The lifestylin'

Summer has arrived. The bugs are getting thick. The heat and humidity are getting opressive and the list of projects to complete grows larger. Firewood needs to be cut and split. Interior renovations are becoming more urgent. Many things that winter will want complete are nagging. The changing of the seasons sets my bearings and orients my focus on what is most important. Winter was a hardship and many things went the direction of good fortune and spared me more hardship. This next winter I hope to not have to rely on luck and the generosity of others. Having good neighbors is a wonderful thing, but being a good neighbor is even better.

We have refrigeration. Being well into June with temperatures reaching 90+ degrees, it's about damn time. I haven't gauged the LP consumption yet, and a fair bit was wasted buggering around with the old Servel for several weeks. The first morning it was actually running though, the temp read 21 degrees in the refrigerator compartment. Some tweaking got the temp to a reasonable 36 degrees and hopefully it will stay around there.

I have gained five pounds. I still feel skinny, but considerably stronger in some ways. I have been episode free since I last reported. My diligence has paid off, but I'm not planning on simply riding this plateau from here on out. Because this has to be a lifestyle thing, I'm bothered by how much time I put into it, but yet I'm learning to not put off life and only stretch my boundaries in small amounts. Not so far as to get comfortable and forget where I ought to be starting from each day. I'm not exactly sure how woking overnights will effect me in the longer term. So far no ill effects that aren't cured by plain old sleep. That being the only thing that consistently bothers me. Going without is an easy thing to cheat on when life insists on happening and I am inclined to go along. I've become much better at napping. I can nap without being tired. My body seems to understand that to do it now, is better than to suffer later. The positive effects of a pre-nap are very apparent come 10-12 hours later. Cortisol levels be damned, my lifestyle is fitting me very well right now. Life is generally free of frustrations, besides some of the usuals that won't go away for a long time. I am more productive than I am used to and my satisfaction and good mood follows suit. Priorities are more apparent. Patience has been moderatly restored. I am busy, but I find small moments to slow down and regain my balance.

What's next? Well we have toyed with the idea of moving on to a bigger, better, and more permanent place, but after exploring our options, it looks like we will stay put for a spell. We have a good idea of what's ultimately important, and our current spread will not fulfill that picture. I do feel a better sense of time, how much I have and how quickly it's going away. Some of the anxiety I was feeling over the past year and some, has substantially receded. Some unknowns may yet surface and we are prepared as best we can, but the worst case scenarios seem both unlikely and not really that bad. So with the modest improvements we have done and will continue to do, we are assured that our investments are not in vain and our mental well being is more secure. In other words, if our neighbors really decide to be pricks, they can only potentially take away a small piece of our lifestyle without completely altering our life. The importance of our lifestyle is of course lost on them and will always be, but they are of little importance in a big wide world.

Just for fun, the winter prep list looks something like this:
Cut and split 6 cord of firewood.
Obtain plow truck.
Enclose and vapor barrier beneath house.
Remove old door, frame, insulate and panel entire back bedroom.
Replace broken window pane and reglaze all window panes in kitchen.
Tear out rotting sheetrock and panel kitchen.
Add insulation and replace paneling in living room.
Side and paint exterior of house.
Finish porch and new patio.
Dig gray water line into ground and construct drain.
Obtain wardrobe and hutch for bedroom and kitchen respectivly.
Live, love and be warm.