Dishwashing

Enjoying the peace and quiet of an early morning. The small town I live in is still quiet, and the birds are all that are heard through the window. My fur baby is asleep behind me on the floor. She rumbles and twitches, an occasional sleepy bark thrown in. I'm at the sink, playing with grapefruit scented bubbles. Washing dishes that I've handled for decades, each piece is as familiar under the water as is my own face. There's something comforting in the regular routine of washing by hand. I've seldom lived anywhere in my life where a dishwasher was part of my home. This charming hundred year old rental has no space to install one, and I love that, except for appliances, the kitchen is original. So, I stand on a bright red area rug, and wash each dish. I think of my life as it has changed over the years, the good, bad, joys, and sorrows. Through all of it, this has been a constant, comforting, ritual. I know that I have plenty of whatever I need in life, and I'm happy. The dish rack, full of clean, sparkling dishes is proof of that.

Thursday musings

Been busy lately, doing homemaking chores while pain levels are fairly low. Mainly, I'm  washing the woodwork in this lovely little cottage. So far, three rooms are done, except for the baseboards. Baseboards can wait until furniture is pulled out from the walls when the carpet is shampooed next time. I recovered three dining room chairs with lovely, new fabric on the seats, and recovered the ottoman, as well. Thank goodness for my heavy duty stapler, it makes the job go quickly. I've had the dining chairs for decades, and they were old when they came to me. The seat cushions get fresh fabric covers about every other year. More often when I was raising messy toddlers, but that's in the past. The shower curtain, and some of the lace curtains are clean. The rest of the curtains and drapes will be cleaned , one room at a time. Things are organized, clean, and neat. Everything sparkles, except for the bathtub. It's progress of a sort. I remember doing seasonal housecleaning years ago, and it only took a few days. Now, it takes weeks of working at it for a few minutes at a time until there's too much pain, and then resting for a few hours until it subsides. I know that soon, I'll be hiring out that semiannual chore. This year, it will take a few more weeks. I'm always delighted when it's done, and feel a great sense of accomplishment.

I do enjoy this little cottage. It's 100 years old, has a big porch, huge trees, tons of architectural details and charm. It's the first home I've lived in which was exclusively mine. It's cozy, decorated in my taste and style, with lots of plants, books, comfy places to snuggle with pillows and throws, original artwork as well as prints of my favorite pieces of art, lots of storage, beds which are a pleasure to crawl into, incredibly soft linens, vinyl records and a record player, candles, and fresh flowers in several of the rooms. It's a mix of hand me downs, thrift and antique store finds, some discount store items, and a few antiques that I've had most of my life. No "sets" of furniture like you see on display in stores, I'm too eclectic in my home decor style for that. I like a home which looks as though things have been accumulated over a period of centuries, rather than in a few days. I'm happy here, and it feels like home.

Finally bought a Braille printer, then bought tractor fed paper to go with it. Then....it took a week to get the product Key to go with the software which came with the printer. After a bit of trial and error, I printed out Muse by Alison May. It's now bound in a couple of lovely sets of rose covered scrapbook covers. It's wonderful to have access to things that I love reading again. I think that if I'm going to work on Braille proficiency, it should be with things I enjoy. I know that the printer will get a lot of use, and will be something that I depend on in years to come.

My latest project has been brailling favorite recipes with my Perkins brailler. It's too hard to use magnifying glasses on those faded recipe cards with handwriting from family members now long gone. I could hook up a cable and use the magnifying app on the iPad to project them on the big screen tv, but it's a pain to run back and forth from the kitchen to the living room over and over to read the recipe as I cook. Once they're done, I'll put the pages in a binder, and staple the original recipes to the corners of the pages.

After almost two years together, Moriarty aka The Divine Miss M, actually crawled onto my lap and fell asleep for the first time. I'd given up on that ever happening in this life time. She's still a hateful little thing, unless she's in heat, when she becomes the most loving creature ever created. She still chases everyone through the house, running on her hind legs, which is absolutely hilarious, grabbing calves and tails with her front paws. She's also extremely spoiled. She has three small bowls, each containing a different flavor of cat food.

My big fur beastie, Demeter, spends most of her time asleep. She's coming up on ten years old, and is a sweet little old lady. She loves her memory foam bed, an occasional kiddie burger from Dari Diner, her basket of stuffed babies, and traveling. She has some friends, and is all over happy when she sees them. She's been losing some weight, so I've added canned dog food twice daily to her diet. She absolutely loves that. Served on some rose patterned china, rather than in a dog food bowl, just because.

