Friday Already?

To be fair, I had a really bad day yesterday, and I never even remembered my resolve to blog on Thursdays. But just keeping at the blogging is important, even if I do mess up, so here I am. I'm so glad that spring is on the way, even if winter decided to remind us that it's not quite gone yet yesterday. Anyone else have Seasonal Affective Disorder and have a rough winter this year? Of course, I didn't use my light box as reliably as I could have, so it's partially on me. My psychiatrist gave me an article recently about a light box being more useful to bipolar people if it is used around noon, so I might try that as March slowly winds away.

Can't Wait to Be Done

I'm glad that the suggestion for students in the United States to go to school year-round has never gotten much momentum, because I really need a break. A long break. And it's not even like we're going to be sitting around all summer. The girls have another Higher Things conference, the Dancer will be taking several classes for the six week summer dance season, the Musician has gotten a job working with the high school theatrical tech crew and of course she will be involved in marching band. Mr. BTEG and I will be taking a short trip to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary. But the pace will be so much more laid back and relaxed, and I need that. I'm so sick of just about everything, and I'm hoping to refreshed and ready to start "normal" life again in the fall.

Cravings

The week or so of solid gray skies and steady rain that came as a result of Hurricane Sandy made one thing clear to me: I do have Seasonal Affective Disorder. By the end of the week I was barely functional. My brain worked well enough to click a computer mouse, and that was about it.

I've always suspected that I had SAD. After all, winter is the hardest time of the year for me, emotionally. February was the month when I reached an breaking point bad enough to land me in a mental hospital. But the bad weather last month compressing it all into a solid week really convinced me. I've been pretty good about upping my Vitamin D consumption in the winter, but since we are blessed enough to have very good health insurance coverage at the moment, my psychiatrist is supporting me in trying phototherapy. Mr. BTEG is working through the insurance channels/hoops to get a light box. I'll probably update when we get one, after I've used it for a while.

My other struggle, besides craving sunlight, is craving carbs. I haven't talked about it here, but late this summer, I started eating less, trying to cut back on carbs, cutting out as much high fructose corn syrup as possible, and walking. I did manage a little bit of weight loss. But now my ankle injury has messed up my walking habit, and as winter comes on I find myself craving carbs as I haven't in a long time. Mr. BTEG, who did some research on light boxes and SAD, tells me that craving carbs in the winter is nature's way of putting us into a sort of hibernation. Well, I was certainly in hibernation mode after that week of gray and rain. But I can't do that all winter. Maybe the phototherapy will help with the carb cravings.

Oh, and Mr. BTEG also discovered that light therapy can cause someone who is bipolar to go into a manic state, or a mixed state. Swell. My mixed states are the worst ones of all. I guess we'll have to play that one by ear as well. Happy Winter!

Winter Blues

I've been struggling to stay awake, stay energized, stay focused. Overall, this winter has been better than others of late, but at last the shorter days and not so much sunlight have taken their toll. I've been playing around with the Vitamin D and just get through the days as best I can. At least March will be here soon.

Goodbye Sunlight

I may have to up my Vitamin D intake; I really crashed hard today. Mr. BTEG and his sister both suffer from levels of Vitamin D that can get low enough to be dangerous. It may have a bigger impact on our health than we think. It would help explain why people in third world countries don't seem to get autoimmune disorders, if the Vitamin D were a cause and not just a symptom.

Garden Woes

The container gardening hasn't been an entire failure, but it hasn't been as successful as I envisioned late this spring. I think we'll get one pepper off of the pepper plant. Anyone know if this is normal? We are getting tomatoes, but due to a failure to stake the plants better as they got taller, we won't get as many tomatoes as we should have. The Dancer is at least enjoying a few tomatoes every few days. The oregano looks rather sad. I suppose we may be able to chop what there is, up. Strawberries failed to materialize.

The problems as I see them were: 1. An especially rainy spring. The plants got overly soggy to the point where they were sitting in water. We did our best to drain the containers and moved the plants in when it rained, but the responsibility of lugging containers around, I think became discouraging.
2. Our patio faces south. This discourages us from spending much time out there, thus kind of forgetting about the plants. I would like to get some kind of large umbrella or other shade, but the cost is rather prohibitive.

