The Truth About Naps and Other Stories

The truth about naps is that you can wait and wait and wait for one all day long and it never comes. Or, you can just go along with your day, as if normal (whatever that is), and then "Holy Crap! I think he’s tired! He’s, he’s going to sleep! Woo hoo – free time!" And, then, what do I do with that free time? Do I sit down immediately and knit? No. I think "I’m sure I can get such and such (insert any variety of house work here) done before he wakes up." And then, when that job is finished and he’s still sleeping, I think, "Okay, I’ll get another such and such done (same insertion) and, if he’s still sleeping after that, then I’ll knit." Which, often as not, results in another chore done and four stitches (yes, I typed stitches. Not rows) knit. And those four stitches had to be frogged as I’d started on the wrong side rather than the right side and messed up the pattern. Sigh.

The past few days have been rough. I have been, admittedly, spoiled with Iain. He is a pleasant boy and usually only fusses when he’s hungry, has to pee, or needs to sleep. The past three days have been whiney, whiney, and, oh yes, whiney. In fact, the week has been full of all sorts of whining from Iain, Para and myself, compounded by runny noses, receiving blankets being turned into giant hankies (more environmentally friendly and MUCH easier on wee Iain’s skin), etc, etc. You get the picture. Some of you are there right along with us as I type.

Now, let’s see what else we might have in common.

Everyone does this, right? You have been living in a place for months and then, just before you go on a flight, say, across Canada, you decide that that window simply cannot remain without a blind for a minute longer. I mean, really! How did you survive that long (since moving in August 1, 2007?) without one? It screams for a blind! You haven’t been able to let in natural light for ages because the brown paper solution (a great one from one of my SILs that I highly recommend if you’re in a bind and need some privacy by the way) has run its course. You must get sewing now! This despite the fact that no packing is done, laundry needs to be washed, let alone sorted, and there is every indication that the twitch above your eye may be affecting your eyesight.

My MIL and I had a discussion about this when we were in British Columbia. She’s wise, that one. She said that humans seem to need a deadline to get things done. Therefore, travel, company, etc act as that deadline for those of us who don’t have them set for us by a 9 – 5 working environment. Hmm. Perhaps I should be setting up for more company because we have many, many things needing doing in this house. The windows are just the start…

So, here’s what I was doing two nights before we left. Our trusty ‘before’ shot:




Here’s me last night.




It’s done. I just need to find a cleat to fasten the cord to. That might take weeks. Or, at least until the next time we have somebody over. Mind you, I found the ingenious way my engineer husband found to keep the blind up rather useful.



Anyways, what’s to whine about? Looky what I found in my backyard yesterday afternoon!?!


They’re Nova Scotia hostas so I assume they know what they’re doing even though I’m very concerned about them right now.


They are coming up despite the fact that it’s not yet the end of March (spring doesn’t come to this end of the country before the end of March. It’s the rules) and they have snow on them again from this morning.