This morning I read Gwil's poem "That Fruit May Grow Upon Your Trees" on http://poet-in-residence.blogspot.de/. So I took a photo of the little Kumquat on my windowsill - I admire its strength: 10 bulging little fruits, and still 9 to come.
In the warmer season it is on the balcony - otherwise you might be overpowered by the scent of neroli.
This morning I woke up incredibly late (for my schedule): 8 o'clock - can't remember that in the last ten years I ever managed to wake up that late.
And what did I do with my exuberant energy?
I polished the old silver fruit basket, the silver candle holder (five arms), and a beautiful little blue enamel bowl on a silver foot.
Ah, and not to forget the little Lady Pistol from the French armourer 'Le Page à Paris' (official armourer of the Dukes of Orléans) - founded at the beginning of the 18th century.
Don't fear, I used up my energy in polishing - and: it has a pyrite lock (a bit broken), the cock is artfully recessed into the walnut and ebony wood and needs a whole lock to come out.
It is just a very beautiful useless antique - and that is good, as I love peace.
And oranges.
(...that come all the way from China...)
You have been very industrious Britta ..... you made me feel so bad that I went and cleaned all the insides if the windows and cleaned the shutters !!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou have so many Kumquats Britta .... you must have green fingers. I'm quite good in the garden but I'm not very good with indoor plants.
.... oh, and I also cleaned my chandelier !!!!!! XXXX
DeleteWow, Jackie - energy well spent!! I look at our chandelier and think: "Easier to pronounce than to clean"..and procrastinate (as I was with the silver).
DeleteAnd no: I'm not good with indoor plants, normally (except orchids, but they are easy). I am quite good with outdoor plants (and still, after so many years, miss my garden terribly - those many French roses...) But then I'm quite happy to have the big balcony in Berlin - and a real city. XXX
You make me think of the time I fell down the stairs at my sister-in-law's house. Actually I bounced all the way down on my rump. My back was so bad the next day I went to the doctor. He adjusted my back and I was better. Then he gave me a vitamin B-12 shot. I could not find enough to do. I cleaned everything in my house. Then I scrubbed the walls and still needed something to do. I actually washed my ceilings!
ReplyDeleteOuch - to fall down a stair is a nightmare! (I never did, but in these icy days I cling to the handrail). Vitamin B12 is a good thing. I've never washed walls or ceiling (but as I read about it I got the impression that in America they have different wallpapers).
DeletePolishing silver is very satisfying but not something I want to do very often.
ReplyDeleteWill there be kumquot marmalade on the menu at breakfast time soon?
Yes, sometimes I wish I had staff from Downton Abbey :-) I don't do silver-polishing very often - but if, finally, I conquered procrastination, the shine is beautiful.
DeleteI never thought of marmelade by kumquats - I might try (and buy a few to add) - but then: they look so heartwarming - orange in winter is a phantastic cheer-up!
I procrastinate most the times when I have to do things in the house. So I let things be as long as possible and till the time my pressure builds up to clean up. You post is very inspiring. However, what I would like to do is walk and walk as much as possible. Some days I feel weak and some days I feel strong. On days when feel strong, I come back from my walk and start cleaning up and feel greatly relieved and happy.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Dear Joseph, thank you! Procrastinating things one doesn't like to do (in my case for example ironing) is easily done - I always find 'more important' things to do - though I get quite good results with a to-do-list.
DeleteI share your love of walking. In a city as Berlin you can do it, though I find it more satisfying in nature (and Berlin's nature is mostly tamed nature - tamed to parks. Which is better than nothing).
If you cannot walk because sometimes you feel too weak to, I wish you strength! Where do you walk?
What a prolific kumquat! For the New Year, I made no resolutions "formally," but I did have this idea about tackling chock full cabinets and drawers a little at a time to see what's hiding in them. This morning I took my second stab at it (the first was to cull books I have read and don't want or am now willing to admit I will never read). It is amazing what lurked in the cabinet under the sink (who knew I had so many sponges and glass cleaning cloths, never used!) and in the VERY LARGE utility cabinets over the washer/dryer. What I don't understand is that the bookshelves are still full to brimming, the cabinets the same.
ReplyDeleteThe kumquat surprises me by being very, very thirsty, Sue - I mean: it lives normally in a land with lots of heat!
DeleteFull cabinets and drawers: an endless task - full of surprises :-)
To admit that one will never read the book that stands on the shelf for five years is a brave first step. To give them away the next - though I always hesitate with the very old (but not very valuable) vast amount of English literature I have - but I should ask myself: "Will I ever - in this life - want to read Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress' a second time??? When even the first time was not that dazzling??