Sometimes I think I'm out of touch with the world today and I don't like it and then sometimes I do like it. My modem broke and I almost got it repaired myself, but then I had to call in an expert. Now the modem I purchased is slower than the previous one. I downloaded Windows Explorer 8 and now my computer is even slower than before. And when you're on dial up any slower and you're at a standstill. I might need that computer expert back here again.
OK I twitter, but not really, I don't really get the twitter thing. I could spend the time to learn, but I don't have the time. Then there is face book, I signed up for an account but have never really used it and really feel I don't have time for it either. I do like my blog; it helps me organize my thoughts and every one's comments and advice are so helpful. I love talking virtually with potter's around the world. I also like all the blogs I read, I get to stay in touch with all the wonderful people I have met via the blog-a-sphere and keep abreast about what is happening in clay.
There are two big things getting in the way of where I want to be and what I want to do right now. One is my back which affects everything I do. The other is taking care of this property which I know contributes to my back problems. I don't want to do it any more. I want to move somewhere else so I can set up my dream studio. I also want to travel around a bit beforehand and Gary really wants to travel and move somewhere else too. Especially since he's been taking up much of the slack for me due to my back and now he is wearing down.
Over the last few weeks we have been whittling away (think Craig's list) some of our outdoor possessions in preparation for moving. We've been selling items which are too bulky to move like garden benches, plant stands, and various garden accoutrements. I also have seventeen boxes of garden and other books, yes seventeen, collected over the past 30 years that I need to deal with. I have the titles of three boxes typed up, just 14 more to go. I don't read them any longer and everything about plants is in my head anyway. If not I can always research it on the net. I would donate them, but I could actually use the money. Even at $3 dollars a book and lets say there are 12 books in each box, that's $612, nothing to scoff at. Think of all the mason stain colors I could purchase and I'd still have some money left over to pay a few bills. All this selling takes up quite a bit of time too, so I haven't gotten around to getting the PVC for my light box yet, which I'd much rather be doing.
We also (really Gary) took out five flower beds and one lavender section and we plan to take out another lavender section which will greatly reduce what I have to take care of. I already notice a difference in the workload. This comes just in the nick of time since this week is supposed to be triple digits all week long. Ugh!
Do you notice a recurring theme to this post? It all keeps coming back to clay for me. I just wanna make clay. Sing, "I just wanna make clay" to the song "Girls just wanna have fun". Truth is, that's what's fun for me. So often I have a one track mind and the other things in life seem like an unwelcome distraction. Thanks for being there and for listening, feel free to comment. Oh, I do have some clay related posts coming up, I promise.
Awe I feel your Pain G. Sounds like you are making the right moves though and selling,making some monies, and than saving for Clay has to be in the future. Your place is beautiful and I hope it sells soon, being in that LIMBO state of goning nowhere fast is the worst! Plus not being able to set up shop....it will happen soon enough though! Your pictures are amazing.
ReplyDeletesome lucky, young, couple needs to come along and fall in love with your place.
ReplyDeleteI know hwo you feel- I use to raise animals- no more- i use to have a very large veggie garden- no more.
I am more careful with my time.
I love the pictures! The bike is great!
No twitter, no facebook for me, cuts in to my time to make pots, walk, spend time with Wesley, go have a great meal, etc etc. I like to blog because I learn a lot, although I think the time I spend reading blogs is time I used to spend reading books, so that's a trade off. I don't care to talk to people from my high school, didn't like them then, don't want to facebook them. I don't have time to stop during the day to tell everyone what I'm doing, and I don't have time to read what everyone else is doing, twitter is so odd to me! I have one tiny little garden space just to get my growing fix, I don't know how you have done it with that huge space, it is really beautiful though. Gerry and I were talking about moving to Amsterdam this morning before I read your blog. We have 10 more years before he retires and then we are heading for somewhere else. Keep us posted. Just think my mom is 78 and she just got married and moved from the house she has lived in for 50 years. Watch your back while packing and moving, that's the worst part of going somewhere else!
