swim beyond the imagery

Flymo

Just now I recalled this lawn mower from decades ago, this intriguing machine that literally floated on air.

They disappeared from advertising, and figured the company or manufacturer had long since ceased making them or had closed.

Wrong.

I thought of Flymo today, some 30 years since last seeing one mentioned, and did a search. Wouldn't you know, but there is an active Flymo presence overseas, but not in the US or Canada.

I'm intrigued. I'd like one. They have a rider, but sadly... that one does not float. Bummer, I'd be sold.

Since this is the beginning of mowing season, here is to the ingenuity of Flymo, and the hope someone decides to sell them here.

Dreams of undeveloped home spaces (and other things)

It's been a recurring dream theme for decades.

I'll be wandering through my home, or a home that is such in my dream time, and I'll come across undiscovered and unknown space. Expressing incredulity that this space has existed without me being cognizant of it's presence, I wander in, look around from wall to floor to ceiling,  and immediately begin pondering the possible.

I'll see a new family room, or new bedroom space, perhaps a place of recluse where I can get away and hide. I'd guess that would be sort of like the secret room on Ally McBeal, accessible through a panel in their restroom, though my dream spaces do not have such a surreptitious element, it's simply safe space. 

This general theme came to me once again overnight, and as per usual, it leaves me like a child in a toy store. My imagination, as if it isn't already at work shaping the dream elements, starts looking at the lay of the room, picturing walls finished, floors complete, ceilings installed. Did I mention these spaces are usually bare frame, or even with a need for inner framing? A bereft structure, but with ample space that cries out "how could this have gone unrecognised?

Some are multi-level attic spaces (gee, never thought there was *this much* room up here; some lie behind walls.

I wonder why this is a recurring theme, if it's as simple as my love to build, or is it more reflective of things within me, a need to explore the undeveloped parts of my own mind? Maybe it is a combination of the two, a way of touching what was once untouchable, a once unknown pathway now rendered as an example to grab and deal with other unexplored mental territory?

What is also interesting is the sense of disappointment that comes with waking: that space was not real, and you do not get to finish it according to the plans dream-formed. I have this urge to jump back in and live in that world for a while.

One other dream remembered from overnight... I was decorating a cake with a vaguely multi-coloured but predominantly white, marshmallowy frosting. As it was applied, there was this sudden impulse to stand, but something was holding me down. The resistance of that hold-down was sufficiently strong to roust me right out of sleep.

Home Depot as my life

I'm addicted.

Yup, readily admit to craving home improvement. I've been in withdrawal for some 3 years, my last project prior to tackling the bath in July was installation of a door from the living room out onto the back deck of our (or rather now my ex's) home.

There is an 18' round above ground pool off the left and back of the house; I had built a *huge* two level deck around the pool. Huge as in lower level was 22X16, whilst the upper level wrapped the pool, was narrow towards the back and hill, larger towards the road and side. The pic is of the deck after a winter's snow.

Until the door was installed, getting to the deck required venturing out the kitchen door and around, or through the cellar door. By installing the living room door, this inconvenience was eliminated. It was my last act on the way out of that life forever. And yes, I miss lots that was left behind. I miss my ex, our relationship prior to my disolution, miss my children, dog, kitty, and home. It is of the past, and I simply don't often let my mind go to these places.

In any case, I'd done the whole deck thing, that after digging out the slope (the house is in fact on a slope)  with a Bobcat and having a nice, sandy base, which in turn all sat behind a stone wall I'd built to hold it all, and damn well does.

Which was followed by construction of what was my office in the basement, some 400 square feet, which followed tearing out two rooms on the first floor, former bedrooms, installing a wood support beam, and a wide pine, rustic wood floor, tearing out of the wall so the stairs were accessible. This followed tearing out a closet and making a pantry, installation of tile around the shower, including the ceiling within the shower, and of course, this followed...

building the upstairs. When the home was built, we purchased it with but a shell upstairs... no inner walls, and only a skimpy half inch of plywood for a floor. Three bedrooms, a bath, 3 skylights, etc later, all constructed by moi with occasional assitance from my father in law, it was living space.

Then there was the building of a new room onto camp by father in law and I, as well as assisting friends in their home improvements...

withdrawal is pretty accurate. I love doing this stuff, it's peaceful and simultaneously rewarding.

If I've been in Home Depot once, I've likely been over 500, and that could well be low. So now I've done the shower stuff, it all has finish work to do. Playing with 56 year old homes can be quite challenging, and my resources carry far greater limitations... but I love it, and it is a dream for the future to once again have a home of my own to reshape to the visions in my head.