"Toil awhile, endure awhile, believe always, and never turn back."

 Marcus Annaeus Seneca.

Computer Error Messages and The Sprinkler From Hell!

This morning I turned on the computer as always and headed off to putter around to let it do its thing. It is old (in computer terms anyhow, six) and its memory is pretty full (like mine  ) so it moves prettttty sloooowly inn a morning making all kinds of strange noises(hey JUST like me!!). Today when I popped my head in to see if it was done there was a black screen (bad sign) with a message on it (always a bad sign). It said keyboard not found or not recognized. Now, I could see my keyboard, it was right there in its usual spot right in front of the monitor, so I knew that was not the problem. It had been connected just fine last night, so unless some elves had been in during the night playing with it, it should have been okay. Then I read the rest of the message. It said (remember) Keyboard Not Found. The instructions given afterward were push F1 to continue or DEL to exit set up. Do tell me how, if the computer either cannot find or cannot recognize my keyboard that pushing either of those buttons is going to do squat?! I just did what I normally do in this situations being the high tech soul that I am......I turned it off. I then turned it on again. Apparently it found and recognized the keyboard, because here I am tapping on it right now!

Since it has been 30C all week my lawn is starting to look crispy and brown. Being the proactive type  I had bought two hoses and two sprinklers, one sideways sprinkler (the kind that goes back and forth) and one that shoots out in a circle (the kind that makes that pssshhht pssshhhht noise). They were bought last weekend (have you SEEN the price of that kind of stuff!!) and remained in my trunk until today. Today the crispness and the brownness of the grass overcame my fear of new things so I decided to set up a sprinkler and water my lawn. (also there is a ban in effect so odd numbered houses must water on odd numbered days).

Here I sit, soaking wet and dripping all over the keyboard. I don't appear to be able to do anything that has ANYTHING to do with water without getting wet. The box with the sideways sprinkler had lots of instructions, but they were all in what appears to be German. Well, how hard can it be?  I connected the connectors and turned on the water. There appear to be dials controlling the arc of water on this device. My plan was to turn it on and adjust the flow accordingly. HAH! Not so fast! Enough water shot out of that thing to give a fairly good impression of Niagara Falls. I wanted a small stream, a tiny arc for my tiny front lawn. Instead I have been soaking my front door, my driveway and all of Oshawa that happens to drive down my street. (not to mention the pedestrians!). I kept turning the dials this way and that, trying to duck under the water, but all that seemed to do was make me even wetter. To make it all worse two old fellows a few doors down were watching me gradually turn into a wet rat before there very eyes while they sat on their front porch. (They seem to be the unofficial neighbourhood watch. They never say anything to me, but they always seem to be watching!) I valiantly tried to look as though this was what I had expected and intended the outcome of all this to be, but I don't think they bought it. I retreated to the house to let the water fall where it may while I type this out. My plan is then to let it appear that a sufficient amount of time has passed. I can then try out the other sprinkler and get wet all over again!!

(Addendum: or perhaps addenDUMB!  I did go back outside and suddenly had a flash of insight. My brain suddenly said to me.......TURN THE TAP DOWN!! I had the tap turned on full blast! I turned it lower and now have a nice tiny arc of water sprinkling my lawn.  I'm not sure I should really be telling the world about my brain problems like this!!) I put it down to working evening shift. (I have to put it down to something, it couldn't just be ME!)

No more whining!! about the furnace or oil tank anyway. One big check mark next to that "micro-movement".  DONE. Brand new furnace, brand new tank.

"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion....I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The hallway is officially finished! (the walls anyway). I spent the morning touching up with a tiny brush and then removing paint from the wood trim. There is a product rather aptly named "Oops!" that comes in a spray can and removes paint smudges. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a mega spray can like that to fix all the little "Oops!" moments of our lives!

It works fairly well and I will say that not ALL the paint smudges were mine. Some have been there for many, many, many years. Coupled with a scraper and some steel wool I think I made a pretty good job of it.

