Right now, it’s beautiful back on our little island, the beach, the waves, the garden, the hammock . . .
But I’m still in Vancouver where there are exhibits (Rembrandt/Vermeer at the Vanc’r Art Gallery), fun restaurants to try (Nook on Denman last night), shoe sales and new fall shoes (Brown’s at Pacific Centre), fall knits and rich colours to check out (from BR to Aritzia to Holt’s) downtown and more edgy interesting independent shops all along Main. There are daughters to hang out with and a granddaughter to get belly laughs from (baby’s belly laughs, does it get any better?), cheap-but-good pedicures, easy access to movies, running long runs along the seawall (instead of looping my little island two or three times).
Right now, I should be at my office arranging to get syllabi run off at the print shop and filling out reports about summer conferences and writing up my proposal for a future leave.
But since I came over on Monday, intending to go home today, my sister announced that she’s hosting an Open House this Sunday because another sister arrives from Winnipeg with her family. I haven’t seen my nephew or BIL for a few years, so attendance is not optional, especially since my family’s been experiencing some tensions over my mom’s upcoming change of residence — an afternoon checking out each other and Baby Sis’s new digs is just what we need and I love Nola spending time with her huge clan.
This morning, I should be on the ferry back to Nanaimo, returning overdue DVDs, doing all the above for my paid job, and getting the recycling to the curb at home.
But I’ve decided that all those list items are going to get done anyway, albeit a few days later. There are only so many end-of-summer days to spend with family. Daughter #3, Megan, starts school on Monday and will have little free time to spend with me after this week, and Nola’s mom goes back to work in November and Nola to daycare — these are precious opportunities I won’t get back. Similarly, once school starts, I won’t be able to visit my mom on weekdays when she’s loneliest, and there are no guarantees about how long she’ll be around and alert.
So later today, I’ll be heading over to visit my little girl again, if her Mom can handle having Nana over for the fourth day running. . . And I’ll be getting a pedicure, maybe arranging lunch with a daughter or niece.
But for now, I’m going to answer some work e-mails, and then hunker down with a Word Document and make some of the work-guilties go away. . . I’m not completely irresponsible, you know!
I love moments when I just say, as you have,"Those list items are going to get done anyway.."
So the right decision. It sounds just the right mix to ease the pain of a new term.
Do I detect a desire to purchase new shoes for the said new term?
Happy shopping!
Ah, but how lovely to have the choice!
LPC: Those are great moments, aren't they! They only come with some experience, I think — it took me a while to learn that despite my worrying, I do manage to get things done, and that there's room for some life on the way.
Alison: Desire may have already morphed into acquisition . . .
Tiffany: Absolutely right! And this is what I try to remember. Thanks.
Skive as long as you can! The weather's turned here and people are getting bustly but I'll try to hang on to summer for another week.
skive it is, Duchesse!
It feels like fall here, and I feel myself already changing, losing that languorous summer feel. I agree it seems to take some experience and wisdom, to know that there are times you just need to enjoy the moment, knowing that the work will get done.