life in the old lane

We got new windows a couple of years ago. The exterior ledges are narrower. And not as crow-friendly as before. Nice to have a visitor. 

Made Neko out of a 12inch square of truly inferior paper today. Hoping that “better” paper is coming from France. It is supposed to arrive in 2 to 16 weeks.  That narrows it down a lot. 

9.Jun.22 – I was fairly sure this would be my “last” cheese course at the time. Some things you just know. 

Most through the photos from 2022. Had more than a few fine adventures.

So. What from 2022 deserves a do-over? I really liked the 11-day ferry boat trip in Norway in the winter. London in early summer with all the flower show stuff was fantastic. Paris. What’s not to love about Paris? The barge trip from Dijon. I have never had such great food meal after meal after meal. Strasbourg and Freiburg were both fascinating little towns.

But, do any of those adventures need to be done again? Maybe the barge. The elderly Swiss guy who made it a point to be sure I had someone to speak to at dinner went on those barges with some regularity. Of course, he was a 2 or 3 hour train ride away. 

Think I might almost “mastered” Jo Nakashima’s Neko.  Well, “mastered” is too strong. Maybe I have “journeymanned” it. Still trying to find the ideal paper. It’s easy to blame the paper for poor results.

Today was origami, working on the photographs from 2022, and wine tasting.

Our people don’t spit the wine out. 

Last week I took those heels to the Goodwill. I decided that it really wasn’t safe for me to wear them. Because all old people know that falls kill. And, I am pretty sure that this is the last time I wore those shoes. Looking at my feet, I realize that the “last” time should have been earlier. 

The cat is getting better.  I might get it this time. 

The Twilight Zone

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The Last Time. I hate to think about “last” times. At somewhere between 80 and dead, last times come entirely too fast. 

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This afternoon, while messing with 2022 photos, I found a “last” time.  In the winter of 2023, I didn’t swim out very far from the shore. In late 2022, I didn’t realize  I was going out that far for the last time. And it’s better that way. Things sorta slide into “I don’t do that anymore”. As opposed to “I can’t do that anymore”.  

 

A very nice unseasonably warm day. I’ll take unseasonably warm in February any time. 

I have been trying to master this cat for years. This is about as close as I have ever gotten. Working at this cat is this week’s origami project. 

Another one of this week’s projects is to continue plowing through the 2022 photos. Today is day 9 NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. And, I found this image from June 2022.

Taking advantage of the warm sunny weather I cleaned out the garden box.

Ordered the replacement plants today.  The Asylum has a generous supply of planter soil. Someday before the plants arrive I’ll add some fresh soil to the box and turn the soil as best as possible. 

I am enjoying a scary period of tranquility. Nothing nagging at me to “get done”. No obligations. No responsibilities. I think I have finally settled into old age. And it’s about time. 

(What’s scary about tranquility? I am sure the wheels are going to fall off any day now.)

Some years ago, the staff at “my hotel” in Kona gave me these sterling silver frog earrings for Christmas. Last summer I donated them to The Asylum Jewelry Sale.  One of my friends, not knowing they were mine, bought them and gifted them to a male friend. He does not wear earrings. But he loves frogs and arranges flowers. Every week his arrangement includes a frog. This week, “my” earrings appeared. 

Day 8 of NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. I did watch an origami YouTube video. 

 

Nothing much happening. Figures there are things that I can be doing. But, nothing has to be done at this instant. So, I am enjoying a “rest” day.

Of course this brings to mind Lincoln’s famous telegram to General McCellan.  

I have just read your dispatch about sore tongued and fatiegued [sic] horses. Will you pardon me for asking what the horses of your army have done since the battle of Antietem that fatigue anything? Jun 28, 2013

Nevertheless, I am having a rest day.

My garden box deserves a makeover. There is a huge rosemary plant. I must figure out how to cut it way back. The rosemary belonged to a former resident. I’d like to keep it. And there is a sage plant growing between the slats. It came with the box. I would like to keep it too. The rest can become compost. 

While on a “garden” tour of England a couple of years ago I discovered a strangely interesting perennial. 

I wouldn’t normally consider planting something I saw in a pampered English garden.  But I discovered it again in a hot city park in Paris. Conditions in a Paris city park are more like conditions in my garden. This thing and the rosemary plant can duke it out for supremacy in Box #4.

Still reviewing photos from 2022. Mostly I am reliving the trips that I took in 2022. And thinking about the trips I might take in 2024.

It’s tempting to have a “do-over” trip. But, there are still new places to go and adventures to be had.  North Pole?

Day 6 of NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. 

This is my biggest orchid. I think it is a bigger variety. Everything about it is bigger. Glad that it took my Bloom or Compost threat to heart and produced a large flower stalk this winter. At this instant, 5 out of 6 orchids are blooming. 

Day 5 of NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. I had a little slip off into doom-scrolling this morning but I think I got myself back on the path.

I did get my tax stuff off to the tax boy for final processing. And I cut my hair. Also folded an origami model for the provider of outstanding occasional cookies. And I made it 1/6 of the way through the photos from 2022.  Made it out for a brisk walk and may even watch a meeting that I didn’t go to on YouTube. Watching that meeting will not count as a slip. It will be penitence for this morning’s doom scroll. 

On a clear, cold, dry morning I can see at least 10 buildings puffing what I hope is steam into the air. It was great to see the sun this morning. It has swung far enough north to come into The Old Bat’s Cave for a bit every morning. 

Even the orchids enjoy the sun.

Four orchids are blooming at this instant. One is a day or two away and the other has maybe a month until it blooms. 

Today’s notable event was taking a load of stuff to Goodwill and buying a stack of kid books for our “Little Library”.  A $1 bus ride got that all done in 90 minutes. Plus I got my daily steps and aerobics in. 

Gratitude

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Grateful for buses. And most grateful that I am still fit enough to ride.

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Day 4 of NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. So far it’s working for me.  

When I was staggering back to the GoodShip Vision of the Seas in Charleston I  discovered this sign. Of course, it intrigued me. Since at that instant,  I was old and not very comfortable.

Another sign. Is this an ancient old folks’ asylum? I take these photos to remind me to do some research when I have time and WiFi.

It’s Day 3 of NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. So there is time to research the William Enston Home. 

The US Park Service has a nice little article about The Home. It is now Section 8 housing.  For many years it was a benevolent home for the city’s aged and infirm residents which would “make old age comfortable.”

Mr Enston’s will stipulated that potential residents be old and sick, from 45 to 75 years old, of “good honest character,” and not suffering from “lunacy.” That would leave me out on numerous accounts. 

• • NPS William Enston Home
  • Library of Congress Drawings from Survey HABS SC-686

I wish I had taken better pictures. But, I had walked over 6 miles and I was still a couple of miles from the boat and I just wanted to be back on the boat. 

Day 2 of NO online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games until after dinner. And before breakfast, I had done serious decluttering in my sox drawer and undies drawer. I bagged up some “stuff” to take to Goodwill while I waited for lunch soup to heat. I am still amazed at how much time I was frittering away. And, I don’t have that much time left to fritter.

And now for a little Asylum humor.

Actually, management likes us better dead than alive. We don’t complain anymore and they get to “resell” our apartment. This place is a ponzi scheme.

What else did I do? Some correspondence, messed with photos from 2022, did a little yoga, went for a walk. Folded some paper. Read. Napped. Nothing very substantial.

I may have to return to Norway just for the avocado toast.

I have 6,000+ photos from 2022. I am taking one last lap through them before moving them off the computer onto the Photo Storage External Drive.  Usually, I delete a bunch before making the transfer. 

The Twilight Zone

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I understand that nobody except me cares about my photos. Long ago I got rid of my prints and negatives. But, I  continue to be a hoarder of digital images.  After I die or forget how to turn on a computer, just trash them. I am not Ansel Adams or Henri Cartier-Bresson. Not even close.

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Surprise! If I don’t use my computer, iPad, or phone for online shopping, doom scrolling, social media, YouTube, or games, I have a whole lot more time in my day. Can you imagine that? Who knew how much time I was frittering away? Today I watered the orchids, finished getting the tax stuff ready to go to the tax guy, did laundry, went for a walk, took a nap, cleaned a bunch of junk off of my computer, and started processing the 2022 photos. Read the weekend WSJ. Also found time for a leisurely breakfast with friends. My inbox is empty. Let us see if I can keep this up. 30 days. One day at a time.