Out With The Old

Do you periodically do a “new” thing or see old things in a new way? Spring is a time of newness. Ok, everybody knows that. The seasonal change fixin’ to happen soon isn’t responsible for the “new” I’m dealing with. No, there is a new kind of new around here, a herd of new, a new look, a new spin, and a fresh view. Newness. If it had a fragrance, it would smell like rain … after a summer shower.

It was high time for change around here. Our house is almost 20 years old and it is at the point when several things begin to show their age. My craft room has needed a make-over (mucked out is closer to the truth) for a long time. “Critical mass” was reached recently. My closets ranneth over… to the point that I wasn’t sure what might be on the bottom in the back. I was certain of one thing though – whatever was back there hadn’t been used or seen in many years and it was leaving! Likewise, my office had become an embarassing mess for longer than I am willing to admit. I knew a day of reckoning would one day come. I finally had to face the giant. When I was halfway through the “purge & tidy” process, I wondered why oh why I had put it off for soooo long! It felt good to finally rid myself of the brand of anxiety caused by prolonged procrastination. I took sack after sack to the garbage and as many more to a 2nd hand store. Oh. My. Gosh. I feel Freeeeeeeeee! No. More. Piles.

I’m not done with “Project N.E.W.” yet, but now that I’ve got success under my belt, I feel like the little engine that could! It was a long time in coming. What a breath of fresh air. First, let me show you the fruit of my labor. But, I gotta back up a little by telling you that my craft room looked like … like, well, a terrible mess. THAT is why I put off the make-over for so long. I knew it would be a torture. However, I did it!!! And, now that I’m on the other side of it, I HAVE A GUEST ROOM. I bought a few new things (bed and an antique quilt) and I had many old things that had been stashed away. Now they have a brand NEW life. From catch-all mess to cottage-cozy bedroom. Here ‘tiz:

It is a teeny-tiny room … just enough space for a bed and that is about all. I bought the iron bed at a ranch auction last summer. It took nearly an hour to polish the brass knobs. They were positively black and the tarnish was crusty-icky-sticky. But, at least the bed still had all four ball-knobs and not a one is dented.

A couple of vintage needlepoint pieces morphed into pillows – after living in a to-do pile for ohhhhhhh, lets just say awhile. I’d also collected several vintage prints of farmy meadows and old cottage scenes for my “someday” guest room. I wanted the room to feel like what I remember about my grandparent’s bedroom … right down to the morning light shining through lace curtains.

Now, my sister can stay with us when she comes over to visit!

The time has come to start spring house-cleaning too. But, I need to go deeper than usual. I’ve got a taste of success now and I want s’more! This is heady stuff :o)

I primped the porch … nothing major, but “springed it up a little”. I also hung up an old ladder so that I’d have a handy place to store my baskets.

Another spot that needed a new spin was my tiny laundry room. It doesn’t even qualify as a room. There is space for a washer & dryer and now a new upright freezer that sits in the area across from them. To spruce up the area, I painted the “room” barn red and added barnwood trim. I also hung up two old washboards and a wool under garment on the wall.

We installed a heavy-duty storm door and a new inner door; it has a leaded glass panel. I love the light that it lets in … bits & pieces of rainbow sparkles. How about you, what is new in your world??

Rather than let my lower nature talk me into thinking I’m weary (aka plain old procrastinating), I feel a new drive to get to the bottom of an aging to-do list. I want a NEW to-do list. Each thing you check off such a list offers a fresh boost of enthusiasm, but you gotta RUN forward with it or the feeling seems to evaporate. I’m finding that as I get older, I have to muster ambition. I used to just wake up with it.

House things are high on the DO list, but I also have some NEW gardening items on my mind … like many of you I imagine. I want to do a few things differently this year. The weather predictions may be right about a deepening drought in this region. Sigh, just when we thought we were safely out of an 8 year drought. With this in mind, no beets this year. Last summer, my beets looked fine on top, but there was nothing under the dirt. They don’t like hot, dry summers and it matters not that you water them more. I’ll just plant more tomatoes.

This too, I’m going to plant an old, oval shaped stock tank with shorter varieties of sunflowers. During a drought, the birds don’t have as much natural forage. I can enjoy the massive bouquet in the summer and they’ll have plenty of seeds in the fall.

Past life. I have one. I had to give myself several “tuff love” reminders as I went through 30 years of craft supplies. I was steeled to get rid of most and I mean most of the heap. I kept only those things which I am sincerely interested in revisiting. My fabric collection is now in one modest cupboard. I used to design patterns for magazines. Making historic looking dolls, animals and teddy bears was a passion. I burned out many years ago, but going through my stash rekindled a flame.

As you know, my dear old mares left this life in February. This is the first year in over 20 years that I have one main ride. “Ribbon” is not exactly new to me (age 6), but this is a new phase for both of us. Until now, she was the young ‘up & comer’. The picture below was taken when she was literally new … like two days old. Looking down this same neck with a bridle at the end of it is not exactly new either, but it feels new-ish. Ribbon is now my one and only It Girl. My truly new horse, Apple, won’t be ready for me to ride until sometime later this summer.

We’re just beginning to calve. There are two new babies as of yesterday. 198 to go. I’ve ridden twice and from here through May, it will be a daily thing. Calving isn’t new to me either, but relying entirely on a young horse is definitely new. I’ve always had a finished saddle-horse to ride when I wasn’t in the mood to deal with a rookie. And, that is part of the reason Ribbon is new to this role. We’re both turning over a new leaf. She’s going to get to see lots of new babies this spring and we’re both fixin’ to do a lot of growing up. :o)

We rode this afternoon and gathered the ‘1st calf’ heifers so that we could bring them home to calve. A realization made me pause. I looked down at Ribbon’s mane and I was saddened more than a little to know that I would never again feel my old friends under me. The time has come to truly commit to Ribbon.

It is also time to have a new photo taken of myself and Ribbon for my blog picture (upper right).

I like this feeling of newness. I want to and there are times when we have to, even if it can be bittersweet in some instances. I bet many of you have felt this same kind of thing in your own life, albeit in a different setting. With it comes a feeling of being compelled … yes? Keep hold of it too, I’m learning. Otherwise, it leaks away little by little.

Muster … a word out of military history. Think early America when troops held a military muster on the parade grounds in Colonial Williamsburg. With that in mind, it is exactly what is needed to stir your spirit. Fire the cannons and put some pride and spring in your step. Walk like you mean it.

So, the above is what this farmgirl has had on her plate of late … and on my mind. I’m a BahHumBug when it comes to buying into the “new & improved” marketing ploy. Hu-Uh, I like tried & true. I love old things, old ways and old habits. I like old telephones and I’m not talking bag cell phones. I mean rotary dial old … and, yes, I have one. I like phones that don’t do ANYthing else but let you make or take a call. However, I’m willing to make a few adjustments, what with this newfound affection for newness. I’ve got a big idea about keeping newness fresh. Could it be that I accidentally discovered the fountain of youth. Oh, I do hope so :o)