Sunday 6 October 2013

Settling in takes longer than expected...


I am finished opening/shifting boxes but am still organizing and changing my mind about which cupboard to put things in.  I had to make a peach cobbler today and that caused some moving to get all the baking stuff in reach near the area on the counter where I could work.  
I had just stuffed all my flour and baking powder in any old cupboard when we first unpacked.  It is so different having a kitchen again as apposed to a wee galley in an RV, which is like a galley in a sailboat.  I didn't bake there, but did cook the odd thing in the wee oven.  We bought most of our baking when travelling.  Maybe I should go back on the road. It would be easier for me. Old Man says he won't as he is too old at 76 and too tired to do that life anymore. Well we had a good 6 years of doing it after I retired. I have to say 'Alleluia' for those precious years. We had a frost last night and he doesn't care as the RV has been winterized, and he has a gas fireplace in the living room that keeps his toes toasty, and is watching football on cable and has Internet to play his poker and hearts and backgammon and... and... and.  We don't have to worry about cutting the lawn, although Old Man did when the landlord was on holidays.  We don't have to worry about the furnace either as that is the landlord's worry.  In fact we don't have to worry about much, not even paying the taxes or utilities or water/sewer/garbage bills.  Now if our own house in the next village north would just sell, we would be on easy street. We just like the peaceful pace in this little village.  I will probably be stir crazy and have 'cabin fever' by next February.  I have already thought wistfully about Borrego Springs, California, and boondocking out in the desert at Quartzite, Arizona, where it is warm for the winter.  But the Old Man Watching is not up to it anymore. I think this is the year we will re-aquaint ourselves with a real, long, Canadian winter.   In fact he is looking skinny after his 3 week-long kidney infection and is still a little grey.  So resting for a month or so will be good for him. I do like having a bigger bedroom, with two sets of windows to let air in each morning and a corner for a desk and my computer/printer and ghetto blaster for soft music in the far corner. 

5 comments:

  1. I can imagine you must be torn between the joys of settling and the delights of not, compared with the inconveniences of the RV and the restrictions of a house. But it's just a different life. Can you get transport out anywhere without the RV?

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    1. We have a pickup truck but seldom use it now as we can walk for all our needs in this little village. We have to still go up to the other village for mail, until the house sale is finalized. So that is a 10 minute trip a week. We found last winter that often the pickup wasn't used for weeks on end. There is also a half sized bus that runs between the villages and to the hospitals or to the bus that take folk to bigger cities for medical treatment or checks.

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  2. Your new home looks lovely, Karyn, and I wish you both a good winter there. I hope you find enough things of interest to keep you occupied when the snow flies!! It is good to hear you are settling in.

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  3. We have a pickup truck but seldom use it now as we can walk for all our needs in this little village. We have to still go up to the other village for mail, until the house sale is finalized. So that is a 10 minute trip a week. We found last winter that often the pickup wasn't used for weeks on end. There is also a half sized bus that runs between the villages and to the hospitals or to the bus that take folk to bigger cities for medical treatment or checks.

    Not being TV watchers we will have to stock up on DVDs and books and crocheting wool. I will be making prayer shawls again. It is soothing. I am taking two courses right now out of my wee church a half block away. One is a new model for ministry in a small community that doesn't have a full time paid priest and everyone has a ministry to fill the gaps. The other is a form of meditation and meshing of outer and inner selves when in the workplace or commuity, that preserves the integrity of our souls. It is a Quake- based practice that takes some adjusting to that is counter-cultural as there are some times very long silences. That is becoming a good thing in our hassled world. I am also going to join the Taize informal gathering in the chapel on Wednesday nights ( an hour or so of Gregorian style chanting) It is a peaceful time. Right now we are using the teachings of Jesus sung in Aramaic. Anybody who likes to do harmony will enjoy this time of joy whether in English or not.

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  4. One of the sad aspects of having an older spouse is having to start giving things up sooner than we might otherwise have to. We have a somewhat similar situation here. I too cherish the memories of our RV trips. Hope you will get a good winter.

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