by Valynne | Dec 1, 2009 | CC Contests! |
Welcome to Caretaking Couple’s First Annual Christmastime Contest!
How it works:
1. Read any of the posts on this blog that interest you and post a question or comment of your own. You can do this by clicking on the comment link at the top of each post.
2. For each comment that you make, your name will be placed in my Christmas stocking. On December 7th, a name will be drawn from the stocking.
3. We will announce the winner that evening. The prize will be (you guessed it) a sampling of Mountain Girl Organics Products, shipped in time for Christmas!
* Contestant need not be present to win. HeeHee.
by Valynne | Nov 30, 2009 | Simple Living |
What an authentic Thanksgiving Paul and I had this year. It was quiet and relaxing and greatly appreciated after what can best be described as a tumultuous time in our lives. We finished up the last of the leftovers in between unpacking, organizing, and Sunday paper reading. It occured to me that, after days of eating the same meal over and over again, it was indeed time to move on. Food as metaphor.
by Valynne | Nov 23, 2009 | Simple Living |
Paul is “home”. He pulled up this morning to two happy dogs and one very happy girlfriend. It’s a long drive – 2,000 miles in a U-Haul by oneself. Still, he feels good. A little tired, but good. Real good. We both do. Good and thankful! Plus, it is a Sunday to boot. We love Sundays on the Bay. The first thing we did was take the dogs for a walk along the water.
Tomorrow, with help from a couple of college guys, we unload and organize what is left of our belongings. We are officially sans property. Some people have said we are crazy to relinquish the American Dream. I say we haven’t, really. Now, we get to take care of other people’s American Dreams. We are free to travel from home to home, taking care of each one as if it were our own. I feel a new tagline coming on…
by Valynne | Nov 16, 2009 | Friends of Caretaking Couple |
Laura and I at the Silver Lounge
Laura lives in Connecticut, (one of) my old stomping grounds. We met several years ago while working for a mental health facility. I remember her first day there and thinking then that we would surely be friends. Maybe it was her Longaberger Basket purse. I love Longaberger Baskets! She sold them at the time. They are pretty pricey, but these baskets are so sturdy and durable! They made it through many a farmers’ market…but enough about baskets.
The two of us are living a couple of hours (give or take) away from each other now, and Laura drove out to visit me on Saturday. We did a couple of fun things around the area (lunch is always fun!) but mostly stayed home with the dogs. The time went by way too fast. I still struggle with time – seems like I am still making time for time, even in my deliberate quest to simplify. I had a Mountain Girl Organics (my business) meeting that I really could not reschedule, and some family drove over to visit with the dogs (Ty is doing better but still needs lots of encouragement). Laura has two kids at home and more jobs than one person should be allowed, so her schedule is very tight…tricky.
Regardless of all that, it is always good to see her. One day soon, we will visit with few outside distractions and an actual budget. Maybe a spa weekend, or a retreat of some sort. Maybe we could go on a cruise; a creative type cruise! You know, where you listen to motivational speakers or something along those lines that feels relaxing and inspiring (in between ports, of course). Laura is a Spanish teacher; perhaps we could go on a Western Mediterranean cruise! I could polish up (ie relearn) my Spanish while we are there. Here I go again with the distractions. Maybe we could simply turn off the computers and phones and just hang out next time. What do you think, Laura? What do you think, everyone else?
PS Thanks, Frank for suggesting the Silver Lounge in Falmouth – we really enjoyed it! Plus there is a really sweet country store attached…always looking for new homes for my natural bath and body products line : )
by Valynne | Nov 13, 2009 | Caretaking / House and Pet Sitting, Friends of Caretaking Couple |
Linda teaches Judy and Valynne the Art of Texas Hold 'Em
I have heard it asked from a few of you…what exactly is it that you do with your time now, Valynne? Allow me to enlighten. A caretaker typically does whatever it is that the absentee property owner(s) would be doing had they not left the premises. Each job is going to be a little bit, if not a lot, different than the last.
Currently, we maintain a large home and property and care for two dogs. Since Paul has been in Colorado tying up loose ends with the house sale, my focus has been nearly 100% on the dogs. They are used to constant companionship, and one is not feeling so well lately, so my number one goal is to get him to his appointments and be sure I am doing everything I can in keeping him comfortable and helping him to get to feeling better.
Other priorities include cleaning the house, keeping up on the yard work, forwarding any phone messages/mail, giving regular status updates on the dogs, watering the plants, starting the engines of idle cars, keeping appointments for any maintenance/repair work that needs doing; that kind of stuff.
It is very important for a house to look lived in from a security standpoint, so even an empty house that has no pets or plants to care for would benefit from having the newspapers taken in and the lights turned on each night. Also, occasionally, things come up and need attending to. For example, an inconvenient event like frozen water pipes or a broken window can quickly reach disaster status with no one to discover and tend to said event in a timely manner.
What else am I doing with my time? I am blogging : ) and studying computer stuff. I am researching other natural bath and body products companies online (info on founders, case studies, business models, new products, etc) . I am gearing up for an important meeting regarding the future of Mountain Girl Organics (thank you for your questions and encouragement while we figure out what the next step looks like and how to take it). I am discovering more and more what it means (for me) to simplify and enjoy.
The “enjoy” category currently includes learning how to really play Texas Hold ‘Em! I’ve played a few times before and have always had so much fun, but my plans for a weekly poker night never made the calendar in Colorado. I blamed this on a fledgling business, various part-time jobs, a house on the market, Paul’s new role at his job (not to mention his lack of enthusiasm when it comes to card games), and so on and so forth. Now, here I am, making new friends while pursuing a new hobby.
But enough about me. Let’s talk about you; specifically things that interest you. What hobby would you pursue if you found yourself with more time on your hands? Would this be a brand new hobby for you or something you have enjoyed in the past and would like to rekindle? And, as always, if you have any caretaking questions/comments that you would like me to tackle/touch upon, I am all ears.
it works: