...bouncing back

We've recently taken the plunge and had measurements taken for new carpets throughout the house. The current ones have been in situ for over 17 years, and have finally reached the point where even the best carpet cleaner in the world could not restore them to anything approaching respectability. They really have to go!

Due to the inordinate amount of stuff we possess, the fitting of the new carpets will have to be done in three stages over three consecutive weekends, emptying one of the three upstairs and one of the three downstairs rooms each time. Trying to figure out the logistics reminds me of the puzzle with the fox, the chicken and the sack of corn. I'm hoping to use the whole process as an opportunity to rearrange furniture and lose some more of the clutter, so things need to be done in the right order.

Given that pretty much every room needs a lick of paint or a patch of woodchip somewhere, (so much easier to do when a room is empty), I'm anticipating a non-stop marathon of shifting furniture and DIY for at least a month, which should take my physical pain and exhaustion to a whole other level. At least when it's all over I'll be able to console myself by being glad that my everyday pain is so much more manageable than getting-new-carpets pain!

In the meantime I've been limbering up with a little extra walking, gardening and de-cluttering - the more you can get rid of, the less there is to move! Knitting has taken a bit of a back seat (my current project has stalled) but photography is keeping my creative juices flowing. 

Last weekend we had an early morning walk with friends and their dogs at the park. A long swathe of grass has been planted with meadow flowers and it's just incredibly lovely to look at. 

The colours and textures in these photos remind me of Gustav Klimt paintings. Gorgeous!

Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt

Couldn't resist getting a few close-ups too.

Later in the week there was something about the light that made everything Day-Glo - like a final Summer flourish of bright acidic colour everywhere I looked...

...then, on this morning's walk, the light was different again. Autumn is fast approaching. 

Hawthorn berries, sycamore seeds and the first falling leaves.

The XXSCat dog had a lovely time tearing through the long wet grass, and is now having a well-earned rest at my feet.

...ups and downs

Taking stock of the past few weeks I realise I've been more down than up. My get-up-and-go seems to have got-up-and-gone, mainly because I've been in more or less constant pain from aching, arthritic joints, and I'm feeling rather sorry for myself. A small part of me has been trying to look on the bright side, or at least cling to the belief that there is a bright side, but mostly life has just seemed overwhelmingly hard, relentless and difficult. Work is particularly exhausting at the moment - mentally, physically and emotionally. Every week I count the days until the weekend, but the weekend never feels long enough and I'm often too tired to really enjoy it. "Stop the world, I want to get off!" pretty much sums up my recent state of mind.

I don't like being miserable and grumbly all the time so I thought I'd pause for a while this afternoon to cultivate my inner optimist and play Pollyanna's 'just being glad' game. 

Today I've been glad about the delicious things growing in my garden. Nothing tastes better than a handful of freshly picked berries.

Rhubarb, blueberries, the last raspberry and the first blackberries.

I've also been glad of the visual pleasure the garden gives me.

Rosehips, blackberry blossom and faded Honesty heralding
the coming of autumn. Fiery orange Montbretia and one lone
Clematis flower lagging far behind the rest. 

I'm glad that although I'm in pain it's only slowing me down, not stopping me altogether.

I'm glad to have a job that gives me independence and security at a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet. I'm glad that the people I work with are more like friends than colleagues, and that the work we do makes a difference in the lives of others.  

I'm glad to have a husband who loves me and makes me laugh every day, along with an XXSCat dog who reminds me to 'live in the moment' and be happy in it too.