“Peace Plants and red geraniums line our walkway.”
We finally managed to obtain an offer on our Villa. The down side is that it’s a contingency deal pending the sale of the buyer’s own large home (downsizing). This may mean that we must make a contingency offer of our own or wait to see if theirs sells first. Sounds like an “iffy” proposition in either case which means we’re still living in limbo until things become certain
For those of you who may not know. We’ve been boxing, arranging furniture and getting rid of clutter for months; including putting a new roof on our home and installing stainless steel appliances in our newly remodeled kitchen. My paintings and tools are boxed, so I haven’t been able to do any artwork for months. I’ve also been dealing with health issues and my writing has been stalled on the back burner because of shoulder pain. I’m hoping it’s not another rotator cuff tear. I experienced that a few years ago. When I use my keyboard, it feels like a vice clamps down on my upper arm.
The x-rays did show that a tear is present. I had my first physical therapy session and will find out if I’m able to regain the strength and use of my arm without surgery. Cross your fingers!
During this period of transition, I’ve been surprised by how easy it is to “forget” possessions once they are packed away. Things that I once thought absolutely necessary are not even missed. Sometimes less is more.
I’ve always been a saver. I’m still wearing clothes that my daughters left after they went off to college. Now they are mothers and one is a grandmother. And shoes; I had a shoe fetish for years and moved them all over the country during job and personal changes. I learned the hard way that Florida’s humidity is very hard on shoes. Glues, synthetics and sometimes leather disintegrates. Many of my shoes simply rotted and fell apart.
Repaired china and glued knick knacks crumble in the heat and humidity as did my collection of German nutcrackers. Rubber water bottles used in healing and for warmth sprouted leaks. I learned this when I tried to use them for ice packs and heat compresses on my painful shoulder.
When we first moved here, I had stored an old silk Christmas tree in the garage only to discover later that it smelled of mildew and mold. Recent trees have rectified this problem and are now not only fire-retardant, but mildew resistant as well. Oh, the joys of modern science.
Our lives change over time. We experience and appreciate those things that are lasting and eternal, and recognize those traits and gifts that are corruptible and temporal. I’m finding that the older I get the easier it becomes to “let things go.” Meaningless trivia ages with the years, frays at the edges and is soon forgotten in the dust heap of life. “If you haven’t used it in six months or less, you probably never will” is a timely axiom.
“Egrets and Mangroves” acrylic on canvas FOR SALE
Carol Anfinsen the Art of Living 