Finally I've sorted out the spare bedroom bookcase. The carpet layers chucked the books back into the case willy nilly. It is not as perfect as it was, but it will do. The bookcase is full of treasured books, that I will never look at again. There is one full shelf full of cookbooks and scrap books of newspaper clipped recipes. These will not be part of Swedish Death Cleaning. If Ray needed a recipe in the last few years, he would find it online and prop up his tablet on the raised benchtop.
I found this tin full of mostly five cent coins that Ray had clearly thrown coins into, but a few of higher denomination. I worked out a quiz for Phyllis and Kosov. Whoever guesses closest to the dollar value in the tin can have the money. My generosity knows no bounds.
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I don't know why Philip's obviously very old Tamil script bible (I can't find the photo I took) is sitting on the bed in the spare room, but there is much I don't know about that happens in my home. Things move around.
The salt and pepper grinders lived on the left hand side of the the spice cupboard above the range hood for 22 years until they were moved to the right in the Phyllis and Kosov great cupboard clean out of September, and every time I opened the left hand cupboard, they were behind right hand cupboard. I explained this to Phyllis and moved them back to the left hand side.
My occasionally used jar of Vegemite is not longer in a prominent place at the front of the cupboard but pushed to the back. It took me ages to find my Queen's Jubilee tea canister to make Bone Doctor a tea bag cuppa.
Phyllis and Kosov constantly chat and bicker away in Tamil like an old married couple in a manner that Ray and I never chatted. At times they speak in English. But within their constant rapid Tamil chat, there is the inserted English phrase "You mot...ker". Hear it once, ok. But it is repeated often. It isn't a pet name I am used to, though I do remember the endearment, 'bitch face'. I find it quite amusing. Tamil, Tamil, Tamil, you stupid mot..ker, Tamil, Tamil,Tamil, you stupid mot..ker. Better than the c word I suppose. On and on it goes.
Well, that is young folk and I am not.
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How old are they? Are they students or do they work? They sound like fun, or at least add some energy and young blood.
ReplyDeletePhyllis is 21 and Kosov about the same. They are fun and they both work part time, the maximum of 48 hours a fortnight allowed for foreign students and yes they do study.
DeleteI am more than a little OCD so the rearranging of kitchen cupboard contents would send me into a flurry of compulsive "putting back in order" 😏
ReplyDeleteJayCee, if I was cooking for myself, I would be annoyed but aside from the rare hunt for something, I don't really care. I too dislike disorder, but in this case, I don't feel very affected.
DeleteThanks for the smiles. Be well, my dear.
ReplyDeleteTake care Darla...ah, you do.
DeleteMuch better than the c word - which is not a term of endearment. Well done on the cleaning/clearing front.
ReplyDeleteLike JayCee I would be driven (more) bat shit crazy by the reordering of my kitchen cupboards.
EC, see my reply to JayCee. If I mention something to Phyllis that bothers me, he remedies it. By following my example, he has learnt how to effectively stack the dishwasher and stop washing under running water. This morning the rinse aid ran out, so he was interested to see me refill it. He picks things up so quickly.
DeleteYou know, Andrew, you are quite a laid back fellow.
ReplyDeleteMostly Debby. The terrible two are now cooking us all carbonara but minutes ago I just said "Phyllis, the music". It wasn't loud but I am watching the evening tv news.
DeleteNever a dull moment at your place. I love the senior moment bank. And that you were willing to give the contents away:)
ReplyDeleteSandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Sandra, they clearly have adequate money since they weren't interested in following up with a guess. The money box was from Ray's English sister, hence not in dollars.
DeleteYou are very patient. Sometimes your descriptions of the young 'uns sound like an indulgent uncle. I hope they are as entertaining as you make out. Is Kosov there more and more?
ReplyDeleteMerlot, he comes often enough but I only allow him to stay over one night a week. Phyllis returns home in mid November but will return next year. Late November might be time for a road trip east.
DeleteWoohoo!!
DeleteOh I could use a senior moment bank!!!
ReplyDeleteCarlos could judge time you need to make a deposit.
DeleteI could go though my cookbooks. Most of the time I need a recipes I use the internet.
ReplyDeleteDora, they have become somewhat redundant, which is a shame. Some were quite expensive.
DeletePatience is good they say, and you have an abundance. Never a dull moment in your house.
ReplyDeleteDeb, sad to say, but there was often a tense atmosphere at home before Ray died, much as we loved each other. That is no longer present.
