Since I “opted out” of blogging last week, I have probably written at least 20 blog posts . . . in my head.
I’ve had all sorts of things I wanted to tell you about. Thoughts I wanted to share. Questions I wanted to pose. But I decided to just rest and try to regroup for a few days. (I now have plenty of “blog fodder” for upcoming posts, and that’s always a good thing.)
So I’ll just start here: How are you?
I’ve been thinking about . . . all of us . . . maybe still huddled in our little pits of despair? Maybe needing some light and a ladder? Maybe ready to lend a hand to someone else?
Wherever you may “be” right now, JoJo is here to remind you (like she reminds me every day) . . . dogs still gotta eat. Dogs still want to go on walks. Dogs still want love and attention and “night time treats.” Dogs don’t care about elections or results or the future. Dogs just want to be right-here-right-now . . . wagging and nuzzling and looking for treats.
I know a lot of you have your own JoJo-equivalent pet friends. If you don’t, I imagine you have your own version of everyday-things-calling-for-attention . . . bird feeders to fill. Piles of laundry to get through. Sleeves to knit. Dinner to plan/shop for/make. Etc.
Because, as JoJo reminds me, life goes on.
So. I’ve got a question for you: What have you been doing to get through these early days?
I thought it might actually be fun (or interesting?) (maybe even inspiring?) to hear about the things we’ve each been doing to keep ourselves moving forward. Or at least to just keep ourselves . . . moving. Let me know in the comments. I’ll collect your replies and maybe I’ll put them together for a future blog post.
As for me, I’ve been doing a lot of organizing and straightening-up. My garden. My pantry. My sewing room. My “studio.” I’ve had a hard time reading. And I haven’t knit much (still very much stuck on Sleeve Island) (I’ll spare you the details). I’ve also been connecting with friends quite a lot, both online and in real life. (I heartily recommend getting out for some live music in a local pub, if you’ve got one in your corner of the world.) And, of course, making sure JoJo gets fed and walked and “treated” according to her usual, preferred schedule!
So let me know . . . what you’ve been up to and how you’re feeling.
We’re in this together, y’know?
Feeling sad, somewhat morose, very low energy, but I aspire to get busy this week. It is sunny here today for the first time since the election. Maybe it’s a sign. I have been reading, but very light stuff, just for escape. Taking my daily walks. I am trying to decide what my winter project will be. John and I always had a project going, and I got a reminder from his google calendar that I was to decide on what it should be last week. Oh, and no news, no politics. It’s done.
What a good reminder, JoJo! I have thought seriously about getting a cat, but decided I’m still not quite ready for one. I’m visiting Nugget tonight and will give her loads of snuggles. In the beginning I rage cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen floor, but after vacuuming I quickly lost my desire to clean. It’s kind of weird, but John got a deer, so I had to help butcher. After 14 hours we were done cutting, grinding, packaging, vacuum sealing, and freezing. I’ve been cooking (because people gotta eat), doing laundry (because people gotta wear clean clothes), and thankfully, I have been able to knit. I just keep going round and round on Justin’s hat, and I got out the sparkly hitchhiker that I had forgotten about. It’s been wonderful to knit loads of sparkly garter stitch! I may be proudest of what I haven’t been doing – drinking. I had all the ingredients for vodka and tonics on the kitchen counter, but then I remembered how easy it was to slip into a daily cocktail habit during the pandemic. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but each day I found myself thinking, “I don’t need it today”, so I haven’t started (yet).
Just trying to stay centered. Easily distracted and a bit difficult to focus, but carrying on. I’ve been bugged by a bit of a stomach virus, so that does not help. I did start knitting again yesterday and I’m reading (in short spurts). Cooking and cleaning. Anxiously waiting for the baby (a little less than a month now!!).
The big plan was to get several things off the needles and into the Christmas Box, but I keep jumping around and not getting anything done. Made a new cross body bag for my phone so I have easy access to it on my walks when I’m not wearing something with pockets, but that only distracted me for an hour or so. Yesterday I pulled out my socks that need darning. Maybe getting those done will send fall our way (first time in memory that I’ve had to use the AC in November).
Friends got two seven month old Great Dane puppies on Thursday (it had been planned for weeks) and that’s not even helping them.
Today I have the girls because of Veterans’ Day. I’m hoping I can get a bit of a mood lift from having seven and three year old energy in the house.
Great idea here, Kym…
Other than singing with a couple of choirs (thankful!!!), have tended toward quiet. (Unsurprising. I’m a good hermit.) I cleaned my desk and my shelves in my making space. Put some of what I found to good use. Finding ways to distract myself. I’d have to say distraction was my best coping mechanism for the first several days. Sort of like bowling alley bumpers—else I’d fall in the gutter of reality.
An energetic, inspired, and inspiring friend asked me to co-host a breakfast of likeminded women in our community. Sort of a get-the-feels-out session AND asking “What are our next steps?” I’m grateful for her wisdom of 8 decades and her pull on me. That’s happening tomorrow.
Sending light to all here.
Though my baseline feelings are anger, fear, and disappointment, I’ve been doing OK at putting one foot in front of the other. I had a busy week, for me, and another one this week too. Which is good. It’s been hard that our classic gray November weather has arrived, but that has meant a few more chores – we put the patio furniture to bed yesterday. I’m listening to fewer podcasts and more audiobooks.
