Still Rolling, Toward Balance

The ups and downs of new widowhood are smoothing out, and I feel more comfortble knowing that, when I go into a ditch, it won’t take long for me to find my way out again. Friends and activities help a lot.

My granddaughter has gone to stay with another family member while her room and bathroom are undergoing remodeling/repair of a failed shower (the second we have replaced in this house–shoddy construction in the mid-1990s). Other than the workers, who come and go pretty much without disturbing me, it’s just me and Junior for a while.

For the first time in my memory, I actually have time on my hands! Coinicidentally with granddaughter being away, I’m in a phase without appointments or very many commitments. It’s both scary and wonderful.

So my days are pretty much my own for the first time in forever, and I’m having a little trouble focusing. I read a lot, including a series of novels about grief, “Me Before You” and “After You,” by Jojo Moyse. I love her books and the fact that they are set in England. That and watching “All Creatures Great and Small” have me reverting to my native tongue (at least in my head.) I’m trying to catch as many of the Oscar-nominated movies as possible, disappointed at the “Barbie” snubs. The sequel to my favorite movie, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” wasn’t quite as good as the original, but I think I’ll watch it again because there are clever details that I may have missed while watching it with friends.

I have a variety of art and craft projects going, including, as always, stitching, knitting, and a new project, a color palette book,reusing an old blank book to create a reference source for myself. Below is a nascent stitching project. I love the color combinations!

Junior and I have our nearly daily visit to the off-leash dog park along the river, my (and his) happy place (except on occasions when some nut is doing target practice or shooting squirrels on the other side of the river, which means Junior runs straight to the car and cannot be convinced that he is safe. Ruins my day. I have called the sheriff’s department and was told it’s legal and there is nothing that can be done–they are outside city limits, in the county. I have tried adjusting the times I go, which so far seems to be working. Talk about spoiling paradise!)

I love this twisted old tree, and our amazing Texas sky.

I am singing in the community chorale, my art group meets every Thursday, and I go to church most Sundays. There is a feng shui class after church that’s helping me consider colors, flow and decor in the house.

There are multiple projects that I am postponing–I want to paint the kitchen and my bathroom cabinets, the garage and storeroom are a mess (the Christmas boxes are still in the living room), and there will be outdoor projects soon, since spring often comes in February here.

I have scheduled hip replacement for April! Many of the projects may wait till after I recover. The doctor assures me I will be walking three miles again! But will Junior? He is nearing age 10, and we are growing old together.