Watching Spring Zip By in Everyday Ramblings

We had a break in the rain, and I was able to get out and about for a few days here and capture some of spring that is racing through here. The rain is back today.

Can I just say, this displacement thing, it is not easy. Everybody tells me I am doing well with it but man, oh man, it gives me a glimpse into the difficulties a refugee, a homeless or houseless person, or even an immigrant faces, and I am in awe of the courage and adaptability and resourcefulness this all takes.

Here in Alice, there is an upstairs neighbor with a heavy footfall that walks. Last night it was back and forth and back and forth on the squeaky floor for a total of about three hours. And it happens to be above the area where I am staging, basically, my life. This is only the second time it has happened for that sustained a period.

When it started last night, I was somewhat prepared and finished listening to an audiobook story that I was engaged in, but the walking went on well past my (albeit early) bedtime. But if this continues, I am going to need to move to one of the back rooms so I can get to sleep.

Yesterday evening I went over to Fred to get some wildflower seeds, a top to wear today and some allergy medicine (the things you are surprised you need) and it feels so sad over there all torn up and temporarily abandoned. I wave at my books and things. No surprise though how well I am getting along without so many of the things I have accumulated over the years.

There will be a push to clear out after all this. I already recycled 15 years of Yoga Journal magazines before the actual displacement. That trend will continue.

Everyday Carlo feels a little more comfortable. It has been hard though, having him so freaked out. There is only so much comfort I can give when his instincts are on high alert.

Today we got together to talk about peace and ending war, and specifically ending the war in Ukraine. Although we all invited a bunch of people and rented a room at “our” coffeeshop it was just the guys, not all of us, but the core group, the other female board member and my friend, Mrs. Sherlock. She was the only veteran in the group. It was a small enough group that everybody had a chance to talk, and it was a kind and thoughtful conversation. One of the guys, besides being a fabulous photographer is a professional mediator and is clearly good at it. We touched on so many things including the fact that all the points of view need to be taken into consideration to negotiate and how hard that it.

One of the other guys wrote a letter to the leaders of China, Russia and the United States talking about how we need to think of ourselves all as people who want the same thing and shared it with us. It was full of common sense and not ideology and was heartfelt. It was a great conversation starter.

Mrs. Sherlock shared and felt welcome. The big takeaway was that we need to be talking about this instead of having it be this ugly horrible thing that is happening, that keeps getting blown out of the news cycle by gun violence here at home and political grandstanding in Congress. And the Met Gala and the Coronation.

Tomorrow 4 of my students and me are getting together for coffee in person just after class to try to recruit two of them to the League of Women Voters. They know we are doing this, and it is all good natured. It wasn’t my idea but because my class is the thread that holds us together…

So more social engagement. Not a bad thing.

I think as far as early stuff, my garden plot is a wash out. I am going to plant wildflowers and tomorrow I am getting a couple of tomato plants from a student that needs to give up her plot this year because she needs hip surgery and can’t garden until that is addressed. I feel sad about the timing of all this displacement stuff because otherwise the garden would be a big priority.

Oh well.

We are safe and in town and everything is bound to change anyway, no matter how hard we hold on to our comfortable way of being. I continue to try to roll with it.