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Off to Florence again~

8/29/2016

    As August comes to an end, I think about the beginning of the school year, which has always felt like the New Year to me. All those years starting school, as a student and then as a teacher.
During the past ten or more years, however, September has been a time of travel, usually to Italy and my beloved second home, Florence, where the crisp air bring to mind autumn’s renewal of life. This year is no exception. I fly to Rome on September 11, and will hop on a train to Florence the next morning. My plan, once again, is to live in Florence for two weeks before returning to Rome for my flight home on the 26th.
    I’ve rented an apartment near the Ponte Vecchio, a new location for me. I will continue writing the article I started in the spring, “Seven Days Writing in Florence.”
    But before I go, my oldest grandson will be off to college.

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Too much noise~

8/25/2016

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Do you remember the childhood story of the farmer who claimed his kids were making too much noise in the farmhouse. To solve this problem, he was told to bring all the barnyard animals into the house, which of course made it more noisy than ever. Then he was told to take each animal out of the house, one by one, and send them back to the barn. With that task completed, the farmer sat back in his rocking chair and enjoyed the peace and quiet of his many children.
I was reminded to this story when a friend told me about house sitting for a neighbor’s cat. She doesn’t mind helping out, and admits that the cat is easy. Nevertheless, when it’s time for the cat to go home, my friend experiences silence, solitude and simplicity with renewed intensity. I feel the same way after grandpet sitting or when company leaves. Then things settle back to normal and I’m ready for action again.

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Simple colonial progress~

8/22/2016

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Lots of chaos as we create a simple, colonial sitting room. We’re unearthing an old fireplace, not for a fire, but for ambience. Thinking of keeping the floorboards as is, eventually stripping them down to bare wood—as at the Wayside Inn. Trim a deep colonial blue, walls white. Electric lamps, yes; TV, no. I wonder if TV was even a thought back in 1830 when our house was built?

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Regaining calm~

8/18/2016

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     Two mornings later I have to admit that I woke up agitated, no calm. Silly reasons; one had to do with a travel dream in which it was taking forever for me to reach my destination; the other was stress that our upstairs rooms are so messy and dusty, and, Would they every be finished?
     Number one solution: get up, get out of bed and pour that cup of coffee. Right away my mood lifted. So much for which to be grateful. Solution two; Jim and I made a plan to get the work done. Third solution: have dinner at the Wayside Inn tonight and notice the colonial colors used of the floors, walls and trip.
     I have regained the calm.

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Remembering that we reap what we sow~

8/16/2016

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I’m sitting here this morning feeling mighty calm. It’s a frame of mind, a way of being that I believe can be present to us no matter what’s going around in our life and in the world. I feel it today, but it’s not easy to be consistent. Summer company comes and goes, our floor is still being refinished, politicians are voicing fear, the humidity is high—blah, blah, blah.
So how do I keep the calm? It’s all in the remembering. Remembering to take deep breaths, to get off by myself, to sit in silence. Remembering to do this every day. Remember that we reap what we sow.

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The simplicity of wood~

8/11/2016

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The carpet was removed, floor sanded and given a coat of polyurethane.No stain needed. As pure and simple as we could make it.
The room is really two rooms, divided by two steps, so now we’re going to have the second room refurbished. Painting the walls will follow. Although it was work getting the room ready, putting things back has been quite simple-- because of all the stuff we got rid of.
What surprises, and intrigues me the most, is how simple my life feels. The thirty-four year old carpet must have been holding all kinds of ideas and experiences that I don’t need any more. Vacuuming and carpet cleaning didn’t get rid of all that accumulated over the years. Wood, on the other hand, doesn’t absorb so hopefully I will stay free.
. In spite of the current heat wave, I plan to keep releasing what I don’t need or want. “Am I taking this with me, I continue to ask.

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Are we taking this with us?

8/8/2016

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Today is the big simplifying day. We’ve cleared the bedroom and are now waiting for Handyman Russ to arrive to remove the carpet, and sand and stain the floors. We’re still asking that same question, as we pretend we are moving immediately (which we are not): “Are we taking this with us?”
The biggest challenge at the moment is deciding about the pictures on the walls. The paintings are easy—we’re taking them. But what about the prints of advertisements from magazines, or the millions of photographs of this and that? This is where my husband is not ready to ask the ultimate question.
Regardless, life already feels simpler and the energy to get rid of more stuff remains intense.

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Maine in August~

8/5/2016

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A farewell walk after three vacation days on the Maine coast. Internet was almost non-existent internet access. What a break for me.

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I have sacrificed nothing~

8/2/2016

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    I have sacrificed nothing. I know that. I try to be humble about it. It’s not my doing that I’ve experience no tragic deaths in my life, that I am a woman of privilege living in a privileged bubble. I worked hard as a teacher and I try to be a good person and do unto others as I would like others to do to me. But really, it isn’t hard; in fact I get more out of life when I give. I have a kind husband, caring kids, grandkids, siblings, and friends, and a welcoming church community. There is food on the table, a car in the garage, and a yard to enjoy. I take my solitary trips to Scotland and Italy. I could go on and on, but you get my point. I have sacrificed nothing.
    I can still hear my mother saying, “You can’t take all the credit or all the blame for what goes on in your life.” I wonder if it is fair to take any credit for doing the best we can. I am certain, however, that it a sign of humility is to be able to accept blame.

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