Our own mini Black Friday

We didn’t plan it that way, but we ended up out among the black Friday shoppers - I had to go to the “bloodletters”, and we had a coupon at Home Outfitters. We generally try to do as many errands as possible when we make the trek into town so we hit up a few other stores. We left the house at 9am and didn’t get back until 3:30 – I was exhausted and very grateful there were leftovers in the fridge!

It wasn’t actually all that busy where we went and I did get a few awesome deals at HO. The dogs even got new beds as part of our bedroom redecoration. Costco was no busier than normal, the battery store was of course deserted, and Home Depot was empty – there were no great deals there.

There were many other stops along the way, including breakfast and coffee after my 12+ hour fast. Why was I starving all night when normally I wouldn’t snack? Just knowing that I couldn’t have anything made my mouth water and kept my eyes wide open.

The first thing we did when we got home was check the answering machine - we were frustrated to find that we’d just missed the girl calling to schedule our bedroom hardwood floor installation! So now we agonized about whether we should start ripping up the carpet, or wait until we hear… I suppose at this late date it might not happen until after Christmas :-(

Saturday morning, in a fit of excited anticipation, we emptied most of our closet… as the piles of clothes scattered through out the house came near to toppling I came to my senses. We’d already emptied some of the closet a few weeks ago – piles are stacked around the edges of the living room. Now all my clothes are distributed throughout the house in unmanageable piles – how am I going to find something to wear? How long am I going to have to live with the house in utter chaos. At that point I may have started freaking out just a bit… so we left what remained in the closet. We settled on ripping out the carpet from the closet which moved us slightly forward but is more or less out of sight. Oh my.

Next weeks writing group is a “freestyle” – I was thinking of reading one of the short stories I wrote in the summer – which one would you chose? I’m thinking either “Green Fields”, the story about the dog, or the story of the man in the wheelchair dreaming about the prairies.

 

Never mistake motion for action. ~Ernest Hemingway

WYL #32 Perspectives of Life

Finally a happy topic! I could have gone on and on but decided to save the rest of the story for another time.

~

It was on July 15, 1994 at 7am; the sky was as blue as can be and there was a light breeze, it wasn't too hot.  I was at the top of the field leaning against my car and sipping a coffee while I listened to Nick, our builder, shout out last minute instructions to the shovel operator. I felt light headed with excitement.

The shovel finally raised its huge bucket into the air and then crashed into the earth, gouging a wide swath through the green grass. I could feel a burning  at the back of my eyes as emotion welled up inside me. It was really going to happen. After a lifetime of wanting to live in the country, it was actually going to happen. I gulped some air and tried to dry my eyes as Nick made his way up to the car. He smiled at me and leaned next to me to watch the progress.

As I watched the shovel sculpt a place in the earth for our home, I thought back to the last year. No, I thought back several years, to when I was a little girl visiting my Aunt's farm and wanting a farm of my own. How many blown out birthday candles, and shooting stars were called upon to make this dream come true?

I had constantly bombarded Carm with real estate listings for years. Sometimes I wore him down enough to go and look, but it didn't happen all the time. I was relentless though. One spring I came across a listing for 28 acres that partially flooded in the spring. I don't remember what sort of persuasion I used, but he finally agreed to go for a drive. We rolled to a stop on a little stone bridge that crowned a roaring creek - this was no babbling brook, this was a torrent of uncontrolled energy. A double check of the map confirmed that this was the property, and that the flooding was magnificent. We drove up to the corner and turned into the field to get a better look and as we got out of the car we looked at each other with the sudden realization that we had seen this land before. A few years earlier we had driven past and been enchanted by the green valley with the creek and river. A call to the real estate agent on the old sign confirmed that it had already been sold and as the years went by and we forgot all about that verdant valley. We looked around the property a bit more, but we both knew in our hearts that this was the one so we were soon speeding towards the real estate office.

When the agent told us there was already an offer on the property we were crest fallen. She explained the process to us and let us know that IF the current offer was turned down we had a few minutes to get our offer presented. I paced a hole in the carpet that night waiting for the phone to ring. Finally it did and when Carm nodded his head at me my heart leapt and our path through life took a big turn.

Compass headings were soon taken and the home design process started. Every detail was taken into account - I knew I wanted to live in the light with lots of south facing windows, so we made that axis the longest. There were views to the east so we didn't skimp on windows there either. Having a west facing window in the great room to scoop the last rays of sun meant that we'd have light all day there. Windows were shoehorned in where ever there was space. I must have walked through the 3D computer design thousands of times before I was happy with the alignment of each door and window. In my dreams I'd imagine every light switch and power outlet. I may have driven some people crazy with my obsession with room dimensions.

My excitement rose every time I looked at the plans - my house in the country was soon to be - the thought was almost enough to make me swoon. Soon we had a contractor hired and a real estate agent working on selling our house. It must have been the hottest day that summer when Carm almost got heat stroke mowing the acre lawn for what turned out to be the final showing. I was busy in the house vacuuming and washing floors - we had 3 dogs, 2 cats and 10 parrots whose existence we had to hide. When our real estate agent dropped by later in the day with an offer in her hands we were ecstatic. The race was on - 9 weeks till we had to be out of our Limoges home, and with 10 parrots, 2 cats, and 3 dogs we needed somewhere to move to. Nick had a challenge.

A few weeks later I was leaning against my car with tears in my eyes as I watched my dream materialize.

~

The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. ~Maya Angelou

 

Glass can bend (I hope)

One of the large windows in the living room is flexing with the howling wind - the reflexions back into the rest of the room are wavering as if viewed from a carnival glass mirror. I'll have to tell you - it is scary to watch. I did close the blind so I don't have to see it…

I've been getting full use of our freshly done bathroom - lingering in the tub with the view of trees from the mirrors is fantastic. At night, the remote control LED candles (I'm all for authenticity, ha ha) light up the room just enough to be romantic. With a capful of bubble bath and some great tunes on my mp3 player - decedent relaxation.

Spike has been acting strangely lately… the dogs get their evening meal of meat in their crates, but the doors are only ever closed if they get a bone (it saves finding bloody bones on the sofa, and pig's ears behind the guest room bed pillows). However, Spike has taken to not leaving the crate until I go over and explicitly ask him out. He even sits inside and gives a small bark to remind me that he's waiting. HOW WEIRD!!! That dog is an enigma.

Bella seems to be on the mend - graphic details ahead… the anal sac ruptured, releasing the fluid that was causing some of the pressure. Strangely there was no particular odour - I'd heard that it would be horrible. It is a terrible gash that is already starting to heal. The antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds seem to be helping her to get better. There is still a hard swollen area that the vet will have to look at in a few weeks. She is the most trusting and compliant dog that has ever lived. She stands quietly shaking while I wash the area, which must hurt like he:: She's such a good dog.

No crushed fingers or wrenched backs (just barely) getting the big furniture out of the bedroom in preparation of the new floor. We've left the bed there for now, as well as bedside tables… but once we get the news we'll be ready in a flash. We moved a hutch and a large dresser - neither of them had drawers that would remove! In the olden days I'd just pull the drawers out, and the whole thing would be lighter, and I wouldn't have to rearrange my stuff at each end. In this case, I emptied out the drawers, wrestled with a giant, heavy dresser, then put all the stuff back into the drawers. ugh.

My fingers are crossed for an uneventful night and that no windows over-flex.