Like Carolyn I’ve been singing. I joined our church choir this fall as a way to meet a few people (a new church for us) and have some music to learn, so I’ve been practicing most days. I’ve been surprised at how good that feels. And like the rest of you, dogs need walking, meals need fixing, laundry doesn’t wash itself. All (other than the dogs) things you could complain about, but also a blessing. My busy-ness has to do with B5, a nonprofit that serves refugees. So that’s felt good, but also bad. Good to do something positive but I am afraid for people who aren’t yet citizens, and very sad that it’s likely the US will be closing its doors to refugees (by this I mean that I expect legal pathways to close, as well as “the border”).
I could really use a dog right now! I’ve been doing the usual stuff — cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, doing work, knitting, reading (a bit; it’s been hard to concentrate). I’m making sure to move my body every day. I’m staying hydrated. Basically I’m in fake-it-’til-you-make-it mode.
I love this and I should have known you would find a way to help us all come together. I’ve been watching Fred & George a lot and thinking about how they don’t care about the election and their life is the same. Dale has been taking comfort by going outside and looking up at the sky and thinking about how nature is constant. I, surprisingly enough, found solace in our small town Veteran’s Day parade today. Even with our division, we came together to support our vets and it stirred up a little pride and even some joy for me.
Avoiding news. Avoiding social media (except my blog bubble). Playing Mario Cart. Dancing. Dyeing paper for Fodder School 4 (yes I joined this time!). Throwing out lots of stuff. Making Christmas cards. Trying to make the world less ugly.
I’ve stayed away from the television completely – with the exception of Jeopardy. Spending time with like minded folks who are making the best of it by not really talking about it. And I’ve given my keyboard a little extra attention. 🙂
I have been doing most of my regular stuff – chores, exercise, knitting – but with a very heavy heart. I did restart my meditation practice. My local meditation center has an online morning group every weekday and I have tuned into that and it’s been very grounding. I’m also playing guitar.
My daughter told me Wednesday that the ONLY reason she got out of bed was because of her dog. So grateful for that! Lucy keeps me going – and dressed in something other than pajamas. I’ve also been spending a lot of time connecting (and a little bit of time knitting). I attended an Atlanta wide church leadership meeting on Saturday that was surprisingly life-giving. I always enjoy the worship aspect, but there were also some table conversations that were fantastic about building community and being church outside the walls… I was energized (and almost sad my leadership term ends in December … almost!)
Kym you are so thoughtful. To get through these days, I’ve been making order in the kitchen – cleaning out cupboards and throwing out things that expired in 2023 and earlier – egad. Straightening and organizing physical space is one of my coping mechanisms. I’ve been able to knit some garter stitch and do a bit of slow embroidery type stitching. The lace scarf seems beyond me right now. I knit about four stitches and then lose my place on the chart. I’ve also talked to my sister and both of my kids. Face Time with the grands always cheers me. The two youngest live so much in the here and now. I’ve also made umpteen cups of tea in my favorite mugs. Sometimes I just hold the mug in my hands and drink very little. Sunday I wore a necklace that belonged to my Mom. I wonder what she would say to all of this. She was a Planned Parenthood supporter back in the 1970’s when she discovered feminism.
I’m just trying to focus on each day as it comes and I am so thankful for my dog ! At 14 1/2 she still enjoys walks, just a bit slower than when she was youngster. I’m having trouble focusing on crafting projects, I do a little bit and my mind goes to worrying about what will come. Playing piano, reading, and cleaning seem to be keeping me centered right now.
First of all, THAT SWEET FACE!!! Oh I wish I could give it a thousand kisses!
I spent most of last week living like a hermit. I didn’t watch the news at all, and only looked at my Instagram feed which I have curated to be a combination of happy things, or those who are of a like mind to myself. I ignored all other social media and even only looked at my e-mail for delivery updates on things. Watched a few knitting blogs, read some cozy mysteries for comfort. And felt unrelenting despair.
This week I’m doing colonoscopy prep. Sadly, even that is a step up …
Having a dog companion certainly keeps my mind on someone else and while we walk I look at the natural world around me, the birds, the trees shedding leaves so quickly they just float magically through the air. Today it is SNOWING! I’m a little shocked as the forecast only said rain. Oh, well…it be wintertime on the heels of a long autumn (which could have been longer). See how I just keep that stream of conciseness on something other than the news. News? What news? 😀
I’ve been meeting up with friends (SnB tonight at my place) and checking in with other friend (Birthday breakfast with Shelley). I am sad of the ways of the world, but in my world, like is wonderful and that’s where my focus is, for now. I send love to your world, dear friend.
I have been even more thankful for a new puppy on these very woe-filled days. He is excellent at reminding me that even as I overflow with woe… laughter is vital, and walks, and time breathing fresh air, and filling bird feeders, and avoiding all news like it was the plague.
I struggled with knitting until I put down the sock and picked up the color-blend wrap… the meditation of knits and purls in a sequenced pattern has been the greatest thing for tamping down that woe, or maybe better it is filling the “woe well” and washing away bits of woe each time I pick it up to sit and knit. As for reading… I was really struggling until I turned on Jane Cooper reading to me about her Lost Flock. She is exactly perfect in this time and space.
I am coping by not thinking about it. (I am the Queen of Denial.) What I can do is figure out how to help those who will be most affected by t***p’s agenda. As soon as my foot heals — long story involving a dog in my way — I will resume giving rides to folks without a car. I need to check in with my trans step grandsons in Boston to see how they are faring. And my knitting group and reading group are great support groups.