The Time to Wait

~ rabbitpatchdiary.com

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Christian left the house especially early yesterday, for work.  My only plans were to get the house in perfect order.  If I am home on the weekend, that is what I do. . .at least when school has started.  When Christian came home from work, the place looked like a battle had occurred, in his absence. It all started because I was looking for cobwebs in the hall. 

The ceiling has celotex tiles, which the real estate agent had disliked.  She had suggested that really everybody she has ever known, dislikes them too.  Still, this did not move me, to tear something  else up in this old house.  

As I searched for webs, I noticed that the tile that was loose, now for years was separating from the ceiling and the one beside it had followed suit.  I got a chair and peeked beneath and discovered there was bead board .  I can not explain why, but the loose tiles came down so easily -and so did the ones that were not so loose.  Half of the tiles were down and scattered in the hall when Christian walked in.  I thought he was going to  cry by the dismal  look on his face.  He has lived in a perpetual state of such incidents, for most of his life, after all.  . .and apparently, “it ain’t over yet”.  

I surveyed the calamity in the hall, and really was about as shocked as he was.  I truly never meant for it to happen.  I felt like I had been “caught with my hand in the cookie jar” . . .taking the last cookie . . .and broke the thing in the process.

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I was tired too.  I do not like any sort of ceiling work and make meaningless vows to never attempt it again, after any project that requires a ladder and craning your neck.  I cleaned up, what had accumulated .  About half of the ceiling was on the floor. . . but the bead board, when painted white was going to be lovely.

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The sun rose on Sunday casting no more than a blush, on the territory.  A coolness came in yesterday, so that I could raise the windows – and it remained this morning. How good it felt outside.  It was a quiet “early service”. Now rest assured that I have applauded on occasion, at an “early service”.  I have sang . . and yes I have danced like a joyful child-but this morning was still and silent and so I was too.   

I wanted to see Mama and Daddy today as I was gone for much of the summer, most especially, in the last weeks.  I had planned on a “Sunday supper” and so I started a pot of brunswick stew – and a chicken was roasting all before eight o’clock. . . and of course, there was that ceiling.

I did make some progress on the ceiling, though it is a bigger job, than I anticipated.  Every job always is.  I did not take into account removing the staples. . .nor that it would take three coats of paint, to properly finish it.  One day, I am going to plant flowers all day. . . and watch the rain fall on them, in the evening.

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I worked on that ceiling, carried out the debris and pulled grass along the garden path.  All of the food was cooking as I went about my business.  By evening, somehow beyond my wildest dreams, I had the car loaded down with food and was on my way to Mama and Daddys’.  The ceiling was not finished and the kitchen was not clean, but we would have our supper. 

It was pitch dark, when I returned to the rabbitpatch.  I made a feeble attempt to restore some order.  One thing was certain, the house was in worse shape than it was on Friday . . .and tomorrow was Monday . . .and that changes everything.

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 On Monday, I woke to an alarm.  There is just nothing natural about that. 

The sun made up for its’ lack of fanfare on Sunday, for Monday dawned bright and clear.  The sweet cool air was lingering and nobody was complaining about it.  Within a few hours, I was greeting the students.  Most of the students, I know well, for we have spent years together.  I know the names of their dogs and many of their grandparents.  I watched the kindergarten parents walking through the parking lot and thought, many years ago, that was me and I remembered the anticipation of the first day.  There are just some things, that stick with you no matter how old you get.

Monday turned into Tuesday and then it was Wednesday.  The leisure days of summer are replaced with routine and duties to be done at a certain time.  I actually bought a daily planner, and will try not to record what is blooming, along with  lesson plans. . . or the grocery list.  

I drive past the quiet pastures and fields and feel like I am visiting with old friends.  How good it is, that amidst the constant change in life, some things remain constant.   . . and often, they are the most beautiful things.

Christian and I were talking about this one night over supper.  We were going over the contents of our day.  We both had the “usual” kind of day. . . at least for us  We had both attended our work and made it home safely.  Now we were back at the rabbitpatch sitting around the kitchen table enjoying supper. We decided  first, that a good supper was always fitting, for a good day.   . .that in a way it was like a small celebration, every day.   . .and then, there was the time after supper when it was quiet and so unlike the day -free of tasks.  It is a restoration, of sorts, and the dogs and the cats were napping, and would only rouse when we retired for our own rest.  One dog, sleeps on the floor by Christians’ bed-and Cash, the boxer and the cat, Christopher Robin  curl up together, where I sleep.  It is always that way.  

