Jan. 11, 2016

Well, the new year on 26th Street has not totally swept out the old, thankfully.  The family drama has not had any drastic plot alterations, the cast and setting are the same, but there have been scenes of sound and fury as well as the odd belly laugh.  I have heard quite a bit lately about downsizing, which I did when I moved here.  It's a very practical concept, well suited to my nature and our times.  The world can no longer accommodate our excessive accumulation and waste.  But the day to day, 24/7 reality of living at close quarters is a radical learning experience. Now that Jay, May and the girls are sharing the house with me, we are discovering that the size of the place is less important than the attitude of the people within it.  On good days, I open my bedroom door and greet whoever I encounter in the rest of the house with a happy, "Howdy neighbour"; on a bad day we all feel like prisoners in our own rooms; when we meet beyond our doors it's awkward.  Two teenage girls, two young parents and one old Lola are a match that was made someplace other than heaven. At least, that's how it seems at times, but at others it's the contrary; we joke and laugh and eat together in harmony.  We have no choice but to make a serious effort to get to know ourselves and to understand and respect each other.  When you live alone or with people of your own age and inclinations or at a distance from others, it's easy to ignore these things and to become convinced of your own 'rightness.'  We have been experiencing growing pains, but I think we are all improving, and I'm happy to discover that I can still learn a few new tricks.  It's not easy, but we are all giving it our best efforts shot, most of the time.  We're family after all; if we can't live together in relative peace and calm, what hope is there for the world.  

Speaking of family, here are two pictures I've had since I visited Ottawa this summer.  The first is of the lovely young Caroline with her baby, Gabe.  The second is of me with Gabe's son.