Sunday in our Village PWYC

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Last day here. Sigh....

Very, very, thick mist on the water this morning and it lasted quite a while. Around 9 I heard a slow moving boat and could hear two men talking (and swearing!) clearly. They were lost. I listened for a long time, then finally made them out, barely, through the mist. They spotted the docks and cottages and realized they were no-where near where they thought they were. And that they were going in circles (there are a couple of floats marking rocks and they kept seeing them over and over.) Finally I went down to the deck at the lodge (since it goes out into the water, unlike my deck which just overlooks the water) to call out to them to tell them to pull out their cell phone to see where they were. But they were getting further away at that point so I waited to see if they would circle back. They didn't.

This afternoon I visited with the former owner and she had heard them too (she got in at 1 a.m. last night). I said I thought about calling to them but didn't. She said if they were so stupid as to go out in that mist and not hug the shore the whole way, they were beyond help and deserved whatever trouble they got themselves into! To be honest, I felt that way too and that's why I took so long to decide whether to call out to them or not.

In the late morning I headed over to the park and went for a quick hike on an easy 3/4 mile trail and then picked up the overpriced toys for dgs. Then I stopped in town for a longer walk and discovered they have a wonderful beach about a mile from the main road with a dock, a swim platform, sandy beach, beach chairs, picnic tables, and washrooms. I sent a picture to dd.

In total I got an hour of walking in so can strike that off my to-do list for the day.

I had a wonderful visit with the former owner and we talked about her plans to go to Ireland for 6 months next year. This 'resort' has 6 cottages and 2 permanent homes on it but the land was split between her and her ex-husband. He owns his home, the boat launch and swimming spot, his dock, 2 of the cottages, 'my' little one-room one and the 4 bedroom winterized one next door with its own dock. She owns the lodge, parking lot, and four cottages (two winterized) plus her home (which used to be a cottage but she converted it) and her former house is the 'cottage' (really a proper house) that dd uses each year. She also owns the point with a sandy beach, screened in gazebo, and fire pit. (Her former and current homes also have fire pits and there's a gas fire pit at the lodge.) Her home has a dock and a place to pull in a kayak or canoe. Swimming off the dock, or wading in from there is easy.

For years (maybe decades), she has handled all the resort rentals. Then, after last season, which followed the sudden death of her second husband in Dec. 2021, she decided to split the property and lease out two of the cottages for six months of the year, and only rent, quietly, the other two to her previous guests. The two of them decided to continue operating Since I had two cottages booked, one belonging to each of them, this has been a complicated year. But it worked out (just cost me more than I bargained for.)

Now, she wants to be away from May - November and is offering me to lease her home for that time. I'm seriously considering it. It will cost me ~4x as much as I paid for the 2 weeks I've been up here this year (along with paying for dd's cottage) but I'll have it for 6 months and be able to come and go as I please without having to plan ahead. I could have my sister up for a few days or dd's godparents, be here with dh or just get away on my own.

It is winterized, heated by wood stove, a 2 bedroom with modern kitchen, new windows in the porch (they nest into themselves so can be open so it is a porch, or closed so it is a watertight room.) It is at the end of the driveway so no cars going by. And because it is her home, it has internet that works all the time. I forgot to check my cell phone signal there (it wasn't good 5 years ago when I rented it before she converted it to her home) but there is also a landline phone. The views are as good as here.

It will be a bit crowded to have dd's family up with me but it will work. I can pitch a tent there if I wanted or set my cot bunk-beds up on the porch so that every one has their own room. I could also bring the grands up on their own. Ds's family could come because dogs are allowed on this part of the property (this is new and not allowed for the short-stay rental part of the property under the husband's control.)

So many intriguing possibilities. I could probably rent something closer for about the same amount of money or less if it didn't require me taking it for all six months. But this is a known. I know how noisy the lake is (pretty good), I know how there's no traffic (too far from the highway) or air traffic noise (I see con-trails but the flights are too high to be heard.)

So, that's what I'm thinking about as I sit here on my porch, looking at the sun reflecting off the water (and blinding me as I type!)

[Nancy]

K in C thanks for sharing. Glad this is a positive experience for you.
Glad to know I am not the only one who enjoys down time with out others around.
Some people just do not get it.
So happy today to have time for that yea!

[lucylee]

HELLO to EVERYONE!!!
I am so shocked to have the computer during "normal" hours!!!
This last week or so has been so crazy, and dh has been on the computer (it seems) almost EVERY time I have a minute that I want to use it. We really should have a second computer. He is so addicted to his solitaire/free cell games and things, and he spends a lot of time clearing out junk emails (which I do appreciate, actually).
Anyway...
it has NOT been a normal Sunday here and I, for one, am very thankful!

Started off as usual -- except for the big surprise that dgs was totally dressed, teeth brushed, etc, when I went to wake him up. I went in his bedroom and NO DGS! I started looking for him, and heard him giggling in the den. He was sitting in the recliner in the dark, playing on his phone, and was very pleased with himself.
DDIL and DS did not go to church, so after his piano lesson, dgs & dgd ate with us as usual, but then as soon as they started fussing with each other, I said, "Look, we don't have anything else to do today -- I went to Wmart yesterday so I can't separate y'all by taking dgd there with me -- and y'all are eating supper with your other grandparents, I don't feel good anyway, so let's just take y'all home." Surprisingly, they were okay with that, and I took them home, came back and napped all afternoon.
(I am having some stomach issues. Nothing serious, just spending too much time in the bathroom and feeling kinda washed out.)

Nice surprise at church, we had visitors, a woman and her son who is in dgs' class. After church, he asked dh where dgs went and looked him up to talk to him. These people have moved here from about three hours away, and seem to be looking for a church home -- she said her son had been an acolyte at their old church so maybe he could do that here. (DGS was an acolyte today.) We need more children in our church, and especially boys! DGS has been outnumbered by the girls for a while! I introduced the mom to dgs' Sunday School teacher and left her talking to our pastor.

DH and I went out to Sonic for supper, and when we got home I finished s/s the kitchen, as much as it's going to get anyway. At least all the dirty dishes are washed and put away.
I took my allergy shots, I've taken the garbage to the road, dried dh's shower, and I think I'm going to chill out for awhile. We aren't usually home this early on Sunday nights.

RE: the state of my kitchen/etc.
I just had a sort of light-bulb moment this morning. My daily Bible reading had the verse, "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3)
It suddenly occurred to me that, even though it seems (to me) that my standards are pretty low perhaps I am not really focusing on the WORKS the Lord has for me each day. Perhaps it is not important to the Lord at all if I dust baseboards and tops of windows or mop the kitchen or vacuum the furniture... perhaps it is more important to the Lord that I spend time with dh, keep our home relaxed and happy for him (and myself, of course) and just do whatever fits in when it is best.
I really put a lot of pressure on myself that I SHOULD keep up with all the zones and WHB tasks and paperwork goals I have for myself, and I am prone to thinking EVERYONE ELSE is just keeping up with their cards like little robots or something. * I know that life gets in the way for all of you too, and I know that you are not operating like robots, but I sort of fool myself into thinking I am the only one who can't do it all.
Then I get down on myself and depressed because I "ought to do this" or "should be doing that," and instead, I took a nap or read a book or something like that.
I am really trying to "give myself credit" for the extras... the time with dgrands and the time with my dmom... but I still want to be PERFECT, you know?
SOOO... this week, I have a new goal -- to ask God each morning, "What do YOU want me to do today?" and let that guide my priorities.

Side note... I've been in kinda a blue funk all weekend anyway. I need to get out of my head and focus on higher things anyway. I'll put that in J&C.

I'm also thanking God for the many many blessings, and the knowledge that the life I have IS the best thing for me. But as I've told y'all many times before, my mind is a waste of a terrible thing.

But overall, I'm fine and I hope I can have lots of good things to share this week! I hope you all have a great week!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Lucylee: I hope you tummy troubles clear up. My pains went away when I added fiber. I'm glad I listened to my doctor.

I've done almost nothing but daydream the rest of the day away. I also cooked a dinner for myself, washed up the day's dishes, and starting packing. At dusk I set the car's charging to what I'll need for tomorrow and then took over a folding chair and my jackets to save a load tomorrow (the car's not parked next to the cabin but next to a light post with an electrical outlet to plug into.) As I went to get ready to walk back I heard a fox coughing up something or sneezing. He was just 20' away from me. He was doing that on Friday night too but much further from me (and I was safely on the porch) so I recognized the noise right away. I hate how they tend to sneak up on me. If I'm going to be here more often I either have to stop worrying about them (I don't trust them because they are wild) or they have to get used to me and stop sneaking up on me.

I'll finish first pass on packing up (food is almost done with only the fridge left to pack) and then head to bed. Only finished one of the 6 projects I brought with me. Plus a magazine.

Tomorrow I'll probably not post at all unless I get bored at my sister's.

[Harriet]

An urgent rush out to grocery this morning because we were both disgusted by having purchased the wrong kitty litter and HAD to have a replacement. It was an awful smell (we always get unscented). Even though we were on the other side of the house, I sneezed through the night and also had a runny nose. HRH had red eyes and I can't allow that. We had to set the box out of the house, leaving Tobias appalled without a bathroom (not that he was going anywhere near that smell) except for paper towels in another box. When I got back to him about 8:00 a.m., changing all over to his normal surroundings, he was so relieved. He watched and waited until I was finished, watched until I went around the corner, and immediately employed the facilities.

It was really a big deal, though - what a terrible night's sleep. It permeated the air. I shall leave a bad review for "Purina Powerful Odor Control". Yuck.

On the way out, saw my dboycousin and sweet hound dog Midnight out for a walk. They were in cheerful moods. Midnight sort of talks, mimicking your tenor and lilt as you speak, very softly. What a charmer. He makes a lot of sense.

Prayer meeting last night was so nice, went overlong. Did not get to enjoy the sermon this morning, though. And I actually had two I wanted to hear. Oh well, I'll get to them.

The young man came by and visited, bringing us takeout.