Life gets overwhelming at times. This is one of those times for me and I have vacillated the whole day long about whether or not to take a break from this blog. While I normally have it posted each weekday before noon, it is already past 7 PM and I am feeling exhausted. There is no one twisting my arm, but only my own sense of commitment that pushes me to do the many things I do.
Today, the Wind has taken the wind out of my sails. It began last evening, bringing colder temperatures along with the 60+ MPH gusts that have been non-stop. There has been no rain – only wind. I had transplanted several houseplants on Sunday and left a few of them out, erroneously believing that the weather was at last becoming consistently warm. When I arrived home from work; however, my Norfolk pine had been knocked to the ground and one of the growing tips had been nearly broken in half. A large branch off my shooting star hydrangea was broken off and the variegated spider plant had been shredded. One of my hummingbird feeders had been knocked down three times and was cracked. My plants were not all that took a beating. I got too close to a shrub and the wind caused a branch to slap me across the face. I spent this morning moving several of the seedlings to a more sheltered spot, that I had begun from seed, and have not yet had time to put them in the ground.
Each day I must make certain that all the plants and seedlings are watered sufficiently so that they do not dry out. I also have to mow (with my reel mower) and clean and clip (with grass shears) weeds and grass around the shrubs. I have just received ten trees from Arbor Day that I must find time to plant. I am trying to proofread the final copy for the second printing of my book, Question Everything. Two of my three daughters have had birthdays, just five days apart, and I am helping my youngest daughter move, more than an hour away. I must keep the birdbath and the birdfeeders filled and find time for regular tasks like laundry, ironing, making meals for myself, and eating them. All of this I must do and also work 30 hours a week at the motel. For this reason, I am contemplating taking a mini vacation from writing this blog.
At the same time, I enjoy writing. I find it to be a relaxing respite from the more physical nature of everything else that I do. I am overwhelmed, coupled with the annoying wind; but the decision to continue writing the blog will have to wait until tomorrow morning. Like Scarlett O’hara, I am declaring that I won’t think about that right now. I will think about that tomorrow.