It's always the little things that make the biggest difference in our lives. At least that's how it works for me. Especially in these days of worry. I remind myself daily that I'm ok, I'm ok. Because the truth is I am.
Beauty is good for the soul. I read that somewhere this week and I believe it with all my heart. I've started re-growing romaine lettuce in a sunny window. How sweet is this? I read you can re-grow up to 3 times but after that the leaves will become bitter. I'll report back.
I also read that if you separate your bananas they will last longer. They seem to, maybe by 3 or 4 days which is nice.
I've been taking stock of all my food and other essential items as I'm sure most of you have. I have enough.
This old house has kept me on my toes. This is my basement that has flooded so many times this year I've lost track. A neighbor let me borrow his industrial water vac which has been a lifesaver. This was a task that Larry took care of and I'm finding I'm capable too. It's a pain in the royal ass though. I also fixed a broken toilet last month. It was quite a job but I did it.
And last week I was on top of the roof cleaning rain gutters when I spied this spot on the house. It's the original shingles with their very first coat of paint which is a soft white. I was so thrilled to find this that I forgot for a minute that I really probably most likely should not be on the roof. I've always wanted to paint this house white. Maybe one day it will be...
So what little things have you guys been up to. Anyone out there living alone? It is a new experience for me to be this alone. I'm not hating it. x
Always a treat to read another informative post! We will use your tip on bananas! My husband also said we could "re-grow" our lettuce (he grew up on a farm) so we are trying that. Isn't it amazing the things we can learn & do?! (Please be careful on the roof!!) We also are enjoying the simple pleasures of nature when we venture outside for walks which we find very calming, as well as deep breathing for 10 breaths. All done with a spirit of gratitude for the special ones & things in our lives, and that includes YOU, dearest Janet! Stay well! Katie from Huntington Beach
ReplyDeletehi katie. yes it is amazing what i'm learning in these days of isolation. so much to learn! x
DeleteI had no idea that romaine could regrow! What a fabulous tip! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing Janet...I am so impressed that you could repair your toilet. It reminds me of that English expression "NEEDS MUST!"
We are keeping busy with household jobs and the garden is always needing some TLC...and so looking forward to being able to meet up with our family and friends...i find it a challenge not seeing the grandchildren IRL and think that they must be feeling stressed by all this isolation.
Appreciate your post today...I have missed your calm cottage snippets.
never heard that saying before thanks for sharing leslie. x
DeleteIt's "Needs must when the devil drives!"
DeleteI've been alone for 33 years. I do all my own plumbing, repairs, gardening, cleanup, etc. It's either that or do without.
ReplyDeleteHigh five, Squeak. Isn't it amazing what we can do when we have no alternative? I'm proud of myself and proud of you!
Deletewell i'm on year one and it's been a learning experience. i'm learning to be independent and that feels good.
Deletemarla i'm proud of you guys and of myself too!
Hi Janet- Ms. Fix it!! I'm so impressed by your resourcefulness but please be careful on the roof! What a lovely post from you today. Is the 1st photo your kitchen? I'm not sure I have seen that corner before and it is gorgeous. I was just starting to live completely alone but then my daughter moved back temporarily while her college campus closed. We are spending our days cleaning/organizing, reading, playing scrabble, watching movies, tending to the garden, cooking and baking. It's quite nice in a surreal kind of way as there is such a stillness to our days. I'm glad you are well and thank you for your post today as it is always a pleasure to read.
ReplyDeleteno that's in my little reading room just off the kitchen and thank you! x
DeleteI live alone Janet...for almost 8 years now. However, I do live next door to my son & his family...which has just 2 teenagers at home now. We each have 3 acres & my property is wooded, so we aren't in each other's faces constantly. I have eaten more meals than usual with them, which is nice. But I find I am enjoying a little part of this "confinement", which is not having an errand To Do list. It's nice to just be at home & have a legitimate excuse.
ReplyDeleteI have tackled a few projects inside, but we've had a few nice days recently & I spend any time possible outside. My property gets very messy over the winter, so right now I am tidying up the gardens. It's a big task, but I love it...not the aching back & knees though!
I too have learned that I can do more than I thought I could. I've always been fairly handy with tools, but it's amazing what you can do when pushed. But I'm completely in awe of you for repairing your toilet. Plumbing isn't my strong point.
I don't personally know anyone who has the virus at this point, but we are cautious when we really need groceries. I believe this will do all of us some good in the end. Praying daily for our world & nation...I hope you & all of your readers are safe, as well as their loved ones.
