This morning we were up and “at em'” at 3:30 a.m., to begin our very first weekend together here at Mist Cottage. That is the time Attila needs to get up for the next two weeks, to accommodate the shift he will be working. Since we retired to bed at 8:30 p.m. last night, we had no trouble waking up so early in the morning.
Today the washing machine will be installed in the basement, in theory. This house has given shelter to people who must have had next to no resources. The renovations that were done here used bits of lumber, and particle board pieces, all patched together to make studs and walls in the basement. This has come to light this morning during the attempt to move the washing machine into the area with plumbing. The last wall of a former mouldy bedroom is being removed, as this entry is being typed. The wall removal includes relocating a light switch and an electrical outlet. Not your usual prep work for installing a washing machine.
Yesterday the plumbing was redone, to accommodate the installation of a washing machine. Of course, one thing leads to another, and the old original kitchen tap began to leak when the water was turned back on. Another project, fix the leaking tap in the kitchen.
Attila has been enjoying himself. The extra preparation work for the washing machine install isn’t bothering him one bit. It is slowing down the project, but there is no hurry to get that done.
Yesterday I reduced the number of food canisters by two, by using the flour and the raisins in the canisters brought here from the country house. I baked raisin scones, a personal favourite of mine. There are more duplicates in the kitchen to merge, which means I will be doing a lot of baking for the next little while.
Terra dropped by yesterday for a chat, just in time for try my fresh baked raisin scones. She mentioned that she was thinking of buying a computer to do graphics. My old G4 desktop has a legal full version of Photoshop and Illustrator, so I offered the computer to her, and she carted away the computer, monitor, keyboard, and two boxes of software. None of the software will run on my newer computers, and I seldom, almost never, use it for anything else, so I am very happy that it is going to a good home.
This morning I gathered together the bits of dishes, and cutlery, and pots, and other kitchen items, all to go to the local women’s shelter. I considered having a lawn sale this morning, but really, for the $20 or so that I would make selling the items, it just doesn’t make sense. A yard sale is a lot of work, and I don’t like doing it. It is more important to me that the items make someone else’s life a little easier.
We filled three big boxes, and headed over to the local women’s shelter with them. They did not want the dishes, as they already had too many, but they were grateful for the other items, and there were a lot of other items. We were grateful that the items will be useful to someone. The dishes will go to a large corporate donation store in the nearby city, the next time I visit. We didn’t get everything into the boxes though, so another box is sitting in a corner ready to receive more duplicate items to pass along.
By mid-morning Attila had the washing machine installed. The first load was his work clothes. Wow, the machine is loud! It makes lots of incredible noises, but I know that soon I will be accustomed to them, and I will no longer notice them. The top loading machine is a little different than the front loading machine, and the clothes seem to be just as clean, and just as wrung out as with the front loader. We can conveniently leave the lid open when the machine is not in use, so that we shouldn’t have the issues with mould that were so persistent with the front loading machine.
I followed up with two loads of linens, and a load of my own clothes. Now the clotheslines are swaying in the breeze with our fresh, clean laundry.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
22°C
Date: 1:00 PM EDT Thursday 24 September 2015
Condition: Partly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.9 kPa
Tendency: rising
Visibility: 24 km
Temperature: 21.9°C
Dewpoint: 14.4°C
Humidity: 62%
Wind: NE 18 km/h
Humidex: 26
Quote
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
Carl Jung
1875 – 1961
Maggie, I sense the beginnings of “normal” life for you and Attila at Mist Cottage, arising in the wee hours notwithstanding. Congratulations on a successful washing machine installation.
Can I make a suggestion? If you have a frame with some screening material, put it overtop the washing machine opening when you leave the top up. I think I related the story that one time, when we used to do that, we found a mouse down in the machine, unable to get out, and poor thing would have gone thru the cycle if I hadn’t looked first! After that experience, I make sure we keep it closed when not in use (or a screen over the top might work just as well!
Wendy, I am amazed at the difference it makes, assuming one has weekends off work. It has changed our lives drastically, as the frenzy of those isolated years is fading, those years with not enough time to keep up with domestic life and have a few restful hours. Now here we are, with both! 🙂
Great idea Bex! I hope we don’t have any mice in the house! But you never know, do you. We caught one in the garage on Thursday. It is the season when they seek to enter our homes. I am on the lookout! 🙂
We still don’t have a clothesline and I am envious!
Isn’t it nice to have a weekend to work together on things? Not that you’re necessarily doing the same job at the same time.
I was a bit confused by the timing you related for getting up and going to bed but it may just be the difference in people. Still, I’ll relate what I did and you and Attila can weigh the idea to see what you think.
When I was working 3rd shift what I would do after work was stay up until 3:30PM. Then I would sleep until about 10PM or so, for my ‘nights’ sleep and then get up and get ready for work.
I wish I could remember what I did for weekends. I think I slept for a few hours after I got off work and then stayed up for a normal day/night then switched back to the 3:30PM bedtime for Sunday night, but I’m not completely sure. It’s been better than 35 years since I worked that shift.
Anyhow, hope everything worked well with getting the washing machine hooked up and the kitchen tap fixed! If it’s not one thing, it’s another. isn’t it. 😉
Kate, I LOVE hanging the fresh clean clothes out to dry! We have a back porch here with a roof, with a rope tied along the length it, so I can hang clothes out to dry even if it is raining. Now, with the real clothesline out in the yard, we can wash as many loads as we want to on a sunny day… we have washed, and hung out to dry, nine loads since the washing machine was hooked up. We caught up with all the bedding Attila used while camping in Tank, and all the linens used as packing for the move. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain, so we are very glad to have caught up with the laundry.
Teri, you are so right! We are loving having a two day run at the domestic projects. Of course, our main project right now is to empty boxes, and merge duplicates. Tank is full again, with a second load of items for the women’s shelter, and some for the big corporate donation store in the nearby city.
Thanks for the insights into that third shift thing! Attila is working days for two weeks, then we don’t know. We managed to navigate the first few nights of the night shift, which works well for me, as I go to bed when Attila leaves for work, and I wake up an hour or so before he gets home again.
Doing laundry has been a blast! Absence makes the heart grow fonder, it really applied to going without a washing machine! The tap is still dripping, we didn’t get that far, but it is a very slow drip, so Attila will tackle it after work one evening next week. No wood to chop, he might get bored if it weren’t for these little projects. 🙂
Oh, he’s on days already! Fantastic! All the better for you two to spend some time together for these first transition weeks. Enjoy!
Hanging out laundry! Most places in the States don’t let you do that any more! I miss the fresh smell of that type of drying. I am allergic to scented laundry soap and drying sheets so I can’t even get te fake “fresh ” scent! It sounds as if you are well on your way to being in a routine. And very comfortable.
Teri, we feel pretty lucky that the day shift started just after Attila started! We are definitely enjoying a “honeymoon period” after getting our stuff moved into the house. It could have gone the other way, but not this time, thank goodness.
That sounds crazy, not being able to hang laundry out to dry! I have heard of that, but I thought it was only in neighbourhoods where we couldn’t afford to live anyway. I did not know it was that widespread in the US.
We are comfortable Lee Ann! Although we are sitting in small pockets of order, in a sea of boxes and tunnels, we are pretty happy to be here.
I hope you move is progressing smoothly! Last time you mentioned it, you didn’t have a home destination, I hope that has sorted itself out.