Saturday, June 19, 2010

Saturday and Sundry things of June

My life is a cycle of chaos and order. June, my birth month, seems destined to be a time of chaos. Perhaps 'chaos' equates to 'excitement' in my world. I do normally have a rather quiet life - and I like it that way.

This month started off with a wedding, a birthday, a week of vacation, a slightly tardy contractor, and an unpleasant surprise.

The wedding was quite nice. My spousal unit sang a solo, which made me tear up. I guess it's a good thing that after almost twenty years he can do that to me. My birthday came and went with a shower of cards and calls. Very nice.

The contractor was supposed to arrive and build a roof over my patio while I was on vacation. He didn't make it on time. Some people say never hire family, but I say call 'em up if they have a license to do the work and you can trust them to do a good job. In this case, when the young man said he was "stuck" on another job, I knew it was the truth, and not some contractor jive.

Bottom line - the roof is finished and I love, love, love my new patio space, and I'm dreaming of the next job for my contractor cousin - laying quarry tile on the patio next summer. I hope to score some new patio furniture when the seasonal sales begin since the roof actually came in under his estimate. Did my young cousin do a good job? Yes, he did. And if I have any problems, and he's slow getting here, hey, I know where he lives. He's family. I'll hold his wine chiller hostage if I need to.

As for unpleasant surprises, I've had two. My partner needed a little medical procedure. I'd go into detail, but all the men reading this would drop their mouse, grab their "boys," break out in a cold sweat, fall off their chair, and lie curled in a fetal ball, twitching on the floor. Suffice it to say, my hubby is fine now and everything seems to be in good working order.

The other unpleasant surprise is truly frightening. My stepdad, whom I think the world of, will be having open heart surgery to replace a faulty valve. It's a serious operation, but he's in otherwise good health, and went to the doctor as soon as he felt his heart rhythm change. This means the problem will be corrected quickly, and his overall health hasn't suffered. A plus, yes, but I'll be worried until the operation is over and he's back on his feet with a clean bill of health. I need him around for at least another twenty years.

So half of this June has passed, albeit in a blur. My TO DO list is growing. My writing, out of necessity, has slowed. It's hard to get the story out of my head and into the computer when I'm sitting in waiting rooms. But this, too, shall pass. Order will eventually be restored. Until then, I will enjoy my new patio space, cherish my loved ones, and try not to worry myself into a state of exhaustion.

All of it, good experiences and bad, make up who I am and how I handle the next Big Crisis. It improves me as a person as it adds layers of knowledge and confidence. My life, and my craft, will survive these short-term set-backs. I'm a tough old bird. I just wish I didn't have to keep proving it.

None of it matters in this moment. The sun is finally peeking through the trees, and it's a fine June morning. Family, chores and writing will have to wait just a wee bit longer. I'm taking my coffee outside, to my new patio space, and concentrate on nothing more than breathing.

KC

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