The Lake House

[lighter]

The hummingbirds have gone.  Their feeder looks a bit sad, but I remember they were drinking the extra sweet syrup like mad when I refilled it.  It's a comfort to know they were well nourished before their migration.

I forgot the lake house has 3 rentals in November, which is a crazy thing to forget, but there it is.  I'm numb regarding cleaning and readying the space. 

The place, where the dock used to sit, is just water now.  Unbroken shoreline....the eater's way up, so it looks.....good.  It looks like 5 hours time I won't have to adjust, troubleshoot and wire solar lights back in place, patch the island or clean anything....adjust the horse stall mat and wood chips at the walkway.  That safety issue's been scraped from my plate and I know I can't drag the walkway back on land.... I'd be knee deep in mud and fail, so ...off my plate.

Oldest DD is celebrating her birthday in ATL with my brother, her roommate and DD22 today.  She'll travel back to lake for weekend long celebration with friends and bf.  It's cool enough for bonfires and I'm enjoying tidying, cleaning sheets and planning meals for them.  Mostly I'll stay out of their way.

The dad staying with us has rented a nearby Airbnb for the weekend, bc his gf is flying in and she's.....
she's possibly BPD, based on cursed past behaviors with the roommate and her dad.

Alcohol and everyone aware of her nuts koo koo crazy gives us very good reason to keep a distance.  The dad's proper protective, imo.  To be honest, my chill mode's been out of order. If it comes back ...it won't be the same and that's a good thing, ime.

I refilled the regular bird feeder with seed, but no takers so far.  I hear nearby crows kawing and some general chirping in the trees, but not seeing many birds.

There are huge Golden Silk Orb Weaver spiders in huge webs, however.  Almost walked my face into one this morning. 

Baby girl pug resting in the sun with me on back porch.  Breezy and just about perfect temp.  I felt a little dizzy looking towards the dock and not finding it.  Guess that'll happen over and over for a while. 

Lighter

[Hopalong]

Hoping you cancelled the November guests, Light?
Your peace and wellbeing are more important.
You could give them a raincheck credit for spring....

I'm glad your DDs have been together and are distracted
and happy celebrating in the city. Oh to be young!

Are things near your home making you think forward?
The shock waves and changes there must be overwhelming.

Lastly, it's touching you feel responsible for the wildlife
but they'll deal with what nature flings. I like the peace
you and pug are finding in the sun, on your porch.

Sending support and peace...
hugs
Hops

[lighter]

I'm not worried about the F'ing birds, Hopsy.  They're a lovely distraction and now there's wind chimes on this gloriously cool and downright breezy day.

I'm going to shower and clean the glass doors now....maybe with my teeth.  My brain wants to ACT.....to be industrious.....to be busy.  Laundry, trash runs and Goodwill hunt for shirts without paint marks will fill my afternoon.

Attempting shrimp chow fun recipe for dinner.

I just looked up and things barely moved, so dizzies almost gone.

[lighter]

Hope, I'm not cancelling this first November rental, bc it a retreat for functional medicine practitioners I'd like to court. 

No more Airbnb, for me....
Functional medicine retreats feel like a positive direction. But then, so does selling the place. Sort of.

[Hopalong]

I feel for you, Lighter.

You are in the middle of so much, and your psyche must still be stunned to some degree.

I hope all the peace possible, from all your good long-term practices inside and out, will accompany you in whatever direction things need to head.

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

The first November rental is for sure happening. I'll get some time there tomorrow. 

[lighter]

This morning, while I made coffee, I noticed some drips of sealer used to finish the oak cabinets I'd distressed in the kitchen.  I scraped as I noticed, and touched, smooth surfaces, once sharp and full of splinters .....all smoothed now.  Sort of amazing.  Splendid, even.

Last night I glued the bathroom cabinet door I'd knocked apart while distressing.  It was easy.....the repair.  Finding the glue required walking past many other things requiring attention.....so retrieving the glue, walking to the bathroom, unplugging it......those things were not so easy, bc ADD and squirrel!

And I wish I'd distressed the kitchen's lower cabinets, instead of the tops, bc the uppers have arches.....not optimal.  I could have sat sturdily on the floor, instead of perched on tall ladders, for all that intensive labor too. Missed opportunity, there, but still.... it's amazing and I understand why I did it.  The back of the island bar is flat.....less optimal than the uppers for distressing.  Choices.

I'm drinking coffee this morning and wondering how wise it is, bc I'm pretty numb today.  Maybe I'll stay numb, for a while, if I don't finish this warm and comforting brew

Last night I drove trash to the transfer station, bc today it's not open.  There was freezer trash that needed to go.  Driving in the pitch black, with only one wiper working in the rain, bc it was important ......seemed important at the time, to put DD's bf to work washing my windshield instead of standing around munching Cheetos with the girls when we fled WNC that Sunday.  When the water stopped working.

The truth is.....I never liked him AND he also doesn't know how to check and fill tires.  I replaced a missing valve cap and every tire was low, to different degrees.  The important part was....DD22 understand how incompetent he is, on top of his other faults, which are apparent and many.  Ya, he's cute and ever so male, but Lord, was that ever enough?  I guess it was.

Things are ok at the lake.  The beds are all clean and will be made today.  The showers all pristine and dry, so no growing crud.  That's how be bathrooms stay clean, ime.  One squeegees and drys tubs and showers....at least the last to use it.  Not everyone feels obligated, mind you.  Then it's more work to make pristine ....again.  If I sound frustrated, I'm hovering at the edge, only.  And it's ok, bc it's small stuff......and I know this. 