ReplyDeleteBuongiorno Linda, I understand your relationship with the blog, is the same for me, I had to overcome my limit with the English language, now I do not mind making more spelling or grammatical errors, because I think it is more important than the real communication and I am glad if someone corrects me. My dream now is to have more time for to work the clay and find a garden where to build a wood pottery kiln.A real dream for now ...
ReplyDeleteOne word.....GEMINI
ReplyDeleteIf you want, send me your date and time and place of birth I might be able to give you a bigger picture on this. E mail on my web site.
From another Gemini...ohhh I just know where you are, it's So......
Hi Mary, I think you are right, it is the limbo state that has me frazzled right now. I am the type that wants what I want right now. He he. We have been doing some positive moves and that does feel better. thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, thanks, things do change and so do priorities don't they. We did have one offer and we countered and they were supposed to come back with another counter, but never have - frustrating. The bench is gone, but still have the bike - so far. I'm just an impatient person I guess.
Hi Tracey, thanks so much I don't know how I have done it either - I guess you reach a certain age and you want to prioritize your time. I admire you for spending so much time with Wesley, that is so wonderful - too many folks nowadays don't do that and it really is the most important thing. You and Gerry sound like us dreaming of living somewhere else - Amsterdam I'll have to check that one out too. He he - at least the internet has info about other places can dream about for now. We've thought of Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, Tennessee, and so many more places. Some place with a natural landscape. We have moved at least four times and took about a year off each time to travel around. I think the travel bug is biting hard again this time. Hopefully it will be soon.
Hi Filippo, thanks, you are so right about the communicating being the most important part in the blogs. It is so refreshing to read your blog. I see you struggle with your English, but it is wonderful that you have given of yourself and I am so happy to have met you through your blog. Your personality comes through so clearly and it is a pleasure to read about your adventures in life and clay in Italy. A wood kiln would definitely be a dream. Have you read Peter's Pottery blog? He is talking about his wood kilns in New Zealand. Here is his link.
http://opopots.blogspot.com/
Keep dreaming Filippo, dreams do come true.
Hi Kitty, thanks, you definitely hit it on the nose, I will send you an email. Not only a one track mind for me, but also a split personality - he he.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteGreat to read your post. Of course, life is not all clay, so I like the break from the clay posts at times.
Gosh... we have so many opportunities and choices here. I'm more and more mindful of not being able to do it all, or do all that I even want to do! So many choices; so little time.
I work well with lists. When life gets too busy or overwhelming, making lists and spending time in silence helps me to get centered and figure out how to prioritize things. Not easy, though. Peace~
Hi Amy, thanks yes lists would definitely help me out, I have a few in my head but I need some more written down. I have a lot of silence where I am, so no problem there.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
ReplyDeleteMaybe being kicked out of the garden of Eden wasn't so hard on Adam and Eve! Gardens can be an enormous pain as well as a pleasure, (so can aging Post Office buildings some times). We just had an earthquake a few minutes ago. It was a long rolling one that went on and on. Not enough to wobble things off shelves or do any damage, thank goodness, but a bit of a fright for Laura when she awoke from a little sleep after our evening meal to find the room not standing as still as it should! Makes you think a bit though when these things happen! Books are amazing multipliers aren't they! Every time your back is turned, there seem to be more of them in the house! Both Laura and I love them of course, and she is almost never without one or two on the go. A shame we don't live down the road, Laura's garden book buying instincts were twitching at the thought of all those gardening books!
Best Wishes to you. P.
Hi Peter, I was just thinking of you and Laura as I had just read about the quake there. That was quite a large one. I was in the earthquake in Southern California that toppled the freeway and lowered the Veterens hospital. I remember thinking it was the end of the world as it was at 6 AM and I was woke from a deep sleep - that one too lasted quite some time and I could feel the earth rolling and rolling. These quakes do make you take stock of things don't they. I kind of think of the garden of eden as a garden that somehow took care of itself, but maybe that was not so. Yes books are addicting and do seem to multiply. I must confess I am slowly starting to collect a few about clay, but probably only have one box full of those which I will keep. Well I better head out for my morning duties as we are expecting triple digits again today. Hope your old post office didn't get any damage from the quake.
