It really has been a lovely, long, lazy week this week, what was beginning to feel like situational enforced isolation now feels like a proper break. I think that's because I've finally decided to accept that there's nothing to be done except what I want to do within this space and, more importantly, I feel that there is something to move towards how ever far in the future that may be. After being goal focused for so long, and loving my independence and the company of others as much as I do, it has taken me this long to redefine life so I no longer feel like I've totally relinquished it all.
I've buried myself in books, Joe's excellent advice for books for Jim's birthday has served me well, he really does have the best book recommendations as far as I'm concerned, and I've even been forced to re-buy some of the books I've left in England, some books just need reading over and over, besides it's a kind of link with my other life which is comforting when Jim's at work and the scariness of this one creeps up on me.
Whilst I've still not quite attained the heights of domestic goddess the large amount of time I have on my hands has prompted some attempts, and depending on how long it takes for me to get a driving license it's eminently possible deity status may be achieved!
If you look (not too) hard you might notice the water in this kerfuffle of hand washing is a tad on the red side, now I've been doing laundry long enough to know that red is notorious for its lack of colour fastness, but this all came from a tiny tee shirt that's been washed hundreds of times before with no derogatory effects on any other piece of clothing. It's my thinking that the super-duper washing liquid, which apparently removes all stains no matter how old, believed my tee shirt was entirely made of stain and tried to remove it. BUT surely hand washing counts towards domestic godhood, even if it is done mostly to relieve the feeling that I'm not contributing. It is still lovely to watch the washing blowing gently on the line we've stretched around the carport and provided it's not too humid it dries in 90+ degrees really quickly.
Hanging from the washing line, just to the left of the pants, is the pretty wind chime Jim bought me, it's not really been windy much since we got it but it does sound pretty when it chimes. Jim and I, well mostly Jim, are working on a wind chime project that I think will put all others to shame and as it gets a bit further along I'll post some pictures so you can see just what I mean.
I've also been putting the slow-cooker to use, the beef stew these veg went in to was delicious, well to me at least, and with only two of us to eat it it lasts a good meal or two as well. Shopping has got slightly less daunting too, still slightly bewildering and I know I'm tending to stick to what I know but what I know is gradually increasing so by the time any of you get here I may be able to do more than just a stew of some sort!
I've also sort of got around to doing something I've been meaning to do for years and years and started sorting out the various necklaces and earrings etc that I've collected over the years. It was quite emotional at times remembering where they'd all come from, gifts the boys had got me, surprises from Jonathan, gifts from my dad and even a few things I'd picked up from the floor when my sisters and I had been taken by our parents to the coin fairs they'd go to to sell stuff. It was emotional, but in a good way.
I've sorted into types now all I need to do is disentangle and store them all. I have a beautiful cabinet that Margaret, my sister-in-law made for my earrings and a very pretty jewellery box that Jim made for me and it seems so fitting that all these precious things from the past be stored in precious things made by the people in my life here.
My most exciting bit of this week was receiving a postcard all the way from Mongolia! It made me happy in so many different ways, so proud of all the boys did to make the trip a possibility, amazed they managed to even get across western Europe in that tiny car, relieved that not only did they make it to Mongolia but they made it home again too, but mostly I was so touched that they'd thought to send a card to me here at all!
My biggest news is that Jim managed to get a couple of hours off during the week which meant we were able to go to the social security office and request a number for me. Doesn't sound like much huh, but I see it as my key to the world outside. Hopefully it will come in the next week or two and I will be able to find out what I need to do to get a driving license and it also means that I can get a job...who'd have thought 6 weeks ago that just the thought of getting a job would be something I'd get so excited about?
Finally, and especially for Lou, some pictures of the humming birds, I didn't bring the right lens with me, the buggers wont stay still long enough for me to catch them and I haven't the patience to stay still long enough so they get used to me so I'm afraid this is the best you're going to get...for now at least. (I did consider superglue on the feeder where they put their feet but it seemed a bit cruel even for photographic purposes.)
Well hopefully next time I will have news of our crafty wind chime, and hopefully I will speak with you all soon, till then lots of love and stay in touch.
