Saturday, February 16, 2013

A Lazy Week

The past week passed slowly. We have found a rhythm to our days which is reassuring when you feel stressed - you  know what to expect. We tend to wake early as the sun rises just after 6 am. Tea in bed is followed by showers, then breakfast al fresco on our patio. Once coffee is finished, Chris cleans up the breakfast dishes, while I make the bed and prepare my "face" for the day. He putters inside and out as I check email and for business orders online, then work a little on the next book. The rest of the day passes with visits to town, shopping, chatting with friends over beer, knitting (me), soccer (Chris), and various tasks around the house. Dinner is often also on the patio. We are grateful we added that to the design. It is a lazy, delightful life, with sunshine most of the time, gentle breezes, the smell of salt air, and a feeling of well-being. Great to be retired!

That was the good side. On the other hand, those dust clouds from the road as cars pass by can be irritating. Thank goodness there is very little traffic or we'd choke! Chris spent many hours this past week cleaning the windows in and out. Our neighbours were joking about how they would like to hire him! I dusted, wiped and washed everything...it'll all need doing again in a few days. Sigh!

Chris Skyped with daughter Fi early in the week. What a marvellous invention! The video isn't always the best, and as we don't have a Mac or ipad, cannot use Facetime. I am asking for an ipad for my birthday. I have a Blackberry Facebook, but no Skype available there, so it is limited. I also have a magicJack phone setup which I cannot use yet as my laptop has insufficient USB ports with room for me to plug it in! Time for a new laptop?

At the end of the week, Matt returned with plans for our front garden. We spent a pleasant few hours over coffee discussing various options, and gleaning as much as we could from his fantastic knowledge. We have decided to start on the front area...next week we see the beginning, and the rest will need to wait for "rainy season" (around June) for planting. We have agreed to a simple plan with palm trees, grass, deep foundation beds with Tejas cover, and a small variety of flowering plants.

Later on Friday, a fellow from the cabinet maker appeared to complete the kitchen. He did the unfinished drawer, finished the kickplates, "unsticked" my bathroom drawer, and started on those drawer handles. OOPS! the drilled holes did not match the handles.  Wouldn't you know?  I spoke on my cell to the planner of all this who passed the blame to our building crew, then agreed to send me photos of some different handles which he would deliver at the end of the month along with our bedroom closets (still not drawn or made!). Huge sigh! Chris has ingeniously made little string handles which look quaint and almost like they fit! Just two more weeks of the string...

Thursday evening I managed to break something. I was locking the French doors in the Great Room, and pulling on one which needs a little effort to shut properly. Suddenly, I was flying backwards, colliding with the glass top side table, and smashing to the floor. The handle came off in my hand! Glass was everywhere, while I sat stunned in the midst of this. Chris was nearby watching the start of Jeopardy, and rushed over to see if I was cut, and to help me up. Indeed, blood was on my arms and hands from surprisingly small cuts. Several bandaids later, we cleaned up (me and the table). That glass table came a long way to get broken here. Now we have two items that require glass cut - any glaziers in Panama?

Cagney is quiet, maybe pining for his pal? He doesn't play much, stays around us a bit more, or sleeps in his usually unusual places. I understand animals can grieve also, so how do you really know? Matt is going to help us find a new kitty for Cagney and us. We will always miss our Bogey, but as we adjust to not having him on the bed or our laps, or seeing his dear little face at the window while we are outside, we still have good memories. A special plant will be placed over his small grave.


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