I’ve been so bored with all my downtime lately that I’ve taken to adding color to my laptop screen. There’s a new color combination on the WordPress dashboard (purple and green!), I’m using dark mode on my MacOS, which eliminates the ever-present boring gray of Safari and the dock and provides a dramatic black background. And my ‘desktop’ is a photo from the NY Times with vivid colors.
Too much down time. Too many days with gray skies and bare branches and wind and coughing and blowing my nose. I needed some color!
I am slowly getting better. Mornings are hard. Evenings, as are often the case, bring on coughing. But in the middle? Longer stretches with something close to normalcy. It’s definitely heading on out, but not as quickly as I’d like.
I finished the latest Lee Child yesterday morning and now I’ve started Less by Andrew Sean Greer, which won the Pulitzer Prize last year.
Thank you for all your lovely messages on the anniversary of Scout’s death. She was a big part of this blog and her absence is felt here, as well as in our home. I once said that she would have had her own Instagram account, had she lived. She was a star.
Don’s going to run some errands today – he’s still under the weather, but he’s restless. He also tends to recover from these things more quickly than I do. We need to recycle and replenish our larder. I’m going to bag up the remaining items that I’m throwing out and then I should be officially finished with the office. And I’m going to return the Lee Child to the library – maybe I’ll find something interesting to check out.
Boring. I know.
I need and want spring. But, Tuesday’s forecast calls for 3 – 5 inches of snow and ice.
Oh, goody.
Happy Saturday.
Chris K in Wisconsin says
Oh, Claudia, I know how much you miss each of the pups, and especially sweet Scout! Our oldest Grey is going through some health issues right now. She is 10 1/2, and I am depressed and scared. It is so hard.
Sometimes just being able to do the mundane assures us we are getting better. So, have a good day of catching up and don’t over-do. I know how hard it is to “just sit”. I have to say that I am much better at it than is my husband. And this weather!! We have been below zero again for a couple of mornings, and more snow tomorrow and Tues. UNCLE!! I give up and have raised the white flag. Over it!!
Donnamae says
I’m sure yesterday was a difficult one for you…I’m finding all the anniversaries of loved ones passings are more difficult than I had ever thought.
I don’t envy your impending snow and ice. Our ice event has left us with frozen vehicles, very slippery sidewalks, and the inability of salt to work, because it’s too stinking cold. We are getting more snow starting Sunday…oh joy.
Glad to hear you are feeling better….wanting to run errands even mundane ones, is always a good sign. Enjoy your day! ;)
Wendy T says
Claudia, thank you for continuing to write your posts despite feeling awful (cold, and sadness about Scout and all your fur babies). Your loyal readers want to support you during the lows, as well as celebrate with you the highs. I hope the stretches of feeling better mid-day get longer and longer. This has gone on long enough! Out, damn virus!
On my end, I’m enjoying having daughter home from Italy before she has to start Spring term. She learned a lot and saw even more during her 3-week class in Rome, and then the students were “unleashed”, and allowed to scatter as long as they stayed in Italy. She and her friend went to Venice and Florence for a few days and then the class reunited and flew home together from Rome. Even though it was only 3-1/2 weeks, I can see how much she matured traveling abroad and making her own decisions, and yet she is still her cheery happy positive self at the core. I’m so happy for her to have had that experience.
jeanie says
Well, you are being far more productive than I ever feel like being when I’m faced with a similar situation, so I say “well done, you!” and send wishes for continued and quick healing for you both!
Linda @ A La Carte says
Errands are at least getting you out of the house a bit. I watched Tiger play Basketball at the YMCA today and lunch with the family. Both Scout and Tiger will stay here with me tonight while Mommy and Daddy have a date. I think we have The Little Mermaid ready and pasta for dinner. I’ll need to rest up tomorrow!! It’s gotten cold and rainy here and I miss that warm weather we had last week. Hang in there both of you. Hugs!
Shanna says
Color always brings me out of a funk, too! You have so much lovely color at your house—concentrate on that. Hope you both feel better soon. Come on, Spring!
tammy j says
I don’t know what that bug is but I had it through the middle of November until the first week in February. I was beginning to think I ought to see somebody in case it was TB!
I am finally able to not go into a coughing fit. I have to take Coricidin for high blood pressure. and it worked okay. I thought I might be evicted for being so loud coughing!!!
at least your neighbors are far enough from you not to add that worry to your list!
hang in there. this too shall pass. xo
Dee Dee says
Hello Claudia,
Pleased to read that both of you are feeling better today Hope this cheers you up – I’ve been to the cinema today on impulse with my friend as the weather is so wet and windy – we decided on the newly released
All Is True (which by the way when I try to use the correct punctuation of inverted commas, auto corrects to Y’all is true!!). Not sure when it’s released in the States but it’s about Shakespeare’s latter years after the Globe had burned down and your favourite Sir Ian Mckellan is also in it. I knew that Kenneth Branagh had directed it and just before the credits rolled I whispered to my friend “So – who played Shakespeare?” She looked at me with incredulity ” That was Kenneth Branagh!!”
I honestly didn’t recognise him with his prosthetic nose! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Dee Dee
Mary Bond says
Good to know that you are feeling better. Feeling bored is not fun but can be a symptom of healing also. Animal lovers miss their pets so very much. Our last dog passed away recently and it was difficult. So pleased to hear that your office area is cleared.
Betsy says
Can’t wait to hear what you think of Less. I thought it was amusing in a quirky way.
It has been so gray here in NW CT but it was sunny most of the day today so our solar panels finally produced some electricity. Waiting for snow on Tuesday; I worry that the garden is suffering from temperature changes. Got a memory from FB from 4 years ago showing snow almost covering our Adironack chairs ! It looks so brown outside this year!
The loss of a beloved dog never seems to go away. I miss my beauty too.
xo
Nancy Blue Moon says
I’m glad to hear that you two are getting better even if it is slowly…My son is down with something now…stuffy nose..sore throat..coughing..headache…he sounds miserable!…here’s hoping that it leaves me alone!…hopefully that snow that is predicted for Tuesday does the same!! lol
Chris says
Hey, Claudia, are you and Don okay? It’s not like you to be absent without notice. Hope everything is okay. From your friend you’ve never met. Chris
Laura Richardson says
She posted on Instagram this morning. I was worrying too. Feel better soon Claudia and Don. Hope you don’t get too much snow.