Between coats of pink paint this past weekend the old hound and I have been delving into the mysteries of the BBQ. The universe really was on our side as every time we were ready to grill the skies cleared and the rain stopped. We tried whole trout, ribs, vegetable skewers, burgers and sausages. Unlike most normal people we are unable to cook just one type of food at a time. It's much more exciting to juggle many types of food with their differing textures and cooking times.

Everything tasted great and provided great fuel and incentive for the hard work inside.

Don't let the picture fool you, the old hound was the chef this weekend!

YUMMY!  Next weekend, weather permitting - Salmon on a Cedar Plank or Chicken Souvlaki (or maybe both! )

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination."

So many people spend so much time searching for happiness and waiting for happiness that they forget to just be happy. They forget to live in the moment, to be happy in the here and now. They say "I'll be happy when....", and sometimes that when never arrives.

In searching my heart lately I find that I am happy. That is not to say that I am not beset by annoyances and frustrations. That is not to say that I don't get tired and overwhelmed. In spite of everything, or maybe it's because of everything that is going on around me, I feel quite simply - happy.

It's a quiet, calm, peaceful kind of happiness that doesn't jump up and down and demand to be noticed. It just sits there in the background of my life filling in the colours of my heart like a canvas waiting to be painted.

I am glad it's there, because at times I have been feeling something else - OVERWHELMED!  Not to a dangerous, toxic degree, but in the odd moment it will all creep up behind me and WHAM! smack me upside of the head. This is, in all honesty, a much bigger job than even I could have imagined. In a way I have bitten off more than I can chew so in order to manage I have to spit some out, rearrange what's left on the plate and just take smaller mouthfuls.

My one fear is that if I become too overwhelmed this will no longer be fun. It will become a drag, a chore, a weight around my neck. I never want this to stop being a labour of love. I never want it to stop being fun. Things can go wrong, (and they do!), things can break (and they have!), things can be frustrating in the extreme (and they sometimes are!), but at the end of the day I don't regret buying this big, old, crumbling (in parts!), cracked, creaking house.

I suppose what I didn't anticipate was the sheer enormity of just maintaining a house and property this size. Just the basics of housework and chores and yardwork. Dusting and cleaning a small bungalow and an apartment were simple. This is not. Especially with all the debris generated from repairs and renovations. At times I feel like I am living in a war zone and just have to clear away one space and have it neat and tidy, even though I know I'm going to mess it all up again the next day. Sometimes I just need to see a part of the house looking "normal".

One giant leap has been the painting of the hallway. I believe it came out magnificently considering it was my first attempt at painting and the condition of the walls. The old hound was, as always, a great help. (The fact that he has the strength of ten men often comes in handy).The colour I chose (with the help of the old hound  ) is called Pink Cliff by Debbie Travis. It took two coats of heavy duty primer and two coats of paint, but now it looks wonderful. No longer is the entranceway a dark, forboding, grim portal of doom. Now it is a cheerful, bright, welcoming space. It will look spectacular once the floor tiles are put down. (I am waiting for the oil furnace and tank to be installed before I do that). Never having tiled before, I anticipate some challenges, but it will be a good learning experience and a good stretching of my creative muscles.

Speaking of oil furnaces and tanks I finally got off the procrastination train and called Thermoshell. A very nice young man who looked about twelve (lately all young men look about twelve to me!) came and checked out my situation. No real surprises, I do need a new tank and furnace and some work done to the chimney. One kind of funny aside was that when he was inspecting the present furnace I was becoming quite alarmed because I could smell oil. I had never been able to smell oil in the basement before. It was on the tip of my tongue to mention it, but I am so glad that I didn't....I finally worked it out when we came upstairs that the oil smell was coming from HIM! He was saturated in it! Another funny thing was he apologized for not wearing his uniform, but said he had just been out to lunch with his wife - he hadn't even been working today - but the state of his hands were so black and grimey that he left little marks all over the paperwork!! It reminded me of my Uncle Malcom who was a car mechanic. No matter how much my aunt made him wash his hands they were always imbedded with oil. Anyhow, five thousand dollars later I will have a new furnace and tank next Monday. Hopefully my insurance company will be happy now!! It seems like alot, but a more efficient, reliable furnace is something I would be needing down the road anyway. (I did enquire about central air, but at another two thousand or so I'll forgo that luxury this year!!)

