Behind

Ever feel behind before you even get started? Yeah, I am kinda there. I feel like I need at least a week when nothing is required of me, so I can just cover the basics. Unfortunately, life doesn't work like that. What I do know is this: feelings change. I read a response Stephen Frye once wrote to a fan who was depressed and he said that feelings are like the weather. You have to accept them, but also know they will not last forever. So, that is where I am. I have my umbrella, but I am hopeful that the sun will shine again. 

I have been doing bits and pieces of things, but not making significant progress on anything. 

My health is a little stagnant, but I am trying a new supplement to lower cortisol. It's all natural, with few side effects, which is always nice. I am attempting to get more sleep and not put quite so much pressure on myself to hurry and get things done, but instead to move steadily. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Crafts have been plodding along, but again, no major changes there either. Reading is the same - I spent most of the summer NOT reading, as there were many random things happening that did not allow me to focus for long. I am getting back into the swing of it though. The consequence of not reading over the summer means I am behind on some pre-reads, and behind on my goals. 

The garden failed, if not from the intense heat, then from not being weeded (my fault) and being partially mowed (not my fault). I found my jalapeno plants were actually banana pepper plants, part of Peppergate 2023. From what I understand, I wasn't the only one this happened to; something happened in the supply chain to confuse the seedlings and lots of people had this issue.

The house is still in process - some places are better than others. 

This chair is now mine. It was a pain to get in the house, but we did it. It is amazingly comfortable, even if it was a massive pain to move. It was worth every penny. I am still working on many spaces, 

Stressed and blessed

One of my goals this year is to focus on my health. Over the past twelve years, life has been incredibly stressful. I don't mean daily things, like traffic, decisions, cleaning, etc. I mean big things - moving, children, job changes. Experts tell you to manage your stress - that's hard when it's things beyond your control. 

It is amazing what lengths your body will go to in order to tell you to slow down. Mine has done crazy things - migraine variants that looked like strokes, allergy symptoms with coughing and sneezing, being physically sick and unable to be far from a bathroom. Therefore, for the next four month, I am prioritizing sleep and water. My children have complained about various aches and pains (headaches, backaches, leg aches, etc) and I tell them to drink water. Miraculously, the aches and pains disappear. 

I have downloaded a new app, Sleep Score, to see if it can help me out. I try to have a good bedtime routine, and stay consistent. Interrupted nights happen though, and sometimes it's not something I can avoid, but sometimes it is. We will see what this does in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here's to good health.