Life. Be in it at Cooma

I've been back a while from my Cooma trip,  back to my luxury house in Sydney, where everything is provided.

That's a problem.

Its actually the longing for things, the Chasing and Stretching and Fixing and then Actually GETTING that makes life thrilling. The things left for me to want in my real Sydney life are things I have no idea how to do. Getting Grants. Writing books. Making a family with someone. Daunting.

Cooma though, was simple. Just doing the same physical things that made me happy when I was a kid.

Here was my last Saturday WWOOFing in Cooma, before Saying goodbye to host Kevin.

• Arranging the furniture

Op shop treasures: Mosquito net, 70's bed sheet, glass saucepan.

Back in the old days, doing some midnight re-arranging of furniture was an irresistible form of excitement for us seven Macaulay children. We can change the world!

This could not be done at Kevin's. The reason being, he has no furniture.
So....
Fearing the lumpy practical discards that ascetic Kevin would probably buy 'for now' - and then keep on using for the next 20 years - I took him for a pre-emptive opp shop.

I Ceciliaized.
Poor bloke. But his daughters will be happy to come home to pretty things.

Mosquito net. Its snowing outside. And now inside too.

"Go Gustavian" I instructed him, remembering the airy 18th century Scandinavian houses from travels long ago.  "Don't buy things unless they are silvery, snowy, blue or a natural flesh color.  And beautiful.

Kevin Kirton

The rule is, get your house to look like you. 

Cooma opp shopping

When we came back to pick up the pretty Wedgwood blue couch I'd found, the nice lady threw in a Seventies tray, as it went so well with the rest of my stash. Just looking at it re-activated the 70's 'Life Be in it' Jingle, and gave us a soundtrack to sing for our house warming, house equipping party-for-two.

• Optimising

Cecilia's list of pre-lunch tasks for Kevin

I can't do anything in this world unless I trick myself into wanting to do it. Carefully selected words are like rocket-fuel for me.

Do I want a 'To-Do' list telling me what to do? 

NO.

How about we make it 'Creative Actions' list? 

Count me in!

Do I want to 'tidy' the bins, 'clean out' the esky? 

NO. That would make me a powerless drudge.

'Redesigning' the garbage, 'Optimizing' the esky is just fine. That makes me a powerful designer.

But because I've got the habit of putting things so nicely, I often miss the chance to actually do housework. Other people beat me to it.

 

While Miss Resourceful re-covered the missing button, Kevin chopped wood. 

If you do work that requires problem solving, seeking out materials, it makes people around you feel grateful for mundane tasks they actually know how to proceed with. That gives them energy. 

Energizing each other is the best way to do it. Humans aren't really designed to energize themselves. As I'm finding out in my Solitary Sydney life.

Lovely 70's tray-table with Cosmos, from the opp shop

• Gardening

Kevin's decision to join the Cooma Community Garden meant I didn't have to get him started on one at home - people get energy from each other, his gardening life would be just fine.

Gorgeous freindly Sculpture by ???

Strawberry bathtub

• Going for walks

You might see something lovely like...

A frog!

Or a fence.
Isn't this marvelous.
It almost completely redeems the architecture behind it.
I want to be friends with whoever did this.
Each piece of timber is allowed to turn up and express itself, fitting in nicely with its neighbors. And look how the Main posts mingle with the crowd.

I want to live life like this fence.

Beautiful natural fence, Cooma