Lagging Behind

The other day, I gathered stalks with curled, dried leaves, seed pods, and late blooming flowers to make a seasonal bouquet. This morning, having carved out a tiny space at the table to write in my journal, I thought wistfully about how nice it would be to display that arrangement there. Impossible! The main focus in this household is getting ready for my October art show.

My dining room table is covered with a variety of piles. There is a pretty big stack of matted collages, waiting to be mounted into frames. The frames have been ordered and shipped, but have not yet arrived here on the island. Next to that are incidental items used for matting and framing: linen hinging tape, glazier’s points, screw eyes, scissors, gimlet, screwdriver, tape measure. There is a pile of foam sheets, to layer between artwork, to protect it from scratches. There is a stack of papers to be filed, one of bills to be paid, and one of paperwork I’ll need to bring downstate with me.

The chairs are equally occupied with the task at hand. One holds a stack of plexiglass sheets; a box of metal frame rails sits on another; mat board occupies a third. My purse moves from the fourth dining chair to my desk chair, depending on where I need to be. In the kitchen, two large, recently assembled frames lean against the freezer. The laundry room is filled with boxes and sheets of cardboard. In the living room, another collection of boxes reflects the work that is finished and ready to ship.

My plan was to have one hundred pieces of artwork to display. I’m on track with that goal. Fifty-four pieces are mounted, framed, boxed up and catalogued. Twenty others need picture hanging wire attached, and to have their titles and prices added to my master list. Two large paintings have to be mounted into their frames. I’m waiting on plexiglass for three collagraphs. And, there are those few frames that are still en route. Compared to how I’ve met with other deadlines in my life, I’m doing pretty well!

Clearly, though, I’m behind in almost everything else! Recent rains have gotten the grass growing, and the yard once again needs to be mowed. My garden is just about done for the season. I’ve quit pulling weeds, or worrying what the deer might steal. At this point, anything I can harvest is a bonus and, frankly, more than I have time to deal with. There’s already a big bag of green beans taking up a shelf in my refrigerator, waiting to be trimmed, sliced, blanched and bagged for the freezer.

I gathered up all the other produce last evening. There were several zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, half of a head of cauliflower, a few stalks of Swiss chard, a half-dozen tomatoes and an equal number of hot peppers. I cleaned and chopped, then combined it all in my big kettle, to simmer until it was soft. Just before bed, I shuffled things around to make room in the refrigerator for that mixture. Today, I’ll put it through the food mill, and portion it out for the freezer. In the winter, I’ll use it in place of water in soups and stews. It’s a small accomplishment, but I’ll accept it!

The calendar tells me that it’s been two weeks since I last posted a blog. That’s okay. During the last two weeks, I had company, worked 13 days in a row at two jobs outside of my home, harvested whatever was ripe, and did a mountain of framing. Sometimes, the best thing is to ignore what has been neglected, and focus on what did get done. That’s what I’m doing!