The skies are clearing

The sky is finally clearing and I see a pale blue sky.  There are shadows again as the sun plays hide and seek in the trees instead of a grayness filling the sky and floating down from the treetops, misting and sprinkling, spreading the gray through my world.  Everyone I have talked to lately has been depressed or a little off.  It is like as the season turns and the stores fill up with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas it is throwing all of us a little off kilter. 

Autumn is hard like that.  When Autumn turns to winter we are already well into the holiday madness.  When Winter turns to spring it is so welcome after being cooped up, cramped into our homes breathing the same stale heated air for months that spring is welcome.  The holidays are not as demanding either.  Then Spring and Summer merge, again, the holidays at this time of year are about family and picnics, vacations and days at the beach, relaxed and laid back. Just throw a few sandwiches into a bag, some drinks and off you go.  Make it real easy and stop at a fast food place for a chicken dinner and you have instant picnic.  Then Summer turns to fall and school has already started, the biggest fall holiday other then the equinox has already happened, and then BAM!  Out of the blue we are to buy candy, expensive costumes, the biggest turkey with all the fixings and presents, lots and lots of presents. 

And we need to do this to be good Americans.  To spend that money and get our economy booming.  Yet this year, it already feels different.  We are getting worn down.  The economy is still struggling and slipping, not able to get a foot hold.  Money is tight, and even for those who are doing OK, they too are starting to wonder if maybe they should be a little more prudent.  And the fact that they have crowded three holidays, not to mention both fall and winter decorations all together, overwhelms many of us and sends us running back to our homes, the needed loaf of bread lost in the fray of ghosts, turkeys and Santa's. 

I love the holidays.  But I love to celebrate each one, separately, one at a time.  I want to go to the Waukeenah fish fry on Friday night and buy my mullet dinner and then head out to the pumpkin patch and pick out a pumpkin or two.  I love pumpkins.  All colors and shapes and sizes.  I do not butcher mine, but rather put then out to display and keep them there until they have started to spot with age and then they go out into the chickens.  I love dressing up for Samhein (Halloween) and passing out candy.  One year Larry had to actually go down the street and pay a couple of kids to come and trick or treat at our house.  I thought that was very sweet of him.  That was back in the days when he was very considerate and sweet.  Nice memories.

I haven't managed to get much done this week.  I did go to the Y on Tuesday.  Wednesday I was tired and still dealing with my stomach issues, which was now a week, and I was starting to reconsider my ban on Imodium and Pepto Bismol.  I don't like to take Imodium because it causes my body to quit functioning normally for longer then most people.  And yes, my body is not functioning as well as would be hoped for in the first place, but since it usually only lasts for a day or two, I hate to then have to spend a week dealing with the other problem.  And well, Pepto Bismol looks pretty gross when it revisits you, and it does not seem to fix my problems, but just intensifies the colors, so no thank you there.  But I was getting close to doing to the store and giving something a try.  I was really getting worn down.  So Wednesday I thought I would take a nap.  No rehearsal.  I had planned to go to Judy and Denise;s to pick up some things for the play, but the rain made that impossible, so I had the entire afternoon to myself.  

I laid my head down and as tired and worn out as I was, my mind instantly went to wide awake, and after 30 minutes of trying every thing I could think of, I got up, got dressed and decided to go to the sewing group that meets at the library on Wednesdays.  Several of the ladies in this group are also in our garden circle, and I am quite fond of them, so it is nice to get to spend an extra time sitting around and talking while most of them work on their sewing projects.  I just sit there and knit.  I am not ready to join in on the sewing yet. 

Today I again went up to the Y and got there in time for the chair/AA Meeting portion of the HOPE group.  After that I went downstairs to do my workout and it was empty, so I really liked that.  No waiting for a machine, no crowd to distract.  I could just do my workout and then head to yoga.  I have been wanting to take a zumba course, and the zumba gold, for the old people, is the same time as my HOPE classes.  I have considered taking a zumba class and see how that goes and then do my workout and then go to yoga.  That would be a better balance to my program.  We will see how it goes.  I am still feeling better doing these exercises and have not had a weepy week in a while.  Oh, I am so loving that.  I hate those weepy, dramatic, sobbing weeks.  It is so hard on my physically, but nothing compared to how it impacts those around me.  If for no other reason, not having to deal with that side effect of the meds makes the drive to Thomasville worth every minute and drop of gas.  I suppose I could get where I can do some of the exercises and yoga here at the house, but getting out and spending time with the other survivors, I think also helps.  And we had a good class today. 

Now I am heading up to the Opera House to buy a chicken and rice dinner from the 4H club, and then on to rehearsal.   We have switched Luke's in the play.  I have to say as much as I love Mike, Tim is doing an amazing job and is much bigger and funnier then Mike.  Mike is a great actor, but he does not have the experience Tim has in these big over the top comedies.  And it has really given the play a real boost having him come on to this part.  Mike is still a part of the production and I am sure that we will see him during the play.  But he has some personal things he needs to deal with that have come up, and I think he is relieved not to have to come to rehearsals 4 days a week.

Big fun coming up.  Tomorrow night is the Waukeenah Mullet Fry, and you know how much I love their mullet fries.  Then this weekend is the Farm Tours and I will be working the morning shift at Golden Acres Ranch.   Saturday afternoon will be a working day for the play and then Sunday we will have rehearsal.  Next week Sioux will be up on Wednesday night.  I am really looking forward to seeing her.  She is coming up for my birthday on Saturday.  We will go to see the Poe One Act Plays at TOSAC on Friday night with Caroline.  Saturday will be the Monarch Butterfly Festival and then she will leave Sunday before I have rehearsal.  She will get to see the play in rehearsal on Thursday evening.  I also thought I would take Sioux with me to Thomasville on Thursday and we could go to my yoga class. 

So lots of fun coming up.  I am feeling better.  Still a little worn out after a week of stomach issues.   That is a long time to keep having everything in your system evacuate from the closest orifice as quickly as possible.  I did not however loose any weight over this time.  I have no idea how.  But I am not complaining.  Maybe something I ate stayed with me long enough to give me some nutrition.

I did take a moment today to call a friend I haven't spoken to in 25 years.  He sounded just the same and so happy.  I was glad I had touched base with him.   His daughter is getting married next month and he sounds like a good dad, happy for her, but dreading loosing his baby girl.  His life has gone well it sounded like, and I was so happy to have stopped and taken the moment to say hello.

Well off to rehearsal.  Maybe one of these days I will have something of importance to say here.  But for now I am happy and feeling good.  Life is wonderful.  The weather is glorious, Ednarose is growing up getting bigger and more civilized with each passing day.  Although she still likes to throw something at me each day that makes me learn patience.  Got to love her, or I would ......, OK, I can't think of anything I could do, but I do love that little thing.  And both of her brothers and the rest of the crew here at Labrun.