Wickedly Inundated (SS #69)

Wow, who knew that living without a kitchen and with only one bathroom, the small one, while the main bath and kitchen are torn out and re done, could take up so much time??????

Do I sound spoiled?? Sounds like I might. Some people only have one bathroom. Some people have none. I shouldn't be complaining. And I am not, exactly; maybe just a little whining. Forgive me. Also, I'm trying to explain my uninspired or non-existent blog contributions lately. Guess I am kind of just journalling (If you are using a noun as a verb do you still follow the double the end consonant before adding -ing rule??) too.

Our house, built in '69 --we've lived here since '80-- has gone woefully short on renovation, updating, etc. except for what was absolutely necessary to keep it going---2 new roofs, new appliances when old ones quit working, new faucets on all sinks--bathroom, kitchen, laundry room--when our hard well-water killed them, a new piece of furniture here and there, including the lavish new white living room set I STUPIDLY bought in '95 or '96, telling myself I was a working grown-up and deserved to have what I wanted, and that my cats were well behaved and could be taught they were to have nothing to do with the new living room furniture. (A close friend, also a cat owner gave me a tee shirt that first Christmas which said "Cats are nature's way of telling you 'Your furniture is too nice'." There's foreshadowing for you.) Foolish me!! Well, that's another story; and even though it was probably the most comfortable couch I have ever sat or laid upon, last September I had the Salvation Army carry it away.

Now that we're retired and playing with the idea of moving, closer to family or just farther from the traffic and the Madding Crowds, it has become pretty much a necessity to modernize the kitchen and bath if we want the house to be at all saleable in the present market. To this end, our contractor and his team have GUTTED---yes, tub, tile, sinks, wall, paper, and in the bathroom the floor surface as well---both the kitchen and the primary bathroom. I have a refrigerator in the old dining area; but the microwave and coffee maker are on the porch. We have even had to remove almost everything but the washer and dryer themselves from the laundry room, so they can remove an old free standing shower stall which has never really worked, and replace the laundry room sink and counter top, which were apparently cheap, and a bit abused even before we moved in.

I have been quite excited about it. It is even motivating me to do more throwing away and general cleaning. But poor JR has been more than a little overwhelmed by it all, starting with the cost and including but not limited to the confusion and clutter and loss of privacy of it all. But it is TIME CONSUMING!!!!! even tho' the work is being done by others. But wow, the total loss of sinks (water sources, a place to clean up dishes and hands and everything), the loss of lighting and even places to set things down in all those rooms is to a certain extent mind boggling; and altho' I haven't made it to the gym all week, I am spending twice as much time running around in the house, to the back bathroom not only for the toilet but to wash everything.

On the humorous but "poor baby" side of it, the workmen have covered the carpet from the front door to the kitchen flooring and down the hall to the front bathroom with heavy butcher paper taped to the carpet, so no one sneaks up on anyone!!!! and the cats are terrified. Not only are there strange men and voices in the house all day, every day, but when "Mommy" and "Daddy" come down the hall, the noise causes them to flee as from a herd of elephants. And the noise that they themselves make when traversing the hall, even when they tip-toe and move verrry slowly, is horrifying and unacceptable. The little man pretty much just doesn't change ends of the house, and chubby girl, 'tho she seems to be adapting more quickly than he, just doesn't have her normal enthusiasm for helping (encouraging loudly) me as I prepare their breakfast and dinner, in the laundry room instead of the kitchen. She'll just wait in her room for me to bring it, thank you. They are, however, doing better getting along and sharing Mommy and Daddy's room and bed, now that they are forced by their own response to the unpleasant new situation, to share much more limited quarters.

Anyway, I just wanted to log for myself some of our reactions to this new experience, and to explain to any of the kind people who regularly read and comment on my Sunday Scribblings and those whose work I try to follow and respond to why I have been more absent/delinquent than usual.

If I say I have been wickedly busy I might even be able to squeeze this in under this week's topic.

Hair (SS #68)

Hair. What can I say about hair? I see that lots of people have really gotten into this one, but beyond appreciating my hair, I haven't a lot to say on this subject.

What first comes to mind is the tune and just snatches of the refrain to the title song "Hair" from the the rock opera of the same name. I can remember very little of those lyrics. I never actually saw any version of the play/opera itself, and really don't think I missed much. It wasn't to my taste then or now, but the music stuck around. I actually think the song "Age of Aquarius" was from that same show.

Hair is fun. Mine is thick, straight but with natural body, and easy to work with. I have really been very lucky with it because it is quite managable and I have been able to please myself with it, beyond the necessity of finding someone to give me a good cut, which I can usually make last from 8 to 12 weeks. It is good to feel satisfied with the hair and color I was received by nature and genes. I am glad I have hair. (That sounds a little simple minded, but I mean it---and the contrast is with the brave ladies I refer to later in this post.)

I really have not had very many different hair styles but I have liked and felt comfortable with those I have worn for significant periods of times. One of my good styles is quite short and straight; the other is just a bit longer than shoulder length and quite curly. Both are pretty low maintenance, which is important to me. When I was thinking this all over this weekend I realized---- I had never thought about it before---- ironically, I have only ever owned 2 wigs for a significant length of time and they are in almost the same styles as the 2 actual hair styles I have rotated back and forth between for most of my adult life. Obviously, I wore the wigs during the period I was wearing the opposite hair style.

