Thursday, May 27, 2010

Settling Back Into Home

Do you ever have periods of time where you get busy, stressed out, etc. so that you begin to feel disconnected from your home? I've been going through one of those phases these last couple weeks. I don't like it, but it happens once in awhile just the same. I've been away from home, busy, having late nights out, and fallen behind on housework and feeling at home.

Matt and I spent last Friday night and all day Saturday camping and doing mountaineering training on Mt. Hood, then spent most of the day Sunday at his dad's house, sorting and packing up Matt's childhood room. His dad is working on staging and hopefully selling the house, so everything has to be gone through and got rid of or stored. Monday night we got some nice garden work in after a rare dinner out, Tuesday night I was out late to yoga and last night we went to see a documentary about a big wave surf spot on the Oregon Coast, Nelscott Reef, and its controversial surf competition. I have spent several nights recently at Matt's, have barely cooked a meal all week, haven't had a chance to shop for groceries, and this weekend we'll be spending Saturday and Sunday going to/in Seattle to see friends and go to the Folklife Festival. While I'm definitely enjoying myself doing all of these things, I haven't been at home much.

Another contributing factor is a new neighbor who plays very loud bass music almost every day, which of course I can hear from my apartment. I wish so much that I could tune it out, but apparently I am not built like that- I find it very distracting and irritating. Luckily it has never gone past 10 PM, so for now I am just trying to find the serenity to deal with it, but it does make me feel less in control of my own space when someone else's noise is invading my home. I am trying my very best not to feel paranoid about it, but it does really get to me. But I also feel like everyone has a right to their own preferred entertainment, at least during waking hours. If it happens after 10 or 11 PM, I will feel justified in asking them to do something about it.

So I just haven't felt connected to my little home recently, for a multitude of reasons.Work has been busy lately too, so I just haven't felt particularly rested in any part of my life, despite still generally enjoying myself. So I am looking forward to taking some time to settle back into my home, and put things to rights within my apartment and within myself. Tonight I will spend the evening home, by myself. There is so much to do, but mostly I just want to feel good at home again. I can do all the things that have been put off for the last (too many) days: cooking a real home meal, washing dishes, changing the bedding, doing a load or two of laundry, taking inventory of what food I have and making lists of what is needed, and maybe catching up on some sewing or knitting. I hope to end the evening by sitting down to watch part of a movie, but not until I get a few other things sorted out!


It's very disconcerting for me to lose my sense of home, to feel a little stir-crazy and lose touch with the routine things of my life and be falling into bed a little too late at night without doing more than brushing my teeth and pulling out clothes for the next day. I am looking forward to this evening, which is mine to do with what I like, and to this long weekend coming up. My office will be closing early tomorrow and closed all day Monday for Memorial Day, so even with the trip to Seattle, I will have some extra time to be at home and reconnect with those aspects of it that I am missing right now.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

1 comment:

Karen Sue said...

My son and daughter both lost their playoff games this week in baseball/softball. That brings an end to the year of HS sports here, which began with football & Volleyball practice in August before school started. There is an ebb and flow with those schedules and a lot of just grabbing on the run and I lose track of where I am with everything from time to time. But it's funny, how now, I spin my wheels, unsure of where to start and what to do first, but the garden spot is calling my name and that seems to make the most sense. Good Luck getting settled. It's a good thing to have all the ducks in a row, even if it is only from time to time!!