Progress

Here we go,
not done yet, but half of the oak floor (full plank planks) and the wonderful new staircase are built in. And it starts looking like a room I'll live in very well and happy.
And that's more important than finding (how come?) some new wrinkles and two kilos more that haven't shown before. So what?
Everything else will follow - wishing good wishes to all people I love and care for. Especially my friend Erika with the chemo trouble - may 2010 be good to her and the leftover of 2009 lift her spirits.
Merry Christmas to all of you!

Up

Well, there have been some bumps in the road of life since my last post. But everything seems to turn out just fine - even if my planned birthday party will be postponed until next summer (better with the weather anyway :-)
I noticed that I put myself under too much pressure to reach the goal so I sat back, breathed and slowed down. Feels much better and more relaxed.
Things look pretty now and I can enjoy the smallest success.
Above all - I'm entering a new dimension - got my pension approval certificate two days ago. Yeah! Winter can come - doesn't scare me.

Progress every single day

Today the guy who takes care of the new heating devices was here - another step ahead. And more plaster on the wall - probably by Thursday I'll paint it off-white like downstairs and then the whole thing will be a wall about 7 metres high and pretty cathedral looking.
I had another thought these days - the chance of getting older is also that YOU are obviously the only person to know that all aspects you have come across in your life (little girl, young woman, adult woman and the following :-) are gathered inside you and only you can tell. Funny!

Ophthalmologist and new shoes

Everything went just fine, and by tomorrow I'll be able to see like before (at least with my right eye). And to celebrate this nerve wracking day - I got my new shoes. Soooooooo beautiful!

Got things done

I discussed the theme of now - past - future with a friend today and discovered the difference in thinking. Me picturing the whole as a line coming from the endless past going to the endless future and him seeing the same thing as a endless circle. The second difference was looking at the "now"-point as something that pushes future further ahead followed by the past while I had the thought of taking bits from future by moving ahead and adding those to the past when they are over. These are two very interesting points of looking at things!!
Besides that - got older, see less, wait for next eye surgery on Tuesdays and have an ex-bedroom that starts to look like the one-of-a-kind living-room (part of) now. Painted walls and light make such a difference!


There will be another smashing light effect when the new stair is built in, I did already order it.
And - no matter what time goes by - I do like shoes. So I made myself a treat and ordered Think! shoes. (Spent my friends gift for "things you have to abstain from while reconstructing your house")
I*ll have a very relaxed Sunday!

Lack of tools

Well, talking of my first passion - quilting - my tools really let me down. First of all that pretty new brother sewing-machine doesn't catch the trhead anymore and therefore doesn't really make stitches (!) and my older Singer can't remember how to do zig-zag (which seems to be very related to the other problem). So even simple things like repairing a trouser of a friend gets pretty complicated.
But the walls are progressing and look pretty good. Success!!



So all is set for having a wonderful weekend.

About Work

Funny - being retired from work means working more than ever. Somehow I'm more boss to myself than anyone before, always pushing me do continue :-) The big difference is all I'm achieving is just for my own purpose. What a wonderful feeling!

The part time results do have their special charm - doesn't it look like being on vacation in some old farmhouse in Little Brittany?

Good old yellow Mailbox

When I was a kid there were yellow mailboxes everywhere - no long walk to the post office to get your letter on the way. Somehow they all have dissappeared - not needed anymore and too expensive to manage with less personel. Who ever writes letters nowadays the old-fashioned way using paper and ink?
One of the symbols for getting old - things that used to be are gone, new ones appear. And you notice that your greed to be à jour is not as urging as it has been but you can't tell when it started to be this way. You start to select things that are important for you and get rid of the others. Time somehow has a different importance once you can accept that (even if you count very generously) you're through more than half of your life.
BUT - you didn't just get older, the fun is taking all the experiences that life provided and start finding the person inside that waited all those years to find way and space to express itself apart from everyday business. It is not about more wrinkles or white hair actually it's about personal freedom. No date with a plastic surgeon no botox and no silicon wherever you may imagine to have it - there's nothing wrong with age!
There's so much to discover looking deeper and from a different angle than I did thirty or forty years ago.

Decision

Ok, here I am. This is what my horoscope tells me today.
"If anyone is fond of 'just the facts, ma'am,' it's you. Embellishing those facts or adding details that have more to do with wishful thinking than the absolute truth just isn't your style. Mention all those things to anyone who approaches you now and insists that you give them your opinion on the story they're just dying to share. Otherwise, mention that you also won't be shy -- or gentle -- about letting them know what you really think."
So, following this advice for this special day, I'll let you know some details about me. I'm still 59, my husband died 7 years ago after being married for 20 years, no kids, but a fierce cat (Baby) and a 5 year old Labby Poldi whose friend Leo (New Foundland dog) left us last year in the marvellous age of 14. My most loved hobby is quilting though I can't practice that at the moment since I'm rebuilding my old, old house for four years now. But beside that fun rebuilding something (including the fact that I happened to meet a pretty perfect guy for both - personal and constructional interests) is the deep longing for the moment when I can take my stash out of those boxes and bags, set up my sewing machine and get started for new creative adventures.
MAYBE (!) this floor will be all set including the new kitchen until December so I'll be able to have that birthday party right here - I'd die for - but anyway (not forgetting the fun of "The journey is the reward!").
This was the last quilt I managed to finish - my personal design - hand and machine appliqued, embellished with beads and special yarn, machine quilted.

This is what I like to do most - design and create. But in the meantime I'll be spreading plaster on the walls and help making a new floor. Big deal also!!!
See you next time
brighid