...all is grace!
that's a lot of acreage anita. my sons neighbor has a 4 year old girl with the virus. it's so heartbreaking.
DeleteYou're an inspiration to me always.
ReplyDeletethank u. x
DeleteDo be careful! I am in Canada and just heard one of our doctors advising people to avoid taking risks as medical resources are being channeled into fighting the Corona virus at this time and you might not get your normal level of care.
ReplyDeleteTake care!
so true. i took my phone up there with me but i've decided to not get back up there without someone else around.:) x
DeleteI'm living 'that' alone AJJ. and I don't hate it either.
ReplyDeleteI've had longer to get used to it than you have. but it's comforting in little ways. stay well dear bean! xoxo
thanks tammy j. i'm slowly slowly getting used to this new life. x
DeleteI have lived alone for many years. Since my retirement nearly 10 years ago I have struggled with making connections and feeling useful. ironically, this past year I made a new group of women friends, most a little younger than me and active and we did so many things together. My family live in nearby towns but have their own lives to lead. and at this point we cannot even get together. I was volunteering at an animal shelter but we are no loner allowed to do this. for so many years I was almost too busy, being a single mom, working a full time job plus at least on other job and trying to have a social life. I am trying to find joy in small things and each day I express gratitude for having one more day. I read, do yoga, take a walk. i watch the news and try not to become obsessed. and there is comfort in knowing that i only have to care for myself at this point in life. I guess this sounds selfish, but there are some benefits to living alone. of course I do not know what it might have been like to live with someone who was loving and supportive, so i cannot miss it, perhaps this makes it easier. this is so very hard for all of us.
ReplyDeleteDarby
d
thank u darby for your honest share. i can relate to so much of it. i'm starting to adjust being here alone. xo
DeleteWhat a lovely post! I am off to separate my bananas Immediately. Different times, but we find solace in our homes and gardens. I too am starting to grow some food, as we restrict excursions as required by law (also being in the vulnerable age group). Your reading nook is just lovely, as is the whole house. Yes, paint it white one day, it will be fabulous. xx
ReplyDeletethank u and i really hope one day it'll be white. x
DeleteTomorrow will be the 3rd anniversary of living alone and with the 'pause' the aloneness stands out. My nearby family has decided to keep their distance, which is a good thing. I don't fall into any of the danger categories other than age, so I so far have only ventured out for take out food. It's hard to depend on others for simple around the house repairs. I threaten to do the gutters and tried once only to be 'rescued' by a neighbor who scolded me for being on a ladder and made quick work of the leaves and pine needles.
ReplyDeleteI got two heads of butter lettuce in a produce box that still had their roots. I plopped them in a couple cat food cans and am astonished to see growth. Who knew - except you of course.
You are doing well, Janet. You've come so far already.
awww we are not alone;) that's cool that the butter lettuce comes with roots! x
DeleteI loved this post and seeing the new peek at the pretty corner of your reading room. Is this what was formerly the office? You are doing so great . Love the photo of you in your kitchen - so pretty! I sent you a card recently - maybe about a month ago? Hope it made it to you, as I wasn't positive of the address! So nice to see this new post and I liked your last sentence - made me smile! Kay
ReplyDeleteyes that is the office. and i did get your card! i'm glad you told me it was you. thank u so much, i can't believe how kind people are. xo
DeleteI've always loved your kitchen stools, nice to see you sitting on one.
ReplyDeleteI remember when you re-caulked your bathtub. I thought if Janet can do it, so can i! My husband does the repairs but it's nice to realize we can do them too.
I'm cleaning, cooking, listening to music and reading these days. Not too different from my normal introverted self. Just miss my family.
yes, same for me, kinda business as usual but i do miss everyone! x
DeleteJanet : there's nothing "little" about leveling with others . . . about worries, triumphs, discoveries. Thank you. I welcome these and especially now at a time of isolation . . . we find that what we need is what we have to give : our words, our sharing. Finding that our new routines often are similar. It's very settling (except for the part about being on the root top).
ReplyDeleteYou're the best.
thank u and i agree no more roof for me! x
Deletethat would be ROOF top.
