This morning when I awoke at 4 a.m. I realized I had to leave my crisis mode of living and return to real life, despite the boxes full of stuff surrounding me everywhere. I need daily ritual: the oatmeal with brown sugar and cream (instead of McDonald's breakfast). A long bath. I need to get back to the book. I need to read three manuscripts, a duty I have evaded for six weeks.
I walked down to the lake and admired the cattails, some of them exploded like feather dusters. At one point, ducks fed, their back ends pointing upwards. A flock of swallows swirled and swooped down for insects. I like this too, I thought.
Weekend update:
Moved on Friday. I repainted three doors. I can't believe I did this. Sam comes in the afternoon and helps move boxes around for us. He tells me the bedroom ceiling fan I bought isn't big enough to cover the space. I don't care. I'm not buying one of those big bulky things.
I can now get NPR on my radio again. Yippee Skippy. We are without Wi-Fi for one night and this drives us nearly insane. No books. We go to bed.
Saturday: Unpacking. Charles comes to hook us up. I watch two episdodes of CSI: NY. I cough and cough.
Sunday: Can't stop coughing and sniffling. Tom goes to Walgreens for Robitussin and decongestant. I stay in bed. We go to eat at Charles and Erica's--I especially like the crepes with Nutella, bananas and whipped cream. Maxwell could put a whole one in his mouth. Our family has big mouths.
I think they've cut down on the alcohol in Robitussin, but back in the nineties when my mother had Alzheimer's, she got drunk on the stuff, because she'd take some every time she coughed and drank about a quart of it.
I miss my mother, even the mother that had Alzheimer's.
Blah, blah, blah.
Been thinking of you a lot today, Louise. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteLouise if you haven't tried Airborne may I suggest Tom go back to Walgreen's to purchase some for your cough. Take it every four hours. You won't have the enjoyment of being drunk but your cough will go away.
ReplyDeleteHey, Louise. Wasn't sure how to share this with you, but I wanted to mention a post I wrote about the memoir class I took from you forever ago. Thanks for that class--it was amazing!
ReplyDeletehttp://mormonmommywriters.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-stories-we-tell.html
I love your writing!
ReplyDeleteYears ago, and many moves ago, I met a new neighbor whose husband's job kept them moving every few years. Her rule on coping and continuity was that the house became a home after the pictures were hung. My own rule, having moved eleven times in thirty years: get the kitchen unpacked and functioning. Something about familiar cooking wafting through the house seems to help.
ReplyDeleteYou have moved a lot; what is your coping secret? (Besides Robitussin...)