MISCELLANEA

         

              I don’t know how many of you have kept count or noticed when I went over 300 posts. Today’s post is 315 which means I only have 51 to go before I meet my goal of making some kind of a post every single day of 2020. Of course, when I set that goal on January 1, 2020, I had no idea all our lives would change so dramatically. I thought I’d be out and about and making lots of interesting posts about wherever I was or whatever I was doing.

Still, this goal led me to actually begin and finish writing a book. Nothing like the original book I wrote in the mid ‘90s and revised in the early 2000s, but still, it’s a lot of words that I somehow spewed out through my fingers and created another individual who also had a goal and desires and a pandemic-free world in which she could travel about, meet new people, have new experiences, etc. I’m proud of the fact I managed to write a chapter a day, sometimes two, and get them posted for you, the reader’s, enjoyment. Of course, to be perfectly honest here, I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of it as well.

I also have to admit I could not have accomplished this alone. I have friends who told me stories, shared their experiences, shared their ideas and supported my efforts even when I was rather aghast at what I’d written.

In particular, I want to thank Ernie Rose. I think he was the only male person who read SHE, or at least he was the only male’s name I saw that liked or commented on a particular day’s chapter. Not only that, but he initiated almost daily phone calls to critique and edit SHE. Ernie is a great writer himself and you'd know that if you read his posts on Facebook. Those posts are nonfiction about his zoo and climbing experiences. More than one person has suggested he compile them into a book of essays. Anyway, I had a lot of fun talking to Ernie and hearing what he had to say and then thinking about his suggestions for upcoming chapters. I believe Ernie could write fiction just as well as he does his nonfiction…maybe a novel entitled HE would be a good start…what do you think Ernie???...I’d be happy to critique and edit your chapters for you as you did mine???

Anyway, I’ve begun a new book and have written the first chapter, but there’s a lot I don’t know about this particular topic so I need to do a bit of research. I’m hoping I can think of a title and begin posting sometime this coming week. It would be quite an accomplishment were I to end 2020 with two completed first draft books under my fingers.

At least writing kept me from whining about my life, the pandemic and the election. Finally, regardless of what trump thinks he can do in court, we’re going to get a new President who will put the welfare of us all ahead of his interests or the interests of his rich friends. I sincerely hope that come January 21, 2021; tRump is hauled away in handcuffs. In fact, were they to haul him away from President Biden’s swearing-in in handcuffs, I’d perform one hell of a happy dance and shout HALLEULIA.

As for the pandemic, it’s only getting worse and about all we can do, those of us who want to survive and believe the scientists, is wear a face mask, limit close contact, wash our hands…a lot…and continue to limit our exposure to other folks as best we can. Hopefully, at some point in 2021, there will be a vaccine for COVID-19; and also hopefully, the world has learned a valuable and extremely important lesson from COVID-19, so that when COVID-?? shows up, and science says it will, the world and its leaders will have learned from this experience and step up immediately and save us from another year like 2020. We really must live in HOPE.

Then, there’s my life. Nothing much has changed although I made a lot of progress in eliminating stuff thanks to the assistance of my boys and granddaughter. John’s bed is completely clear of stuff so I could have overnight visitors when and if that ever becomes a viable option. His closet is another story, but I figure over the winter I’ll take out one box at a time and deal with whatever’s inside.

The garage is also cleaned out, at least enough for me to park my car in there for the first time in 51.5 years. There’s still stuff that needs to go, but I’m thinking about an estate sale in the spring and perhaps those last big things can be eliminated then.

I’ve also had a real estate agent out for a walk through and discussion. I’ve asked my boys for their opinion with regard to my selling and moving. At this point, the only decision I’ve made is that I won’t be buying property and building…getting permits alone could make me a really old woman (and I am one already) before the first nail was driven.

So, I’m going to lay out my thoughts here and hopefully some of you may be willing to chime in with your thoughts, positive or negative.

If I stay in this house:

1.     Get bids from a few foundation repair companies and see if it would be worth it to get the house level again.

2.    Get bids for window replacements, i.e., two skylights and three other windows have broken seals.

3.    Get PSE to come out and do a free heat evaluation and see what needs to be done, if anything, to make the house warmer.

4.    By staying here, I’m close to my older son and his family. As his wife pointed out, if I need them, they are only five miles away and could come at almost any time if I needed them. That won’t be possible were I to move to Mt. Vernon. Of course, if I moved to Snohomish, then Thor would be close if I needed help.

5.    I say the house is too big and too difficult for me to keep up. Were I to hire a landscape company to do the hard work in the spring and the fall, then I could just do the fun stuff. Right now, I have a company that comes to mow and take care of all the leaves. And, maybe a cleaning company once a month for inside.

If I decide to sell and move:

1.     Sell the house as is without doing anything about the foundation or the windows. One person I know who recently did this told me to only accept offers that don’t require an inspection in case there are other problems about which I know nothing.

2.    I would want a smaller house, no condo or apartment, with a garden.

3.    It would need to be fairly close to one of the boys and their families.

4.    It would need to be affordable.

5.    It would need to be in great condition.

As you can see, I’m torn about what to do or not do. I’d welcome any and all comments or ideas or thoughts. Somehow, I always envisioned my “golden years” as being free of any big decisions or problems. I thought I’d just sail through those years because I’d planned ahead, I’d prepared, I’d be ready. Well, it certainly doesn’t look that way from where I’m sitting right now. Or, am I making a mountain out of a little molehill??? I just don’t know.

Of course, what I should be is really really thankful rather than fussing about what I should or shouldn’t do. After all, I am healthy, have an income, have a roof over my head, have healthy family and friends nearby, have a neighborhood where everyone knows me and I them, two puppies who love to cuddle on/with me, an obviously healthy imagination, the drive to get things done (when I really want to), and lots of other things I cannot bring to mind right now. So, to answer my own question above…I think/believe what I have is a molehill.