We are looking for a place to rent. There are a lot of possibilities, so we have to narrow them down. At the same time it will probably be a short-term lease so we're not looking to stay there forever.
The location is important. I would like somewhere with trees and close proximity to water. It is also paramount that I be able to walk to the shops/cafes and there is a bit of a village feel, rather than a soulless suburb in a cultural wasteland.
But let's focus solely on the house - and preferrably it is a detatched house rather than an appartment or a terrace. Although, of course, we could mostly live anywhere if necessary, there are some things that are very high on the wish list, and yes, I realise this is exactly what we own.
5 Things I Want in a House:
- Three bedrooms - our room, guest room and office (preferrably one with an ensuite)
- Open plan living areas - I'm happy to be in the kitchen cooking if I can still mingle with the conversation in the front room; good flow to the outdoor area also works for entertaining
- A garage or large lockable shed - I don't care about the car, but we need somewhere safe and dry to put the bikes (and the beer)
- A bath - it's not a bathroom if it hasn't got a bath
- Must take pets - our cat goes where we go; that really is non-negotiable
Six weeks ago I ruptured my medial head gastrocnemius playing football. Apparently it is a textbook injury (I prefer the word 'textbook' to 'common') and the rheabilitation period is twelve weeks, made in incremental steps.
I spent two weeks in a cast with my leg totally immobilised, and hobbling around on crutches, and no, sadly, I didn't look anywhere near as good as Emily Blunt. I am going to the physio two or three times a week and doing stretching and strengthening exercises for about two hours a day. It's getting better slowly and steadily, but it will be another six weeks before I am allowed to run again (and I'm not sure if and/or when football will be permitted again).
Yesterday I returned the crutches to the hospital with a great sense of satifaction, and it led me to think about injuries and recovery and the things we (or certainly, I) take for granted.
5 Mini Steps to Recovery:
- Being able to carry stuff, particularly drinks, particularly hot drinks - have you any idea how long it takes to move a cup of coffee from room to room by putting it on a surface, picking up the crutches, hopping forward a step, putting down the crutches, moving the cup forward a few inches, picking up the crutches, hopping forward a step, etc? About twenty minutes. Of course, I could just lean in the kitchen and drink it standing up, but that somewhat defeats the purpose.
- Being able to stand up - hopping around art galleries or racing through airport terminals is simply not possible so although most of the time crutches are manageable, there were occasions when I needed to be in a wheelchair. Although some of my friends enjoyed pushing me around for a change (you know who you are), it is not pleasant to be at groin level with the general public - especially those who insist on exposing midriffs and bumcracks. Please put it away - I don't want to look and when I am at this height, I really haven't got a choice!
- Having a bath - sitting on a garden chair in the shower with a plastic bag wrapped around your leg just isn't the same.
- Driving a car - it's my left leg, so if I drove an automatic it wouldn't be a problem, but I don't and so it is. The pressure you need to apply to depress the clutch and change gears has been beyond me for the last month and a half. Appreciative as I am of Him Outdoors dropping me off and picking me up from places, the nature of his job means he is on-call and his timekeeping is fluid if a call comes through that he must attend. Being given the all clear to drive last week has returned much of my freedom and independence - hurrah!
- Exercise - I never thought I'd miss it. Times have been tough over the last couple of months and I realise that I like to get out and go for a jog or a bike ride in the fresh air to clear my head and stop things getting me down mentally. As this has been impossible I have been sitting in the sweltering heat with my leg elevated and my mind churning over depressing thoughts. Yesterday I went for my first bike ride in the outdoors (only twenty minutes around the block, but so much better than the stationary bike in the garage) and it felt good.
This is not part of the recovery five, but I have noticed the amazing kindness and generosity of many of my friends, from holding doors open for me, to patiently waiting while I hobble slowly, sitting doing nothing but drinking cups of tea or glasses of wine, and even coming round to hang out my washing when I was incapable. Thank you all - you're great and I appreciate all your friendship and support.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a new favourite thing. That’s not strictly true, but it’s been a while since I’ve written about one. So, my newest favourite thing – discovered while visiting Our Gracious Host & Hostess – is Bliss super minty soap n’ scrub energizing exfoliator for the body.
Wow! This stuff knocks your socks off – that is, if you are wearing socks in the shower, which would be a little odd. It zings (but not stings), taking your breath away and leaving you feel ‘clean to the extreme’. The website suggests it is good for a post-workout wash, and while I can attest to this, it is also fabulous simply for getting up in the morning if, like me, early mornings are not your best time.
It’s a jet-lag beater and you just feel fresh and ready to cope with anything once you’ve bathed with the ‘jojoba bead packed and peppermint cooling soap scrub paste’. Breathing in the fumes is like standing on the side of the coolest glacier – you feel pristine and glowing once you step out of the shower. The pale blue and white tubes carry a warning to use sparingly around ‘intimate areas’, which is advice worth noting.
The website (www.blissworld.com) has a range of other enticingly named products including lemon and sage soapy sap, blood orange and white pepper body butter, and vanilla and bergamot bubbling bath and shower gel. There’s a cute ‘tried and blue travel kit’ and a handy ‘sinkside six-pack’. Incidentally, why are all miniature things considered cute? That’s just a random aside.
You may well feel this is going a bit over the top for what is effectively soap, but try it! I had to bring some back with me in my already over-stuffed suitcase as I didn’t know if it was available in New Zealand. It’s not. I’ve been looking for a new favourite bath product since The Body Shop sold out to L’Oreal and I may just have found one. Now I just have to find people to go to the US, Canada, UK and Ireland to bring me the stuff!
