Priority on my agenda was to get camping gear and other related stuff like food and clothes packed into the car - plus there were some other must-do’s for the day. Certain that being ready to pull out of the driveway by suppertime would be quite manageable, I planned to link 'town' errands with a bike ride - a birthday gift to myself.
I didn’t think this goal would be out of reach as the basics of tent, sleeping bags and cooking utensils were all pretty much heaped together. I was to discover, however, the mix of the unexpected and the fact we'd recently moved into a travel trailer parked on our new building site, would significantly affect how the day would actually play out. In real time:
- transport load of laundry to neighbour (Laurie) and hang out on my outdoor drying racks
- stow boxes currently stored on trailer upper bunk bed to storage area under our bed
- find bedding for empty bunk bed in anticipation of grandson’s upcoming visit (yahoo!)
- walk .25km to another neighbour (Malcolm) who is kindly housing our down-sized office and has internet connections (our phone-internet-cable provider will not have us connected anytime soon)
- Malcolm's not home, no access to paperwork needed before ride to town
- plant some Swiss chard seeds in pot sitting on the trailer deck
- walk by waiting bike and gear, still hoping...
-check again at Malcolm’s: great, he’s out in the yard – stop to chat and help him connect lengths of 4-inch PVC pipe for his house renovation project, which produces a bloodied, pinched finger on my part and regrets on his
- get necessary paperwork from the office and connect my PC which I had fetched the day earlier from Computer Patch repair shop… happy to see it now connects to Malcolm’s internet network
- after viewing emails, I realize fast-track phone calls (on Malcolm’s phone) with follow-up action is required
- drive car to my husband’s work (location out of cell phone coverage) to discuss necessary action; we drive together to Bridgewater for urgent business deadlines, also take care of other errands
- back home at the trailer – I scoop dry clothes off the rack, heap camping stuff into car, have short shower
- put bike gear away
- we pull out of the driveway; it’s 7:30, stop for supper at a familiar pub, overlooking the Mahone Bay marina
The day was totally unmanageable from the original plan but the necessary was accomplished and the only way to close its page was to remember:
“This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
Sounds like a day you'll never forget. You're a wise woman to record these memories in a journal and this makes me realize I need to do the same thing!
ReplyDeletePam Mytroen