Another case of progress being slow but sure. The walls have now been clad in green waterproof material and the battens for plasterboard are in the process of being put up. Lots of noise but it will probably be even louder when the plumber arrives.
Went to slimming club. Progress continues…… slow but sure.
Have thoroughly enjoyed Margaret Forster’s Keeping the World Away. It is about the affect of a painting on people’s lives throughout a century or so. It keeps coming back to me at odd moments, creeping up with further insights. An ideal read.
It is “that” time of year again and living in the West Highlands of Scotland means that we are often plagued with midgies. I can never write something like that without thinking of the island nurse who answered my young son’s enquiry about why God made midgies by saying rather loudly, Because we’re all sinners! Needless to say, said son did not appreciate the reply, and I can now express theologically that a God like that would be a nasty old so and so; I prefer to blame natural selection and to think of how the midgies provide plentiful food for the swallows.
Back to the plot though……. I am grateful for the friends who gave me this link to the Midge Forecast site. I am not put off by the fact that it is run by a firm selling midge-eaters. But I am thinking of putting one of their machines on the wish list for next year. Skin-so-soft by Avon seems to work well as a deterrent – the midgies don’t seem to like the smell. The trouble is I am not so keen on it myself!
For those who feel alone:
The wind blows over the lonely of heart
And the lonely of heart is withered away…….
Don’t really know what this means, but I do know that it is possible to feel lonely in the midst of the bizz and bustle of everyday life. Being retired helps to teach us to be still and be at peace.
Peace be with you today.
My main excitement this week has come from being able to get into a favourite pair of yachtie trousers. They have seen me through many summers of being frightened to death in heavy seas and unexpected squalls. Funny then that wearing them gives such a buzz. I can only think it is because they remind me of the person I used to be. Now I know that the secret in retirement is to live in the present and enjoy the challenges of the future…….so why is this little bit of nostalgia so important? Let’s be clear – I am not hankering after more yachting or boating adventures (other than perhaps a meander on the Canal du Midi in a hire boat.) But I do want to feel fitter and more able to enjoy the outdoor life.
The blue check ensemble I currently wear did not accompany me up Mount Brandon on a memorable study leave adventure, (the trousers I wore then require another stone at least to be lost!) These blue trousers did not go with me to the Mediterranean (too warm and too windproof.) But these trousers did represent a lifestyle of dressing down when off duty – the kind of switching off that is so difficult to achieve when any day can theoretically be a day off.
Perhaps these blue checked trousers represent the kind of me that likes to meander with words across the page. So I shall dig out the next Creative Writing Assignment and get on with it.
Bedtime reading this week is Karen Armstrong’s memoir, The Spiral Staircase. A marvel of introspection, information and inspiration. Too good for putting me to sleep early though.
Oops…….I had forgotten that it is possible to saw wood into smaller and smaller bits in order to do more and more intricate things. And rolls of roofing material arrived. The roof is nearly waterproof now which is just as well. The heavens opened yesterday! It seems to me that there is still an awful lot to do in spite of the progress that is being made. However, overwhelmingly I am grateful for anything after almost a year of waiting for things to happen.
The joiner has been working on the extension all week. Trouble is…he seems to be running out of materials. Help……
