This was brought home to me by the flower below: coming out from a crack in between a stone wall and a tar side-walk, this is the third lot of blooms this year!
Moral of the story: what everyone says is true – you can thrive even when there is seemingly little to thrive upon.
Of clothes, of possessions.
We have had a spate of rainy, cold weather and I have been trying to gear up to take advantage of it, other than simply checking emails, reading magazines, talking to friends, eating out and the like.
I have meant to do a serious sort, clean, toss and then something, or more likely someone, interferes.
With my blessings as it is so much more fun to go out with friends or drink coffee than it is to sort and toss, especially when there is no one to pat my on my back for what little I might accomplish.
Today, however, I opened the cupboard doors and said to myself: it is time.
Time to try on those trousers that I never wear, but shove to the back of the cupboard; time to try on those blouses that stay on the hangers day in and day out, time to take a look at the shelves and perhaps finally divest myself of the multiple single socks.
One always thinks that one will a) loose weight, b) find that missing sock or 3) get the top that perfectly matches the skirt one hasn't had on in years. All MYTHS!
And with age I have finally realized that if I don't wear it today, I am not likely to wear it 10 years from now when maybe I will have lost the weight, but also it will be out of date or moth-ridden. That being said, it takes a certain amount of energy to let go of anything and I am no better than the average person when it comes to doing so!
I DID let go of 17 items today - that just finishes off one of the spring months - remember my goal to dispose of one item a day for every day of the year? Far behind this year, but a few more rainy days and I might have a chance, that is if I don't get side-tracked sorting photos, writing letters or by better weather. Still what was done today, is done and I will celebrate a small step in the right direction.
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| From Megapixel.com |
For two of my very best friends: he is an avid meat eater, she a more-to-the-vegan, but at least vegetarian.
Now I was raised a vegetarian and as my mother said years later: who knew that all that cheese that we used for protein wasn't good for our arteries. Fashion - and fads - come and go, the most sensible route is nothing in extremes, everything in moderation.
That being said I do like a good steak, preferably with the French green pepper sauce! But I have had my share of vegetarian burgers as well. In fact back in the day they were made by hand (my mother) and my kids swear that at least in two areas I never measured up: my mother's veggie burgers, nor her potato salad. It could have been worse.
I quite often eat meatless, and tend to eat more fish and chicken even when I do.
Now, no one needs to choose as what was the latest ad I saw?
Local grocery store, Migros, not to mention names, has huge ads in the papers: we now have "mix". So we can feel virtuous for eating less red meat, but still perhaps have some of the taste? I think that I will encourage R to try this, but hey, if he still prefers the "real thing", I can live with it. He is otherwise a very good citizen and quite conscious of saving the planet by other means.
Whilst I was with my family over Easter weekend we went and got groceries for the 3
Nights with my older son. As I was paying – and proud of having finally gotten it right
Without the interference of an employee (yes, even in Switzerland most stores have
clients now working for them, ie self check-outs) – a young employee rushed up and said, wait, wait. I thought, hmmm and here I was sure that I had done it all right.
He hit a couple of buttons, used his store tags, and presented me with a gift card for CHF 20.00! Wow. He did mention that it was only valid for a month, detail, which I promptly forgot until two weeks had passed. Then I actually added “use xxxx card” to my shopping list.
After lunch today I felt the need to get a little something for snack time and remembered that I had this card so thought, ok I’ll go get something a little special maybe.
As I entered the store there were stacks of toilet paper on sale. Now I am currently not in any danger of running out having probably some 30 on stock, but never pass up a bargain on toilet paper, so I threw one in my cart. Wandered a bit, got something for snack time, checked on various other items on my eventually-need-to-find list and was almost ready to check out when a store employee saw me. She said, wait, you only have one package and it’s a 2 for 1 deal today and off she rushed to get me another.
I used the coupon for CHF 20.00, the two large packages were CHF 20.90 so here we are 48 rolls of 4-ply toilet paper for 0.90 centimes (roughly 90 USA cents). Not complaining, still laughing.
It can prevent if not disaster, definitely more than a minor inconvenience!
I needed to wash my hair and had a moment. Remembered that I was almost through the one bottle in the bathroom so took precautions and got the other one out of my cupboard in my bedroom.
Fortunately before I opened it (my hair was wet) I checked again.
Oops, I had almost applied triple oil body lotion!
Similar color of bottle, same size, same brand.
Imagine trying to wash that out of my hair!
I have a friend in the village who discovered a stray kitten/cat (adolescent we think – and call her she although really no idea as to its sex). Being fond of cats, he would like it to become tame enough to come in when he wants, but not become his house cat.
Nevertheless it looked rather hungry and I have two cats so brought up some of my food and thus began the process.
The original cat has a playmate, who would also like to horn in on the bounty. Mostly she stands up for herself, but sometimes the other has to be shoed off – when one realizes of course, which isn’t always. Recently the bowl with the dry cat food was to be found turned on its side – and often off the step where it had been put come morning.
We feed the birds as well, but they haven’t that strength.
It could be one of the parents (also stray) of the two kitten/cats, but normally cats aren’t that messy and they can reach easily inside so no need.
One night, my friend said that when he went out to put away something, he saw a hedgehog under a bush in the garden. I had already suspected that might be the culprit, but the pictures below confirm the fact.
He’s (why do I think that it’s a he? No reason whatsoever except that I think the kitten/cat is a she) obviously awaken early from hibernation and I am not sure how he has managed to survive over the years, but he is a good size so presume he is older.
Bless the animals – I’m off to buy more food.
I have a very dear friend (ok friends as her husband is also one, but her and my friendship pre-dates his arrival in her life by many, many years) who when she retired went to the studio that she had bought many years before in Southern France. But as she found she missed her friends and former colleagues from here, never mind that she is a published writer and belongs to a writing group, decided to find something here as a secondary residence.
To make a long story short, she ended up being my housemate for over 10 years.
She was still living here when she and her husband married, but a newly-wed couple need their own space and they eventually found even larger – and with more facilities – quarters down the road.
They currently spend about half a year in each place and when they are here we do try and have the odd coffee or lunch together. With Covid that has been even more challenging, also as we age, we all three have more medical appointments and it’s unbelievable how difficult it is to actually see each other.
I really had to laugh when they came back up at the beginning of February and she wrote “There is a difference knowing you are down the 6-8 min. road and down a 6-8 hour drive road”.
Don’t see it much as so far we have only managed once: are hoping for twice before they disappear again. Life is what it is and good friends need to be cherished.
