Hi everyone!
It has been a while since I posted here. Between getting my sunroom built, having cataract surgeries, and visiting my mom and family in Florida this summer, the time flew by quickly. Then, I started teaching online English classes in August. So here I am, trying to figure out what the most important thing to write about is because so much has happened.
Let me tell you about my sunroom. My plants face the south section, where the sun pours in. A few weeks ago, I planted a couple of beans from a bag of beans I bought at the grocery store. I wanted to test them, and the two beans have been growing nicely, sprouting flowers at first, and now they have become long beans. My geranium finally has red petals. I had it in another room, and it had not flowered all this time. It is flowering in here.
Other plants are flourishing in the sunroom. I also bought a Meyers lemon tree. It dropped some leaves the first week after it arrived, and a few had curled inward. Feeling perplexed, I looked up why it was doing this on YouTube, then figured out its watering schedule, and it is doing fine. One day, I will buy a larger pot for it. I am glad I initially added a mini-split to the sunroom, as it keeps the temperature steady at 65, even when it gets cold at night, as it has done lately.
Another thing I did was make my sunroom an art studio. The light is so much better there. I added a folding table facing south with a view of my flourishing plants and the outside. I found the rectangular table upstairs in the office, tucked away, and brought it to the sunroom. It can accommodate two chairs. I bought watercolor paints from Etsy - Renesans (Poland) and Amazon - Schmincke (Germany), and the Arches 100% cotton paper. I placed my paints, brushes, and papers on the table.
Even with this ideal arrangement for painting, I did not have the luxury of time to sit and enjoy it because of my commitments with classes. I snatched a few minutes here and there between grading papers and household chores, but I felt rushed in my painting. My work was affecting any free time I had. I had never thought that teaching would be so time-consuming.
Recently, I told my supervisor that starting Jan. 2025, I can only teach one class per term and not two. I did not explain the reason. I just want to relax and enjoy my hobbies (music, painting, and writing). Being creative is an important aspect of my life, and I need to nourish that part of myself.
Each morning, I look forward to opening the sliding door to the sunroom and stepping into a magical world untouched by stress, commitments, or time. I love looking at the sunlight as its rays coat each plant with sheer delight. I catch myself smiling as I water the plants, stroking their leaves and talking to them. The plants feel alive, almost as if they are my pets. Can they be?
I am surprised it took me so long to decide to have the sunroom, but I'm glad I did. One day, I plan to paint my plants. As the days grow shorter and the winter sun comes in from a different angle, I will have the joy of watching the change.
In the future, I will share photos and paintings. But in the meantime, I have to return to my work. Until next time.