When things do get too hot around here this summer I can always head to THE BEACH!

A mere five minute drive and I arrive at Lakeview Park. There is a lovely beach, park area, pier and walking paths.

I went for a walk along the beach the other morning and it was beautiful. Quiet and peaceful and very soothing to feel the sand between your bare toes.

It wasn't very busy on that weekday morning. A few people reading their papers and some kids out with their moms or caregivers, the odd jogger (I always think joggers are odd!)

I am truly blessed to be living so near to such a lovely spot. Maybe now I'll even learn to swim!!

KING OF THE GRILL!

It's official, the old hound is King of the Grill! We had a lovely long weekend of pure BBQ bliss. Turkey/chipotle sausages, catfish, baked potatoes, corn, ribs and fantastic salmon filets. For someone who has never bbq'd before he has taken to it like a fish to water.

The weather was not hot, but at least the rain held off so we could spend some time outside. Tushybaby stopped by Saturday morning for some coffee and conversation which was very nice. Some other visitors who came for a suprise visit were an evening grosbeak:

and a hummingbird attracted by my pear tree blossoms:

(I did not take these pictures, but will start bringing my camera outside when I sit and have my coffee in hopes of capturing some shots.)

The old hound helped me paint the front entrance way (walls and ceiling) with primer. It was our first attempt and I think we did an admirable job. (despite the fact that we seem to be wearing an inordinate amount on various body parts).   The areas we patched with plaster and sanded are almost invisable. I think my technique will improve with practice as it did with the hardwood floors. The walls are plaster, not drywall and very old so there are bound to be imperfections. I believe that adds to the character of the home. There are also alot of deep nicotine stains as the previous owners were very heavy smokers.

It was nice to spend 3 days at "home". Romantic wood fire and soft music in the evenings with an old hound has quite spoiled me! I feel quite refreshed now returning to work, but am impatient to get painting the rest of the place. Even with only the primer on the walls it brightens it up remarkably.

My fridge appears to be on the verge of being on the blink. Water is collecting under the crisper at an alarming rate. I "googled" it on the internet and have found a possible solution. Hopefully this will work and save me some cash. They recommend filling a turkey baster with hot water and shooting it through the defrost area to clear any blockages. They also say a pipe cleaning may work. Appliances are not my strong point, but I will give it a try.

My other option is to just buy a new fridge, stove, dishwasher. (dishwasher isn't filling with water ). It seems like a big expense, but all of the appliances are old and more or less on their last legs. The stove top gets extremely hot and the enamel is wearing away and both it and the fridge are at least 15 years old. That tells me that sooner or later I'll need new ones. The question is - sooner or later?

Tempus Fugit -

My oh my how time flies..........................

It has been one month since I moved into "the manor".  Unbelievable on so many levels!!

I am actually here creating my dream home....and some of it is actually working and falling into place !!

On one hand this year is flying by. It is already May! On the other hand time gets kind of skewed here. It seems as if I have been here forever (in a good way). It feels right, it feels like home.

Looking back on this last month I realized just how much I have accomplished. Very little of it is visible at this point, a new visitor to this home would find it fairly decrepit, but Mulberry Manor and Me know what's been done. I truly believe this house has a soul and a heart. I feel more and more protected and safe here as time goes on.

I haven't set myself any agenda or timeline for any projects because they just wouldn't work. New areas requiring attention keep popping up and I just keep on trying to reset my priorities as situations arise. (and reset and reset..... ).

Nothing has actually gone in the order that I projected prior to moving in. That is okay but I am now going to share a very secret misslill irony filled fact with everyone. After all the stressing and worrying and whining about my oil furnace and tank.......I still haven't called the oil company to have it looked at!!  This was going to be the very first thing to do, on the very day I moved in, top priority level stuff!!I did have a letter saying that the insurance company was going to set up an inspection, but haven't yet heard back - thank goodness!

