How time flies, already Tuesday and it was Friday yesterday! It's galloping! Well, no use thinking about it, how do I feel right now? Great! It's grey and windy outside, it's 1.15pm and I'm still in my jammies with absolutely no intention of getting dressed, body is warm and not too sore and darling hubby is having a nap behind me, behind our 'bedroom' screen. All is well, right now, in our world. We will face tomorrow when tomorrow happens. 

Another fit of giggling this morning when I woke up. Sweet hubby is still lying tucked up in bed and I have just got up and making my bed. The last thing to do is to take my spare pillow and put it on top of the other one. Hubby sees me arriving with the pillow, pretends to be terrified and says, oh no, what are you going to do with that pillow? We do have a rather weird sense of humor and can even laugh about death itself (including smothering!) Of course we both know that I would never do that (not even been tempted!) Maybe close? 

 

Yesterday had a lovely coffee in one of our preferred shops after grocery shopping. It's an organic health shop as well. All their vegetables are fresh, they smell wonderful and they have a kind of radiance about them. (Probably all in my head). Bought some alfalfa seeds for sprouting and they have already started to develop. So nice on fresh bread and butter. The coffee was delish and the views driving home were stupendous as always. We drive across the peninsula, about 6 kms to home and we go from one ocean to the other with views of both. How lucky is that? A squall hit us on the way back and the rain was coming down so heavily, we had to pull over and wait for it to pass. Certainly wouldn't like to be out at sea in one of those squalls.

Had a cosy Father's Day on Sunday with Cath and Joel and Jack. Cath had made a chicken curry with lentils and rice and we rather made pigs or ourselves and gobbled the last bit up. (I think Cath was hoping for leftovers, but no such luck, sorry!) Listened to oldies music, watched the fire, ate chocolate, drank wine and meandered home in a dizzy way, right next door. Tony went straight for his jigsaw and I watched TV. A lovely family day.

It's Friday, one of my favorite days (although most days are my favorite), but Fridays Cath and I go out for breakfast somewhere nice, somewhere different. It's always nice to be with my daughter, it's easy, it's fun it's non-judgemental, we talk, we don't talk. We can talk about anything and there is no underlying resentment or anger or any of those heavy emotions that sometimes slowly creep into a relationship. It's total acceptance on both sides and it's nice I feel lucky to have this loving relationship with my daughter and that Friday space we hold is so precious. Not that we haven't had our ups and downs together and we've had our share of crying (mostly in coffee shops) but have always managed (with a bit of work on both sides) to get back on track and be able to get the funny side out of it. I think that honesty, humility and good, truthful communication are key.

Yesterday I bought a second hand plastic chair for our front space. I never thought that a plastic chair would give me so much joy, but it is very comfortable and my back feels nice sitting in it. I love creating pretty seating spaces where I can either flop, or just lean back or sit upright (to knit or do a crossword) or eat or doze off. It's nice to have a choice. Today though it's windy and my best spot to be is inside at my little desk. Hopefully later, it will be nice enough for a whiskey in my plastic chair.

 I have just checked my 'to do' list for this morning and except for making chicken soup, which I love doing, I re-diarized everything else for tomorrow and other days, realizing that nothing I had written on this list was urgent and there was nothing on it that couldn't wait another day, another week, another month (like dusting). My mom used to say, don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Sorry mom, I am now doing the exact opposite and I love it. It makes me feel lucky to have my time to myself to do with what I please, when I please. Retirement is bliss, aching bones, dizziness (vertigo) and imminent demise regardless.

Sweet husband has just brought me a cup of steaming hot coffee. It's cold, grey and rainy outside so coffee is definitely very welcome.

Last night there was thunder, unusual for where we live. A loud clap, then another squall. I was happy to have a roof over my head and a duvet to lie under. I can't help thinking about others who do not have these luxuries, but I won't go there now. It's sometimes too much for my old brain to handle the injustices of this physical life. Ok, enough of that and back to nice things. 

Sweet husband and I have erratic sleep patters (not erotic - I wish!). He goes to bed, I watch TV, I go to bed and read, he gets up and eats and watches podcasts (mostly about the Ukraine/Russia war), I sleep, I wake up, he comes back to bed. I toss and turn and think and finally fall asleep, he gets up. When he got up (for the third time) last night it was just after the thunder clap and I was wondering whether he had heard it and also wondering what he was going to do. I asked, did you hear the thunder? He replies, yes! I ask, what are you going to do? No reply, silence, then, you mean about the thunder? You want me to talk to the big boss? I have a fit of giggling.

Live in the now I have to remind myself. My mind flits to the past very often, reliving many things and trying to make sense of them and trying to learn new things from different experiences that I had. (I realize that memories are tainted with time and therefore not accurate and it makes thinking about the past sometimes pointless.) Then it flits to the future, right, well that's done. I'll knit my blanket! The present, however, is quite marvelous and that's why I try and stay there as much as possible. For instance, my belly is full of coffee and raisin bread toast, my chair is comfy, my view is tranquil, I hear sweet husband pottering around doing his jigsaw at the kitchen table, birds are twittering further away, I am warm and right now nothing hurts. Hooray!

Must go make soup now.

 

 Lately I have taken to sleeping in late. Ok, excuse is that I read till late, but still, sleeping in till 11.30 am is unheard of. Inexcusable! Half the day is gone and I'm lying in bed. Ugh. Should be going for a walk on the beach or doing yoga stretches or dusting the ever increasing pile of cobwebs that miraculously appear everywhere or , or , or! The reality is that I'm 76 years old, have arthritis in my hips, walk with difficulty and ... I don't feel like doing any of those things. 

So this morning, woke up at 10am (quite early), husband still fast asleep so crept into kitchen to make a raisin bread toast with butter and a cup of Earl Grey tea. Remembered to take my pills (high blood pressure) and then sat at my favorite spot in the kitchen, a chair near the courtyard door from which I watch the birds on my feeder. I love watching them, greedy (so it seems) little sparrows and fat little white eyes all flitting around the feeders. 

 Remembered (or rather checked my list of 'to do' things) and saw that I had to go to the bank to get my internet banking unblocked. I had read the device thingie they give you the wrong way around and after three tries, I was kicked out. (I wondered why this device was showing me these strange characters but I tried my best to type them in anyway)! When I explained this to the very kind bank assistant he kind of giggled a bit and told me to always read it from left to right. He repeated this a few times! I hope I remember.

 It's raining and it's quite cold. It's cosy sitting at my desk looking out at the rain and wind blowing in the trees. Tonight we have chicken with salad and garlic mushrooms for supper and I will make chicken soup tomorrow with the bones and some nice veggies that I bought this morning while sorting out my 'device' ! I'm going to put on my warm gown now and do a bit of knitting, (it's a blanket and it will probably be ready by next winter, or maybe the next one!)