I awoke to a white world this morning. The blanket of white is thin, it probably won’t survive the day. I can hear the birds calling out from the trees in the front yard, which is a benefit of leaky single pane windows. This is soon to change, the new windows will be here in April. I hope that when the new windows are installed, that I will need to open the windows to hear the birds calling.
This weekend there are two projects to tackle. One is to insulate the rim joists in the basement, Attila has offered to tackle that rather than have me reaching from a ladder. I am graciously accepting the offer. The other is move the red pine boards, meant to be the new flooring for most of the house, into the attic of the new shed. The pine boards are now stacked carefully in the basement, in front of one of the windows that will be replaced. I can help with this task, as the individual boards are quite light, and I can carry them across the basement and pass them up the stairs to the back door, one at a time. The other option would be to remove the nails holding the back basement window closed, and pass them through the window. I will suggest that to Attila, he usually has some sort of plan about how he would like to do things, and since he will do most of the grunt work, his preference is top priority.
The holding pattern here at Mist Cottage is settling in, and day-to-day life here is not unpleasant, although the grieving process is far from over. Attila continues to be frank, considerate, and intent on his personal goals. Communication has improved. My biggest challenge is developing face-to-face connections in the outside world, much easier said than done. It is a work in progress. I continue to keep my eyes open for activities that aren’t too physically demanding, aren’t too expensive, and seem at least a bit interesting. My second biggest challenge is redefining myself in light of the new and unusual orientation of my domestic situation. I have had one turning point, and I am sure there are many more to come!
It is March at last! March is a transitional month, in this part of Ontario. At the country house, March was full on winter, right to the bitter end. Here at Mist Cottage, over the last eight years, March has offered some winter weather, and also many spring-like interludes, which bring hope and lightness to the heart.
I was disappointed to discover yesterday that I have yet more banking to do. I suspected that my financial position was dire, I knew it actually. Yesterday I met with a bank representative to investigate the possibility of a line of credit. Apparently, at my income level, I am eligible for absolutely no type of credit at all. I am living a financially “off grid”, part of the underclass, life, and this is probably a permanent situation. It feels a bit funny, as I have worked hard all of my life, have an excellent credit rating, and no personal debt, but there it is, those things count for nothing in the world of finance. This particular reality severely limits my options for housing, and my flexibility. I will have to do the best I can for myself with what I have. It is fortunate that I have the luxury of time in which to figure this out.
The decimation of the forest in the environmentally protected (ha!) area at the end of our street continues. The backhoe has cleared several acres and is now moving around and behind our property to clear cut the forest we see from our back kitchen window. What a loss this will be! I have enjoyed looking at the birds, the wind in the trees, the silhouetted branches at sunset… Soon there will be no trees, noisy construction, and then rental units with blinding high intensity street lights, of the type that this particular developer loves to install on the streets in his developments. The stars will fade. I suppose I will get used to it. Already I am thinking about planting a line of deciduous trees across the back the of the property.
On Wednesday, in the shower, my knee cracked, for no reason on God’s green earth. I was just standing there! I have experienced pain ever since. I am moving carefully. I can still manage a slowed down version of Tai Chi, and can comfortably use the elliptical machine, so at least there is that. I must look into a good knee brace, which hopefully would allow me to remain active safely. For now though, I am being very cautious when I move, and I keep moving.
Ah, the day has slipped by, time unnoticed. Looking out the kitchen window, I see that most of the snow has melted away. March!
Worldly Distractions
Weather
-1°C
Date: 7:26 AM EST Friday 2 March 2018
Condition: Drifting Snow
Pressure: 101.1 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: -1.2°C
Dew point: -4.0°C
Humidity: 81%
Wind: N 28 gust 40 km/h
Wind Chill: -8
Visibility: 10 km
Quote
“Read not to contradict and confute, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider.”
Sir Francis Bacon
1561 – 1626
You can almost sense Autumn lumbering toward us here in the Midwest. Instead of snow, we’ve been getting rain. A friend found Snow Drops blooming in her garden. Yay!!
I hope your knee heals soon. I’ve found as I’ve gotten older that it doesn’t take much to injure myself 🙂
If and when the time comes, you should have some sort of financial support from Attila, as well as your share of any jointly owned property. That will change your credit and housing options. But perhaps the new living arrangement will continue for a long time. It sounds friendlier, which is good.
You’re getting out there and meeting people and trying new things. I admire how you’re handling this new twist that life has handed you.
((Hugs))
Sandy
Sandy, snowdrops! How wonderful. Nothing peeking up here yet, but I did see a robin in the backyard last week.
The knee takes a while to heal, same thing here, as I get older injuries do not heal as easily, or as quickly.
Yes, I would have some support from Attila, and a share of the marital home, when/if it comes to that. That will be a great help, I am so glad to have a toe in the housing market. Our little house is not worth a great deal of money, but is something. The arrangement is friendly, even when difficult things are being discussed. We seem to agree that wounding one another is undesirable, words are carefully chosen, listening is at an all time high.
Getting out there is so very hard! For me it is something like learning how to ride a bike. The first tries are extremely wobbly, I fall over a lot, scrape and bruise myself, then get back on and try again. Eventually something will click.
Thanks Sandy for your kind words of encouragement. ((Hugs))
On the bright side of “no credit” is not going into debt; having no choice but to live within your means.
You’re resourceful. I’ve no doubt you’ll figure out how to go about things. And of course options may appear that surprise you. Let’s hope!
-Kate
Kate, well yes, there is that, I do not have the ability to go into debt. Living within my means could get pretty dicey, but as you point out, who knows! I just have to keep my eyes and ears open and hope for the best!
Thinking of you and hoping you are having a good weekend!
Thank you Joan, wishing you a lovely weekend down there in the sunny south!