Escapism

or how to survive without a shower and washing machine

We have water in the kitchen and in one bathroom — but unfortunately no water in the shower or in the laundry room. And we will most probably have to live with it until June, when it is possible to dig in the ground again.

I haven’t had the energy (or the will) to clean the kitchen yet —

all those men going in and out with dirty and wet shoes, left me with a floor that is dirtier than dirty. And to top it off there is a good sprinkle of sawdust everywhere.

Instead of indulging in domestic chores I’ve fled to Gutenberg, and made a new acquaintance, Dallas Lore Sharp. I understand that he was a well-known and popular author at his time, but I’d never heard of him before. Gutenberg has only two of his books, I began with “The Hills of Hingham”, and was hooked.

It makes me think of another favorite author E. B. White, and his essays.

Oh, I know that I have to tackle the kitchen — but I don’t have to think about it until I’m there!

In search of water

Not much has changed since I wrote last time. The computer and I, still have different ideas abut most every thing.

And were still without water. It turned out not only to be a broken pump — there is a leak under the kitchen floor. So yesterday we had two carpenters here who were making a hole in the floor under the sink, trying to figure out how to find the leak and how to mend it. One of them just came back and is making a terrible noise with a large machine. We fled the kitchen, the noise and dust.

What will happen next, remains to be seen.

Almost back on track

A Young Water Carrier

Guido Bach

This is how I spend my days, even if I’m neither young nor so picturesque as this young lady.

Life has a tendency to send all those small nettlesome events your way, at the same time. So while I was struggling to get rid of a virus in my computer the electric pump in our well broke down. That happened Tuesday afternoon, just when I craved my afternoon tea. I’m glad we have plenty of snow right outside the door — it is easier to bring in snow for flushing the toilets and washing the dishes, than carrying buckets with tap water from my studio — that water I save for drinking and cooking.

Although I’ve managed to get rid of the virus, it did mess up some of the computers functions. I’m waiting for a friend to help me with that, until that is fixed I won’t use the computer a lot. It’s simply no fun to try to outwit a stubborn computer.

The good news is that my mother is doing fine, she’ll need some minor surgery, that’s all.