How to Feel Better

I didn't get much sleep. I had to get the milking done early and the kids up and fed and dressed in order to get to a bulk food co-op pick up, my introduction to this group so I didn't want to be late. High winds blew through in the middle of the night, ripping the plastic off the hothouse and causing widespread power failures, including our house although that in particularly didn't make much difference to us. Getting out of the drive my tires scooted massive piles of leaves to the point that the steering was unresponsive for a sec, enough to almost make me hit a tree, although it would have been only a tap. And then I had forgotten to take the eggs I was delivering to had to run back to the house to get them.

I made it to the pick-up and it was COLD and windy. I delivered the eggs. I mailed a bill. I tried to find Wild Wayne's to see if they have a used game for eldest but it had moved. Again. I bailed into Big Lots just to spend some time and found out just how little they have. We buy canning jars there, and maybe you could luck into something else of value to you but it would be by accident, luck, or sheer persistence and who has time for shopping 24/7? I just don't need stuff that bad. Perhaps the thing I like the least about it is it is where people like my father's wife shop for their step-grandchildren; step-grandchildren that as soon as their grandfather died she forgot they existed.

Finally picked husband up from work that is driving him mad and went out to eat and found Wild Wayne's and even hit Wal-Mart for odd stuff. Took husband back to work eventually and drove home.

Cold house (56 on the thermometer). Kids started evening chores while I built a fire. Not much wood in the house so I decided I would go ahead and cut some although husband said he'd be home in time to get enough cut for the night and the morrow.

I did not feel like cutting wood: I just didn't have much in the house and I didn't have any other chores pressing right then. I was tired and chilled and sleepy and grumpy. Still, I grabbed the pegged tooth bow saw and put on coat and hat and gloves and fed the fire before going out and cut a few poles into stove lengths. I am not really in sawing shape as husband has done most of the sawing so far this winter so I tired quickly. I took a break to stand again by the stove and sawed some more. Then carried in, standing by the stove between each arm load. That wood not only warmed me sawing it but it made me feel better. Less chilled, less tired, certainly less grumpy, short, stressed.

Later it was time to milk the cow. Dark. Damp. Mucky. Cold. Still, we were waiting to eat supper until I had milked. And milking somehow is always pleasant; the cow and donkey (who comes for a bite of grain) are funny; the teats warm and milk steaming; the smell of large animals always ambrosial to me; the night comforting. It was still cold and mucky but it doesn't matter: I love doing it.

Husband and I discussed such later. We are both "getting older", getting to the ages where our parents started acting like dying ducks. "When you get to be our age" blah blah blah. The daily-ness of our tasks however is also the gifts of those tasks. When we feel a little ache of age, it doesn't matter, we have to milk and cut wood anyway so the aches can never take over. The more you do the longer you do the more and longer you can do. Doing physical stuff makes you healthy in mind and body.

If you want to be healthy, do what healthy people do, not what sick people do.