Some years are better than others. Most years are a mixed bag. Last year was no exception to the mixed bag, rule.
The first quarter of the year was spent in selling my dear old house in New Jersey. Since the buyers were purchasing the house as an investment, and since most blue state laws favor the renters over the owner’s needs, the renters in the house would have to be persuaded to leave. It was an ordeal, to get them out. Never mind that the house would need about $40k in repairs and upgrades. As an owner of the house, I am considered rich, and the house nothing more than an investment.
The renters had a sweet deal in the house, like any renter that has spent a number of years in a home. The rent can only be raised so much every year, no matter what maintenance the house may need. Long time renters do suffer through sticker shock as they realize they had been living in a fantasy world. Rents go up. Even if they had wanted to remain in that house, the new owners would be allowed to raise their rent to current market values. That would be an ouch.
I also offered them $$ to move.
What got them out? Certainly not the offer of money to move. Nope. The clincher was a broken hot water heater, which I could not replace without upgrades. Indeed, the entire basement suite of furnace, boiler and hot water, needed replacement. So I called the contractor I used to work with, and told him I was thinking of temporarily moving back to upgrade, and then sell, the house. That makes it easy to evict a renter, when the owner wants to move back in. Such are the laws in NJ.
The buyers really wanted the house. So they waited for the renters to finally see the light, and move. What was curious to me, was why they would not send me a forwarding address, for me to return their deposit. When my realtor did an inspection of the property, the secret reason was revealed to us, on why I did not have to return the deposit. The house was left in what I call, hoarder condition. Junk everywhere, including a large freezer in the basement. Fortunately, no bodies were found in the freezer.
Finally, the deed was done, and though it hurt me to see that old gem go, I had other things to do with my life. Plus, I knew I would never return to New Jersey. But the Dutch Girl, the name I gave to the house, was an item on my bucket list, that of buying an old home, and restoring it. The Dutch Girl was built in 1904. This expensive item is now crossed off the list.
April brought the second quarter of the year upfront and center. It also brought transitions. Firstly, my brother went into the big sleep. He had the bad luck of Parkinson’s for 15 years. The last three years of his life, was a Dante’s descent in to Purgatory and on to Hell. And then, the peace of oblivion came to him. Parkinson’s is a genuine curse. Nonetheless, I never heard him complain. He was like that, to accept his fate.
In May, I moved into my new digs. I now have a fully, operational studio with a green screen on the wall. There is also a design studio with a work/cutting table that never has to be put away. Yay! Oh the trouble I can get myself in to…
The new book, Don’t Do Dumb Stuff, by Grandma, is now in the works. What is this book about? It is a new look at old stories, from the Bible, Greek mythology and folk tales. So many of these stories have been misrepresented, whilst their old interpretations lack a 21st century context. So I take a new look at them, to see how they are meaningful for us today, in the 21st century. And, the most important aspect, is why those stories still influence us. What do they teach us? Much! So get ready to take a new look at these old stories. You can forget about those Disney movies, and those old church interpretations of the Bible. This is an objective view with plenty of humor to spare.
To keep me on the straight and narrow with this book’s progress, I joined a badass writer’s critique group, that gives me no nonsense feedback. That is what every writer needs, as we sit at our desks in the mornings, pumping out those words. That is how good writing, and a good book, develops: other writers commenting and suggesting.
The goal is to publish this tome come the fall of this year.
Speaking of the fall, the third quarter brought more sorrow. My cousin, Terry, went into the Big Sleep. He was such a sweet man. And then, my cousin’s daughter, the pretty Jessie, stepped into eternity. It always distresses me when a young person dies. This is not supposed to happen! But, of course, it does. It is a slap in the face, these wake up calls, that our lives have no guarantees. We may, or we may not, live a long life. Death is always on the prowl. We never know when the bell tolls for us, and our cosmic clock stops running.
October 7 found Death busy in the little country of Israel. He didn’t give a fig about age or status in life, as he took infants and grandmothers alike. During the avenging rampage which followed, when Israel went in search of the killers, Death really got busy. He held hands with the gods of destruction, as they passed over Palestine, and Ukraine.
What a sucky world it becomes when the psychopaths have their way with us. The Valkyries are let loose, gathering all that they can for their Valhalla. War is such a virus! There are no masks to wear, or vaccines to inoculate against it. War is, however, inclusionary, diverse, and an equal opportunity killer.
Whilst all the world is, once again, on the edge, with too many boys playing with their toys of destruction, the women have their responsibility to bear in this madness. Too many women go along with the program. And they too, must answer for it.
Closer to home, during the final quarter of this year, two more individuals closed the books on their lives. Judy and Lauren, both members of the Gnostic church I attend, leave us with empty spaces.
Indeed, I was quite ready when the clock struck midnight on December 31st, to move out of that year, 2023, and on to 2024. It is said that the gods only know what will happen in the future. I suggest that they don’t know either. They will throw challenges onto our path, but they don’t know how we humans will react. So go ahead, and fool them, by not reacting the way they expect you to.
I made no, nor ever do I make, resolutions, but declare that I will strive to improve. Whatever challenges the year of 2024 may offer, my sleeves are rolled up to take them on. Those difficult tasks are a part of the Great Adventure, called life. So bring it on!
Happy, and prosperous 2024, to all of my readers!