ReplyDeleteAn inspirational post. My husband built a house with his own two hands and has been the Super-Fixer during our 20 years of marriage. Now he's starting chemo again, and this time it's palliative. I have no idea how to keep up this house. I'll have to downsize, but when will moving even be possible again? So much uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteRe bananas: keep them away from your other fruits and vegetables. Tropical fruit shouldn't be refrigerated, I read somewhere. And bananas emit ethylene, which makes other produce ripen faster. Someplace I read which things can be stored together, and which need to be separated (potatoes away from onions, or both will sprout!).
oh dear. those words send chills literally up my spine. i feel for you both. and i know how hard it is on the caregiver - something i never though much of before but now i know. and i get the uncertainty, omg do it. take care dear one. x
DeleteThank you, Janet, for this hopeful post. Your hope gives me hope too. It truly IS the little things. When we miss people so hugely there's literally a hole in our heart from where they belong, taking the baby steps of living well are sustaining. I love your polka dot shirt with the ribbon tie. I can imagine that this is also a baby step of well being. We will get through this..... everybody says so, so it must be right. xo karen
ReplyDeleteyes we will get through this. what's the alternative? thank u for your kind words. x
DeleteLove that first photo...a glimpse of your reading room. So beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing with all your own home repairs. I've told my husband that if he goes before me, I'm in big trouble because I don't know how to fix anything. A broken toilet? No clue. And managing a flooded basement on your own...wow. We've had basement floods and they are awful. Please don't get up on your roof anymore without someone around! Or, could you hire someone to clean out your gutters? xoxo
oh melanie i didn't know either. no clue. can't even tell you the names of tools. that toilet broke a few days before thanksgiving and i just now fixed it. i went to youtube and watched a ton of videos and finally one day just did it. it still amazes me. and i promise to not get on the roof again. x
DeleteYou are brave, going up on the roof. I did not know you could re-grow lettuce like that. I am going to try it. Always happy to see a post from you.
ReplyDeletethank u! x
DeleteHi Janet. Thanks for a lovely post. I love that you were able to get a glimpse of the original shingles in white--I love a white shingled house! The tips about re-growing lettuce and separating bananas are really helpful. I've thought of you often in these days, especially your posts on simple meals. You've inspired me in so many ways, and led by lovely example!
ReplyDeletei know seeing those shingles just made my day! x
DeleteIn this time of uncertainty. Seeing our leaders turning away from Christianity and, embracing the old testament view of salvation; leaves me searching the scriptures. Many of the prophecies are coming to pass. I encourage everyone to listen to the 1973 prophecy or David Wilkerson. He passed in 2011 but, his messages live on.
ReplyDeleteJanet, it is comforting to know you are brave and, doing well.
I so enjoy the pictures of your lovely home.
Great to see a post from you Janet! And yes stay off the roof please!! I knew you were handy when you re-caulked your bathtub. Tony is pretty handy, at least with some things. He tackled quite a few projects when we bought our house over 20 years ago. Ha we are still not done....I think he ran out of steam. :o) Your own mini hydroponic garden! I will have to try that with the lettuce. I know when I planted some lettuce years ago in a pot I would just cut it near the base and it would grow back. We have so many rabbits around now I would be leery of growing lettuce again. Maybe with a chicken wire cage I could get Tony to make for me. Glad to hear you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteLinda
xoxo
How wonderful to find you learning new skills, including being quarantined and not hating it! Truly you are a resilient person with a great sense for beauty of all kinds.
ReplyDeleteHi Ms. Janet, I have been away from your blog for more than a year, just checked in yesterday and I was so saddened to find your beloved Larry had passed almost a year ago. Though much belated, I want to express my sincere sympathy for your loss. Such a deep soul wound. I will be holding you up to the Light in the next few days as the 1 year anniversary rolls by. Be kind to yourself...anniversaries can be difficult, and it's ok. Breathe & grieve.
ReplyDelete2019 was a difficult year for us, we lost 18 family members & friends, and had multiple weather related disasters. I had such Hope's for better things in 2020, but here we are in the midst of the covid crisis. But there are blessings ma infesting every day, and I choose to focus on them and be grateful...it makes life so much more pleasant.
Thank you for continuing to blog, it is a joy to come back and read again, and be inspired by your tips and lovely home. I appreciate the time you put into sharing.
I too am learning to do things on my own. I am blessed to still have my husband, but we are separated during the week by a less than desirable job situation, so I am the "man-o'-the-place" on week days. Last week my mission was to relocate a black snake from my basement. I cant kill them (unless poisonous) because they keep the rat population in check, you know? It really was an adventure to capture the thing and hold it out the window with one arm while driving with the other...but I mustered up the courage and I did it, and I feel empowered and grateful for the experience.
Blessings & Happy Easter.
I'm impressed with your snake wrangling! Thank you for relocating and not killing.
