Zen

Considering I’m living through major construction, I’ve been pretty zen about the whole thing. I’m zen about the noise and invasion of privacy.

I’ve been zen when the hired hands didn’t secure the tarp well enough to endure the wind-rain storm and we had to put pots and pans on the rug to catch the leaks sprouting in the ceiling. (These next two photos plus a video come from Instagram, so if you’re reading this post on e-mail, you’ll need to click over to my blog to view them).

Big rainstorms predicted. This should get interesting. #homerenovation

A photo posted by Jennie Goutet (@aladyinfrance) on Jan 27, 2016 at 3:42am PST

I’ve been zen when the chimney got blocked with rubble – what was our makeshift air filtration system – and black mold started creeping up everywhere on all the walls and ceilings.

I was zen when they finally put tiles on half the house (after going through most of the winter with no roof), only to be told that the hired hands had done a poor job and the tiles weren’t straight and would have to be taken off and done over. Our carpenter – named Jesus – always oversees the work of the hired hands, and no I’m not speaking in parables. 

Tiles! #homerenovation

A photo posted by Jennie Goutet (@aladyinfrance) on Feb 26, 2016 at 12:19am PST

I’ve been zen as they broke the glass on the marquise,

zen as a bunch of kids played chase in our yard and trampled all over my hyacinths – (they’re perennial. They’ll grow back) –

zen as chunks of plaster fall from our ceiling causing me to leap up from wherever I’m sitting.

I’ve been zen throughout the drilling.

Home Sweet Home ? #homerenovation

A video posted by Jennie Goutet (@aladyinfrance) on Mar 4, 2016 at 11:39pm PST

And I laughed when they pierced a hole in our ceiling.

They promised to fix that and the mold anyway.

I struggled in my zenness when they spilled gasoline over the boards upstairs and the fumes gave me a headache. And my zen-like state faltered when Matthieu announced that the rats were back – the ones who like to swim through the sewer and pop their heads out of our toilets. They had been chased away by the drilling and loud noises, and I guess they’ve decided the risk of danger is minimal.

Yesterday I was feeling down and unzen so I decided to buy an apple tree.

I know … I don’t know. Why not, right?

And it was good to plant it

and put in a new pink-tingeed hydrangea

and transplant the peony that was in a pot

and transplant the wild flowering rose bush that was in a pot

and move these mini conifers to their sentry positions.

(Not sure it’s the best place for them, but I’m at a loss).

When I was done getting my fingers all dirty, I was feeling much more zen. It also helped that I wrote the first page of my Regency yesterday. The first page of my new book. Daunting, but I need to start somewhere.

This morning I woke up to pouring rain. And no heating. And no hot water. And drips forming on the ceiling again. And the carbon monoxide detector suspiciously beeping because of “no battery”? I stayed pretty zen. It was a good excuse to go to the gym because at least I could take a shower there. And then buy new batteries on the way home.

And then – we’ve placed a large bath towel on our stairs because water is pouring through cracks in the cement and wood from some unexplained leak that’s pooling inside the wall. And because the towel takes up half the stairs and I don’t want to step on a soaking wet towel in my socks (which I’ve done), I subconsciously move over closer to the other wall. And I bumped my elbow on the edge of the railing this morning. Twice!

The first time I hissed in pain. The second time, when it hit the exact same spot, I shouted out in pain, and thought – God! Why do you have it out for me?

I know. Not very zen. Or fair to God.

At least the rain is nourishing my baby apple tree and all the plants I put in the ground. My guess is that God is allowing everything to happen with great zentention.

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