Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Never a Dull Moment



A few weeks ago I decided to go "home" to the Ottawa Valley for awhile. Sadly, one of my aunt's had just died, and I wanted to take advantage of my 'free' time, to go and stay with my uncle...do what I could to help him through this horrible transition period.

One thing led to another. There was no more denying that this country girl was ready to get back to the woods and the water. And, once I put that out to the Universe, things started happening.

Eight days ago I went to look at a little place in the village of Chapeau, Quebec. I fell in love...knew immediately that both the village and the house felt more like home than anything I could have imagined for myself. 6 days ago, my offer to purchase was accepted. 4 days ago, a home inspector gave the place his blessing...it's a 1940s house but all the right upgrades have been done and it's move-in ready with no necessary investments. Yesterday I met with a banker to finalize a ridiculously tiny mortgage. Today, there are only a few formalities left to complete (none should prove to be obstacles) and very soon, I will own my new home.

It is a perfect place to write. My terraced little lawn ends in the Ottawa River. My canoe can come out of hiding and be happy once again. I can come out of hiding and be happy once again. The location, though a little off the beaten track, is absolutely perfect...smack dab in the middle of all the folks that matter most to me here in this part of the world.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Then again...

A few days ago I realized that the time has come to stop talking about writing a book and actually do it! It will tell the tale of my inner and outer travels, the power of paying attention when the universe tells us what we are meant to do. Thank you to each and every one of you who has been with me through the journey, and encouraged me to share it with the world. I'm finally ready to try.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Realities

More changes. Economic realities being what they are, it's time to accept the rather difficult fact that it's time to re-enter the workforce for awhile. First round retirement has been a non-stop adventure that leaves me looking forward to more of the same, but...

I've completed the International Community Development program, and decided to put my philosophy/ethics studies on hold (though the newly ignited excitement around philosophy isn't going to go anywhere!). For the foreseeable future, my Longido adventures will need to be lived vicariously while I keep my focus on generating money to support the Girl-Mothers program.

So now...adventures will be of a more home-grown variety. No less interesting I'm sure, just different.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Today??

Today, perhaps, I will finally get round to unpacking the last duffel bag. It sits, hides, behind my bed so I'm only reminded of it on rare mornings when the night before was restless enough that I need to actually go back there to properly readjust the bedding on that normally unruffled side, the side some part of me always holds on reserve for another.

There's always a last duffle...on my return it catches the odds and the ends and the bits and the pieces of things that aren't really needed here but for whatever reason I choose to bring home rather than leave them behind in faraway Africa. Unpacking it requires that I acknowledge that I have chosen to be here, and carries the same degree of mental struggle as would going out to buy the much needed blinds for my too-light windows. Too big a leap to say this is my home...this is where/how I have chosen to be, in a space just big enough for one plus the ghost of a beagle...moreover that I'll likely be here long enough to make the investment in leave-behind blinds worthwhile.

I have been sleeping without darkness since I chose this home in September 2006.

Today, perhaps.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Adventures of a different sort

I miss this one-sided conversation with whoever you are out there. Not posting underscores a view that "Jo's midlife adventures" are somehow on hold, when in fact I most need to remind myself to seek the adventures in every day, even here, freezing my now reduced butt off in the midst of an Ottawa winter.

The African journey is only on hold. All the questions it's raised, all the inspiration to do more to help, has led me to start adventuring in academia. I'm now officially registered in a Certificate in Applied Ethics program at the Dominican University here in Ottawa. My first two classes felt like no less an adventure than my first day in Longido. For starters, I don't speak the language. Philosophy?? Me?? All those years of formal education, initially so focused on the sciences then economics mostly of the mathematical sort, and suddenly I feel like the only 50-something on the planet who hasn't read Plato...doesn't know one 'ism' from another. But the adventure comes in suddenly finding myself old enough and fearless enough to look a professor in the eye and say "I don't understand this" and ultimately learning something totally new. My brain is excited...looking forward to the challenge of the next few months.