DeleteSo lovely to see your post and glimpses of your pretty home. It is, indeed, such a surreal time, but my actual life is not really that different, except for not seeing family. I am pretty much a homebody, and my husband is working from home during this time. I love the company. Is everyone doing a lot more cooking and baking? I made three cakes in as many weeks. That will have to stop. I bagged 21 large leaf and lawn bags, cleaning up the yard and soon will begin refreshing the picket fence around our property with a new coat of stain.
ReplyDeleteI hope that your home tasks add a comforting rythmn to your day, Janet. But the roof...No, no! Be safe.
Isabella
My high school aged kids are still with me but I'm the only adult in the house. When my bathroom sink taps gave up last week, not wanting to call a plumber right now, I ordered what I needed from Home Depot and changed the taps. I've never done plumbing so I was very proud of myself. (The old fused taps were beasts!) I'm in awe that you are tackling the gutters. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteHi Janet,
ReplyDeleteI have so enjoyed your blog over the years that I decided I would go back to the beginning and reread your entries. I can't begin to tell you the enjoyment and information they bring me. I happened across one of your entries regarding the eshakti fashion site. I am the mother of the groom for a wedding in late August. Were you happy with the dress that they sent you? I was enthused since they will create a dress that specifically is tailored to the individual. Anyway I'm anxious to hear your impressions. Thanks so much; take care and stay safe.
Bobbie Allgood
yes bobbie i still have my dresses and they are of very high quality. at least they were when i got mine. and thank u. x
DeleteI am so impressed by you and all your readers who are fixing things around the house themselves. Great job! I'm also grateful for your blog and the honesty, calmness and beauty you continue to share with us all. Keep well.
ReplyDeleteI have found that when needed, I can do many of the things my husband does and I love that. He does electrical things I haven't done and is much stronger than I, but when he is away, I manage pretty well. I enjoy the challenge and after my initial frustration, I usually figure it out. ��
ReplyDeleteI’m commenting anonymously because I’m having issues with commenting with my account. I hope that’s the basement issues can’t settled, I live in an old house, too.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been going back and looking at the pictures of your pantry, it helps in grounding me in these times.
Hello Janet,
ReplyDeleteTalking about the commode, congrats on doing it yourself! We had to replace the toilet fill valve on our commode. It is weird how much noise a defective fill valve makes on the plumbing. Replacing it instantly solved the problem and gave us a since of accomplishment because we did not have to call a $$$plumber$$$. Thanks to YouTube!
Also, I have baked homemade bread several times and made my first homemade pizza which turned out very good.
Hope you are getting along okay.
Sincerely,
Debra from SENC
Hope you are doing okay.
Sincerely,
What an inspiring post. I'm recently alone also, although not for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteThere are many things to be grateful for...I'm not still working, my children are grown, I'm not here with an abusive spouse, I can still afford groceries. Living alone means I don't have to cook on a prescribed schedule; I don't ever have to clean if I don't want to; I can have little craft stations set up all over the house. I keep my Scan N Cut permanently set up on the dining room table.
But yet, I'm very lonely. Hard to explain it.
I'm like you in that if I don't do a task, it's not gonna get done. So learn I must. And I'm not really afraid to try anything. And it is very satisfying to figure things out.
A funny story...I hired a plumber, full rate, to install a toilet, replace faucets, install a water softener. It seems ridiculous to pay full scale plumbing rates to have my bike taken down from the rafters...but there's no one else to do it, and he was willing.
It's the little things...I am sooooo happy to have my bike available! It was so worth it to pay the guy for the help. :-)
Do be safe up on the roof! I liked the white painted shingles that you found.
Checking blog daily....I'm thinking of you....xo Janie
ReplyDeleteThank you. Exact words at precise times
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely, small things also matters. We should notice what is around us and do not live with the need of buying new, unnecessary things. I see that you are also propagating your vegetables in the water. It’s amazing idea to regrow eg. lettuce, as you do, and also I recommend you to try onions. Few months ago I have bought this kind of onion: https://gardenseedsmarket.com/onion-tosca-elongated-bulbs.html . When it was ripe I decided to leave the part from which I could regrow it. Have you ever tried it with onions?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI love your house. Can you tell me where I can find your drapery panels. The cream and taupe floral. I read you called them Nob Hill by Pottery Barn but can not find them. I tried Ebay and Pottery Barn with out any luck. I'm looking for two panels. Thank you!
My email address is gjhibbard@buckeye-express.com