That night, when I went out to say good night to the world, I saw the stars shining boldly.  The haze hung over the fields and the beauty of it all, did not go unnoticed.  I realised that for a long while, I have and shamefully so, been in a state of “biding time” -a sense of “waiting until”  was always present.  While we ought to hope and pursue our dreams, there isn’t a bit of harm in the time spent waiting. Some of my greater lessons have been revealed, while in the act of waiting.  . . and things like the time after supper and  silver clouds shrouding old fields, make the waiting so very pleasant.

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40 thoughts on “The Time to Wait”

  1. Wonderful attitude to take toward waiting, which I am not very good at. (Patience is surely a virtue, but alas it isn’t mine.) That’s quite a story about the ceiling. Lots and lots of mess work, but I bet it will look great when the work is finished.

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  2. I’m quite like you in that I see something – like your ceiling – that needs doing, and impulsively jump right in and start doing it, inevitably making a mess in the process. But, oh, the results are always worth it – as I know your painted bead board ceiling will be!

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  3. Oh Rabbit…I have been there too. When we won the bid on this house and got it moved to our one ac. it was a mess. That ‘stuff’ was on the ceilings covering bead board and ugly paneling covering wood walls as well. It all had to go and yes it is a mess and yes a lot paint.But what a difference it makes. Of course after all these years mine need to be repainted and maybe someday I’ll get to it. Right now there are weeds regrowing in the flower garden and both of my parents in the hospital…in two different places. Life does throw us a curve ball when we don’t expect it. Hang in there…we got to keep it together..

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  4. Well, I have spent much of my life making messes and changing things around the house. It always seem to end up a much bigger job than I anticipated, but the end result is always great. My hope is that one day soon the Rabbit Patch will sell and the waiting will be over. It is nice to wander outside and look at the stars – makes life slow down and become more peaceful.

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      1. Thank you. Floors are done, now onto digging out a overgrown “flower” bed aka giant grass patch with bulbs in it from 1994. Shovel work is wearing me out. Need to move all the peonies and irises now because my husband wants to put in an in ground pool in the spring. Now is the time for moving plants! I read that September is the best time for moving peonies. Whew, I will be glad when this project is done.

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  6. I lived for the future for many years. After we retired and moved to NC, I realized the waiting was over. It was time to live in the present. I don’t know why I didn’t do it years ago, but I’m trying to make up for lost time now. I hope your ceiling will please you soon.

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  8. Oh Michele, why did I stop reading, I missed the nook so much. I am so tired today with pretty much everything and the email alert popped with your post. To take my mind off thought of reading it. I was laughing and crying. I can just picture the tiles falling and your son’s look and yours too. Beautiful post. We just came back from China. I have started to write about that. But I will need to go to Sydney again soon as my eldest will need surgery. Life goes on. Hopefully all goes well. But a mothers heart never stops worrying. I would like to escape all that and end up at the rabbit patch.

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  9. Hello there my dear faraway friend,
    I really love these lines you’ve written;
    “How good it is, that amidst the constant change in life, some things remain constant. . . and often, they are the most beautiful things”
    Another beautiful outburst of yours that touched my heart. I feel you and I am sending you the encouragement and warm vibes. In German we say “Alles Gute..”
    As always, thank you for the inspiration.
    Christina

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      1. Michelle,we may not chat always, but I know the connection is always there. Hang on!We are doing good over here, thanks for asking.. getting colder in Germany but still manageable with light jacket.. life goes on everyday with daily routines. I am as well gliding balancing some quiet time with my hobby, family and work.It gets better everyday!Sending you warm greetings!

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  11. I am sorry….I had to grin when I pictured you tearing down those tiles once you had seen the bead board. I would have done exactly the same thing! Years ago in the house we previously lived in I discovered the linoleum covered a wood floor. When my husband came home I had half the floor pulled up. Some of it I got off using a butcher knife.
    Fortunately, he liked wood floors as much as I did!

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  13. I don’t see anything wrong with waiting either. I’m gonna have to testify right here. I’ve seen miracles come because I waited. I’ve seen my curiosity awarded because I waited. I also came to realize that some things also wait for me. When I’m ready to move on, so are they. If not, they just stay, and I move on without them. Interesting, right?!🤔

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  14. Aww. So sorry about the ceiling mess. We are in the midst of some much needed repairs, but I’m having to learn patience, because it’s a little bit every couple of days around children and my husband’s work schedule. Happy Back to School for you and thanks for writing. It’s lovely balm to my soul.

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