Mucky Mondays

 

 

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.  Anonymous

I love that saying.  Makes me think of a rainy day when my Mom and I went to my aunt's house, she had made chocolate pudding for my Mom and when we returned home, just as we were parking the car, it poured.  Not wanting to get wet, we sat in the car and went for the chocolate pudding ... with our fingers.  As my Dad watched from the porch, yelling "Hey, save me some!"  Not trusting us, he went and got the Big Umbrella and retrieved us from the car.  Mom and I laughing like two naughty children.  We were silly like that.  I am home today.  Typing away while sitting on my comfy cozy sofa.  I love my sofa.  It is cocoony, surrounding you in pillowy deliciousness.  It is Monday.  It'd be lovely if it was raining, but no, it's not raining and it does not look like it's going to.  Last week was emotionally tumultuous for me, there were two late nights at the office, but other than that it was a good week work-wise.  I spent the weekend writing, Saturday morning I took the babies (now sleeping after their breakfast, thank goodness, I had forgotten how very active kittens can be) to the vet, did a bit (a very little bit) of gardening, was wheezing off and on, but did my inhalers and thought the wheezing gig was under control.  Went to bed last night wheezing just a bit, you know, when you can hear yourself wheeze just a little and think, no big deal, take two puffs on the inhaler, you'll be fine.  Woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I had a boulder on my chest.  It turned out to be Bella Bella Smokey Noella, who sometimes decides I make an excellent mattress.  She yowled mightily at my disturbing her comfort, but was soon snoring away curled up next to me.  Could not go back to sleep, the wheezing started up again.  Did the inhaler thing, brewed some chamomile tea.  Last time I looked at the clock it was 3:30 a.m.  I remember thinking, okay, I'll get at least four more hours of sleep.  Woke up feeling just flat-out phhhhhttt.  Thankfully, I can work remotely from home. Checked my emails, took care of some things left over from Friday and emailed my bosses, advising I will be working from home today.  There's nothing on the calendar, we're good.  Checked my personal emails and found a post from Hollye Jacobs (thesilverpen.com) on rituals.  (I love that blog, always brings a smile to my face.  The above quote is from her most recent post.)

I realized I have been neglecting, blowing off, ignoring some of my favorite rituals.  Oh, not big things like birthdays and anniversaries and such, but little, everyday rituals.  Like waking up extra early and having a café con leche, watching the day wake up.  I love that time of day, when everything is still hushed and the light slowly changes from dark to gray to soft early morning sun.  My Dad routinely woke us up BEFORE the crack of dawn, he'd have breakfast all packed up and off we would go to see the sunrise at the beach.  Before the hordes arrived.  It was wonderful.  We had the beach all to ourselves.  I'd forgotten about those pre-dawn trips.  I've been so focused on work, then getting home, taking care of the kits, that I have neglected my own little bedtime ritual of an Amazing Grace shower, fresh pj's, lighting a candle and watching one hour (and one hour only) of t.v. before heading for bed.  Of writing in my journal, my beautiful Whimble journal, before lights out, even if it's just a short sentence saying "Good day!" Of listing at least five things I am grateful for.  Morning prayer has been hurried as of late.  Evening prayer at times completely forgotten.  All those little forgotten bits and pieces, maybe have been part of the reason I felt so discombombulated when I read about my aunt and uncle last week.  Because rituals soothe, guide, gentle one's soul, psyche.  My favorite times of day have always been dawn and dusk.  Something about the colors of the sky at those times just calls to me.


 
 
Yesterday I made a point of watching three Super Soul Sundays (Brian Weiss, Karen Armstrong, Dr. Robin) (thank goodness for the Fast Forward button, so one can skip those annoying commercials), in between writing my posts, keeping an eye on the kits running around on the sofa, Moose discovered he can jump down onto the floor yesterday and kept me busy putting him back on the sofa and saying "No, no, no, kitty is too small to be on the floor!"  He thinks it's a great game.  Jump down and Mommy picks up!  Little Bit just runs around on the sofa, getting to the edge, then backing up and slowly turning around, diving behind the pillows.  I baked a bundt butter cake, just because I like how the house smells when there's something sweet baking in the oven. After it cooled, I wrapped securely in foil and thwapped it in the freezer. Wrote some more, cried buckets (cathartic!) while watching Super Soul, kept going "Oh! That is so good!" whenever someone said anything that resonated within me, there were a lot of those.  Those interviews really ARE food for the soul.  Kindred spirits.  There was a short about a swing set in Canada that makes music as people swing on the seats, each seat having a different note.  That is a lovely idea.  Would love to have one of those in my garden one day.  There was another short of the beauty of a rainy day.  Not that it has rained a drop since Friday night.


Now I am typing this, sitting at my Little Desk, sneezing my head off, watching the babies play in their kennel (they just woke up from their post-breakfast nap).  Beautiful roses (courtesy of The Flower Club) in a favorite pitcher, next to my laptop, I'm in my pj's, I am home.  In a few minutes I will sign off, put on a big pot of chicken soup and watch Under the Tuscan Sun.  Again.  Then I will take a nap.  I'm hoping the wheezies will loosen their vise-like grip on my lungs soon.  Until then I will take comfort in being home, having soup to slurp and a laptop to write my musings on.  Sometimes one needs a Mucky Monday.  I am grateful.  I will make sure to do my little rituals again, to make time for them.  Like Hollye says, "Rituals remind me of what is important and provide a sense of stability and continuity in my life."  If you are reading this, please check out her blog, it truly is a Silver Lining in my life.  Along with Frances Scbultz' blog, my friend's Rx For the Soul, and the Whimbles.  Like I always say, they are my Trifecta Plus One.  Okay, getting woozy, signing off.  For now.  Probably will post again sometime soon, I seem to be in a writing phase.

It's nap time.  Signing off.  Until next time, be blessed, be safe, keep the faith!  And look for those Silver Linings!