I can't believe it is 5pm already. I have no idea where the day has gone, and I do not have much to show for it either. Do you have days like that? Please tell me you do. I am on a quest to get this house tidy for my visitors on Friday. So far I have managed to vacuum the sewing room carpet. That filled the Dyson, so I had to empty it, then got side-tracked by a phone call and now it is 5pm. Gee, Linds. You are on a roll. One room vacuumed. I will have to supply dark glasses to my guests at this rate. At night.
Ah well....... the state of the house is not what is important. The welcome should do it, and they are oh so welcome. I am SO excited that they are coming!!
All that up there above I wrote yesterday. And guess what? It is after 5pm on Tuesday, and here I am.
Today has been an active kind of day. I had to be up and dressed at the crack of dawn, because I needed to make an "on the day" appointment with the GP so it could have been at 8am. I was ready. In the event, it was mid-morning, so I started getting the cleaning stuff out. And Jean arrived to help. What a star she is. You know how you start one thing and then see something else? We have discussed this before. Well, Jean started on the bathroom, and I came down the stairs to get something vital - the coffee - that was what it was - and on the way up saw the state of the banisters, and the bathroom kind of got left to Jean. The MEGA star. I did the banister.
Meanwhile, Jean had noticed that my car had a flat tyre. Oh, joy of joys. I had £ signs flashing through the brain at this point, but she reminded me that I had breakdown cover with home start, so I called them and, bless his cotton socks, the AA man arrived within 45 minutes, and sorted the tyre. Jean had, by this time taken me to the doctor and brought me back and carried on with the bathroom. A saint, I tell you. You may get the general idea that the bathroom took a long time. It did. Not because I live in a squalor, but I can't walk along the edge of the bath anymore and clean the tiles up to the ceilings. Jean can. She is also older than me. It is not a good feeling.
Once the car was done, and the bathroom and the banister and the front door - I kept moving on to the next thing - we hopped in the car and went to Aquazumba for light amusement. By the time we came out, we were exhausted.
But...
Onward and upward, as they say. We got into my car and headed off in the sleet/hail/howling gale/rain to the town nearby. We needed lunch, so popped into the supermarket and had a delicious lunch and did a little food shopping before heading off to get the tyre fixed or get a new one. Jean knows a wonderful old fashioned tyre specialist in the area, and he had it all sorted within the shortest of times, and it did not require a second mortgage after all.
And home again. More rain.hail/sleet/howling gales.
My poor, poor plants. The seedlings are being put through a marathon test here. If they survive, it may be a miracle. I have nowhere to put them under cover. Oh well. We will see what happens. But right now, the day's activities have caught up with me and I need to get supper on the go and collapse for the evening.
Pride goes for a loop, you know.
All the things I have needed help with today? I could do them all in a flash once. When I got my first car, a Mini, Arabella, my Dad taught me to change the tyres, dry the spark plugs, change a fan belt and top up the water and oil. And until today, I have never needed to call out someone to help me.
Pride? Trashed.
And asking for help to do things around the house - clean etc? I have never done that before. I had to, because I can't do it any more.
Pride? In the dust.
My friends don't see it like that. They are delighted to help and if I have not asked, they have offered. Glynis arrives tomorrow morning for phase 2. But I see it. And it does hurt, because I once did these things with ease. All the things which have gone. Wet grey days make things worse, of course, and I need to focus on the new things I CAN do, like the crocheting, the seedlings out there braving the storms....oh no, what if they all die??
Taking a deep breath.... I will plant more.
What did Annie sing about? The sun will come out.....tomorrow..........
6 comments:
You know, Linds, it is always much more fun to clean someone else's home over one's own. At least, I always have found it so. At the very least, it is different.
Oh how exciting! Guests from the States. Hmmm...all to be revealed in good time, I am sure.
I believe that I am all caught up here and may do better at staying that way. Loved seeing the birds in their little duplex on the ladder. Clever things. And I'm still sorry about all the rain. It is still raining here, but I have heard from the folks out West and they are having sunny days, which surely will come our way...eventually.
The fields and the flowers are so beautiful there.
Enjoy the journey and the process of preparing for company. You know, I know you do, that they won't give a whit about anything but the time they have with you!
I have always found it more fun to clean someone else's house rather than my own...and the state of my house can attest to that fact. It is always better to have the feeling of giving to someone, rather than having to have the grace to accept someone's help. But I have found that as time goes on and the joints no longer participate, I have to do just that. We are going through a new phase in our learning, my friend. A new phase in life that allows us to give to others by letting them give to us.
That said, it is still difficult.
Oh, how I would love to visit you, given the $$$ it would take! I can just picture your village in my mind...not to mention the cozy home you have!
That's what good friends do - and I bet they are delighted to be able to help. You know it really does make people feel good to be able to help someone else - so you must be gracious and let them! I'm sure you have helped many people in your time - what goes around comes around!
That's what good friends do - and I bet they are delighted to be able to help. You know it really does make people feel good to be able to help someone else - so you must be gracious and let them! I'm sure you have helped many people in your time - what goes around comes around!
Grace in acceptance, Linds, it is difficult but think of the things you do do......praying for people, an always open door, the kettle on and a willingness to listen, all invaluable gifts so receive and smile!
Receive and smile...wise words. Enjoy your company!
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