monday

This morning I got the first solid estimate from a carpenter willing to pick up the porch project in December.

It was...a lot.

After he left, I sort of reeled into the house.

At first I thought a little lie-down would be required, but then decided food might be enough. To bolster my strength, you know.

Not the pint of ice cream I probably would have eaten from the carton with a spoon if I was a weaker person.

Or if I happened to have a pint of ice cream. Which I didn't. Darn it.

No, all very healthy: two organic eggs (collected this morning, thank you hens!) gently fried in organic butter until barely set, then a dollop of leftover organic, steamed, winter squash (from my garden) added along with salt and pepper, and finally, the last slice of some respectably aged provolone.

Yes, food was enough. My left eyelid stopped twitching. There's one more carpenter I need an estimate from. Soon.

~~~

Weekend highlight:

Tsuga had a visitor on Saturday.

His name is Simon:

It was a short but enthusiastic social call.

Simon may be back in a few weeks

if Tsuga indicates that a second meeting would be helpful.

Meanwhile, optimism prevails.

Optimism and carrot pennies all around!

But especially carrot pennies for Tsuga.

~~~

It was raining earlier, and I had no excuse to further neglect routine indoor tasks. Is it strange that I'm feeling genuine satisfaction at being caught up on laundry? I suppose sometimes all it takes is the sense that one is In Control of Something. Or...maybe sometimes that's all it takes for me?

Now the rain has stopped.

A bright breeze is blowing, and the sky is showing pale bits of blue. 

In about 15 minutes, it will be dark.

Quick! Let's enjoy the blue!

And later tonight, after chores and giving Piper her supper,

and calling the other carpenter to nudge him toward a solid estimate,

and after topping off the woodbox and stoking the stove,

I will do a little bit of this:

Because, you know.

In Control.

~~~~~