Day 2: buffet

I was super excited to post my accomplishment and wish I could say that everything went successfully today with the self assembly of my buffet.

The good news is that I did not have to buy pliers (pinces) because the grumpy man at the bricolage pulled my wooden wedgie things out with his own pliers when I showed him my mistakes in the support beams. Wow! Someone doing something helpful, it sort of reminded about the way things use to work back in the US.

I was eager to complete my project and quickly got back to work. I was reminded about how great I am at following directions. When something wasn't working, I stopped and tried to understand why rather than forcing it. One time, I simply walked away and returned later and the exact same difficult piece was miraculously cooperative. I thought about how frustrating it can be to assemble with a partner who approached things in a rushed, chaotic way and was sort of relieved that I was going it solo.

I realized very quickly why the instructions say that it takes 2 people to set this up. Flipping over the assembled piece was a challenge, but it was resolved with a large beach towel and a cardboard box support. I flipped it by myself and that was a small victory for me--proving that I can tackle a task on my own without having to stop and enlist reinforcement. That seems to be where a lot of my past projects were left incomplete.

I just wish that the hinges would have played nice. Those things are near impossible to tighten with just a phillips head screwdriver. And that is why I will buy a drill tomorrow. I figured I am going to be needing a drill a lot in the future and might as well get my own rather than relying on the Boys to supply my power tool needs.

Alas, we await tomorrow (Day 3) to finish the buffet assembly. More patience practicing.

Bonne année!

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I feel like every year has a theme, and 2010's theme seemed to be centered around patience. When I was in Paris earlier this year, I found myself learning the lesson of patience over and over. And now that I am back, this time for a lengthy stay, I wonder if I have finally come full circle. Yet getting here was certainly no picnic. There were moments when the obstacles seemed unsurmountable and never ending. I can't even begin to recount the number of times I had to remind myself to put one foot in front of the other, and that things will eventually work out. And now, here I am, ringing in the new year back in Paris!

Today I received my final 2010 horoscope that reverberated this very subject.

"Life-changing moments are often the result of prolonged effort. You may feel like you're at the end of your rope, but keep the faith-- you've got a few more feet left and that's all you need."

A few more feet left? But I am here. I suppose that getting here wasn't my life changing moment, but rather, it is just ahead of me. A few feet ahead, to be exact.

Here's to the new year! Welcome 2011.

Patience

The word patience is exactly the same in French as it is in English. This is interesting because, no matter where I am, patience is the lesson I continue to have to learn. And Paris is my current teacher.

Patience is defined as the ability to tolerate waiting, delay, or frustration without becoming agitated or upset. It's the ability to be able to control your emotions or impulses and proceed calmly when faced with difficulty.

That definition makes patience seem like a negative thing, but I am learning that is doesn't have to be. In a world where we have become conditioned for instant gratification, to sit calmly and learn the art of savoring is something very favorable.

“All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope”
-Alexandre Dumas Père