You know how hamsters seem run endlessly in their little wheels, frantically moving their little feet as fast as they can yet never getting anywhere? That’s sort of how I’ve felt the past month or so. First there was the wedding and as wonderful as it was, I was really looking forward to having at least a week to just kick back and enjoy the peace of an empty calendar. Sadly, things just didn’t work out that way.
Between Dave’s cardiac testing, doctors’ appointments and eventual angioplasty as well as the Fall start-up of my various volunteer activities, I found myself running from one day to the next, always with my eye on the 21st of October, the day when my first break arrived. I haven’t even had the time or brain focus to write, and I’ve missed it sorely.
I have totally enjoyed the past two days, just doing normal everyday stuff. Yesterday I did laundry, caught up on my correspondence and even did some filing. Today I left the house early and did the first real grocery shopping I’ve done in a very long time. I even had a list! Lately I’ve been guilty of using the Foodlion down the street as my own personal pantry, running in almost everyday to grab something. It’s not the going there that is problematic to me, it’s the running there.
So today, I did a “big shop”, leisurely walking up and down the aisles, thoughtfully deciding what to put in my basket. Surprisingly the store wasn’t crowded. I like to go on Tuesdays because I get a “senior” discount but compared to most of the other customers on Tuesdays, I’m definitely a “junior”, at least for now.
When I got home, I unpacked my purchases slowly and put them away with care and purpose. What a change from the last few weeks when I’d literally toss things on the pantry shelves and shut the door so I didn’t have to look at the mess! After everything was put away, sat down at the table on the deck and ate some yummy California rolls I treated myself to at the store. It was one of the first times I’ve been able to just sit and look at the yard in weeks. The leaves are about fifty percent changed, the mums are in full bloom and the grass is green. It was cool today, cooler than it’s been. We may even get our first frost in the next day or two. The year is winding down.
With my tummy full, I sat and worked on a pair of socks for Dave and then took full advantage of the quiet and stretched out on the couch for a decadent snooze. It is good to have life slow down, return to a sense of normalcy. I know today was really just a respite, a day to catch my breath before November arrives with another wave of events and activities leading into the Holidays. But that is off in the future, someday past tomorrow when I think I may vacuum and bake cookies. Aaahh.