The Challenge Stairway

The challenge stairway. This goes to the Loft at Treehouse here. The good part? These are boat steps that so remind me of all of Warren’s boats. The bad news? Are you kidding? Look how narrow they are!!! And like so many boats- no head room! And- worse- no head!

I arrive at my Nantucket home on October 1. This space was advertised as sleeps four. The picture of the loft space seemed very roomy and comfortable. Upon arrival, i gingerly approach the boat ladder stairs-which are incredibly beautiful and practical as well as they are all drawers. This combination of form, function, and beauty makes me instantly tearful and nostalgic, as that is what the best boats do best- and Warren and I had some of the “best” boats.

Holding onto the beautifully polished wooden ladder, i climb to the top, realizing(sadly), not even a quarter of my foot can be on the step. That’s not GOOD, but it’s OKAY until i finish the ascent and realize there is no head room at the top of the stairs! You have to army crawl to safe landing, and then gratefully, flop onto the very comfortable mattress on the floor. No head-you have to go back downstairs. And no headroom either. You definitely need to turn around and face the ladder to go down safely.

i would estimate safe age range to be 10+, no sleepwalkers for sure, and only those who can make it through the whole night without having to use the bathroom.

This staircase is symbolic of many of the challenges I feel I am now facing-and the decisions that need to be made. My house is great, but really too much for me to manage alone. When the huge upright freezer died two weeks ago-I was in a panic. Without the support from a construction friend Mark, I don’t know what I would have done. Even the dump won’t take a freezer’s worth of spoiled food-Mark had to take it to a facility in Bridgewater-and then the freezer itself to I don’t even know where..

My yard and garden are Amazing- but I can neither afford or continue with the work associated with their upkeep. I shut the irrigation system off weeks ago-only to be told this week by Mark(now helping again when new refrigerator for AIRBNB was being delivered-as it was as old as the dead freezer) that one of the sprinkler heads was up from grass and spraying water everywhere. Even though system has been off for weeks…whaaat?

I could go on. We all could. What I realize being AWAY- is that we are Never really AWAY. I am INCREDIBLY grateful that i was physically at HOME when the freezer died. It was a NIGHTMARE then, but had i been GONE- I think the house would have been condemned!!! The challenges are Always there for All of us. What I need to do I think is Keep climbing the challenge ladder, check out the view, and evaluate the risk/reward ratio.

i love our(still our) house. I hope to save it for Luke and Erin. I don’t know if I will be able to- I need to have fewer disasters. I need to scale back on yard/garden care. I am here pondering my crazy work schedule. Problem(challenge) for me is that I love everything I do and all of the people I teach. I don’t want to let go of any of it-yet need more “unscheduled” time. This is the challenge.

This MARATHON!!! Talk about the Challenge Ladder!!! Coming to Nantucket has been a challenge of its own! Yes, I have more Time as I am not working six days a week(though I am hosting Saturday lunch at The Brotherhood!) I have realized how Much time the training requires(especially since i am basically Walking!) But I am on Nantucket-I can’t NOT study and learn about this precious gem of an island. So i have accepted the challenge of balancing my training with both my commitment to learning How to Blog and learning Nantucket-its history, its special places, its amazing 81 miles of beach. So far, the weather has been October perfect. I come home completely wiped out physically, but energized by what I have seen and have learned. I am dedicated to finishing my 10th(and Final) Marathon on December 10- but being here this year with so much time necessarily going to training-i realize what a different learning challenge this could be without the training time needed this year.

We all have ladder challenges. What are yours? How do you prioritize them? Do you leave room for Joy?

Walking around this sandy, far away island, though slowing me down, is also feeding my soul with every mile covered.

Keep climbing!