Wednesday, August 11, 2010

My Favorite Things

I'm in Canada, where I was born and raised. Along with spending time with family, I'm here to get my condo cleared out so the place can be rented. An impossible task for a one-week visit, so I'll be back next month.

I went through paperwork from the last 15 years of my professional life, and threw it all away. The flowcharts, the status reports, the assessments, recommendations, custom reports...all gone. Nothing to show for all the years of sacrifice - and for some reason, it felt good to let it all go. I'm past it, I no longer have the edge, the enthusiasm, the energy, the interest. I am done!

When I take a break from the back-breaking labor of hauling all the boxes and bags out of the closet, I am enjoying my favorite Canadian things. Simple things - food, tv, my car, the weather, my lazyboy, and of course, family.

Food - the highlight has to be corn-on-the-cob. Wow, it's sweet, tender, and juicy. The kernels pop when I bite into them, spraying little squirts of juice at the person across the table. Butter drips down my chin as I do my typewriter motion along the cob, leaving no kernel unpopped.

TV - my favorite shows are on HGTV, all the home-buying and renovation shows. I could watch from morning to night, even though I can't relate to the big bucks put down for many of the homes. I just love to look at homes - how they're built, the colors, the furniture, the gardens. Right now I'm watching another favorite show - So You Think You Can Dance. I haven't been following because we don't have this show in Mexico,or if we do I just don't know about it (because I rarely handle the remote control). I love my daughter's tv - it's huge, it's clear - I want one just like it!

My Car - has been completely repaired from the hit by the deer last June, and the inside got a good cleaning to get up all the glass from the shattered window. Other than tires that look a little worn, the car is in great shape. I wish I could take it down to Mexico with a load of stuff that will take multiple trips on an airplane, but it's not practical to have it there because nobody can drive it unless I'm in the car with them. Will have to ponder on what to do about the car.

The weather - has been hot and very pleasant except for Monday, when we went to my brother's for a BBQ. We drove in pouring rain, which backed up traffic more than usual, and forced us to eat indoors. Oh well...it was all delicious anyway. When I come back in September I think we will be having Indian Summer.

My lazyboy - another old 'friend' that will leave my life in the next couple of months. My daughter hates it, and it's pretty worn. A good cleaning would make it a good chair for someone who likes pink/wine colored furniture, so I will either leave it here for tenants or see if one of the charities will pick it up. I sort of miss having a chair like this in Mexico. Maybe one day.

Although I threw away 'stuff' that took the majority of my time during the last 15 years, the good memories came back to life, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities I had and the wonderful people I met. Even though I have no desire to return to that lifestyle, I am not sitting still and waiting to grow old. I've found other things to pique my interest - web design, writing, cooking, social media. I love our home in Mexico, our animals, the food, the climate, and the more relaxed way of life. And I'm about to become a grandmother, so I have all those mother and grandmother moments to look forward to. New favorite things.

So tomorrow I leave - goodbye butter tarts, croissants, corn on the cob, field tomatoes, tv, lazyboy, car - I'll be back in a month, wait for me!

11 comments:

Ann said...

Your corn description has my mouth watering--can't wait for butter & sugar or silver queen here!
And I've started watching HGTV more this summer--love House Hunters Intl.

MD in Texas said...

Don't even get me started on HGTV - it's my favorite channel! Sometimes I think I was supposed to be a builder, decorator or realtor instead of a boring CPA as I just love almost every show on the channel!

Sounds like your stroll down memory lane validated the choices you have made for the future! Good for you!

Donna

Linda said...

Another HGTV fan here! Love Househunters International and ALL of the remodel shows!!!

Linda
Isla Chica

Life's a Beach! said...

I have all the HH International episodes memorized! When my friend and I were at Woodgate, we watched HGTV nonstop and decided how we'd redo my aunt's house. I bet it's tough disposing of all your condo possessions, but I also bet there's a cleansing aspect to it. It's high time I started throwing stuff out around here since we've been here 4 years.

Jeanie (New Orleans) said...

Glad you finally threw away all those WORK related items!!! It is hard..I actually have a box of a few things I had saved from Katrina and found in the garage and thought..what am I keeping this for...Sounds like you did get a lot done...WOW! We are about to go thru a major IT conversion to a whole new system..and I think, I am just too old for this! But gotta have job for now...THe things you get rid of will be appreciated by someone, a nice chair for someone who has none.
Hey, if you decide to sell the car..let me know..still driving my jeep I saved from the storm!! Always good to read your blogs!!Miss working with ya!!

Jackie said...

You know I am with you on HGTV. Love it. Now that I am retired I need to start doing some house clearing too. I think that I have clothes that I have not worn in 10 years or more.

Jeanie (New Orleans) said...

oh yes HGTV us my favorite...actually got some good ideas during the rebuilding of my house after Katrina!!!

Jana aka Moongrl said...

Sounds like you had a great visit. And yes...now I want some corn. :)

Islagringo said...

Oh great. Now you have me missing corn on the cob and fresh, hot off the vine tomatoes even more!

Remind me to introduce you to the world of bit torrents when you return.

drgeo said...

Ah yes, Islagringo, TV shows on the internet ! Too bad there are no basement apartment conversions on Isla-- so HGTV's Income Property could do a special show! I wonder what Mike Holmes would do with the Isla hotel that's been in limbo for years?

Sue said...

Ann - you should be getting that corn any time now, right? I love HH International too, more than the domestic ones (the people seem a little more adventurous).

Donna - I'm with you, I missed my calling and this show just proves it!

Linda - me too, maybe it's a good thing I don't get the channel here, I might never get off the couch.

Beck - the tough part is going to be the knick-knacks and kitchen things - because I like a lot of my knick-knacks but they probably don't really fit down here. And my kitchen things...you know how you have a favorite paring knife, etc...how can I just give that away? Good thing I know people with big basements - hopefully they will keep my stuff while I get it hauled down here or sorted out and otherwise disposed of.

Jeanie - It is nice to know I'm done with that work-related stuff, and was good to just throw it away (will shred the private stuff of course). I was torn about throwing away some of my best stuff - a flowchart, a process flow, all the C code for a billing program I wrote all those years ago. But...I will never use it and I don't know anyone who will be interested in looking at it after I'm gone (hey, look how geeky Grandma used to be!). And you - Katrina made a lot of your decisions, I know. Glad you found some home ideas from HGTV! (and I miss you too - not the working part, just the 'you' part).

Jackie - my daughter made me get rid of clothes I'd had for a long time. She told me they were out of style, they didn't fit, they didn't look good on me, they were old - get rid of them! And my shoes too - I am not fond of shoes but I had a lot - they can all go, I never want to wear shoes again.

Jana - hope you got some corn. Do you get the really tender, sweet corn like we get up north?

Wayne - We had one of those tomatoes here the other day...tasted just like the ones in Canada, as I told Miguel. They were a little bigger than the usual ones...very good. Bit torrents...no idea what that meant but I googled it - you will have to tell me all about it!

drgeo - We don't have basements here, so that part is out. And I can't imagine what Mike Holmes would have to say about the building practices here. I love his show, would love to invite him down!