. Louis weather doesn’t always do the expected. Here, the expected weather is always the unexpected. Unless it’s summer, in which case the expected is hot, hotter, and soupy hot, and usually doesn’t disappoint.

Concrete destruction began on April 22 and completed about three weeks later. A flurry of activity followed, beginning with draining the nasty green swamp water. So many workers were coming and going that Luna (aka Lunatic, our wild and loopy schnoodle) almost forgot to bark. Almost.

Hopefully, by the time you read this, it will once again be a functioning pool (nope—that didn't happen).

The moral of the story is that everything takes longer than anticipated, and something will always go wrong, so just roll with it and then dive in.

I am once again writing, and it feels so good. My brain has been on hiatus for long enough, and I finally have enough energy to do more than simply get through each day.

That’s it for me.

Wait. Winners. Congratulations to Bonnie M., Joann B., and Elizabeth M. There are chances to win books every month, mine and selected authors, so keep coming back. One of these days I'll actually have a new book for you to read. This month, I’m gifting a copy of Bridge to Us, my romantic women’s fiction set in St. Louis. Each unique click earns a chance to win.

Check out these sweet romance Kindle Unlimited selections for summer reading. https://storyoriginapp.com/to/Uc8sWkD

I try to share other books you might be interested in with each mailing. Some I’ve read, others I haven’t, but they all show potential to be a good fit.

Click the pictures for the link:

Thank you for your continued support.

With Light, Love, and Appreciation,

Author of Bridge to Us