I am getting over a bout of norovirus or its near kin. Not fun, but not a protracted illness either. While I was napping, slamming Motrin, and sipping clear liquids, about a foot and half of snow fell, and headline news presented us with another entirely avoidable tragedy in the killing of Alex Pretti, followed immediately by national leadership figures lying about the tragedy or ignoring the tragedy.
I am officially off stride, and Lord Julian is just going to have marinate for a while in his many imperfections, contradictions, and endearing strengths. I’ll get back to the work in progress soon, but just… not… yet.
I am all for staring reality right in the eye, dealing with facts, and relying on fact-based sources, but right now, I also understand the need to hit pause, put the court in recess, and get some settings back to neutral, or as close to neutral as I can manage with the resources available to me now.
I start with a truth: It’s not all going to perdition. The power is still on. Maryland has one of the best grids in the country (and it’s fracking-free). The power could drop two minutes from now, but so far, the house is toasty, the pipes are working, and the potty flushes. I have all the back-ups in place (wood stove, stock-piled water, stock-piled cat food), but not having go Little House in the Dark Ages so far is a tremendous gift.
The cats are enjoying the snow. Many of them have never seen snow, much less the kind they can walk on, and they are darting around outside like Arctic foxes for a few minutes here and there. The sun is shining, and sun on snow as well all know from Lord Julian’s mutterings, is very, very bright.
My upstairs cat, Travis, thinks I really should be taking three naps a day. Best idea yet! She’s an odd personality, very stand-offish, until it’s plain I’m down for the count, and then she’s the head-booping, face-pawing, jet-engine purring champeen of rural Maryland. Her company has been a comfort.
The quiet has been balm to my soul. NO TRAFFIC (I did hear a salt truck on Saturday night). But none of the up and down the road all day noise that we think we tune out, but we don’t really. My days have been truly, wonderfully, restfully QUIET, and then,
the best quiet of all, the quiet of a heavy snow fall.
So far, I am benefiting from the weather, which leaves me feeling guilty, because of course, so many people are hurt by it. But I needed a hiatus this week, and I am getting one, and for that I am grateful. I am off to shovel another few feet of walkway, and maybe take my first nap of the day. May you all stay safe and warm and on stride.
Any back-handed benefits befalling you lately? Re-sets you didn’t plan, or schedule changes that worked out for the best?
Glad to see you halfway recovered but don’t jump into action so soon, take a nap, or two, or three…Lord Julián dixit.
That guy… I have a few dixits for him when next we meet.
Happy to hear you are feeling better. My partner caught some crud a couple of weeks ago and was down for the count for about a week. Unfortunately, the cough continued even longer. I don’t know how I escaped it but did. That’s as big of a benefit as I’ve experienced lately but it’s a good one.
Our temperatures are about to plunge from all the cold and snow up north (the weather person explained it’s because the wind going across all that snow on its way here just gets even colder–I say it’s because my Ohio family left the back door open). We hit 83 on Saturday and will have a low of 38 tomorrow. Except for a dental appointment on Wednesday, I happily do not have to go outside this week. Hunkering down with a hot drink and a good book is how I cope.
Hope all of y’all are keeping warm!
That is a huge temperature swing, and it’s funny. Up here we blame the snow on “Gulf moisture,” while down there you blame the cold on “northern winds.” Stay warm and enjoy some well deserved hibernation.
I am very glad you are recovering from whatever virus you had! I am currently in Year Two of a trial for a Norovirus vaccine. I believe I did get the actual vaccine and not the placebo because I had a pretty impressive reaction to the original injection. I do hope that this trial goes well and saves many people from the horrible effects that usually happen on vacation!
We had a couple of COVID weeks around here. My sister-in-law was in a car accident and needed some care so we packed up her and her delightful cat, Meera, and brought them to our house, along with COVID from the rehab facility she was in. Still, it has been lovely to have them both, especially in light of the 12+ inches of snow.
