Just when you thought you had become cold to the missing friend in your group good old Facebook is there to promptly remind you of their impending birthday. It’s a shame you didn’t make it to your next birthday, especially after your daughter died not 10 days after hers. A jumble of things to feel and think. Five months on and the untimely deaths still come to mind. I did not, until recently realize just how popular your hair cut was, and that style of glasses. I seem to see them everywhere. Funny how that is. Reminds me of college where I died my hair this deep burgundy colour, and then everywhere I went I saw others with the same colour. Haven’t noticed it before or since. It’s like realizing your hands are expressive only once your kids put nail polish on during a “spa” day. They just be out there flipping and flapping and churning about as I talk. Distracting.
Five says in and I have the exterior lights off the eaves, the two wreaths off the garage, and various cords rolled up & off the ground. I took the tree down this morning with my oldest helping me. Went as smoothly as I expected. The tree is packed away safely for another year. Ornaments went into clear totes so I can see what’s inside. Floor has been swept and vacuumed up. The room feels ever so slightly bigger. More natural light now that the 7.5ft tree doesn’t block the window. Now to get rid off all the “saved” paper for crafting, and get the presents shipped off to the appropriate bedroom. I’m going to try and stop the migration of junk into the basement where it has to sit for 12-18 months before I can toss it, or sell it, or donate it to someone else for safe keeping.
Speaking of the basement, our house feels bigger now that we use the additional space more wisely. It’s bright, clean and somewhat organized now. It could always be refined more, but I’m happy to be able to be in the space and not feel anxious about the mess/clutter/dirt that had previously built up down here. Though winter is here, it hasn’t fallen upon us yet so the basement isn’t freezing cold yet. Still manageable. Nice!
I scratched a bad itch by cleaning up at the cottage with the use of fire. Got some much needed work done removing old junk, and freeing up space by the shop, and down around the firepit. I picked up seventy pounds worth of hangers, truss pin boards, nails, screws, and lag bolts with nuts and washers still attached. If all the lifting hadn’t aggravated my back I could have run that bon fire for seven days straight to clean up all the wood cut offs, mouldy trim, and whatever else is still hiding under the cover of brush & overgrowth. My farming extended family don’t work that way. They keep things long after needed, until it becomes a different kind of problem. Ha. Hoarders essentially. As a pack-rat myself I understand the reason and the desire to keep stuff “just in case”, but up to a point. And my point is miles, and miles behind where my wife’s families is. I urge to purge in order to clean up. The property is beautiful until you start to look too closely, and then you start to see all the things being kept, and you think, oh this would be really great if all that were gone. But I digress. I’m no farmer. I’m no conservative. I don’t believe in the bootstraps myth. Those physics don’t physics, know what I mean?
Anyway, happy Friday, much goes back to status quo on Monday at 9:00am, so breathe a sigh of relief, and welcome to 2024. Ciao Bella!
Greatwall Studios Graphic Design 