Wednesday, November 11, 2009

So very chilly...


The boiler repairman came yesterday, but he did not have a ventilator, which is what the boiler needs, so he is supposed to come back this afternoon. I hope he keeps his promise, because I'm starting to miss my hot water an awful lot now. I want to put my cold hands into a sudsy sink full of dishes and hot water and I'd like for the apartment to be heated and I'd also like to wash my hair, which is sticking up from sleeping on it and looks kind of spunky, but I'm not so much into the spunky look right now. I'm becoming quite sedate in my late middle age. I was going to say, in my dotage, but it's not quite as bad as that. Not yet anyway.But seriously people, I'm wearing two layers of clothes and my boots and I'm cold. I think I need thermal underwear...

------------------

I pulled on a big sweater and took a huge nap on the sofa. At least I was warm enough to do it. I am still toasty warm now, so that big sweater has made all the difference. Even my hands have gotten warm and my nose also. This sweater is made of wool, so you can't beat that for warmth. I got it from my sister a few years ago and it has been an old stand by ever since. I can pull it on over all of my clothes and be comfortable, or wear it outside when it isn't too cold yet.

The repairman called to say that he would be here tomorrow morning, because he could not get the ventilator today. I know he felt bad for disappointing me, I could tell by the sound of his voice. He promised to be here at 8 am, which I think is very early. I may not be quite up to it then, but I guess I'll have to be. I don't think I'll be dressed by that time, because it is my day off, although in reality it is house cleaning day and grocery shopping day. You know how much I'm looking forward to that, right?

I was talking to another woman today and she said, "You know, house cleaning doesn't at all come naturally to me." And I answered, "Don't feel bad, it doesn't to me either." I think it did when I still had the nesting syndrome when my kids were younger and in theory I could have had another child. I was always being a proper hausfrau then and dragging the vacuum cleaner through the house. In my mind I had another baby once a month and I very often pictured where I would put the playpen and the high chair. So, it wasn't so strange that I was always cleaning up the place in preparation for another child.

But that instinct is completely gone now and I'm not interested in, or getting that much satisfaction out of cleaning house. It's done too often and too dull a job and it comes undone too easily for me to be satisfied with. I don't get that sense of pride from it. If I do get it, the duration is so short, that I hardly notice it. I've just given up caring about it, because of the never ending battle and I do so want carpeting in the living room and hallway. Anything to keep the dust down. I'll do that next year in the summer.

Anyway, It was cold on my bike this morning when I went to creative therapy. The tears were running down my face. I had a snotty nose when I got there, but luckily tissues in my pocket. I had forgotten that I had a different color hair, so I was surprised when people looked at me and did a double take and said," Oh, I like your hair!" The reactions have all been positive, but I really wasn't expecting anything else. I'm pleased with it myself, so I assume people will like it.

I was going to make a doodle this morning and got out all the fine point black pens, but none of them were working well and I had to give up on that project, so I got out an old fashioned pen and a bottle of ink and started to draw with it. I've drawn a continent (made up) and I'm filling it with little drawings of minuscule things. Right now I'm working on tiny flowers that all have to fit together. They don't all have to be the same size, as long as they are small. I don't know yet what else I will draw to fill it up with yet. I have to use my imagination, or look and see what somebody else is doing and get inspired by them. It's itsy bitsy little work and I have to be very patient, but for some reason I am. I like working with that pen, but am a little bit frustrated when I run out of ink and have to dip it in the bottle again. That's how I learned to write when I was a kid, with pen and ink and if you were real good, you got to write in green ink.

Oh yes, Ive changed my template. I've decided that I didn't want to be so obviously out there with my blog page and the header image and the header title. I like this better. It is a little more demure and calm and serene. It pleases my sense of order. It is all very nice and well to try and make your own design, but I like this design from Blogger, although I do wish they had more choice. I hope they catch on to that one day and offer us more to choose from like Wordpress does, but Wordpress has other limitations, so that's why I'm not going back there. You can't just go somewhere for the choice of templates. And don't try to upload those other free Blogger templates, it's not worth the headache you'll get from it.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow and it's not going to be very warm. Well, you do get used to any temperature and as long as the wind isn't blowing too hard, you can stand anything, as long as you're dressed warm enough. We were standing out on the deck today smoking cigarettes and it was not nice out there, but we stood there as if it was a spring day. It even started to sprinkle a little, but we didn't budge. We are die hards. The smoking room was filled with a group of cackling women from the cooking group and I would have felt like I was intruding and so did the others. Actually, come to think of it, the other people who were there out on the deck hardly ever sit in the smoking room. They stand outside in a blizzard. God, I hope we don't get one of those. No snow, please.

I have to walk the dog. We forgot our 6 pm walk and now he is sound asleep and will be hard to get up again. He is snoring, so that means he is way out west. He thinks he's all done for tonight. At least it's not raining now, so we won't get wet.

Have a good evening or a good rest of the day, whatever you can make of it.

Ciao,
Nora




6 comments:

Gail said...

I just love your hair, I forget, then come see your picture, good color.

Hope you are warm and cozy this time tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

My poor mother's furnace died last Christmastime, and she was without heat for over a week! They had to order in parts, then it snowed so hard that they couldn't get to her house for a couple of days. Fortunately, that will not happen to you - right??

laurie said...

oh, there is nothing like a good old sweater.

Wisewebwoman said...

I hope you're warm by the time you read this!!
XO
WWW

Stacie said...

If I can keep warm, I love to stand outside in the cold!! I don't smoke but I would probably follow you right outside. I like your new blog look just fine!

Irene said...

Stacie, if you're dressed warm enough, there's nothing wrong with standing out in the cold, as long as it doesn't rain or sleet. You're more than welcome to come out with me when I smoke a cigarette. I would enjoy your company. I'm sure we would have lots to talk about. Probably a half pack worth of cigarettes.