… I pressed into the next iteration scheduled to begin on December 3, 2007, and end on February 1, 2008.
Between those two dates, just two days before Christmas, my younger brother died. He was only forty-four years old. His death came to us with such furious winds and turbulent waves that we all slipped into a deep sea of sorrow.
My boyfriend’s death in 1975 swept me into deep, murky waters. Barely alive, I languished under the waves for more than a decade. However, when my father passed in 1989, I discovered God’s willingness to lift me out and give life to my desire to truly live.
On the morning my brother died, my Bethlehem kids were all set to perform our Christmas play—Promises, Promises. We reenacted that same play every year because it taught the children about God’s promises to his people over the millennia.
His promise to Noah was that he would never destroy the earth again with water. He promised Abraham that he would become a father of many nations. He also promised David that his progeny would reign on the throne forever. And then finally, through Christ Jesus, he promises us so many things. One of my favorite promises is this: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”
When my brother left this earth, God did not leave me in my grief. Nor did he forsake me in my sorrow. That was the only reason I got to the end of the third and final Elaboration iteration. The iteration assessment that was recorded on 2/08/2008 reports what I accomplished and what I left undone.
Elaboration 3 Assessment
Major Accomplishments
I was so unsure of myself. I had been away from source code production for so long that I didn’t believe I could pull this off without [CTO]. I headed into this iteration with a cloud of doom over my head so heavy that it made it hard to stay on track.
But I did it! I now know how Z-Wave networks work and how to install and manage them. I know how wonderful it is to have home automation. I know what SDK to use for the foundation of the product line - which was not an easy decision; I tossed and turned many nights going over the pros and cons of HomeSeer vs. ControlThink. I developed a prototype in a programming language and development environment that I never used before; the ControlThink SDK and samples made it so easy. I now know that the client and web applications will be developed in a .NET framework. I know what the software architecture looks like. I know how to plan the development effort. I even created futuristic logos and drafted a futuristic website for T-Communications.
And all of this was accomplished for less than $500.
God is good... Praise God!
Major Adjustments
Major adjustments and some very tough decisions did have to be made though.
Due to the long and difficult SDK decision and unfamiliarity with the .NET framework, a prototype was developed instead of the actual implementation; the implementation will be completed during construction. I will work part-time to implement device related functionality in C1 & C2 but I have to return to consulting full-time in order to generate income to help contract resources for C3, C4 & T1.
Unfortunately, during the successive Construction iterations 1 and 2, I kept falling further and further behind. Writing code in my spare hours was not working out. I needed more time, so on May 30, 2008, I took a three-month sabbatical to focus on my project. We also moved out of Mom’s attic because my daughter graduated from college and Noble was biting at the bit to live in his own home.
On March 26, 2008, I wrote:
"Lord You are good, and Your mercies endure forever!
Noble and I are now the proud owners of a BEAUTIFUL house, a new contemporary house that has a view of rolling hills and trees, has a safe driveway, tons of square footage in the main living areas & a really snazzy master bath—this house fulfills the desires of my heart.1 Thank you, Father.
Your will for me is also 3 full months to work on my product without having to be employed at the same time.
Lord, you know (to humans) these two desires in combination do not work and I must confess my doubt. But forgive me Lord for my unbelief and help me to believe and trust that if You can make one happen, You can certainly bring about the other."
After settling into our new home in June, I got right to work. By the end of August, only six weeks later than scheduled, I had a working web application. With it, a user could create and manage their Lifetime account. However, they could not add or use automation devices like in the prototype.
I could not figure out how to access the devices through the internet.
Undeterred, I took the web application to a local conference where four young women spent five minutes of their lifetime interacting with the next generation of home management software. Their feedback was amazing. They verified what the application was for and what its potential was—just by navigating the website. The application also performed flawlessly; there were no bugs and no crashes.
At the end of the summer, I had to go back to consulting full time. However, in the isolated depths of the basement closet that served as my home office, I continued to work under the software-producing arm of my newly established business, Salt Productions, LLC.
The work was grueling; I performed the duties of every executive office, from the CEO to the COO.
I agonized over financial spreadsheets, cultivated strategic relationships with home automation partners, and meticulously analyzed the market.
Also on my shoulders was the design of installation packages, distribution channels, and marketing strategies, even as I struggled to keep up with the demanding, and relentless, software development schedule.
When my contract ended on December 11, 2009, I was exhausted. Concerned about my health, I went to see a doctor. She immediately checked my hemoglobin.
It was 4.5 g/dL.
A healthy hemoglobin range for a female is between 12-16 g/dL., and healthcare providers get extremely concerned when it falls below 7 g/dL. Anything below 7 g/dL is life-threatening.
I was at death’s door.
Career Dream #5: Fulfilled 2008 (Salt Productions)
Daughter’s College Education Dream: Fulfilled 2008 (University of Maryland). We celebrated the graduation at The George in Washington, DC. The dinner reminded me of the 1987 movie, Babette's Feast—each course served with a perfectly paired wine. I dreaded the bill, but I never got it. The abundant wine was a generous gift to their favorite hostess; she had worked there part-time during her last years of school.
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A Speculative Memoir
In a 1989 journal entry, I poured out my dashed dreams to God. Those few precious moments became a watershed event in an unfolding narrative that began ten years before when I turned my back on God. Turning my back on God did many things, most of them sad, but foremost it made me forget who I was. But there was someone who never forgot. Someone who neve…
Our new house is also located in a neighborhood where all the houses are the same, except ours.