I haven't been procrastinating (well, maybe a little). My logic was and is that I need to have a clear path to the furnace so I had to unpack first. The irony of it all is that prior to my move this was the number one bane of my life. This oil business was complete anathema to me. Now I feel quite sanguine about the whole thing. If the inspector comes and sees it, he tells me to replace it. What a 180 degree (or is it 360?) turn! I probably took five years off my life worrying about that damn tank and here I am living quite happily with it. I really do have to listen to my own advice more often and start trusting in the universe more!!

Happy Anniversary To Me!!

Being misslill is never easy, .....but often fun! Two very misslill situations happened today, so the universe is unfolding as it should.

Number One: misslill is going to mow her lawn. Independent woman that she is, she needs no help from mere men to do this task. Out comes the mower, she primes the beast, pulls the cord and.......nothing. The cord is tricky and hard to pull so she tries again. Pull, YANK....nothing.   Tries a few choice words along with the pull-yank method....nothing. Tries some really really choice words she learned from her patients at work.....nothing.   Takes a peek in the gas tank.......empty!!  After filling up the tank I did manage to get the damn thing started - it is hard to do - pull-yank sputter sputter and the lawn is now mowed!! This is extremely good exercise and could probably help me to lose ten pounds except that after I finish mowing I'm so hungry I eat enough to gain twenty!!

Number Two: misslill gets the card in the mail to phone in her water meter reading. This is a first for her, but riding the peak of confidence from mowing the lawn she is convinced that this task will be a piece of cake. She heads down to the bowels of the basement. She locates the water meter so nicely labeled by the home inspector so many months ago. She notes the numbers on the card........but wait. There is a problem. It is supposed to have five digits and she is reading eight. Undaunted she calls it in anyway, but feeling a little unsettled decided to call the customer service number provided just to be sure. After a brief embarassing interlude of searching for the one piece of paper with her phone number on it (not yet memorized) the kind lady on the other end of the line is ready, willing and able to help. misslill explains her dilemma. Kind lady reads a number to misslill and asks if this was the water meter reading she received. Astounded by her apparent psychic powers misslill says "why, yes it was". Kind lady asks misslill to go downstairs and approach the water meter. She does this, with some trepidation, not knowing what to expect. Kind lady asks misslill to lift up the lid of the water meter and read the numbers underneath!! misslill had taken a reading of the serial number conveniently located on top of the meter!! Oh well!!  Being the kind lady that she was, the kind lady said misslill was neither the first nor probably the last to do this. She took the reading and all was well.

At least both tales had a happy ending!! Believe it or not they actually let me be in charge of a nursing unit!!

    The patio lights went together without incident and I have taken great care to place them properly. Tushybaby informs me that when her mother installed them their backyard looked like something akin to an airport landing strip! I have myself aimed for a more casual, freestyle ambiance with my solar powered malibu lights and therefore don't expect any lear jets to be dropping in anytime soon.

My backyard patio set is now in place all ready for the long weekend. The old hound and I conquered yet another "assembly required" task and got the table put together on Monday. I shopped around and found a nice tan coloured cast iron umbrella base and put it up today. That makes the wine cabinet, the BBQ, the lawnmower and the table that we have assembled together. Not bad for an old hound mewzisshun and a nurse!

 I am about ready to dip into the primer and start painting. That is exciting! Choosing colours for the walls has been a more daunting and difficult task than I would have thought. All my original choices have flown out the window, but I think I am on the right track now. Some colours are nice, but to sit in a whole room of it would be overwhelming or jarring to the senses.

 Dandelions are running rampant all over my lawn both front and back, but I am working on it!! The apple tree is in blossom and pear tree number one isn't far behind.Lots of mystery plants are popping out of the ground. I can now decide what to put in the front garden as it is all cleared and ready for planting.

As I complete one task there is always another one waiting in the wings for me. It is an ongoing process that never ends, but a labour of love that I do willingly. The end result will make it all worthwhile and I am enjoying the journey along the way.