From Where I Sit – Progress

As I write this, August is half over?and I can’t believe it. I know time appears to speed up as we age, but this is crazy.

I overheard Roy telling a friend on the telephone that he’s ?been very busy every day with very little to show for it.? I can identify with that.

Yet while I can’t account for every minute or even every day since July 1, there are some things to relish. We did manage to visit friends we haven’t seen in months. We’ve seen a lot of family, too: parents, kids, siblings. We helped Greg and Carrie with their new house and gave my mom a hand preparing for her moving sales. We’ve spent some exhausting but fun times with Grady, including attending a small-town fair. By the way, the attractions are just as seedy and scary-looking as they were 20 years ago.

The mosquitoes are bearable and all the dragonflies are welcome, even when it seems like an aerial attack from Hitchcock’s The Birds. The ant problem is becoming extreme, as our sandy soil makes for easy tunnelling. I admire their industriousness and can-do attitude; I just wish they’d do their work elsewhere. They are ruining our lawn and garden beds.

The weather has been, well different. It’s been hot and humid with nearly daily rain showers. Several thunderstorms and storm watches and warnings have had us keeping our eyes on the sky. Touch wood, so far the hail hasn’t hit any of our crops?and for that we are grateful. All this extra moisture has meant that the lawn is still green. Typically by mid-July It’s getting brown and crunchy underfoot.

But most thrilling for me has been forward movement on the plan to renovate the kitchen. Like all reno projects it is growing in scope, but That’s a good thing. I’ve logged millions of miles packing the contents of cupboards and bookcases and storing them downstairs. In predictable domino fashion that meant making order down there first. The ancient chest-style freezer will be gone, and in its place will be an energy- efficient upright. I can’t wait to see which army of men will carry that old sucker up and out. we’ll salvage as many of the cabinets as possible and use them in the basement for closed storage and optimum organization; at least That’s my plan.

We’ve got the required help lined up: electrician (son Greg), installer (brother-in-law Jim), drywaller/stipple remover/painter (stranger Jim). Decisions about flooring, paint, countertops, and so on are in the works. I’m trying to stay a step ahead of everyone so there are no delays other than harvest and exhaustion. In the meantime I rejoice in the chaos because it means progress, from where I sit.

Hazel Anaka’s first novel is Lucky Dog. Visit her website for more information or follow her on Twitter @anakawrites.