The uses of not

I was thinking about my situation at work this morning. It occurred to me that a compromise is nothing more than a solution to a problem then ensures that neither party gets what they want.

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This weekend the Christmas tree vendors started assembling their road side stands. The trees themselves have not yet arrived, but the frames to support them are now in place at dozens of locations in my area. This means that the trees have already been cut, and are awaiting shipment. At an estimate, any given “live” tree purchased in our area will have been dead six to eight weeks by the time Christmas arrives.

Having said that, I’m still considering getting a cut Christmas tree for the first time in several decades. Cattitude, I’m told, will probably ignore it, and O’Beast won’t do anything other than play with any ornaments I’m foolish enough to hang at floor level. The Grey Menace is probably another story entirely, but I figure it’s worth the experiment, if only to get pictures of her as she proceeds to destroy my experiment in Christmas decorating. It’ll make for a good diary entry, if nothing else.

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I’m spending today packing up all the maternity clothes I had to wear last year so I can donate them to a local women’s shelter. I’m certainly done with them, and it will be nice for other people to be able to put them to use in a happier cause. I’m a bit astounded at how many articles of clothing I accumulated over the last year. I didn’t buy but a fraction of what I’m packing up. I’m reminded again of how good people were to me last year, as I pack up all the gifts I received to pass them on to others. It was a chore I’d been dreading, but I’m actually having a good time at it. It’s one of those warm, fuzzy ways to spend the day.

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There’s a study being done that follows patients post transplant to assess their quality of life. I volunteered to be part of it, and received my first questionnaire from them in the mail yesterday. It’s fifteen or so pages long. I’m not sure I realized how much information they were going to ask for, but it’s a good enough cause that I’ll make the time to get it done before tomorrow, so I can return it to them. I’ll be getting follow-up questionnaires from time to time as the years go by. It would probably be a good idea to keep copies of everything I send them, so I can use my answers to keep track of my own progress.

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I met with Dr. Nineteen Cats yesterday at a mall about an hour an a half from here. We hadn’t seen each other since August, and it was nice to spend time with her again now that I’ve got more endurance back. She agreed to let me hire her to take O’Beast down to Big City Animal Hospital for a follow-up echocardiogram. O’Beast’s heart murmur has gotten significantly worse; it used to be a grade 2/5 and is now a grade 3.5/5. He shows no outward symptoms of heart problems, and may be completely unaffected by this for the rest of his long and natural life. Odds are increasingly against this though, and I can’t help but feel anxious about it. I’ve got some Hummels that I inherited from my mother. They have sentimental value, but I really am not fond of them as display items. I know Mom loved the O’Beast (who is now down to a very svelte 13 pounds, 5 ounces) and I don’t think she’d begrudge it if I sold the Hummels to pay for his cardiologist check ups. I’ll let the sisters know what I plan first, and then look into the best way to unload them.

I’ve never sold on eBay before, and while it would probably be the best way to get a good price for them, it would mean a fair amount of expense and work on my part to get the proper shipping materials, pack everything up, and get it shipped out in a timely manner. Still, Christmas is nearing, and it might be a good idea to get them advertised soon, so people looking for collectibles for Christmas gifts could be roped in on bidding on these things.

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I look over my left shoulder to the window that overlooks the parking area and apartment buildings across the way. This week’s wind storm stripped the remaining leaves off the deciduous trees, and they stand starkly against the sky full of grey clouds. Squirrels that could formerly scamper unseen through the trees are now in full display, cavorting through the leaves on the ground. I think I’ll hit the submit button, then wander downstairs and mull some apple cider for myself. I want to fill the apartment with the smell of an autumn day.

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The Uses of Not

Thirty spokes

meet in the hub.

Where the wheel isn’t

is where it’s useful

Hollowed out,

clay makes a pot.

Where the pot’s not

is where it is useful.

Cut doors and windows

to make a room.

Where the room isn’t

there’s room for you.

So the profit in what is

is in the use of what isn’t.

– Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, English version by Ursula K. Le Guin

I’m off to be useful now.