I'm really behind in writing and feeling really wiped out right now. But I keep thinking of you all and want to catch you up on all that's going on here.
Nesting: It's definitely harder to build your own nest than it is to do the nesting required when you return home from a few days away (see entry from Nov. 9) I think it has to do with books! It's been since Orchard Street that I had a real bookshelf. I've put my books in sideways milk crates for ages now. And somehow I've known right where each book is and never thought about this before. Moving here I decided to get a real bookshelf and use the milk crates in the basement or garage or somewhere. After looking around I bought a build-it-yourself bookcase. SIE helped me. It has become more of a bedroom catch all than a proper bookcase. My new bed takes up too much room to have a bed side table, so this is substituting. I tried moving it out of the bedroom, but had to move it back after a few days....so I got another buildityourself of a little different style. I really tried to put my books in it, but couldn't figure out where to put what. Books:See, it's not even that I have a whole lot of books. I think they fit into only five catagories - nursing texts, religious, children's, nature and garden guides, and the current novels I'm working on.
So today I drove back to the store and bought two large b-i-y shelves. They were heavy. I don't think I'm old, but they were heavy enough to wipe me out after bringing them in the house and building only one. At least now I'm certain I'll have enough room for them and once I get the books on the shelves I'll be able to clear my desk and I think the major nesting stress will be over. Yay!
Sick kids:SIE got sick last week. He went to his first gymnastics class, then came over to my house and fell asleep. He hardly ever takes a nap; that was a clue. It seemed to be a 24 hour flu. Then his momma got it, then his papa. Then on Easter there was a dramatic relapse which involved throwing up on one of the dogs as dinner was put on the table. Kaliedoscope girl worked all weekend, then had a relapse on her day off. So far, I've been able to help out and stay germ-free. Today, getting tired while building the shelves, I started feeling a little nervous that the plague may be coming. But after resting I feel better.
City vs Farm: It definitely is an advantage being in the city now. Gas prices are up to $3.45/gal and I've only had to get one fill up this month. That's as opposed to at least once and often twice per week when I was driving up to the farm. The weather here is surely milder, even though it's been chilly. I'm almost certain there's snow on the ground up there. And here, the flowering trees are blooming despite the chill. The Japanese Pavilion downtown is full of cherry blossoms. I can see them from the bridge. They are glorious. I hope to get down and walk among them before they start to fall - even then it will be nice.
Critters and Birds:Every day I look out the window expecting to see a deer. I'm trying to appreciate all the urban critters. So far there are squirrels, a long-haired black and white cat who looks like Perdinkle, and tonight I saw a dark Siamese, like Misty. The birds are mostly crows, with a few sea gulls,and a small flock of starlings. There's a resident gray's jay, who got upset and squaked a lot when we moved things in the yard or let Blue out. He seems to be OK with us now. I'll take his picture soon. He likes to sit on the fence post and watch us. Outside my bedroom window there's a willowy bush. It might be some kind of mulberry. There's little dried up seeds that look like mulberries. It's real frilly and pretty. There's a pair of sparrows living in it or near it. I'll figure out what type of sparrow they are - they're a little different. The female has a tail that perks like a wren's, and one of them can sing like a cantor.
The night sky is a lot different here that on the farm. It always looks like a full moon's out there. It never gets very dark, but we can see stars. And the night there was a full moon, it cast a light shadow on the kitchen floor.
Sounds:There are trains. When I was growing up in Cleveland I loved listening to the trains and the fog horns on the lake at night. They had a soft lulling sound. The trains here are loud and long and frequent. I had no idea there were so many trains. I've tried to count them all, but loose count around noon with at least eight. The tracks are just a few blocks from here and I guess since the trains cross residential streets they have to blow a warning. I wonder if they'll become like the sirens in OTR and just become part of my background noise.
The Beachysare well. Soon is keeping them busy. But they're all quite happy. No problem nesting for them!
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I am so glad you and the beachy's are doing well. Love you mama! Fireling
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine has his books organized by the color of the spine. So it goes from a rainbow of red to purple. then there is another section that goes from black to white. I don't know how he finds anything, but it's beautiful. We, of course, have our books organized by genre and then alphabetized. nothing out of order in an architects house!
ReplyDeleteAlthough, after living here for almost a year, we still haven't gotten around to hanging all the art work. Some things made it on the wall that first month or two, but there is a whole stack that just leans in the corner. We hung one picture on an existing nail to see if we liked it there, but it's too low. I easily could have moved it a dozen times for all the time I've spent looking over at it from that couch and thinking that it's too low. but for now it will just have to stay there.