Polishing

Materfamilias recently described her outfit as 'polished casual'.   Comments from our blogging community indicate that many can relate to that style description.   I'd be happy to describe my style that way myself.  However I wasn't so sure my look was always polished.

Tonight when I got home and looked around I realized that my decorating style could also be described as casual, but again what is missing is the polished part.

I've been discouraged by my surroundings for the last little while for various reasons.  I've visited friends and neighbours recently and they have lovely homes.   Surfaces are clear except for carefully selected items.  Floors of either hardwood or carpet are clean and in good condition.   There is a spacious feel that is lacking in my living quarters.

The truth is that my surroundings are entirely my own responsibility.  I allow the clutter.  I chose to live in a smaller house that is close to my place of work so that I don't spend hours of my day commuting.  I chose to rent out the upstairs and live in half a house so that I'm not spending all my income on my mortgage.  I select the furnishings and bring the stuff into my house, either new or inherited.   I prioritize my animals over the pristine condition of my home.  I have hobbies such as knitting and I like to have the materials, tools and books in my living space rather than in storage in my basement.

All that said, I think that I need to make more of an effort on some polishing.  That includes some curating and removal of unnecessary furniture and clutter as well as just cleaning and organizing.

At the end of a stressful day at work it can seem overwhelming but I am worthy of a clean comfortable home.  It is not impossible; I can make improvements to my living space.  I just need to get on with it and do it instead of plopping in front of the TV!

Okay so I just did the dishes, I don't really need a pat on the back for that!!  But it's a small start in the right direction.

Garden June 8 2014

The garden is doing well, and so far I'm keeping up with the weeds.  I try to spend a few minutes every day pulling some out.  The rhubarb is up, solomon's seal and daylily are thriving.  Taking up too much space in fact, I'd like to give some away.   For some reason I hate to just pull them out and kill them. 

The twisted poles in front each have a tomato plant, with basil around the edge, chives and rosemary in pots.

Found these little chairs abandoned by a neighbour - perfect with my Ikea table for sitting out with a morning coffee.  I don't like to get too fancy with the patio furniture in case it gets stolen (my yard is accessible from a lane at the back).

On of my geraniums is in bloom.  Not a good rendition of the colour, perhaps I need (want) a better camera.

Spring update

Good news about Rory since my last post - I took him off the medication in January and he recovered his 'joie de vie' within days.  So relieved to have my dog back, running around like a big silly.

Since it's finally warmed up in Toronto I've been doing a bit of an upgrade to the back garden.  I moved the path over to be more aligned with the edges.  It was bothering me that it wasn't parallel.  It still has a gentle curve, but I'm going to say that adds to the charm.   Right now the garden looks at it's best; there are no weeds visible.  It just hasn't gotten away from me yet; I know the seeds and roots are there waiting to overwhelm whatever I'm trying to grow.

Audra seems to approve of the new path location also.  Those are three daffodil flowers in the back of the daylily clump.

Might get to the Evergreen Brickyards garden centre this week and pick up some fancy heirloom tomatoes since I never got around to starting the seeds I saved from last years crop.   I will not be planting potatoes however; complete waste of $6.00 for four last year that produced about a handful of tiny potatoes.  (I should let that go, everyone makes silly purchases once in a while.)

At the close of a year

I've been busy lately, lots on the go and I have less energy as I get older I think.  Although I was shocked by an article in the Toronto Star recently about the murder of "an elderly woman" who was in her 60's!!!  I think of my mother as 'elderly' and she's 91.  Isn't 60 still middle aged at least?  How old was the individual who wrote the piece?  Probably some unpaid intern in their 20's.

My dog has become elderly in the last month.  The last episode of epileptic seizures took a lot out of him.  Then I started him on daily dose of potassium bromide to control them but the side effects seem to make him weird and unresponsive to commands he used to obey.  Which annoys me, and I don't want to be annoyed at my poor old dog.  Plus his legs have degenerated quickly this last few weeks, which could also be another side effect or a degenerative nerve disease.  Now he almost always falls down when he first tries to get up from the couch or bed, and goes down if he slips on the wood floor.  I got him a rug for the bedroom and living room that helps.  Today he just ate, went outside then went back to bed again.

Sometimes getting old sucks.