I feel like Suron's eye.....above, looking out for trouble, but also opportunity.  I don't want anyone hunting the property, but the very first contractor, who looks in and is helpful.  This makes sense to me, plus he doesn't hunt while we're here.  I can't say that about "the others." That's another layer of worry, for myself, family and guests, I'm done putting up with..... bc something inside will pop and will I continue allowing others to push till I pop?  I don't think so.

I have storm sounds playing loudly.  No tv.  No news or background movie interference right now. I dread cleaning floors, bc.....making "pristine,"over so many sf is impossible and there's the vertigo, which is better now, but still with me. I screw my face up when it hits.....I have to stop doing that.....it doesn't help.

:: breathing::.

::thinking about filling bird feeder::.

::finishing warm coffee::.

Lighter

[Twoapenny]

I hope the vertigo improves, Lighter, it's a horrible feeling.  You sound very busy, as always.  Is there any sign of 'normal' being any closer now, or is everything still so much chaos? x

[lighter]

Tupp:  I'm afraid there's a new normal, and least for a while.  The docs say no curing vertigo, but it's "treatable."

I'm adjusting.  Moving picture wires on art, opposed to moving nails on a tall ladder....that sort of thing.  Thinking about climbing tall ladder instead of climbing it😭

The hardest thing now, isn't the tons of leaves I need to blow or the tree parts I need to move to the street or the lake cleaning.... it's my gurls' mental health and supporting them right now..... without doing everything for them.  Just being there.... listening and attuning.....cooking nutritionally balanced foods bc it's been a junkfood fest for a few days, all around.

DD22 and I sang and danced our way through Asian market and Ingles run....forgot water.  Again.  She found a tick on her shirt then plucked an attached tick from my neck.  This is a sign to stay out of the forest where a dead raccoon was reported mid trail and I have to negotiate over and under many fallen trees....the ticks catch us, moving slow.

::putting pug goggles in pug drawer::.

Now I'm itchy, but all the snow pea leaves are clean.

Lighter

[Twoapenny]

So much to juggle, Lighter, and yes, the mental health balance is always a difficult one.  As is a new 'normal', so hard to adjust to, especially as I guess the new normal is not where everyone wants (needs) to be.  Healthy meals, yes, so important, and so much harder to do during stressful times than pizza.  Personally don't think anything in the world comforts as much as pizza dough and melted cheese, for some reason.  Crossing fingers things settle and everything becomes more manageable xx

[lighter]

Thanks, Tupp.  I think DD22 and I will finish cleaning the lake house tomorrow afternoon and Sunday.  She's very focused and does a good job working proactively....with a smile on her face most of the time. She's feeling caught up at school, thank God.

DD24 will come by this morning....for food, comfort and support for car maintenance and late tag acquisition.....the hurricane has everything out of whack.  It's starting to feel like sea sickness of the soul....at least for me.  She's struggling hard with online classes and the material is new.  She's used to knowing stuff or how to solve it quickly.  This is different. 

Ahhh...a neighbor caught me on a walk and ended up at my back deck, in tears, his elderly dog wobbling, in need of expensive care.....deeply in debt with a should injury from tossing tree parts into a truck.....out of work .....his elderly father making jokes about who goes first, the dad or the dog.  This gentle neighbor... overwhelmed, current circumstances out of his control.....wearing the worry, pain and imminent loss of his lovely dog and father on his face.....spending hours on unreliable Internet, trying to fill out FEMA relief paperwork, without success, bc his identity was stolen 4 years ago..... it's a lot.  All at once. While injured and in pain.

I apparently had to write that out...same with the vertigo.  Lots of fellow sufferers....I had no idea how many.  Running into people, now, the small talk has gone. We're talking about the losses, losses of others.... insurance companies offering so little for lost homes.  People still without power and water, so cold.  In need of generators, heaters and so much help they can't find words for what they need. 

The street I plan to walk baby girl pug on is the next neighborhood over....where the gentle neighbor lives.  I was dreading looking into his eyes again.  Now....I feel less reactive, more responsive.  He needs hugs and a go-fund page. 

Lighter

[Twoapenny]

I think that's one of the hardest things when such large numbers are affected, Lighter, everyone has a huge weight on their shoulders, no-one has the bandwidth to accommodate it and there's no downtime.  Relief's needed in such vast quantities by so many people, everyone becomes overwhelmed.  Such a tough situation to deal with.  If the neighbour does set up a Go Fund me please let me have the link; I'll put in what I can and hopefully lots of people chipping away at it will get them what they need x

[Hopalong]

Lighter, what you could do for him is immeasurable.
Add an ether-squeeze to that hug, please.

hugs to you and all around you,
Hops

[lighter]

The lake house is ready for guests....looks beautiful.  Fire pits set up.  I removed main living room faux fire set so she can bring wood for real fires since it's cooled down.

I identified a dead mouse smell in a closet, but not the mouse.  That's problematic, but I'm hoping I mitigated with baking soda and vinegar in quantity.  Will see.

I'm starving, but really sore and tired from marathon days of readying house.  A few times I didn't think I could do it, but got out by 11pm.....so ready to get out.

There's some rinsed dirty dishes in an armour, dirty laundry in an owner's closet and much to dirt before next group of 16 arrive on Thanksgiving.

Oh.... yesterday my handyman showed up and I worked with him, which threw my schedule off 4 hours.  I wanted to have dinner with DD22 and bgpug, but that wasn't to be.

DD22 was up and helped me with trash and coolers at 1am arrival.  Bgpug happy to have me back. 

Guests arrive this afternoon....I have to warn them about a web and glorious spider on the back porch...... couldn't bring myself to bother her and she's well out of the way.

Lighter

[Twoapenny]

Sounds lovely, Lighter, lots of work but all going well, it seems.  Hope all guests have a happy time and Mrs Spider continues to enjoy her lovely surrounds lol