Take this morning, for example. I woke up early, feeling refreshed, like I have been feeling most mornings since I've arrived on St. Croix. I think I've been sleeping better because of the darkness. Even though I have the blinds pulled up all the way, it is still quite dark at night because of the lack of light pollution in the area where I'm living. Also, my sinus condition has improved dramatically since I came here, and I'm breathing better all night long. The one thing I still have to watch is not drinking too much fluid before going to bed. It's aggravating to wake up once or more every night to go to the bathroom.
Rather than feeling rushed like I always did back in Texas, I have plenty of time here before I need to be at work. So I often do a couple of chores in the morning, like washing out a few items by hand before breakfast and hanging them outside on the line to dry. I have forgotten how nice one's clothes feel and smell when they are dried naturally, and it's a pleasure to pin each item on the line so that the wind and sun will fluff them dry. It's a Zen thing . . . giving one's self over to the task at hand and doing it thoughtfully, meaningfully, carefully. It's what true service and craftsmanship are all about; it's definitely something that we need more of in the U.S.
Dolly and Ruffles, two of Barbara's dogs, usually keep me company while I perform my outdoor chores. Brother and sister, both dogs are short with elongated bodies. Although mutts in every sense of the word, I can sense a bit of dachshund in their ancestry. Dolly is a tan-colored female, and Ruffles is a white male with long curly fur. They must be transgendered dogs, however, since Dolly looks like a male and Ruffles looks like a female. Both provide me with loads of laughs as they play, beg, and otherwise compete for my attention. The third dog, Sparky, doesn't join in the fray. Older and fatter, he can't be bothered as he's still taking his morning snooze on the front porch.
Chores done, breakfast is a leisurely affair that varies according to my mood. Sometimes I have two slices of turkey bacon and a small bowl of oatmeal, mixed with a little fruit and 12 almonds. Other times, I go all out and have a vegetable omelet with whatever veggies I have on hand. Only one egg yolk, but three egg whites. In Texas, the extra yolks either went down the drain or into the garbage. Here, Dolly gets one and Ruffles the other. Their coats are starting to gleam, and they are definitely my best friends by now. A cup of hot tea with a little soy milk, and I'm done with brekkie. The only things left to do in the kitchen are wash the few dishes and put together a lunch.
After making my bed (something I rarely had time for or the inclination to do in Texas), I hop into the shower for an island wash. This involves getting wet and then turning off the water. Next I lather up, shampooing my hair and washing my bod. When I'm good and scrubbed, I turn the water back on to rinse. I towel dry as best as possible, despite the heat and humidity. I layer on lotions and potions to keep myself gorgeous (ha!). I comb through my hair and then ruffle it back up to add volume. Then I put on my clothes for the day, which I've taken to laying out on the nicely-made bed before I get into the shower. After going through all this, I'm soaked to the skin, despite the fact that I've just taken a shower. ML keeps promising me that the cool weather is just around the corner of next month.
I am feeling very virtuous and organized by now. After all, this is an orderly, measured life I'm now living - not the helter-skelter existence I had in B/CS. I honestly can say that it truly is wonderful not to feel rushed all the time. Island living gives one time for exactly that: living!
After grabbing my satchel and purse and making sure I have my keys, I head off to work. I've found that I don't really need my keys, however, since a key to my office hangs behing the door to the library workroom and an extra set of keys for the house are hidden in a secure spot only ML, her daughter, and I know. Thus, the second of my goals has been achieved: living without keys. I've also been functioning on my own internal sense of time for the most part, so I'm doing without clocks, too (well, for the most part; I still have to keep up with actual times now and then so that I don't miss the classes I'm assigned to teach and the meetings I have to attend . . . yes, there are still meetings to attend . . . hey, nothing's perfect, guys!).
The walk to work is a nice one. Mornings are usually clear and blue, with big white puffy clouds in the sky. There's always a little breeze blowing. The grass is still wet with dew. The campus is blanketed with beautiful plants and trees. The palm drive along the main entrance is magnificent. When my pictures are developed, I'll put them here for everyone to see the beauty that surrounds me every day. This is the way I walk to work, walk to work, walk to work, so early in the morning. It's a lovely way to start the day.
And, so, you see, not everything is bleak. Yes, some of my initial discoveries after arriving here were discouraging, but the compensations are beginning to grow on me. Now all I have to do is convince all my dear, dear friends to come join me in this marvelous island life. If enough of them come, we can buy a big chunk of the island and have our own private enclave. Yippee!
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