As stultifying as I find them, I attempt to maintain routines. Routine signifies, to me, the attempt to maintain order in the face of growing incompetency. Loss of order means I'm no longer competent. It's frightening.
I spent the morning weaving. I'd like another color to take to market in another week. Cerise is the current color. I'm down to the last row of bobbins, six, to finish the length. Then of course, the finishing, which also takes time. The time and motion measurer in me knows the cerise will join the inventory, but the skeptic wonders what else will interfere.
Last week I could not find my sunglasses, that lovely wrap around pair I've worn since the cataract surgery. My general remedy is to remember the last time I wore them, and try to retrace steps from there. I forgot this remedy, and just dithered. I even looked them up on Amazon, but the fifty dollar price tag made me pause.
There were some obvious places, and I looked there. I had little faith. The place for my sunglasses is on my head or in my purse. The point is being able to find them, no matter what. The same for my keys: in my hand, in the ignition, in my purse. Fortunately the very few times I could not locate them, they were in the door lock.
I was folding laundry this week, and I saw the glasses, in the tool bucket. Now they are in my purse. I remembered leaving laundry in the dryer when I left for an appointment. My firm rule is finish the job at hand before leaving. Put it away. A place for everything, etc. It's the rule that steadies my life. But when I came home from my errand, apparently the sunglasses lived on top of my head, and to prevent falling, I stashed them on top of the tools while I got something from the dryer.
Even worse than the sunglasses, I only removed what I needed from the dryer that day. So, when I stepped from the shower yesterday, there was no towel on the rack, but out in the dryer in the hall. If I went out for it, I risked letting the cat into the bedroom before his time. Fortunately, you are not me, yes?
It's raining and too cold today. That means I needn't water, and it also means the right of center citizens hereabout will continue denying climate change. It won't be on their conscience. I am sleeping in a flannel winter nightgown in June! My next step will be the unconscionable job of wrestling the goose off the shelf behind the winter coats.
I have so many pictures to post I may need to join the Sunday Selections of Elephant's Child and Drifting, to post my extraneous pictures. But, not yet. The pot of zinnias up there is from from hand harvested seeds. So far I see red and purple on the way to blooming.
These seeds I purchased. So far just leaves. I remain astounded by the pot of Gerbera daisies, up there. New blossoms unfurl their shy little heads daily. I deadhead them often, and new flowers look up. The Gerbera on the step above was a birthday gift, March 31st. In spite of a new pot and new soil, and a small jolt of Miracle Grow, my only reward is staying alive.
And I'm so pleased with my mandevilla, as you well know. Even a downed blossom makes me smile. Filled up by the rain like a little fairy pool, to sit on the edge and splash the feet.
Back to the loom. I'm listening to A Woman of no Importance. I must remember the chapter I'm on; it's one of those muddled books; the recording begins somewhere, but not chapter one. When I found chapter one, it reads chapter thirteen, so it's not a matter of that stupid skip function to jumble songs. It's a test of remembering, as if I need one more challenge.
We would welcome you with open arms if you were to join Sunday Selections.
ReplyDeleteI am a slave to routine and find it incredibly discombobulating if my (self imposed) routines are thrown out. And you are right, it is about control, something which is rapidly escaping me. Which terrifies me.
Been there, done that. The other day, I searched for the spare key to the house to give to the cleaning lady, because we will be off on an errand when she returns in two weeks. Couldn't find the key. Turns out, she has had the key since the last time I gave it to her and never gave it back. And I never asked for it back. That kind of stuff scares me.
ReplyDeleteNot cut from the same cloth, and that is why I could never plan, do maths, or weave. Scatterbrained and willy nilly since birth and have nearly got chaos perfected, so ,as i grow more dim witted, I do not mind, it is my comfort zone.
ReplyDeleteI think that most of us embrace the enforced discipline of routine whether we admit it or not. Nice surprises are always welcome but predictability is the keystone of our lives most of the time.
ReplyDeleteRoutine is the foundation or the bones of things..then you can build....
ReplyDeleteHaving no routine leaves you scrabbling here and there to get things done.
The garden is looking good, despite climate change.
Pretty flowers.
ReplyDeleteIf it helps, I recently lost a library card. I keep it in a pocket of my back pack. Until it wasn't there. I searched my whole apartment. I concluded that I had thrown the card into the trash after a previous visit, instead of the due slip.
Joanne, you might check into something called Tile.com. Amazon carried this little tile that can be put on things (inside your wallet or purse, or attached to something you sometimes misplace (like keys, phone, etc.). My cousin has one and told me about it. I bought one to check it out... however, it works only with a phone that had update 13 on it. This I didn't know - as my old iPhone 6 latest update is 12.?? and apparently is too old for update 13. But I will keep the tile in case we ever upgrade our phone as I'm always misplacing things... and if the tile is attached to it, it will beep!
ReplyDeleteWow, your flowers are so beautiful! I bought a pair of those wrap-around sunglasses too for when I get my eyes dilated at the ophthalmologists. Yes, they are pricey! But provide such excellent sun-shielding protection!
