In Between a Rock and a Hard Place

So much for Living in a Christmas Card as my last blog read.

I haven't rented an apartment for over 40 years. I had forgotten what it is like to have to call the Landlord when things do not work. I am paying what I consider a good amount for a 1 bedroom apt in the middle of nowhere. I have been here for 5 weeks and I have called because: toilet runs constantly, no hot water (twice) it's been fixed (hopefully), No heat (40 degrees iside) twice. Wasps and lady bugs every day crawling around dying, fridge runs constantly need new seal. And a muddy trail up to the apt that turns into a bog after the snow melts. Other than that, this is a great place.

I took this picture while driving around a few days ago. I feel I need a tank of that in my yard and maybe nothing would matter.

My problem is that I do not always think before leaping. This is not the first mess I have gotten into and I am sure it won't be the last.

I am cutting out stuff from Wallpaper books to use in decoupage. That and a glass of wine will keep me from over reacting --again.

Hope you are having a better day than I. E

I Live in a Christmas Card

Now this is one of the reasons I moved to the East Coast! I am snowed in and am lovin it. Of course, this is Day One. I have chicken soup in the crock pot and a beautiful view from every window in my apartment.

I took a walk this morning and took these pictures. It was so quiet and it was as if I was the only person for miles. I couldn't wait to send the pictures back home to San Diego. I know if I had to go to work it would not be pleasant. I am sure people just stay home when it snows, don't they? I mean you could get hurt out there. I do not have the faintest idea of how to drive in this weather. I couldn't get my car out anyway because I live in the middle of a grassy field. Besides that, I do not have a driveway. The landlord will have to come and plow one (hopefully). I guess I will miss happy hour at Sonny's Cafe today.

I am watching the news and some people are not as lucky as I and are having a terrible time getting to where they are going. Shoulda stayed like me. A great day for reading, doing arts and crafts, cooking (while enjoying a nice glass of Merlot). Emily, my cat, has been sleeping all day. That means when we get in bed tonight she will want to be petted and talked to and I will want to go to sleep. Don't you wish you had my problems?

Mid Hudson Valley - A Great Place

The tirp to VA to gather the rest of my personal belongings and to visit my doctor was hard due to the fact that I had issues with my daughter and her husband about my leaving VA. They wanted me close by but not in their basement. I figured that as long as I was moving that I would go someplace I had never been. At first things were awkward and then it got better and we even enjoyed each others company.

My cat, Emily, remained at home for the 8 days and my brother-in-law checked on her often. He said he knew she was there because the food had been eaten. Emily had entertained herself with the thing she does when I leave her alone too long....Tears the toilet tissue off the roll and spreads it all over the bathroom. If I ignore her she will bite my ankle and run like hell. That is what I love about cats. They stand up for themselves.

My sister and her husband and I moved a huge sofa and chair up the stairs to my living room and also a 9 drawer dresser. My back let me know that I should not be doing that activity so I have been taking it easy for the past few days. Just shopping for drapes and small decorative wall hangings. It is beginning to look and feel like Home. A place for Emily and Me.

Return to Vienna, VA

This is the "home" I left early in January of this year. I left because I felt my family and I expected different things from each other.

Perhaps I ran away rather than try to work things out. I thought that I had tried everything in the five months I was there to make our living in the same house as one happy family.

Now I am going back to keep doctor's appts. and to pick up the rest of my belongings. I have mixed emotions. When my daughter calls she sounds fine and tells me everything is working out and that my college educated granddaughter and her boyfriend are doing well in my former apartment in the basement. I am glad for them, but sad for me.

When I get back to Standstillville next week with my possessions I will settle down in my new home and begin a new life. I am thinking I might get a part time job so that I can be around people. My sister and her husband are very nice and I will spend time with them, but I do not want to wear out my welcome. I will occupy my time with my blog and arts and crafts and walking in this beautiful area. I am happy that I am able to choose where I want to be.

