Sunday Thoughts

My chore for the day was cleaning the basement here at Megan’s house. From July 2023 until April 19, 2024, it was our home here at Megan’s. I wanted to clean it after the movers were out so that Megan could easily reclaim the space for her family.

Except I got all side-tracked with unpacking in our new home and Megan and I agreed I’d clean it while we house and dog-sat with Pan. Dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping the floor took about one and a half hours to accomplish. I have to say it is much easier cleaning an empty living space than a space filled with furniture.

In the new house, we are currently cleaning as we go. The sellers left us an immaculate home. In a week or so I will be setting up a cleaning schedule that includes something to do daily so that I am up moving around and not glued to my computer. After all there are so many TV series and movies I never watched during the children-raising years and my career. There is also the whole writing thing as well. Neither encourage physical movement.

After seventeen months of daily writing, I still haven’t come to any kind of conclusion about writing for publication. I have come to understand that writing is as necessary for me as eating. Well, we all know how important eating is to me. Writing is right there at the top of my must do list to be happy.

I am eager to get back to organizing and decorating our new home. Staying at Megan’s the past few days has allowed me to rest and to refocus on getting art on the walls at our home. I also want to buy more plants for inside the house. Our plan is to plant a couple of indoor citrus trees in pots in the sunroom, a lemon tree and an orange tree. We will also have an herb garden, if nothing else, this first year in the house.

Joe wants to talk with a landscaper about a yard plan. We have drought conditions in our county (Wright), and we want to design a drought resistant yard. Joe talked with the neighbor we share a shade tree with and they like the idea of Joe replacing it with a fruit tree. Right now, it looks like we will plant one or two varieties of apple trees and cherry trees. A pear tree may eventually make it into the ‘Coehlo Orchard.’ Joe loves fruit.

Once we get the art up, I will try to incorporate our room photos into the blog. Why, you may wonder? Simple, I am curious. I love seeing interiors of homes and how people decorate. My cousins Tammy and Denise are exceptionally talented at creating warm, inviting, rooms. However, when we stayed with each of them last year, I did not go around taking and posting photos of their décor. I should have so I could remind myself of all the sweet touches they had in their guest rooms and in their communal areas. Back to what I was writing, I am curious, so I assume my readers are as well. While Denise and Tammy decorate with a flair for elegant and homey, I tend to be more farmhouse bohemian with traditional thrown in. Okay, to be fair, my style really has no rhyme or reason and is a mashup of what “feels” good to me on any given day.

Right now, there is an “Always Kiss Me Goodnight” sign above our bed in our bedroom. The sellers left it. At one time I had one in our Woodland home. Then Joe told me one day that someone had toured the house and called it tacky. I asked Joe if he thought it was tacky and his response was, “If you like it, it is okay with me.” I took this to mean he thought it was tacky but if I was happy with it, it was fine with him. In my translation, “Why would he even share with me what the guest had said? He must think it is tacky.” So, I took it down. And felt sad about succumbing to someone else’s opinion of a piece I liked.

 Aha! The universe has provided me with another opportunity in the new house. The “Always kiss me goodnight” sign will not be staying above the bed. I am moving it to a wall across from our bed, so Joe sees it every darn night. I like the sign because it reminds me that our time is limited on this earth. Those nightly kisses are important to me. Much like the writing and food, Joe Coehlo kisses make me happy.

Joe does kiss me goodnight every night. Even if I am asleep before him, when he comes to bed he kisses me goodnight. Every morning, he kisses me good morning. We don’t have a sign for that. Yet.