Sunday To-Do, With Commentary

[rolanni]

1.  Coon cat grooming
2.  Clean cat boxes
3.  Clean humidifier
4.  Do dishes
5.  Write a novel

I don't actually think I'll accomplish Number 5 today, but I need a buncha hours in a row, which, with One Thing and Another Thing and That Other Thing* Too, I haven't been getting.  In general, I'm not a believer in Ivory Towers, but if I could rent one for a couple weeks, along with the Invisible Staff, including the Staffer whose sole job is to answer annoying -- and even non-annoying -- emails politely -- I'd be there in a heartbeat.

Lacking that, it looks like Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays are going to have to get blocked out as Compleat Writing Days, and One Thing and Another Thing are just going to have to Go Fish.

One of the things I do in the morning, after Mozart has been Served Breakfast, is that I'll play string with the kids.  Sprite especially enjoys the play, and, if I've somehow forgotten, she will pursue me around the house, dragging the string and exclaiming until I Make It Work.  Trooper's willing to play if play is on the table, but he doesn't like to make a fuss.

This morning, after play, and after Mozart had finished with breakfast, Sprite was still demanding more! string!  So I knelt down on the floor on my elbows and my knees, and put one hand on the string.  She blinked, backed up, and meebled at Trooper.  Who sighed, and hooted what I assume was, "Oh, all right, let me look at it."  And came over to sniff my hair, and my hand, and the string. . .

. . .and then laid down across from me, and put his paw on the string.

I squinted my eyes at him; he squinted his eyes at me.  Sprite meebled, pushed against Trooper; he hooted.  She meebled again, and he sighed.  Veeeerrrrrry slowly, she skooched down next to him, put her paw tentatively on the string, and huffed her little hello huff.

And there we all sat for a few minutes, communing with the string and each other.

So, that was nice.

Hope everyone is having a pleasant Sunday.

______
*Frequent readers of this blog will have noticed that I'm one of those folks who has mood swings, of which, in case there is any doubt, the High is much preferred to the Low.  Unfortunately at the moment, I'm stuck in a pretty low Low, which it took some time to identify, because (in my experience, at least) depression hurts, and this thing right here. . .doesn't, though it has all the other trimmings, in spades, including the Stupids.  What this means for y'all is that I'm going to be somewhat scarce -- see the proposed Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday schedule, and if an Ivory Tower rental comes up, I'm there -- because life and contracts go on, and if it's going take me four times longer to write a book than normal, because I've got to piece in every damn word, then I'd better lean in hard.

So, that.  Thank you for your understanding.

Comments

[margotinez.livejournal.com]

I'm with you all the way. Take care, take whatever you need to wend your way through this period, Know that we all out here are supportive. And enjoy the kids. Thank you for sharing.

Coon Cats

[charlie russel (from livejournal.com)]

Sprite sounds like a gem - I love the dragging the string to you. We had a pair of Maine Coons, one of whom, Harold, truly thought he had a future in cricket. He loved to play with 2L soda bottle caps. I'd stand at the top of the stairs and toss them down to him at the bottom and he'd defend the wickets, batting the cap to the left or the right. On level ground, he'd try to (and usually succeed) catch the bottle cap, leaping high in the air for it. If I hadn't played with him recently enough, he'd go dig under the furniture and dig out a cap (they were everywhere!), pick it up in his mouth, and drop it at my feet.

[drammar.livejournal.com]

The very Very Lows are no fun. Please do what you need to do to take care of you. You are precious to many of us.

Spring

[gareth griffiths (from livejournal.com)]

May not seem like it right now, especially in Maine, but Spring is almost here (in the UK it is in full swing) - with luck and a few prayers your mood will pick up as the seasons turn. Hang in there - we're all rooting for you.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Hope things improve quickly!!! *offers chocolate and soothing tea*

Low mood depression vs. DEPRESSION depression

[aska-kettlingur.livejournal.com]

It's hard to describe the difference between the two types of depression, because they are not on a continuum. It's more like the gravity change boarding the ship in 'Fledgling.' "...the elder staggered, colliding with the other side of the passage, barely keeping her feet, her lamentations increasing in volume and degree…" And in dealing with depression, I am definitely Professor Hafley. May you 'lean into it' like Theo, allowing the nexus to keep you upright.

Cats, depression

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

Great cat story! Hope that communing with cats helps with the mood, etc. I have depression.. I take St. John's Wort in capsule form (used almost exclusively by MDs in Germany for mild to moderate depression) and Sam-E also. Really helps.

Depression Hurts

[ed greenberg (from livejournal.com)]

Indeed, Depression hurts. I read your last paragraph and felt I had to write and add my support and encouragement. There's very little that another person can say, so I'll just send my wishes for: (1) Strength to persevere, (2) Good times to balance the bad, and (3) the knowledge that we're all behind you.

Hang in, we love you.

Ed Greenberg