Oh, and I planted some lilies-of-the-valley in front, in the shade. There didn't seem to be much to them, just a scrawny bit of root. I have lost all hope of them since the landscaping crew that maintains our development came and dumped a bunch of mulch on top of these little twigs sticking up. I wonder if transplanting some larger plants from someone who has some would work better. I think I mentioned before that I tried lilies before many years ago and got nothing then as well.

The price of food being what it is, I still think it is worth giving container gardening another try next spring. Actually, I would like to get some more containers so that we can grow more food. We'll see where things stand next spring. I will also put some ornamental bulbs in this fall.

Just Keep Swimming

Too darn long since I last posted! I've been getting busier with enjoyable things, like going to the pool with the girls. I have no idea why I haven't done that sooner. Especially since no other exercise plan looks like it will work out this summer. We can't afford a bicycle or even good walking shoes for me at the moment, so swimming is a good alternative.

I'm actually so busy that I've barely touched my computer lately! I'm sure there will be plenty of time for that this winter, though. I just need to write here more often. Life could be seen as outwardly boring because we haven't been doing "exciting" things, but I think we are all enjoying the summer. The girls have spent lots of time swimming, bicycling and hanging out with their friends, all good kid summer activities. No need for admonitions to come in when the streetlights come on, however. If the girls are at a friend's house that late, it usually ends up being a sleepover!

Winter Is Unofficially Here

I was so glad yesterday that Mr. BTEG and I have cell phones. Due to the inclement weather, poor Mr. BTEG ended up playing Escape from Cleveland as his usual bus was non-existent (some people were waiting at the bus stop for over an hour) and traffic was almost at a stand-still, so he advised me not to come and pick him up. He ended up getting to Tower City and taking a train out to the near west side, where I came to get him. It would have been awful if we hadn't been able to communicate with each other throughout the fun.

The List Keeps Growing

It seems to me that people used to get together most often in winter during olden times, and barely saw each other in the summer. I imagine that was due, at least at first, to all the farm work necessary in summer, and later, to the Victorian/Edwardian propensity for going to the country in the summer. Now it seems that people hibernate during the winter, at least after Christmas, and do all kinds of things during the summer, at least in the greater Cleveland area where the winter can be long and tough and the early and late summer can be very pleasant.

Tomorrow a fellow church member is having a garage sale to raise money for a youth group trip. I would have liked to be there today so the Equestrienne could help get things ready, but she has school to do, and I am still not feeling one hundred percent. Not only do we have the garage sale tomorrow, but one of the Dancer's friends is having her end-of-year recital right in the middle of the afternoon.

Tonight the Equestrienne is going to a birthday party, with an 80's theme. What fun! I remember years and years ago some girl saying she dreaded having her daughter come home and tell her that tomorrow was 80's day at school. It's the circle of life!

Next Saturday is a work day at church, for which we will not be able to stay very long, because we are going to an Indians game with a tailgate party beforehand. It's a birthday get-together for a local geocacher.

Here's a picture of the Equestrienne from last weekend, which was a busy one also. I really do wish there were close to as many activities in the winter as there are in the summer! Winter is when I am at my bluest and need human interaction!

Spring, Spring, Spring

At last, it feels like spring out there. The girls and I had a "tea party" of home-baked chocolate chip cookies and milk out on our little front porch. I think the girls will have a hard time getting their schoolwork done today! On the other hand, it has inspired me to start some spring cleaning, and the house is airing out from the long winter.

Spring Really Is Coming

There are more birds around. They are dropping berry parts on our car and on our driveway.

Bunnies and deer have been around all winter, but we are starting to see them again now, which I presume is due to sunny days and ever so slightly warmer weather.

Daffodils are in the stores, even if they are not blooming outside!

Update: the Canadian geese are back too. And the Indians' first Cactus League game is today!

