I am clearly in transition.
Nine weeks after knee surgery with several months of rehabilitation ahead, twelve weeks after leaving my structured (and loved) job of five years, ten weeks after the birth of an unexpected girl granddaughter named reese, six months after incredulously and miraculously buying a real house in provincetown, five months after putting our condo on the market thinking it would sell in a week, and two weeks after finally getting a offer, therefore plugging a scary financial hole...
After all this, I seem to be settling down: the knee pain is less, I'm moving better and more, I'm not so tired, and I'll be damned: I'm not working! I have some time.
Here is a quick tour of my summer to now:
I took this tonight driving home at night. This is my town center. To me it might as well be the 1950's. There's an easy pace to living here: a college vibe but this is farmland.
On the other hand, this is the new house in provincetown. A HOUSE! For years we have been in a condominium situation with difficult neighbors, so to have our own place one block from the bay is very incredible. But look at this crazy driveway; even one car cannot fit straight into it.
I could not be at the beach all summer. But one day in late august, I opened the hatchback of my toyota rav, while JB sat in the sand, and i took this in. Right in front of me...
There is a place on the back road in Sandwich on Cape Cod called the Jam Kitchen, a part of a nature center. There are 20 burners that make dozens of different kinds of jam that then sell in the gift store. We bought raspberry. It was great.
And what am i doing these days? I'm not sure, but I seem to be thinking about how to do this gently.
I hope many of my friends and visitors will be back on the blogs. I've been a bit absent and I hope I post more often.
Because facebook be damned; I love it here. :^)
love
kj
What an eventful year 2013 is proving for you. And I see them all as good things, every one of them. Being 'retired' is a whole new adventure but does take time to adjust to- for months I kept feeling I should ring up my school and ask if I could come back even for one day a week. But that soon disappeared and -one year later- I love it. You are going to thrive, and soon- very soon- okay not too soon -in 2014 your knee horror will bebehind you.
ReplyDeleteJoss, an open canvas! I am not worried about how I'll spend my time. I will still work but on my own dime, like you :-)
DeleteI expect even the month ahead to be better!
Love
kj
I wish I could be jealous of your better house, easier way of thinking, kinder companionship, nicer view of the physical world, and you deescalating pain levels. But our house is already been converted to a home, as long as we think mean we survive easy enough, in most situations kindness can be overrated, Detroit is that homely person who went to the prom alone but still doesn't care what people think, even though they are laughing coast to coast, and I have much better drugs than you do.
ReplyDeleteBe Well and cut that recovery time to 4 more weeks and I'll grant you citizenship of Detroit. I'll even fully abate your taxes like we do for them here who have made billions by not paying them.
Mark, how did you so cleverly make this about you instead of me? :-)
DeleteLove love
kj
It's the Detroit native way.
DeleteI grew up at the beach but have since moved inland. I am so jealous looking at your pictures.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that salt air will speed all recovery and the rhythm of the ocean will calm most unsettled minds.
I wish you well through all your transitions.
Hello 8thday, I so agree about the sea. I don't live near the ocean full time but one day I hope to . Must be hard for you to be away from all that rhythm and rolls
DeleteLove
kj
Glad to see you my friend! I'm still here....
ReplyDeleteThank thank god, Mim!
DeleteI am envious of living so close to the water. It's a lovely house.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. I am and will stay in shock that. JB and I have somehow managed to have this house!
DeleteLove
kj
Kj, It is my thought that we are all in transition, all the time :-), but some are bigger than others and the big ones come in threes.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to photograph the painting in it's new home and email to me.
xoxo
Oh those big ones, Annie. I too believe they come in threes . So I'm done for awhile! :-)
DeleteI won't forget xo
Love
kj
Thanks for stopping by (via just eat your cupcake) and commenting on my blog! Sounds like you've had quite the busy summer and some rest is definitely in order. Amazing how there are many transitions throughout life until we get to the ultimate transition of death. We never stop growing and changing in this world!
ReplyDeleteWelcome and thank you law frog, my problem is that rest may be in order but I want activity and action !
DeleteHandling those transitions is the key to the city, isn't it?
Love
kj
oh! that ocean view must have made your heartbeat slow, it's gorgeous kj. i'm here too, blogging less, but still...
ReplyDeleteLori,
DeleteKiss kiss.
Love
kj
Lovelovelove all the photos...the life you are creating. We are in The Big Transition...walking on Hallowed Ground.
ReplyDelete**blows kisses**
Deb
Deb, no bigger transition and you walk it with such grace . Hallowed ground that you have created for your beloved family
DeleteLove
kj
My home town in Iowa looks very much like the photo that you took of yours...
ReplyDeleteMaria, I just left a comment on your blog. Where in Iowa? JB is from Des Moines. Do you know dar Williams 'Iowa'?
ReplyDeleteLove
kj
you have been through a lot of stuff and it is so reassuring to hear you are coming through happy healthy and strong...........and i LOVE that poster - the sentiment is a keeper. do no harm but take no shit. amen to that sister.
ReplyDeleteyour place in p'town was meant to be. you love it there so much, and how could you not, with that view of the sea? paradise, i say, paradise. you are a wise woman to count your blessings, and from this post, there seems to exist a shower of them.
xoxo
Amanda, some days I am discouraged. The knee is stiff and pain from it wakes me from my normally cozy sleep. And I still have my original 'bad' knee and the hip I hurt in Pilates. I keep thinking about walking the streets of Paris and I wonder and hope that will be so for me.
DeleteThe downside of Ptown is it is two hours from Jess and her family. I don't like that. And there will be no actual move while my mother is here in Northampton. But these choices are not life shattering; Ptown is indeed paradise. I wish you could see it xo
Love
kj