ReplyDeleteI've been visiting here on the Olympic Peninsula and have had romantic thoughts of us packing up, moving and owning a farm, growing all kinds of stuff, raising all kinds of great little goats and giant horses...then I slap myself because every time I drive by one of these magnificent farms the people have their heads down and are WORKING their tales off! Beautiful but A LOT OF WORK.
ReplyDelete*tails not tales! HA -too much sunshine :o)
ReplyDeleteYour post feels very similar to my last one - though quite the opposite at the same time. I'm moving away from clay - you're moving closer. Same philosophy though. ;) I hear you loud and clear.
ReplyDeleteYour property is gorgeous - yet I know it must take quite a bit of labor to maintain over the course of a year. It's not worth it, if you have physical issues. Take care of your body - it's the only one you have!
I've been considering going quite minimal in every part of my life including possessions - but it's hard. My thinking is that if owned less stuff, I would have more time to do the things that I enjoy and wouldn't be quite as distracted. I don't know if that's true or not, but it's a thought.
I twitter and facebook, but not like I used to. It's just there right now. I feel like twitter is just a bunch of people talking at each other, but no one is listening - facebook is a great place to organize a class reunion. My blog is where I find the most interesting dialog.
My mother's house finally sold after 2 years on the market - she breathed quite the sigh of relief since she had already moved into a different home that was much easier for her to maintain. In this economy, it takes just one person - albeit the right one.
Have you considered selling your library on Amazon? I purchase a ton of used books on the site and am happy to save considerable amounts of money off the cost of a new book.
PS - On the stuff front - a lot of it is hard to part with because it's often tied up with memories. When I visited with my step-mother in Germany last month, she gave me a bunch of my dad's stuff (he died when I was 16) and I didn't want to look at it, because I knew I'd have more stuff that I hadn't missed, yet can't give away now. I did end up bringing it home though. What to do with it?
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy, yes we are working our tales and our tails off - remember my post about - we know you are rich - that's why they thought that because every time they drove by they saw me outside with my straw hat on. Keep slapping yourself, you're doing the right thing.
ReplyDeleteHi Cynthia, yes we often seem to be on parallel planes. I finally realized I must minimize my work load here, that's why I finally let Gary take out all the flower beds and now that it's done I feel much better - it was just so very hard to make the decision to do it.
ReplyDeleteWe too have been thinking of going very minimal. We used to have all antique furniture and now we have more modern and spare decor. I recently bought the Atomic Ranch magazine Gary and he just loves it. We would love to have a house like that and furnished the same, very minimal with simple lines. I had a friend who once lived in an Eichler home with a center courtyard and I just loved that house.
I have very few things from the past since we moved so much, things were just left behind or given to relatives. Photos are the most important and memories. Over the last five years I have gotten rid of so much stuff I can't believe it, and we are still pairing down. I will contact Amazon and see how that works, thanks so much. I also thought just today to contact some local garden clubs and see if I might send them a list of the books I have and perhaps someone might have an interest. Books are so expensive it would be worth it for someone to buy mine rather than purchasing a new one especially with the state of the economy. I live so far out few people want to drive here so selling is slow, another drawback to living in the country. So glad you mom sold her house, where does your mom live? California market is always the last to recover in a recession.
I find I go in tangents with the clay - when I am on - I am really on - when I am off - really off. I am really conflicted right now I have so many really good ideas and no time to do them. I just know I would be so much farther along in my progress if I wasn't taking care of all this - I try to go with the flow, but that is so difficult for me since I am so task oriented and driven in my goals.
Remember when houses used to have those big attics and people would store stuff in old cedar chests and every so often they would go up and look at them - maybe that just happens in the movies. Seems most homes don't have enough closet space, but maybe that's a good thing. Every once in while I give something away I later regret, but not too often. Family mememtos should probably be kept and some things need to be kept to pass down to your children and grandchildren too.