Light Ahead

Today I'm starting to feel alive again, after being sick most of the week. I got a catalog in the mail filled with spring clothes that makes me feel that perhaps this cold weather won't last forever. Of course, there's the issue of digging money out of the budget to buy new clothes. :) But it's fun looking at the catalog. Ah, new spring clothes, in bright new colors!

Since I wasn't feeling well, and Mr. BTEG and the Dancer have caught the germs as well, not much has been going on around here. I've been knitting, since it's something I can do in bed. I have one strap left on the baby bib; I'm hoping I can re-attach the yarn successfully.

I'm looking forward to what I can do this week when I feel healthy again!

Winter Is Coming

and I am getting prepared.

Mr. BTEG wouldn't let me buy one until after Thanksgiving, but I now have a pine wreath hanging on our door. I love the smell of pine; it seems to sum up all my childhood magic of Christmas in one breath. Of course, I now understand better the true meaning of Christmas as the birth of Christ and the miracle of the Incarnation, but those hours gazing at a beautiful glowing tree, and the excitement of a new Christmas dress and the anticipation of Santa Claus have their own nostalgic childhood sweetness.

My scarf is finished and I am working on one for the Dancer, half nylon, half wool, and very fluffy. It's going very fast, because it is straight knitting and because it uses almost half the stitches of my scarf, because I am using bigger needles and the yarn is thicker. The colors will go nicely with her coat, which is dark navy and a blue very close in shade to the blue in the yarn.

Halloween Scene

In some ways I hate this time of year. Maybe I just have a weak stomach, but the decorations seem to be getting gorier and gorier, and it almost makes me ill sometimes. Am I the only one who finds fake blood (that new window gel stuff) on the window of a pizza joint a little stomach turning when you go in to get your pizza or meatball sub? Also why I'm not going with the husband and kids to Halloweekends.

Saturday Sewing

For some reason my sewing mojo left quite a while ago, and hasn't come back. I've explored a number of reasons, from perfectionism becoming paralyzing, to being distracted by all the other work I have to do. However, I *need* a new skirt for church. All I have is one summery one which I just can't wear anymore. So it's off to the salt mines sewing room to see if I can rediscover my mojo, or at least slog through.

Spring Is Here

It's raining instead of snowing. :) Seriously, we went out to dinner with friends last night, and the water was deep enough on the roads on the way home that my battery light came on temporarily. The raindrops also threatened to turn to snow briefly, but it was still rain when we got home. At least we are getting more sunshine, and I'm hearing more birds. Those are good things. Also good: the girls are spending more time outside instead of inside on the computer or whatever. I'm also trying to walk every day, or at least when it's not pouring down rain.

Winter Blues

I really wanted to go ice skating today, as I need to get out of the house badly. However, somehow my ice skates got lost when we moved, so I can't. I'm going to go insane.

I don't know that I've ever got "cabin fever" before, but this winter I seem to have it in spades. I'm bored with everything, including working on my pay-it-forward contest gift for Charity. Not to mention something for Debbie. I *am* working on the Italian wedding soup we're taking for the Lenten supper at church tomorrow, but as that currently involves boiling chicken in a giant pot, it's not very exciting.

What do you do when you feel cooped up and bored with life?

Gorgeous Weather

Yet another advantage to homeschooling is that the girls and I can enjoy the weather, especially now when the summer weather is coming in and it is warm and sunny outside. With lots of schools doing away with recess altogether, I can't imagine how students (and teachers!) can stand not having a break. When I look back, most of my fondest memories of grade school are of recesses! And I mostly enjoyed learning, except for math. Children are just made to run around outside and play, I think. My girls can even do some school work outside, much pleasanter than being cooped indoors. It wasn't until I started college that I ever had a class taught outside. There were some places that were perfect for sitting outside.

Signs of New Life

Like there is at Scottius Maximus' place, there are signs of new life outside our house. My crocuses are starting to appear. For some reason, it is especially pleasant this year to think about spring appearing, with the promise of warmer weather, and summer to come!

My husband is also bringing his garage/workshop back to life. Tonight he finished staining the first of a set of three endtables.

Spring Weather Is Here!

Hope you all got to get out and enjoy it today. It's good to feel the new life of spring stirring.