Scattered

Sometimes expression is difficult.

My “former partner” was the subject of a discussion recently. I didn’t know what to call him! He was my first true love, and that love continued until his untimely death in 1996. We lived together, we were not married, although he wanted to marry. He is often in my thoughts, and always in my heart. I ended up calling him “my former partner”, which seems so flat.

Life is a funny affair, you never know when you will come full circle and discover your own tail.

It is another busy day, here at the country house. After cleaning the masonry heater clean outs, I tackled the main firebox. Luckily most of the fine ash fell through the grate and into the ash dump. There were a few clinkers, which I scooped up and threw into the fire pit.

Next on my list was the little cast iron stove in the family room downstairs. I cleaned the glass. Then I cleaned the ash bucket. The ash bucket looked so good that I decided not to use it, because then I would have to clean it again. I didn’t think that one through! So I shovelled the ash into a large plastic bucket. Since the last fire was last week, there were no warm coals. After emptying the small ash dump tray under the stove, the removal job was done. Then the cleanup began. The wood stove and hearth are looking shiny and used!

I also began to clean the screened in porch. Attila used it over the winter to store firewood, so it was a real mess, and dirty. I got it swept out, but have to wait until we get the arbour out of there and into the garden, before washing the floor.

The realtor and his entire team are coming tomorrow morning. I anticipate a good photo and video shoot, it is supposed to be sunny. Our house has a lot of windows, so when it is bright outside it is bright inside too.

There is much left to do before the arrival of the realty team!

Attila did some painting of the new stairs during his brief lunch break. I offered to do more, but he said no, he would do it. I think he has his plan of attack all worked out and doesn’t want me to interfere with it.

I killed the wasps nest in the old gas BBQ that resides on the deck. It has to go to the dump, but will probably end up in the shed at the back until Attila has a chance to make a visit to the dump. I arranged the lawn chairs on the deck, carried the lounge chair up, washed the spiders and dirt off of it, and observed that I have to vacuum the deck again, more stain has peeled.

I have a list of little jobs, it never gets shorter because as I cross things off, more little jobs pop up.

Attila and I are tired, but are managing to keep going. We eat well, and we are sleeping well. There just isn’t any down time right now.

Soon I will be leaving for the little house in the city, and Attila will be left here to handle the house viewings on his own. I am trying to get the house into a condition where Attila need only attend to cooking his own meals, bathing, doing his own laundry, and doing a minimum amount of daily cleaning to keep the place looking ready for potential buyers.

Already Tank is packed tight with items that we are moving to the little house in the city. Soon we will pack a lot more into the car, which I will drive to the little house.  Attila will travel in Tank, to join me after he gets home from work on Saturday.

We have way too much “stuff”!

There is a frost alert for tonight, so the planter I bought to hang in the arbour will be staying in the living room until tomorrow morning. We haven’t planted anything this year.

I think this entry may be as scattered as I am feeling!

Worldly Distractions

Weather

14°C
Date: 4:00 PM EDT Wednesday 13 May 2015
Condition: Partly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.6 kPa
Visibility: 16 km
Temperature: 13.7°C
Dewpoint: -1.4°C
Humidity: 35%
Wind: W 15 gust 30 km/h

Quote

“True happiness is of a retired nature, and an enemy to pomp and noise; it arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self, and in the next from the friendship and conversation of a few select companions.”
Joseph Addison
1672 – 1719

14 Comments
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Bex Crowell

I’m scattered just reading about all the things you have done and are doing! Amazing. Now how come you are going back to the house in the city? I must’ve missed something along the way….

WendyNC

Maggie, while I wish for you to have a qualified buyer sooner rather than later, I’m also hoping for a goodly handful of viewers, just so Mist will have visitors. It’s great that she’s picked this time of her life to be social–as long as the company keeps coming.

TopsyTurvy (Teri)

Maggie, I’m thinking that if the country house does sell that you and Attila will move to the city house, collapse in quiet heaps for a week or two, and then start looking for things to do! Your lives are so active I’m not sure how well either of you would handle true retirement.

Oh, and maybe the cold will kill off your black flies for a while. *fingers crossed*

Best of luck with getting the house up for sale!

Kate

Maggie, what a dark horse you are! I’ve been reading you for years and you’ve never once mentioned this earlier love. What a loss for you, and how fortunate you were to find Attila and enjoy a good love again.

TopsyTurvy (Teri)

I can understand the idea of looking for free things to do, DH and I won’t have pensions either. At this point, we’re looking at selling our house some years down the line and investing the profit into something like an annuity.

I was going to suggest looking at daytripping.ca for interesting things to do but I notice they don’t go far enough north. Searching on “daytripping Muskoka” brought up all kinds of interesting websites, though.

NORA

Maggie, My head is spinning. You and Attila are so busy! I know only good will come of it. I hope the house sells quickly. It does sound like a very nice house. Once the photos are on site can we see them?

Black flies, now I understand!

Irene Bean

I also would love to see photos. Until then… my goodness! You have been busy busy!

Though I’ve been married twice and divorced twice and none of the divorce stuff was fun, as time has rolled on I’ve been mindful of the glorious love we shared and the many good years spent together. My unfair hindsight vision has determined I chose poorly and for the wrong reasons… my more mature self realizes I do best alone. 🙂 I was intrigued and marveled over the separation sadness you experienced this winter when you and Attila were separated for long stretches. To my way of thinking, it sounded like the perfect balance that would’ve possibly made my marriages work. Solitude is my unfortunate preference – but I’m also able to be exceptionally happy for those who pair well. Love.