My color has always pleased me also, altho I must admit I have played with color a bit. My natural hair is a rich dark brown with both golden and red highlights. I probably had more natural gold and wanted more natural red, so when I colored it I went toward auburns; still do, a little, chestnuts and auburns. My most drastic have been deep mahogany and once a near purple; when I was out in the sunlight and wearing purple, JR said my hair matched. That was a bit drastic and I didn't go with that shade again.


I admire greatly the bravery of certain ladies I have known who, when they were losing their hair anyway to breast cancer's poison drugs, have fearlessly, or maybe very fearfully, shaved their heads and gone about their lives beautifully, or at least proudly, bald---proudly because it represented a fight they were giving their all to, against an evil and insidious monster of an opponent. Power to all the ladies, and men, who bravely fight the cancer monster, in spite of its physical ravages!!!!


DON'T FORGET ABOUT "FIRE THE GRID" ON JULY 17th !!!!!!


See my "Secret Hope" post (SS# 65) if you don't know what this means. It was written 6/21.

I also have written a short reminder blog today on my regular blog site.

DON'T FORGET !!!!!!

THIS IS THE WEEK!! IN FACT, IT IS ONLY 2 DAYS TIL JULY 17, 2007, (that is Tuesday in North and South America and Europe) WHEN AT 11:11 GMT (Greenwich Meridian Time), IT WILL BE TIME FOR AS MANY OF US AS ARE ABLE TO JOIN IN, WHERE EVER WE ARE AT THAT TIME in our own time zone, CREATING POSITIVE ENERGY TO HELP FIRE THE GRID AND HELP RE-SET OUR WORLD ON A POSITIVE TRACK AND PLANE.



If you don't know what I am talking about go to my "Secret Hope (#65)" post for Sunday Scribblings; or you can go directly to the Fire the Grid webpage and understand it all. That is http://www.firethegrid.org/index.htm

What's Your Sign (SS--#66)

Astrology, horoscopes, zodiac signs. JR thinks all of this is silly. "Of course," he says, "every sign has a broad enough range of characteristics that everyone can find ways he or she is 'just like it says I should be.'" And of course, that is certainly a valid point. However, I have always felt good about being a Sagittarius, the archer, the centaur; a born teacher and traveler, so they say.

I have never been so into astrology that I have had a chart done, nor do I have any idea where my moon or sun is/was, within the sign, or what's "rising." But basically, I have always felt it was pretty plain that I abounded in Sagittarian characteristics. Just to brush up, I have indulged in a good bit of research on the subject (seeking knowledge is also a Sag. characteristic) in the last few days since the prompt was posted.

"Incurable optimist, always looking for the sunny side." Positive, kind hearted, energetic, encouraging, loyal friend.
"Excellent conversationalist, good sense of humor."
"Honest to a fault." Trustworthy and can be counted on to "tell it like it is," sometimes so impulsively that feelings are hurt because the energetic Sagittarius doesn't stop to think before speaking. Speak their minds, sometimes even "painful truths."
An idealist, refusing to be deterred, who "keeps on keeping on."
These phrases from that research describe me well. However, so do the ones that say:
"Sagittarians don't like mundane day to day details"---I read that "housekeeping," I am really not so good at that!!
"The archer may be so forward thinking--read "busy, over scheduled"---they forget the present, and thus may be late or even miss appointments."
"...tend to be impatient." Maybe that is from being over scheduled.
".. tend to procrastinate [maybe that was the line I was standing in twice-- my next paragraph will clarify that] but crisis brings out the best in Sagittarians, who perform best under pressure."

It says we Archers are independent, and I have always felt I am; but it says that independence is such a dominant characteristic that Sagittarians frequently are so driven by the necessity of having freedom that it tends to make them commitment-phobic and may cause them to turn down jobs that would tie them down. This is so opposite of me--38 years with the same man (the love of my life!), more than 30 years teaching English in the same county (tho' I have changed schools, and grade levels), and 27 years in the same house--- I have to wonder what other line I was standing in twice when they were giving out that trait.

Another trait I missed the line for was unemotional. I cry at sad movies and TV shows on a regular basis, also when I hear that an animal or someone (even ones I will never meet) has been mistreated. When I have to put a pet to sleep, even when I know they are ready and their life has lost its quality, I am a basket case. When I am happy, it is a secret from no one, and I truly take delight in simple joys. I am not too good about not showing anger either, but as soon as I spew out that anger, it is OVER, forgiven and on the way to being forgotten. Sagittarius is also supposed to have a tendency to gamble and take risks. JR would love to elaborate on stories about how far in the other direction I go on those.

Now I do have a theory about why I have several very strong tendencies that are so NOT Sagittarian that they are sometimes listed on the NEVER Sag. lists. I feel sure you have heard of "Nature vs Nurture." Both Mother and Dad were Cancer signs. I researched the Crab too. This theory would explain quite a few of my non-Sag traits. "Conservative, highly emotional, nurturing...need roots, resist change to an extent, concern themselves about being secure and safe, protective of those they care about." Apparently growing through all my formative years with the two of them had undue influence on my Sagittarian nature. "Intrigued by objects with history attached---antiques, photos, souvenirs. Love to collect and keep mementos"----ah ha, an explanation for my pack-rat-itus. "Can always talk about any subject with anyone." Looks like I got that one from both nature and nurture, which could be why I have a tee shirt that says, "I'm talking and I can't shut up" and why I chose the phrase that begins my description of myself in the header of my blog.