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteYeah - I'm in that routine bracket. Without it there would be little point to rising. I so admire your discipline. YAM xx
I sometimes find myself going from one unfinished task to another and have to stop myself...finish what you are doing first, self, I tell myself. everybody's zinnias are doing better than mine.
ReplyDeleteI have pairs of flasses everywhere i am likely to need them. Now complicated by needing sunglasses post cataract op...and they could be anywhere!
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are all so lovely! I think most of us need routines to keep going. I am definitely a creature of habit and it doesn't take many changes to throw me off. I find myself getting more and more frustrated at not accomplishing as much each day as I would like to.
ReplyDeleteI get my dilation glasses free from the optometrist!
ReplyDeleteI get everything done, but in a way that looks disorganized to onlookers. It suits me to be doing several things at once. It's how I roll. If I had to stay with one thing till done, I'd give up on life!
I have ways of remembering stuff but that's not what I call routine. It's more like places stuff always goes.
I just learned today that I could find my phone with Alexa. I can also call people using her without picking up the phone. Too bad I don’t call people. Oh well. I also have Tiles for my keys and wallet.
ReplyDeleteThis business of losing things gets frustrating doesn't it? I lost my mobile phone today and had to resort to phoning it from my landline and then tracing where the ringing was coming from in order to find it.
ReplyDeleteThe key routine is our most important one. Mailbox key goes in the same place every time, never in a pocket. So far, we haven't misplaced it. Reading glasses are another matter.
ReplyDeleteSigh… I’ve misplaced things tons of times. Thank goodness I have my Apple Watch now so if I misplace the cellphone, I can ring it with my watch. As for other things, it does drive me crazy when I can’t remember the last place I left it. Your flowers are gorgeous, Joanne. I’m so glad you found your glasses OK.
ReplyDeleteI'll send you some of our heat if you send some cold and rain here.
ReplyDeleteI think we're all pretty good at losing or misplacing things. When I can't find my keys I go to the last pair of pants I wore and the keys will be in one of the pockets
ReplyDeleteIs that baby tears next to the Gerbera? I wish we could get them to grow here. I don't think they would do all that well with our winter cold. My mother had a Mandevilla, if I remember correctly. It was pink, like yours, and she had it in a pot out in the Lanai. She also had the wedding flower, Stephanotis, that grew like crazy, all over the trellis roofing. The smell was heavenly.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a person who could really follow routines but I find the older I get the more determined I am to have a few that work. I'm not sure if this would work for you but how about a tray at the entry way somewhere where you could drop your keys, sunglasses, receipts or change. That way you it is only one place to remember. I'm glad you are enjoying your garden. Flowers and green growth, no matter how small, always brings me joy.
ReplyDeleteI have similar rules with routines, my keys and sunglasses always get put in the same spot when I get home from anywhere, the kitchen gets cleaned up as soon as I finish eating, clothes etc get folded and put away as soon as the dryer cycle is finished. in summer things get folded as I take them off the outside line. Things that need doing get done before I turn on the laptop. Your plants are looking lovely.
ReplyDeleteRoutine is a backbone to life, Joanne - I love it (when some adventures and surprises are sprinkled into it).
ReplyDelete"My firm rule is finish the job at hand before leaving. Put it away. A place for everything, etc. It's the rule that steadies my life." That is my rule too - and if it happens and I have "lost" something in the flat, I say to myself, after searching in vain, with Sherlock Holmes: "Think the unthinkable".
It works - maybe the sunglasses will be found in the laundry...
I use your method when glasses are lost, go back over the journeys round the house you have made and there they will be carelessly laid down as I switch glasses.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could follow that Everything has its place theme. I am muddled.
ReplyDeleteRoutines are important here, for my husband more so than me. But I like them too. Misplacing things is a way of life here too. It is so easy to get distracted and then unknowingly lay things down. Our best misplaced things are the ones put in places so we’d remember them, then forget!
ReplyDeleteI had to google Cerise. What a beautiful and strong color. Maybe you got the inspiration from the Mandavilas.
ReplyDeleteI've spoken about my ruts/routines. If they are disrupted, I am completely upset. It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteI'm very glad that you have a place in your routine for flower-tending. They are lovely.
I am glad you ended up locating your sunglasses. I still haven't found my best garden trowel. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteCold?? It's cold there? Now? Can I come visit? On another note - all your growing things look nice.
ReplyDeleteIt's called 'entropy'. It increases with time.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found your sunglasses. My Walgreen's carries sunglasses like that and the prices are not so high (just in case you lose yours again.)
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are terrific! I am surprised it is cold there as it has been so hot here in Illinois!
I have a set of those post-cataract surgery sunglasses and they are great. Glad you found them! We're starting to get warm weather and may even have a 90 degree day. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteWhen I can't find something, I usually email The Man Who Occasionally Shares My Bed to ask him, If you were such and such, where would you hide? It always works. Maybe you need to email him, too. I have to be very careful about where I put things, especially my glasses, because the world is a blur to me without them.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Oh, you write so well. My brain is a muddled mess.
ReplyDeleteGlad that the sunglasses were found and you are on to your next challenge of remembering the chapter of the the book. Take care of yourself and hope the weather improves. You should be getting lots of warm weather from us as we have been really hot lately.
ReplyDelete