0 comment Tuesday, August 5, 2014 | admin
The party went brilliantly; much food consumed, all the kids piled on the daybed so it's been truly wumped (and survived!), BBQ also sorted and went down a storm, we even made some s'mores - I had to be reminded about these by a Brit friend as I haven't made them since I lived in the US, but I managed it with digestive biscuits. Kids loved it!
Later on at night when my feet had finally had enough and I was doing the hobble-walk - child was in bed, the moon could be seen slightly through the clouds before it all went over, it was relatively warm out so I indulged in something I've wanted to do for a while: sat outside with a cup of tea, my homemade kyphi incense burning on a charcoal tablet, sprawled on the daybed and just chilled in the dark with my solar-powered garden lights glowing gently. I just breathed in deep of the night. Absolute bliss.
Child off with his dad, and the cleaner coming to sort the house has meant I've had time for serious recovery mode from yesterday's efforts. I had some elderflower cordial to hand. I even took the strongest painkillers I have without a qualm as I didn't have anything to stay awake and aware for - the day was totally mine, and I have been dozing in a almost-painfree state since 11 this morning. There was a time I'd curse the waste of a day, but I refused to berate myself today for taking the time to recover from yesterday's efforts. It was fun, very fun indeed - I love doing this sort of thing and seeing my son so happy - but the truth is it costs me dear. I managed to hobble to the shops - even though there was a good ten minutes where I wasn't sure I wanted to face the pain of doing so - and I mowed the back garden as I still had a little energy to spare and I knew I wouldn't get to it for the whole week otherwise. But by the time 11 rolled round I knew that was that - end of spoons. I turned to the heavier pain medication, ate some leftover bbq food, grabbed a favourite book and sprawled outside on the daybed - knowing full well I'd probably not be able to comprehend what I was trying to read due to drugs and exhaustion, but also knowing it didn't really matter much today.
Whilst I was in my spoonie-Tramadol torpor I just lay there in between attempting paragraphs of my book, watching birds, watching bees, and thinking to myself "When was the last time I just watched nature do its thing?" Again, I hung out on the daybed and read a book whilst the sun shone, the birds flitted and argued about territory in the snowberry hedge, bees buzzed round and pollinated whatever flowers were open. Flocks flew overhead and I could hear the beat of their wings. A buzzard circled high overhead. Bees came into the garden in trickles, and then in abundance as word travelled that there was plenty of nectar to spare on my patch. I just lay there and watched, no pressure to get up and do anything today. I just soaked it in. I'd doze for fifteen minutes, wake up, read a paragraph, watch the world outside, doze again. And so it went till the sunlight disappeared and the clouds rolled in, although I was tempted to stay outside even so. Eventually I meandered back inside when I started to get a chill, and dozed again with the company of Halloween cats.
It was a much-needed rest. I can say wholeheartedly thanks to the cleaning I get done weekly and the new comfy space outside, this is the first time I've had a relatively stress-free half-term break with child. It's maybe not too terribly productive, but I'm learning to take it in stride; to take the time to heal (and believe me, even through the Tramadol I'm in a fair bit of pain today), and to just BE.
Today was a good day.
Later on at night when my feet had finally had enough and I was doing the hobble-walk - child was in bed, the moon could be seen slightly through the clouds before it all went over, it was relatively warm out so I indulged in something I've wanted to do for a while: sat outside with a cup of tea, my homemade kyphi incense burning on a charcoal tablet, sprawled on the daybed and just chilled in the dark with my solar-powered garden lights glowing gently. I just breathed in deep of the night. Absolute bliss.
Child off with his dad, and the cleaner coming to sort the house has meant I've had time for serious recovery mode from yesterday's efforts. I had some elderflower cordial to hand. I even took the strongest painkillers I have without a qualm as I didn't have anything to stay awake and aware for - the day was totally mine, and I have been dozing in a almost-painfree state since 11 this morning. There was a time I'd curse the waste of a day, but I refused to berate myself today for taking the time to recover from yesterday's efforts. It was fun, very fun indeed - I love doing this sort of thing and seeing my son so happy - but the truth is it costs me dear. I managed to hobble to the shops - even though there was a good ten minutes where I wasn't sure I wanted to face the pain of doing so - and I mowed the back garden as I still had a little energy to spare and I knew I wouldn't get to it for the whole week otherwise. But by the time 11 rolled round I knew that was that - end of spoons. I turned to the heavier pain medication, ate some leftover bbq food, grabbed a favourite book and sprawled outside on the daybed - knowing full well I'd probably not be able to comprehend what I was trying to read due to drugs and exhaustion, but also knowing it didn't really matter much today.
Whilst I was in my spoonie-Tramadol torpor I just lay there in between attempting paragraphs of my book, watching birds, watching bees, and thinking to myself "When was the last time I just watched nature do its thing?" Again, I hung out on the daybed and read a book whilst the sun shone, the birds flitted and argued about territory in the snowberry hedge, bees buzzed round and pollinated whatever flowers were open. Flocks flew overhead and I could hear the beat of their wings. A buzzard circled high overhead. Bees came into the garden in trickles, and then in abundance as word travelled that there was plenty of nectar to spare on my patch. I just lay there and watched, no pressure to get up and do anything today. I just soaked it in. I'd doze for fifteen minutes, wake up, read a paragraph, watch the world outside, doze again. And so it went till the sunlight disappeared and the clouds rolled in, although I was tempted to stay outside even so. Eventually I meandered back inside when I started to get a chill, and dozed again with the company of Halloween cats.
It was a much-needed rest. I can say wholeheartedly thanks to the cleaning I get done weekly and the new comfy space outside, this is the first time I've had a relatively stress-free half-term break with child. It's maybe not too terribly productive, but I'm learning to take it in stride; to take the time to heal (and believe me, even through the Tramadol I'm in a fair bit of pain today), and to just BE.
Today was a good day.
Labels: Garden, Good Life, Languishment