comme si, comme sa

A little of this, a little of that. So-so. Good, and not so good.

I was offered a three bedroom unit at the co-op I mentioned in a previous post. It has a lovely layout - eat-in kitchen, large living room, a huge master with two closets, and two smaller bedrooms, one for Emily, and one for my books, which need a room of their own. Seriously, I really like the idea of having an office/spare room. Things have really fallen into place, as they have a habit of doing when I am on the right path. The furniture I need has appeared. Emily has a cool loft bed, courtesy of my nephew, and I will soon have a futon for the spare room. The previous member left their washing machine behind, and in a few months I will have a dryer. Until then, what I can't hang to dry, I can bring to the laundromat in the complex. I found pots and dishes I like, and some bargains at a local thrift store. I can easily afford rent and utilities on my own. There are - get this - tall trees in my back yard. Trees! Shading my unit, lovely, leafy green trees. I love the house I'm in, but there are only two small trees.

The caveat: Worst. Painting. Job. Ever. I'm not kidding. The front hall has never been painted. The kitchen is - peach. Not a subtle pastel peach, but an in-your-face shade of oh yuck that I cannot stand. The living room is some shade of green, painted about ten years ago. The bedrooms - red. All three of them. A violent shade of red that makes me feel like I'm entering a cave of some kind. The room that I would prefer for Emily has alternating red and yellow walls. Eeeewwww.

In short, I must paint. I have about three weeks to paint the entire unit. Another good bit is that the co-op will pay for paint. I just need some help getting it done. When I think about the whole job, it's overwhelming, and I start shutting down, and then I tell myself what's true. I am not alone.


N found out yesterday that his uncle has passed away in England. So N will be flying to Heathrow with his mother tomorrow, and staying in the UK for a week. Uncle D never married, had no children of his own, and his closest family lives in Canada. N has been wanting to visit him for a few years now, and it's very sad that he's only able to go now. At least he is able to go, to say goodbye, and to give his mom the support she needs.

My SIL's father is also not doing very well. He's in hospital, he has serious heart problems, but I've heard nothing more.

I'll be on my own with Emily for a week. Not completely, as Megan is still at home, and is able to help out a lot more. Her mobility increases every day. We've figured out how to get Emily to and from school, but I will be busier than usual, so if I'm not around here as much, I'm sure you'll understand.

My coven will be studying a book by Starhawk for the next year and a half, called the Twelve Wild Swans. My introduction to this book, at our last ritual, is a blog post all on it's own, powerful and fraught with more self-examination than I was really ready for. The book is based on a celtic myth, and deals with personal transformation, but also focuses on ways to give a global focus to our personal practice. More on that later. But I thought I was finished with transformation....it seems the universe has more in store for me.

Next Thursday night, Ferron and Kate Reid are playing in Waterloo. In the midst of all the turmoil that is my life, I will get a couple of hours of peace and wonderful music. And maybe, maybe, if Kate isn't too busy, and if I'm not too busy, I might get to spend more than five minutes with her on this visit through town.

And if I don't, a hug will have to do.