Some thoughts on aging.

Age is opportunity no less,

Than youth itself, though in another dress,

And as the evening twilight fades away,

The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Morituri Salutamus.

* * *

The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do more, and you are not yet decrepit enough to turn them down.

~T.S. Eliot, quoted in Time, 23 October 1950.

* * *

I fear vastly more a futile, incompetent old age than I do any form of death.

~William Allen White

* * *

Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that happen to a man.

~Leon Trotsky (Lev Davidovich Bronstein), Diary in Exile, 1935.

* * *

Every man desires to live long, but no man would be old.

~Jonathan Swift, Thoughts on Various Subjects, 1711.

* * *

There must be a day or two in a man's life when he is the precise age for something important. ~Franklin P. Ada

* * *

Middle age is youth without its levity, and age without decay.

~Daniel Defoe

What a mess!

OK, OK, this is actually Christmas morning and no, I don't think I had yet combed my hair that morning, and yes, I've cleaned up this whole mess already, but I thought this was a great photo to go with this "thought for the day."

Several weeks ago, I read in the January 2009 Better Homes and Gardens magazine, p. 28, the following statement (and it has been on my mind ever since, probably because the "shoe fits"): "A big reason why clutter accumulates is because items are homeless." Who knew I had a homeless problem right in my own house? I know I have some pack rats verging on hoarders here but homelessness of "things" hadn't even been considered. Of course, disposing of certain homeless items would fill me with glee, but perhaps if I tackle the gargantuan task of assigning everyone's hoarded stuff a home, perhaps THAT is the key. I do think that is a finite solution because you can only pack so much sand in a rat hole, but I will look at clutter now in a new light. Is it the clutter's fault that it is homeless? No, it is mine! (Well, seriously, I thought this woman's point was very valid--sometimes clutter is just stuff that is waiting for a home, and so THAT is actually what I'm going to think about with any homeless stuff I see around the house.)

Some photos of Tom's

Here is a house next to my mother's house that "we're" renovating. I refer to it as "Tom's house." Stay posted for more photos of the house after the outside is worked on. Particularly stay tuned to see the improved gable end over the addition, new windows, the creation of eves and new roofing.
Here is the view of the living room from the entry. Stay tuned for some new windows coming soon. Also note the paint color. It is a nice shade of taupe.

Here is another shot of the living room. We've found out the chimney is rotted. So look for the fireplace to disappear. You can almost see the new electrical plugs in this picture (left hand corner of the photo). Gone are the scary, old extension cords. Much safer.

Notice the absense of a big, weird cabinet. This little nook is greatly improved already. This is in the kitchen. Note that the floor is ready for tile.

This is another photo of the kitchen. Note how wonky the lower cabinet is. Well, the cabinet is no more. Stay tuned.

This shot of the bathroom is particularly unflattering. It has changed even from this photo. Stay tuned. As in most old houses, the plumbing and electrical needed help.

Another shot of the upstairs bathroom. The tile is now off the shower wall and the plumbing has been worked on.

This is the stairwell into the back entry. Note that you can actually turn on the back porch light without searching for the string hanging from the ceiling. Primarily, C & T have been doing LOTS of work at Tom's house. We've also had electricians there. Soon SH will also be doing work there, primarily on the outside. I'll update with photos in a few weeks to show the progress.