Homebodies - No wonder the summer feels short
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- Published on Sunday, August 9, 2015
By Rita Friesen
The Neepawa Banner
As I journeyed through the past week, I was amazed at the signs of fall that are in the air. Yes, I said fall. I know that we are technically in the heart of summer, but the cool night air, the golden rod lining the roadsides and the ripened weed seeds belie that fact. It feels like the swallows are gathering to plot the perfect escape route. The tassels on the corn are turning from flowing blonde to crispy brown. The sun is settling in the west ever earlier.
I understand the principle of the shortening seasons. When I was 10, the three months of summer were 1/40 of my life, now the three months of summer are closer to 1/280 of my life. No wonder the summer feels short! This summer has flowed in seamless lines.
I divide my day into inside and outside work. I am keeping caught up with the yard work, getting some extra small projects done. The half-hour I spend outside each morning is good for woman and beast. The dogs frolic and fight and get tired.
This week’s project was to fill a gaping hole at the south end of the yard. It has been there forever, a pole marking the depth so the unsuspecting mower of grass doesn’t get lost in it. I decided that two wheelbarrow loads of mole dirt a morning would slowly fill the hole and make the yard look better. If I had a tractor with a front-end loader, it would have taken 10 minutes. If I had a truck, or trailer, it would have taken half an hour. But what I do have is a wheelbarrow and a shovel and it takes 20 minutes a day for four days. But it gets done. (One of the reasons I don’t go to the gym!)
Another day, my half-hour involves adjusting the single door to the north garage. It has been sticking for years, and last week, when I had my hands full and freed one hand to give a mighty shove, I missed the frame and smashed the glass. How much simpler to fix the door! And so I did. And repaired the gaping hole on the broken window. Some projects take time to get at, and some projects take time to get done.
My inside projects have seldom included food prep. I am keeping up with the basic need for cleanliness, sometimes doing a little more than required. But I have been sewing quilt tops. And a half-hour a day gets a fair piece done. And then there is my walking the dog time. It’s a half-hour walk plus travel time.
And so, at the end of the day, I can account for approximately two hours of my day! On a good day, I will get some reading and studying done, on a great day, I will add real people to the mix. And the days flow on.
