Wednesday, July 16, 2008

New every morning

I was miserable yesterday, one of those days when chronic illness collided head on with weather conditions and the return of summer heat. It was a day I had to take a nap by noon! So, I wasn't too happy when I was wide awake this morning more than an hour before my alarm was set to ring.

However, once I looked out the window over my sink I was quite content to be awake (perhaps not alert, though). There was such a beautiful sunrise that it was hard to pull myself away but the lure of coffee was stronger than the beauty of the moment. I pushed the button on the coffeemaker and wished an immediate response but it still took a few minutes until I could take the Pooh mug filled with hot liquid, Splenda, and just a little milk into the family room.

The forecast for today is for heat and humidity but this early in the morning, it was perfect outside. I opened the french door to the deck and shut the screen so Sasha couldn't get frisky in her old age and run after a squirrel. I also opened the window over the kitchen sink. Both allowed fresh air into the house. I tuned into "Wednesdays With Beth (Moore)" and enjoyed the moment with a real breath of fresh air, morning coffee, and Beth. It doesn't get much better than that. His mercies truly are new every morning. :)

I went in 15 minute mode yesterday, doing one small thing at a time since I didn't feel well. I only finished one load of laundry but that one was a priority with much needed "dark" items for today. My husband says you can tell how fast time goes by because he had just looked in his sock drawer and it was quite full one day and it seemed the very next that he was telling me I had to do laundry because it was empty. Since he only wears one pair of socks per day (unlike what a teenage boy can go through), then the days have gone by quickly.

I often get a smile when I'm loading dark clothes into the washing machine. I only have one or two loads each week now but when Stephanie was still at home, we had multiple dark loads as well as one "red" load each week. Her father never could understand why we wore so much black, navy, and red even though we would remind him we each had black hair and light complexions... typical Winters. (Well, I did have naturally black hair at one time.)

I straightened some magazines (there is a reason I have a magazine rack in almost every room of the house) and moved a few books and papers off the family room coffee table. Thankfully, dinner was going to be leftovers and I had decided that morning not to do any baking so there was minimal dinner duties and kitchen clean up.

By late afternoon, I decided I could do something while watching Fox Business News (perhaps that is not the best place to view right now when one is on a fixed income and hears their view of the economy). I pulled out that "box of papers" I've been working on for awhile and this time made my way all through them. There is a stack here in the office ready to be filed but otherwise, that box is behind me.

One of the articles I found was about homemaking when one has a chronic illness. I took the time to read through it and the suggestions were mostly what I already do, especially keeping a list of the "to do's" and working through them a little at a time throughout the day. It truly does bring amazing results over time... just like when I organized the garage in fifteen minute increments. It took a couple of months until I came to that point I could see it almost complete and finished it in one day.

It doesn't have to be a chronic illness one is going through for there are all kinds of disruptions in this world to our energy level. Just a little bit done here and there... now and then... accomplishes a lot over time. Much better than sitting in the Lazy Boy complaining about how bad I feel and watching the house fall apart.

There are still pantry ponderings to be typed, an award to receive, e-mails to answer... blog stuff to accomplish. However, I need another cup of coffee. One does have priorities.

6 comments:

Vee said...

Just a slow and easy start to your morning...very restful for you and your readers. I need to get going 15 mins at a time myself...maybe I can alternate between household chores and blog catch-up.

~~Deby said...

eeek...when I read this, I thought, my goodness..she is me.
I have fibro which affects MANY things, sometimes the pain is horrific...the sleep...well sometimes almost none existent...but the fatigue...I HATE it.
YESTERDAY, I did the increment *thing* and it worked...it worked...and I am thrilled, my house looks better, I got a ton of laundry done, and even folding...got some good Bible reading in....and my house looked better than passable. I went to bed like that and even though I had a rough night, I thought...*this is workable, Deby*
I guess since I tend to be a all or nothing, I have let my mind say if you can't do it all...don't do anything, on those days...well, maybe this is the way it is supposed to be for me. I can't super clean all day like I used to, to include moving furniture etc...I need to get real...
oh Brenda, I needed this post...it was perfect ...and I hope you are feeling better today...
Blessings,
Deby

Karen said...

As someone who had her own issues with chronic illness today (silly me, I thought just this morning that it had been a while since I had an "issue". Little did I know...), I enjoyed this post. It's good to remember that you can accomplish things, even when your body is totally spazzing out!

blessings,
karen

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this glimpse into your day, Brenda. I don't know if there's anything new I can learn about keeping house with a chronic illness, either, but I do find it very motivating to read posts like this.

Nana Trish is Living the Dream said...

Brenda, you always remind me of things I need to reflect on. When I was young I could go at full speed. I have done a lot better about working so many hours a day, but I still have to talk to myself about not beating myself up about the amount of housework I can do at a time. In my mind I feel a lot younger than what my body is saying and showing. I need to break it up and realize it's not a contest. I pray you feel better.

Debbie in CA : ) said...

My sweet friend, I took the day off from blogging and just concentrated on the schooling, the loving, the caring, and the hugging. My eldest had her first "real" fight with her fiance, my 12-year-old had an "off" day (shocking from the child that is always smiling), and my 9-year-old just didn't feel like doing math (ah, me ... she got nearly 100% when she finally acquiesced); praise the Lord my autistic son had a splendid day of many hugs, kisses, and happy smiles. The Lord is good. I came online to see you and my heart went out to you. Tough times can sap the strength. You are in my prayers, sweet one. Take are of yourself ... the blog can wait. Blessings to you. : )