Catching Up

March 31, 2016 – Catching Up

So, how am I doing?  I think I’m doing just fine, thank you.  The adjustment to life on my own hasn’t been difficult at all.  Sure, there are plenty of times when I think of Elliott, but he had gradually receded from so many of my everyday activities over the past several years that the change doesn’t feel very abrupt.  I’m still experiencing a slight sense of disorientation.  My sense of time is a bit warped, which is understandable, as I lost three or four months out of my “normal” life while Elliott was in and out of the hospital and then receiving hospice care at home. 

During the month of March, there were countless details to attend to – updating accounts, contacting government agencies, etc.  All of this took much more time than I ever imagined and I’m not finished yet.  Social Security and the government’s Office of Personnel Management operate at an incredibly slow pace, which is creating some stress for me as I wait for my income to resume. 

Life is simpler in many ways now.  Meals don’t require nearly as much planning or preparation.  At first, I was eating mainly salads, grilled veggies, and the occasional piece of fish or chicken, i.e. nothing fancy.  Lately, though, I’ve started to miss more elaborate cooking.  It may be time to inaugurate a weekly dinner party for friends. 

My family and friends have given me tremendous support and comfort as I make this major transition in my life.  My calendar is filled with lunches and dinners out with.  I’ve already made one trip up to New York to see Elisa, Christian and Sylvie and we plan to get together at least once a month.  In addition, we have Facetime visits nearly every day.  

I’m back to Pilates and Zumba classes at the gym, back to my art history class at George Mason, and back to the Workhouse to finish up some fused glass projects.  Once I start working in the studio, I lose track of time.  The hours fly by, and when I finally call it quits for the day, I think back to Elliott and how he turned to art as a full-time occupation after he retired from the government.  Once again, he’s serving as my role model. 

After postponing travel for so long, I’d like to start planning some trips. I hope to get to Europe sometime in 2016.  Budapest, southern Spain, and Ireland are high on my list of places to visit.  Of course, there are also places in the U.S. that interest me, such as New Mexico, Colorado, and Vermont.  When I was single, I did a lot of solo traveling so I don’t mind going off on my own.  However, if anyone is interested in joining me, please let me know. 

Cherry blossoms at Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, Virginia

Locally, there’s plenty to see and do in the DC area.  I had a very enjoyable day strolling through Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and viewing the cherry blossoms with my friend Kathy last week.  Earlier today, I took a long walk in the Capitol Hill area with my step-grandson, Darren, passing several DC landmarks on our way from Union Station to Eastern Market.  In addition, I spent a delightful day in Georgetown a couple of weeks ago in the company of Elisa, Christian, Sylvie and friends Caroline and Brian.  We had a unique dining experience at a Chinese tea house called Ching Ching Cha where we sat on the floor, which was perfect for Sylvie! 

Finally, I find myself indulging in compulsive de-cluttering and organizing around the house.  The goal is to get rid of as much extraneous stuff as possible.  I’m tackling one room at a time and at the moment, I’m dealing with one of the biggest challenges – the office where we had multiple overflowing file cabinets and several large boxes filled with “important” papers.  I’ve already made a lot of progress sorting through the thirty-plus years of documents related to medical care, finances, appliances we no longer own, etc.  Probably 80% of the papers ended up in the recycle pile or shred pile.  As soon as I can find someone strong enough to help, I’m going to haul our 5-drawer file cabinet out to the dump.  Of course, I need to master the art of electronic record keeping to avoid a future build-up of documents. 

Rest assured that I have not fallen into a state of depression.  I’m keeping Elliott’s spirit alive by embracing life and being grateful for every moment. 

And now, I must go to bed since I’m subbing tomorrow.