DeleteQuite true about cooking from your tablet when there's a shelf of beloved cookbooks.
ReplyDeleteBoud, I find it quite sad really and no one will care about the books and important save recipes when I have gone.
DeleteI love cook books but then find I often just look things up on line.
ReplyDeleteI have a glass of rose on Sundays while I cook a more complicated meal than during the week.
I couldn't handle things being moved around in the cupboards either. You are so patient, Andrew.
Pat, for someone who cooks, they seem to nice to flick through and imagine cooking recipes from them, especially those with photos. The moving of stuff rarely affects me since I don't cook, so I don't care very much.
DeleteDid you buy Vanilla Bean like that, or did you take a stuffed panda doll and add...greenery?
ReplyDeleteMe buy it Kirk? Of course not. Phyllis acquired it from somewhere and have never told me where, and I haven't asked. But I like it.
DeletePerhaps you need to make sure the tea canister is also kept near the front of the shelf. The mot..... swearing would bother me, so it's a good thing I don't have and will never have a boarder.
ReplyDeleteRiver, in the six months since Ray died, I've need the canister twice, once before Phyllis moved in, so it isn't a big deal for me. If I asked them not to swear, they would stop but I don't really care. It just amuses me that they have taken this English phrase into their language, as if they don't have enough insults in their own language.
DeleteOh dear, at least you are tolerant. If I had them here, English only in my ear shot and no swearing.
ReplyDeleteI have become used to them speaking in their language, Margaret. At times they will speak in English. If I asked them to speak English in my presence, I am sure they would try but slip up at times. Ditto, swearing in English. They would stop if I asked them.
DeleteYou were generous to offer them the contents of the tin. They were respectful in not taking you up on the offer. I wouldn't care for the swearing but it's not aggressive, so not upsetting.
ReplyDeleteJB, yes their swearing is just banter, and as an English person, you know all about that, even if you don't indulge.
DeleteI find the language question difficult. On one hand I might find it rude for others to speak a different language in front of me but.... they need some reassurance of their own language. Don't grizzle about things being moved about though it is the bane of my life with my daughter ;)
ReplyDeleteThelma, I don't find it rude at all. Phyllis pays his rent, has use of the kitchen and is allowed to have friends here in a restricted manner. Whether I like to hear them speaking in their language, and I don't particularly and not because I can't understand, I consider it is his home and he can speak freely. If he speaks too loudly, I will chip him, but otherwise...if I was in a foreign country, I would be pleased to be relaxed and to be able to speak Australian English.
DeleteIt's Kamala's favourite curse word. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhrWJZO5LaE&ab_channel=NowThisImpact
ReplyDeleteLove it James. Wicked.
DeletePutting things back where they belong. The first time J's mother came to stay, she moved things around in the kitchen so they were where they belonged. When she returned to her home, I moved them back. I had customised the kitchen so that things were where I wanted them.
ReplyDeleteTP, that was quite rude in my opinion. I guess she didn't do the same again.
DeleteI loved your observation about treasured books that won't ever be looked at again - I have so many like that , mainly cookbooks.
ReplyDeleteI do admire your tolerance of the young folk, I would probably be tearing my hair out........ but of course, they aren't doing any harm, just being
'Young'
Alison in Wales x
Allison, there are also coffee table books, some of which are worth quite some money. Phyllis is very smart and picks up vibes well.
DeleteI only realize now that I gave a whole library away, some things I regret now, I was not myself and got rid of everything, fortunately our son saved quite a lot. Don't say all the time that you are old ! What should I say, never look at the dates in you passport, keep young in your head and that's the most important. Sometimes I find youngster more boring then us oldies !
ReplyDeleteGattina, yes I understand. I can't say I've ever gotten rid of anything and regretted it later, but you were under extreme pressure and stress at the time. Yes, at times I find what young people talk about as quite boring.
DeleteHa! Not really a term of endearment, but makes for colorful listening, I suppose! Yeah, I'd keep those coins. You earned 'em. Call it your fee for hunting for the salt & pepper shakers.
ReplyDeleteSteve, they are in my bank now. To count coins now, a machine does it and they go straight into your bank account.
DeleteMy intermittent OCd would be distressed by movement of ANY object in my kitchen and my helper does it now and again and I have to text her "where is-------? I am going insane." Which gets her attention. The lads do sound like fun tho.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
WWW, if I actually used most of the things in the kitchen, I too would be distressed, but I don't. Well, just a few things. I made him change the crockery. I didn't want his mixed with mine, and the same with the cutlery.
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