We have hunkered down together and having a kitty in the house again has been so nice! Out last kitty, Peanut, died in November (18.5 years old, a wonderful life so it’s hard to mourn too much) and we thought we’d wait until after the holidays to go “cat shopping.” Meera is a delight and there’s no way Marilyn could have healed without her kitty. Having a new cat in our house may have made it difficult to have Meera visit so the wait, although a little too long for us, has actually been for the better. I guess that’s my back-handed benefit!
Grace, I enjoyed your blog entry so much today. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy them every week, but today’s was very soothing and, of course, kitty references and photos made it even more so. I am deeply frustrated by the government and I’m so sad about Renee and Alex (big sigh), but this post gave me a welcome measure of peace. Thank you.
Kitties (some kitties) are just good medicine. I am certain that it’s time spent with Travis purring on my chest (or back or side or pillow) that makes the naps restorative, while the sleep is just a bonus.
Also, good on ya for being in the trial. As illnesses go, it’s only a miserable few days, but it hit fast and hard, and I’m still hesitant about anything other than clear liquids. I would gladly roll up my sleeve to avoid repeating these days!
Feel better soon!! There’s something about not being able to go anywhere that feels relaxing, even if all the work is usually done in the house. Last night, driving home well after dark, the snow was coming down. It was cold — 6 degrees, I think. I had never, ever seen such sparkly snow in my life (and my first digit is a 5). It was amazingly beautiful in the headlights of the car. Just a vast white glittery landscape as far as the eye could see. It was nice to mentally stop and marvel at something beautiful, instead of the constant horror show of news. Not quite on topic, but something I wanted to add in while wishing you a speedy and full recovery.
I recall driving home one night when my daughter was young enough to be in the passenger’s seat, and telling her, “Look in the beam of the headlights…” The first few flurries of the season were coming down, and it was magical.
I developed a doozy of what I thought was a cold. Now I am wondering if it was some new crop of cooties.
Backhanded Benefits include the improvement in the state of my floors since I went on a campaign to use a new style FURminator on my dogs. Then there is the increased space in my little house resulting from parting with furniture I was sentimental about to help furnish apartments being readied to help homeless families get back in control.
Oh, Sue… what a wonderful, kind, generous use of your sentimental furniture. That was magnificent of you, and your heirlooms will be treasured by their new family, I am sure!
I’m SO happy to be snow-birding in Arizona and avoiding the northern snow.
While I do miss my snuggle cat keeping me warm in bed, I’m enjoying looking at your various feline photos, Grace, making me feel warm in a different way.
I hope everyone’s various colds and afflictions are diminishing and that you all feel better soon.
Oh Grace I’m sorry for your sickness
Cats like my many over the years….they were Siamese big characters, are a comfortable comfort
Since my husband died I needed another heartbeat in my house and now have Lily the Moyen poodle
Another love of my life
We have been in a heatwave in Southern Australia,42 Celsius….about 100f
What a world we live in
I watch with sorrow the challenges you dear folk face with guns and fanatics and wish you well
Keep writing dear Grace you are a bright joyful light in my life with each new book
The ice that hit north TX this past few days brought traffic to a halt meaning that my husband’s caregivers couldn’t get here. So for 2 nights it was my turn to get up every 2 hours to check on him. We survived without bloodshed but were both tickled to see our regular caregiver this morning. Very grateful for these magnificent folks and all they do for us.
I too love the quiet of a snow storm. The sense (likely false) of all the busyness slowed and stopping for a bit.
I am attached to locations but even more to objects. Things associated with my dad, who died in 72, are almost holy relics. I laugh at myself. I struggle to let go of things.
I am comfortable giving my precious bits to family and friends but there’s too much for all my treasures to be left to family. Although I am Protestant, Pope Leo recently had a good meditation about the value and purpose of old age.
Hope you are well soon. I find the current political disorder so painful I withdraw from news, from activity. I feel bombarded and alone.