RECHARGING THE
BATTERIES
Long ago I traveled
constantly for work and staying home was a rare luxury. I was constantly on “the
go” and “life” stopped as I traipsed my way around the United States, Europe,
Japan and Australia. It was an exciting and great way to make money, and to see
the world, but my “life” was suspended while out there. Sadly, when I was home,
I wasn’t making money and the allure of the legal tender that came with waking
up early in Sydney or Sarajevo or Salt Lake City was strong, and my family life
suffered even as I crisscrossed the world. Recharging the batteries was never
an option.
SOME THINGS NEVER
CHANGE
Given the opportunity I
surely would have done things differently, like win the lottery so I wouldn’t
have to work so much.
Despite the mistakes of
the past, the allure of the road is still strong with me and Janet. The future
brims with opportunity to see more of this world, even though NOW we have to
pay our traveling expenses. UGH.
DOWNTIME HERE DREAMING
OF ELSEWHERE
Seemingly Janet and I
are constantly on the move and with that observation comes the feeble idea that
we don’t like lingering around our middle-class garret in this ultra-posh town
of Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Though we’d rather be elsewhere, here is pretty
comfortable. When we conjoined our lives, we decided to remain in the garret and
use this as a home base. So, though we travel a lot we are being cheap, and we
make “here” a great place to live.
IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE
We have a birdfeeder
just outside our kitchen window that attracts Goldfinches, Purple Finches, Blue
Birds, Cat Birds and several varieties of woodpeckers. We delight in watching
the color of the Goldfinches become vibrant as spring approaches.
Every summer Janet
transforms our back deck into an oasis, filling every available space with
potted plants and ferns. Throw in a melodic windchime, a beautifully colorful
patio umbrella, and ring the whole “extra” room with festive lighting and the
world beyond is of little consequence.
We’ve extended our garden
by planting Hosta and ferns, cherry tomatoes and several varieties of hot peppers.
This year we have Tabasco, Cayenne, Jalapenos, Habaneros, Ghost Peppers and
Carolina Reapers.
 |
| Carolina Reaper |
Come harvest time we
are busy making Pineapple/Habanero jelly and several versions of hot sauces. We
stuff Jalapenos with cream cheese and wrap them in bacon. They freeze well for
later use. Peppers too, but sometimes we dry them in the oven.
POOLS TOO.
We have good friends
who invite us to their pool a couple of times per week and we always accept the
invitation. Thankfully they don’t drink so we’re not compelled to ply them with
wine or beer, but Janet will bring a quinoa / blueberry salad among other food
items, and if I have a bumper crop of peppers, some always find their way to
our friends.
COUCH POTATOES?
Though we don’t fear
the “couch” we are not passive and there are several treks to the gym each week,
or hikes in the immediate area; the Appalachian Trail passes through the area about
a 45-minute drive from here; or it’s a one block hike to a brew pub called “Troubles
End”. Dog friendly during the warmer times we can take our dog!
Phoenixville is a big beer destination about 5
miles from us. It rivals that craft beer mecca of Asheville, North
Carolina, with 9 craft brewers and a distillery either on Bridge Street, or within a very short drive.
WHY WOULD WE EVER
LEAVE?
That’s a stupid
question. It’s a big world out there, someone has to see it.
Thanks for reading.
Love Janet and greg
© 2022 by Gregory Dunaj
No comments:
Post a Comment