There's a lot going on in my life. Nothing bad, none earth shattering, or ultra exciting, it's simply life. There's a guest coming for a short visit, he's only got a few months left to live, and is trying to visit everyone while he can. We're taking an upcoming trip together (he, my fiancé, and I) which I know will be an adventure and make a lot of terrific memories. I'm in the middle of making another backgammon board, which will be stunning when finished. I'm taking a couple of online classes (as always), because I'm bored if I'm not constantly learning something. I've stopped the Braille lessons for now, since I'm actually reading it in uncontracted form. I'll get back to it at some point, I'm thinking after the holidays.

There's a new app out called Seeing AI. It's a real game changer for blind folks like me. Point it at a page with print, and it will read it aloud. It describes photos, reads labels and signs, describes people, etc. It's pretty much my go to app for everything. I've opened a physics textbook, and it read everything. I absolutely love it. Best part? It's free. Only in a few countries so far, but rapidly expanding.

This is the time to live if you're blind. Technology has made it so easy to adapt to sight loss. Something as simple as an app which lets you match your own socks, or reads the denominations of money so you know how much you're handing to a clerk, or that takes you street by street with directions to the store and back. Audio descriptive service which describes what is happening on a favorite tv show or movie, means you don't miss out on all of the action. Voiceover reads your favorite ebooks to you, and Seeing AI will read your print books. Wish I'd known it was coming out before getting rid of most of my home library. I'm down to a couple hundred of my absolute favorites, that I will not give away until I have a copy of it in Braille. If there's a need, then there's a technological advance coming to meet it.

Enough for now...

Advice for life

Here's something we should teach everyone from childhood, and I wish someone had told me when I was young.

Take care of yourself. Seriously, just do it. Put yourself first. Fulfill your needs. Do what makes you happy, gives you satisfaction, or gives you peace. Make time for yourself, time for whatever you desire.

Claim a section of your home that is yours, and yours alone. Have things which are not shared with anyone else. Go places and do things by yourself, and have fun.

Say no. Really, just say no, or "no, thanks" to all of the things which take your time, energy, or money, unless they're things that you truly wish to do. Don't feel guilty about it. In fact, stop feeling guilty. Don't do things because someone else says you should, or because of what others might think. Do things because you've thought it over, and have decided that it is in your best interests.

Live your life, be happy, enjoy, make terrific memories. Live your life on your terms. Find the things you love, whether it's a career, hobby, travel, learning, etc., and do it. Life is short. There's so much to see, and learn, and do. Someday, you will be too old, too tired, too infirm. Live with great memories, not regrets.

Don't spend your life miserable and unhappy. There's no reason to. Now, if being a miserable cow makes you happy, feel free to be that way, and wallow in it.

This isn't selfish, although others who want you to put their needs first will tell you that it is. Let them stand on their own two feet, support themselves, and accept responsibility for their own actions and behavior.

Note, I'm not talking about taking care of children or babies. Of course they're the priority. However, you can't fill a glass from an empty pitcher. That's why putting yourself first is so important. But do remember that they have another parent or a relative who can take over and give you a break.

You have one life on this amazing planet. Go enjoy it.

Quiet, at last

It's almost two in the morning. The pain pill wore off hours ago, and I can't have another for a long while. Seems to be the story of my life lately. So, here I am, curled up on the love seat, an elderly German Shepherd snuggled with me, and a cozy throw is covering us both. It's quiet now. My fiancé is asleep in the next room. I just ordered several pairs of pretty new gloves to keep my hands warm. Those will be a welcome addition to my wardrobe. Wearing them is easier than being tethered to a heating pad most of the day.

Fireworks finally ended a couple of hours ago. The dogs gratefully headed outdoors to tend that which the noise delayed for many hours. Thankfully, we microchipped them this year, so losing them during things like Independence Day fireworks or on a road trip is no longer a concern.

I'm thinking of making a pot of cocoa. Planning a new backgammon board requires concentration and chocolate in equal quantities. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a lovely tray, and have been considering the design of the game board, as well as the pieces to use with it. None of the boards that I make are ever done in a hurry. They reveal themselves to me over a period of time. I love the creative process. I'll lay out  various tiles and pieces on the tray, shift them around periodically, and when the perfect combination is reached, I'll begin making the board.

Braille lessons are coming along. I'm getting good at writing in Braille, still slow at reading it. Hoping my speed will improve, but the arthritis in both hands laughs at the idea. Still, I persist. I've never let anything stop me before. Well, except for driving a car, riding a motorcycle, playing darts, shooting a gun or a bow, etc., that blindness put a halt to. I figure that every thing I've had to give up has another way to do it, like trading a car for an electric tricycle. I just have to figure out what it is.

My Stargazer Lilies are blooming along the front porch. Every time I open the door, the scent wafts into the house. I wish that they were a plant that would bloom continually all Summer. That would be such a lovely thing.

Enough for now...

Most recent things

Things have been busy since I last wrote. Dad passed away on the anniversary of my daughter's death. At least, he got to enjoy the opening of baseball season. It was something he'd loved for a long time. Soon after, an uncle died. Well, we'd always called him uncle, He was married to Mom's best friend when we were growing up. This week, a friend I'd had since first grade died. In other words, it's been rough. I'm coping. Keeping busy is my preferred manner of doing so. 

I'm trying to get a couple of projects finished up. All of the framed family photos are stacked on the guest room bed. Some need stored away, others need reframing. There's a box for my big Christmas tree, so it will take less closet space. I've got them staged in the guest room. That way, I can close the door when I'm not working on them.

I've gotten my outdoor flowers planted, mainly purple geraniums. Morning glories came up on their own this year, and are already climbing the fence. My Stargazer Lilies are over three feet tall, and I get the feeling that they'll bloom much earlier than usual this year.

I transplanted my Key Lime tree into a new pot. It had shared one with the Cinnamon tree since early 2014, and they were both somewhat crowded. I bought new lighting for both, and they seem to have survived well.

We've not settled on a wedding date, and won't until his house remodel is finished. He spends most evenings and weekends on it, but there's a lot to do. Today, he left to go over there and work, leaving his German shepherds here with me. The cat finally bumped noses with them today, so there is progress. Considering that we'll be moving in together, along with all of our furry beasties, it's important that they all get along. They're all nice animals, but the cat weighs eight pounds, the smallest dog is over sixty. I want them all to be on good terms.

Still battling to learn science and maths in Braille. The other day, I thought of checking YouTube for lessons. It is a brilliant resource for learning the things I've struggled with. I wish that I'd thought of it sooner.

I bought a memory foam bed for my beastie the other day. She loves it, and it feels good to her elderly bones. I'd made her a bed before by covering a bean bag chair and adding a Sherpa blanket, but she had a hard time settling in it. The cat quickly claimed it, and loves to curl up in it.

I'd love to say something exiting was going on in my life. However, to be honest, things are quiet. I listen to movies, music, or tv over the internet. I listen to online classes, and make one of a kind backgammon boards. I take care of my home and yard as best I can. Spending time with my furry beasties is pure pleasure. Pets do so much to make a house into a home. In the evenings, I light candles and curl up with a soft throw, sipping tea or cocoa. On the weekends, I have company, go grocery shopping, and await the latest Doctor Who episode. I enjoy my life. Sometimes, I wish there was more. Some travel, going to shows or festivals, just a bit more than four walls. 

Enough for now...

Early morning thoughts

Pain awakened me at four this morning. My pain pills are laughing at the idea that they're supposed to work. The house  is remarkably quiet, aside from doggy snores. Soon, I'll start a pot of coffee, set out croissants and melons, and fry a few slices of bacon. For now, I'm merely enjoying the quiet.

My fiancé brought his dogs over last night, two gigantic German shepherds. They're lovely ladies, and I adore them. They're delighted to travel and visit. My beastie is happy that her friends came to her house to see her. Later today, we'll load up all three into the car and take them to his house. It will be wonderful once we're married and have all three of them together. No more having to arrange for pet sitters or traveling an extra sixty miles round trip to visit.

Spring is definitely here. Eighties yesterday, and close to that today. I'm looking forward to rain, and more plants growing and blooming. The last of the branches have been hauled to the curb. In a few days, I'll drag out the mower and tackle the yard. Today, we'll be going to Lowes, and I'll pick up more bulbs to plant. I'll get to enjoy them this summer, and future renters will enjoy them for years to come.

Talked to my sister a couple of days ago. Dad spends much of his time sleeping now, and hospice is there most of the time. She's taken leave from her job to be with him. I wish I lived closer to him. It's hard to realize and accept that my Dad is dying. I will miss his guidance, wisdom, and love. He adopted me many years ago, and I'm proud to be his daughter. I am blessed.

Enough for now.

Periodic self check

These are my self evaluation questions.

Where are you currently in life?

Are you happy with your life overall?

Do you feel fulfilled?

Do you look forward to each day?

Are you where you thought you'd be in life from ideas you had ten years ago?

What are your life goals?

Are you actively working towards those goals?

Are you taking care of yourself, both physically and mentally?

Are you getting some exercise daily?

Are you (mostly) eating a healthy diet?

What do you think of...?

Are the people in your life ones who enjoy being with you?

Do you enjoy being with them?

Are you learning new things?

Are you being mentored?

Are you mentoring someone?

Do you have role models?

If others look up to you, are you living your life as a good role model?

Are you reading daily?

If you have children in your home, are you reading to them?

Do you enrich your life with the arts?

Do you have one or more hobbies?

Is your home a place you look forward to being?

If not, why not?

Are you living the life of your dreams?

If you're not happy with any of the answers given to the questions asked, are you making changes in order to live a life you're pleased with?