I still believe that families can be happy with 3 generations or more under the same roof. Maybe I am wrong. What do you think?

Solitude

The day began as usual. Emily licking me in the face wanting to be fed. So I crawled out of a warm bed and fed her and then made coffee. Ahhhh the best part of the day. Hot blonde and sweet coffee and gazing out the window and writing in my journal.

Journaling is a habit I have had for 25 years. After my mother passed at the age of 64 I began to wonder who she really was so I began keeping a journal so that my daughter would know who I was and how I really felt about my life as it happened. I have never shared my journals with anyone.

After listening to the political crap for an hour or so I became restless and decided to take a drive to another small town a few miles from Stanstillville. The drive was nice with a little unmelted snow along the side of the road. The town is very quaint and does not have many stores to visit so my visit didn't last long. I came back to my small town and went into a few businesses and introduced myself and enjoyed talking to the proprietors. That didn't last long enough and I ended up at home way too early.

The good part is that Emily was waiting for me. Actually, she was in bed under the covers and did not get up when I came in.

Life in Upstate New York in Winter

Here I am in my new home in upstate New York. It is a small town that dates back to 1793 so it says in topiary bushes in front of the Town Hall. It has a post office , a wonderful country store where you can purchase almost anything. You have to pay a little more but the convenience is worth it. Who wants to drive 20 miles for a quart of milk? I found a wonderful watering hole. Having spent a lot of years working in the restaurant business, I enjoy sitting and having a brewsky and chatting with the locals or listening to their conversations.



Keep in mind that I live alone with my cat Emily out in the middle of a huge field. I can see other houses because the trees have lost their leaves, but I am not close enough to see anyone to say "hello". I like people and want to be around them. My sister and her husband live close by and I do visit with them. They are very quiet and I am not. Sooooooo I must be careful not to wear out my welcome.



I am kinda sorry I signed a year lease for my apartment. It is a salt box type? and has lots of windows which will be great when I settle down and decide to do art and crafts. I do not have comfortable furniture yet. My sister has loaned me a bed, dresser a little kitchen table and 2 chairs and a queen anne type chair for watching tv which I had to buy. The kitchen is fine and so I have all that I need. But I want more. Like a comfy couch to lie upon while watching tv.



The worst part of my new accomodations is that there is no driveway to the house. You just drive across the field which is ok if it doesn't rain too much. It did today and I got stuck. Not happy. I will learn to park just off the little road when the weather is not great, which is most of the time here in Stanfordville.



So what do you think about my adventure so far? I know, "She's nuts".

Families are Forever, Aren't They???

I know, it's been 6 months since I wrote. A lot has happened. Most of it not worth going into. Let's just say that my plan for joining my daughter and her family on the east coast failed miserably. Oh, I got there okay full of plans for being part of a big family. Working out problems together, planning celebrations, and building a whole new life together. NOT!

My daughter expected me to get a job and within 10 days I was working at Bob Evans' Family Restaurant. It just about killed me. First I had learn the 10 page menu and Then learn the codes s0 I could enter them in the computer for the kitchen!!!! I have earned many $$$ as a "waitress", that is what they called us back then. But the work is hard enough on your body let alone wear your brain out at the same time.

I just wanted to help out the family as I had been doing for years. They liked that as long as I didn't live in the basement. Now,I want you to know, I set up a kitchen in the laundry room which was in the basement and it has a full bath and a separate entrance. When I did go up to say hello, it was as if I was a stranger and had interrupted their life. I began to walk on egg shells. But at the same time I was on the driving schedule and also let my teenage granddaughter drive my car!!!

Enough, I decided to move out and thought "as long as I am moving, why not move to another state since my other reason for leaving SoCal was to SEE the east Coast. I called my sister in up state New York and packed my little suv with cat and clothes and said 'Adios".

It wasn't all bad, but I figured the longer I hung out there the worse it could get. Actually I am pretty good at running away. but that is another story.