I promised Zelle-bean ages ago that I would show her the world I see when I wake up, and now, after 3 weeks, I have finally got around to not only taking the photos but putting them on the laptop too!
Soooo this is how the world looks when I first wake up...Jim gets up for work at 4:30 and it was foggy this morning, but it's a really nice time of the day, cooler and quieter than when it's light, although it's rarely very noisy here ever.
I don't think this really counts as getting up time because as soon as I've given Jim a hug and a kiss and watched him drive away I usually go straight back to bed, and I can't find the words to describe just how wonderful it is to sleep in a proper bed again after what seems like forever on the floor!
I seem to have taken to waking up properly at about 8ish (2pm English time) so this is what my world really looks like when I wake.
The window next to our bed is open with only a screen and curtains covering it, it's suppose to stop mozzies and their mates coming to bite me although they still seem to manage somehow, but it does mean I wake up to the sounds and the smell of warmed earth in the morning.
Our space is very compact so I can fall out of bed and straight into the bathroom. I think the loo might be on the point of falling through the floor, the result of some very hungry termites over the years, and whilst I think we've displaced them we've not replaced all the wood they chomped away on whilst this was their home too. I've taken to bringing my phone with me when I need to go just in case...
A cup of tea is of course an essential part of the whole waking up process, Jim bought me a kettle specifically for my tea making needs, it was the only one in the shop, hiding shyly behind all the coffee machines, so I've hidden mine behind our coffee machine too. Actually it's because Jim drinks coffee when he wakes up, which as I've mentioned is at a ridiculous time of night, and there's no way either of us are awake enough for complicated coffee machine filling maneuvers, so it's right next to the sink and the coffee...no thought required.
Tea made I take it outside and sit on the steps watching the hummingbirds sucking the sugary red stuff out of the feeder with their long spiky beaks and marvel at just how quickly a banana plant can grow, it was chopped down to the ground in the Spring and now has flowers and bananas hanging from its 8'+ stalks.
The banana plant is right outside the bedroom window and the leaves rustle beautifully when the wind blows, but they scrape the porch roof like maddened zombies coming to gobble me up when it's stormy! Jim bought me a pretty wind chime yesterday and we've hung it on the washing-line we made last week (probably more of that tomorrow as the "mad washer woman" as my domesticated side has been named, is feeling the urge to wring innocent pieces of clothing into tight, misshapen wads.) Anyway I'm hoping the chimes will scare away the zombies or at least drown some of the scraping sounds out.
It was bin day today, well bin night as the rubbish bin lorry comes at 4 in the morning, what's wrong with this country, don't they know when it's dark it's night time? We put the bin on the road side so after drinking my tea I went to fetch it back.
There's a drainage ditch between the grass and the road, when it rains here it REALLY rains and the ditch was brim full after the bit of tropical storm last week. I guess the crayfish thought it looked like a nice place to live as I found this little chap who hadn't managed to make it home after the ditch dried out (almost as quickly as it filled) his mates have made really cool chimneys over their homes, no doubt just waiting for the next storm.
I'm not really sure when the post-lady comes so just check the post box when I remember, it's just across the road from where we leave the bin.
I took these as I crossed the road to check the post. This is what I see when I look left, the big bank at the end is the levee between us and the Mississippi, it was full almost to the top this May/June time, almost but not quite.
And this what I see when I look to the right, Jim's work is just about 5 mins away up the little road, straight across the highway, although you can't really see the highway in this picture but it's just past the dark building on the left (which is a knicker-lady bar, one of the ones with ladies that dance in their knickers so that men can put dollars down them, or so I'm led to believe.)
This is nearly the end, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear, and this last picture is what I see when I look back from the mail box, we live in the tatty little trailer on the right, the one with the porch, far from fancy, deservedly cheap and one of the happiest, most cozy places on the planet.
Well I spent most of yesterday looking for lost things, all of which turned up, no Georgie they weren't all up my arse as you suggested, but it was a good suggestion as there's not much other space to lose things in, and I've spent most of today just phaffing about, eating toasted muffins and playing with photos, so tomorrow will be a doing day. I mean to add stuff here often so you can see every now and again, if the fancy takes you, what I've been doing, but as I warned Tim I suspect it will be a dull read. For now though I love and miss you all and stay in touch!
